Weird autonumbering problem with Framemaker

[Fred Ridder]

Lin Sims offered Eva some good advice on numbering:

> Remember when using a numbering string to provide it with a series tag
> (e.g., "H:" for headings) and to have the same number of blocks in
> each tag's string.
> 
> That is, if your Heading1 is "1." and Heading2 is "1.1" and resets
> after each Heading1, then BOTH tags should contain 2 blocks. For
> example:
> 
> Heading1 numbering string is "H:<n=1>.< =0>"
> Heading2 numbering string is "H:< >.<n+>"


A key point that many people initially miss is that when the numbering of some paragraph formats needs to interact (e.g. if a caption style needs to include the numbering of its parent section, or if a heading needs to reset the numbering of its subsections) all of those paragraph formats must use the *same* series label. 

As I remember, Eva's numbering includes chapter, volume, and section numbers in the numbering of her figures, so all of those tags must use the same numbering series. As I remember, Eva's template was not using a series label, so that *all* numbering in the document will potentially interact with itself, which is a potential maintenance nightmare. But since *some* of the numbering needs to interact, it's likely that any ad hoc attempt to define some series labels will cause more problems than it fixes. In my experience, the *only* way to resolve the kind of situation Eva is facing is to get someone competent to redesign the template with a rational numbering scheme.

Just my $.02...

-Fred Ridder