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[Nancy Allison]

Hi, Linda. This is an interesting approach -- and I can easily see how we tech writers may develop standards that are pickier than our clients would ever require . . . just because we can, darn it!

My manual has chapter page numbers (3-1 to 3-25, then 4-1 to 4-13, etc.). The table and figure numbers follow this pattern (Figure 3.2, Table 4.6, etc.)

In this case, would you number table and figures straight through? Would you keep the chapter-# numbering scheme?

I have to admit . . the illogic of keeping the #s is making my perfectionist tendencies unhappy, but then again, your (and my) clients aren't paying us to satisfy our personal perfectionism, are they!

Thanks.

--Nancy

On May 12, 2009, Linda G. Gallagher <lindag at techcomplus.com> wrote: 

Nancy,

I know some folks may disagree with my approach, but I'll share it in case
it might work for you.

For the online help version of content, I do remove chapter numbering. I
number tables and figures 1 through x throughout the whole "book" in both
the print and help. 

I retain the table and figure numbers in the help, so that I can refer to
them.