Subject: Re: "Advanced" paragraph numbering?
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 1995 11:47:48 +0000

In article <40fj91$itc_001@news.unit.no>, ohansen@elkraft.unit.no
(Oddbjorn Hansen) asks:

> I'm currently writing my Ph.D. thesis using Frame 3.1.
> Is it possible to put a reference to the paragraph number of the 
> main chapter into the paragraph numbering of figures, tables and 
> equations? 

Yes, this is possible - even easy - but you  must meet a few
conditions. The first condition is that your chapter title, figures,
tables and equations must be in the same Flow. In practice this means that
ALL of the content of your chapter must be in the same flow. That turns
out to be easy if you are willing to use anchored frames to contain your
figures. If you want to use UNanchored frames - frames that are glued to
the page - then what you ask will be a nuisance. In Frame 3.1 or Frame 4
you are forced to use unanchored frames if you have figures that span
columns, say in a two-column layout. I assume your thesis has a one-column
layout. In Frame 5, this restriction is removed, since in Frame 5 an
anchored frame can span columns.

> F:Fig. <n+>.<n=0>. 
> T:Table <n+>.<n=0>.  
> E:(<n+>.<n=0>)

The second condition is that your chapter title, figures, tables and
equations must be numbered with the same series label. You are forcing
different series labels for these elements. This is sort of OK for a
single-chapter document, but is not necessary, and precludes putting
elements of numbering sequences together as you wish to do. 

Instead, take a different approach. Place all of your numbering elements
into a single "autonumber vector" (my term), comprising chapter, section,
figure, table and equation elements. I recommend that you use no series
label at all.

> Now I initiate the numbering by putting 3 paragraphs at the 
> beginning of each chapter (using white fonts):

Forget the white stuff. Make a Chapter autonumber like this:

  <n+>< =0>< =0>< =0>< =0>

Make figure, table and equation autonumbers like this:

  Figure <n>.< ><n+>< >< >
  Table <n>.< >< ><n+>< >
  Eqn <n>.< >< >< ><n+>

It is my experience that whitewash is OK for a really quick and dirty
workaround, but eventually produces big trouble in a document that has to
be maintained. Most tempations to use white can be overcome by reading the
manual (or consulting the Framers) to find a better way to do things, even
if it's poorly documented. I confess that there are a few situations where
it is necessary, but thankfully yours is not one of them.

C.

Charles Poynton
poynton@poynton.com [Mac Eudora/MIME/BinHex]
<http://www.inforamp.net/~poynton/>