Outline/Table of Contents

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laup
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Outline/Table of Contents

Post by laup »

I would like to treat appendices in parallel with Chapters EXCEPT for having them numbered A, B, ..., rather than 1, 2,...How to do this eludes me. The "slot" for chapters is Mellel's Level 2. However, that has a unique paragrapha and character definition, and a unique numbering approach.

The only thing I have figured out to do is to expropriate one of the never-used "levels" (Level 9 to be safe) and define it to produce what I want. That works fine for the table of contents, but in the outline, the appendix names appear indented way to the right. Since no one but I see the outline, I can live with it, but surey there is a way to change the numbering style of "chapters" after some kind of break. Thanks for any suggestions.

???

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Paul
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Post by nicka »

surely there is a way to change the numbering style of "chapters" after some kind of break.
I'm afraid there isn't. I use a tag flow rather than a structural flow for things I want on the same level as chapters but numbered differently or not at all -- introduction and conclusion, appendices -- but the headings still end up massively indented in the outline pane.

I wonder if there is any good reason for Mellel not to allow two or more auto-title flows to have the same structural level. I can't see any, but I could be overlooking something. That would be one way that the developers could solve this problem properly.
laup
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Oh Well. I'm relieved, even if unhappy

Post by laup »

Nicka
Thanks for the response. At least I am relieved at not being proven once again to have the brain of an ant. I had banged my head pretty hard on this one, assuming there was a solution (other than the kluge that apparently you use as well).

As for solutions, I would think that having more than one example at a level would be quite doable, but I'm often surprised at how difficult things are when dealing with the notorious mind of a computer.

Paul
Paul
ozean
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Post by ozean »

nicka wrote:I wonder if there is any good reason for Mellel not to allow two or more auto-title flows to have the same structural level. I can't see any, but I could be overlooking something. That would be one way that the developers could solve this problem properly.
Yes, I also wondered about this. Having the option to generate another flow on the same level would be great. I have also wrestled with this issue over the course of the last few days, but the only work around for my setup was to enter different numbering schemes manually. Which is not very Mellel-like…

This would allow for much more flexibility outline-wise and would be very welcome.

(Actually, it is something that even OmniOutliner does not offer, although I requested it from them several times - please also write them, that you _need_ this feature ;) )
matthias
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Post by matthias »

ozean wrote:
nicka wrote:I wonder if there is any good reason for Mellel not to allow two or more auto-title flows to have the same structural level. I can't see any, but I could be overlooking something. That would be one way that the developers could solve this problem properly.
Yes, I also wondered about this. Having the option to generate another flow on the same level would be great. I have also wrestled with this issue over the course of the last few days, but the only work around for my setup was to enter different numbering schemes manually. Which is not very Mellel-like…

This would allow for much more flexibility outline-wise and would be very welcome.
Me, too! I'd like to set up headings (flows) for the introductory chapter, the foreword as well as the bibliography and the table of contents itself on the same level as my chapter headings with the exception that they should not have any numbering assigned to them.

And I am still months away from finalising my dissertation, so the Redlers still have enough time to implement this great feature ;)

Matthias
verma
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Post by verma »

matthias wrote: Me, too! I'd like to set up headings (flows) for the introductory chapter, the foreword as well as the bibliography and the table of contents itself on the same level as my chapter headings with the exception that they should not have any numbering assigned to them.
Matthias
I'm not sure I got it, but what about creating a new title flow (it will be treated like the table/equation/picture flow and you can copy the style you use for Level1 or 2 or whatever onto it, or give it a different numbering (roman caps or ...).

What you can't do, because it needs cross-references, is link the appendix to your chapter number - that's a manual job, it seems.

I defined a flow for examples - it does the numbering trick very well, and I can see all examples in the Outline pane; very handy.
nicka
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Post by nicka »

I'm not sure I got it, but what about creating a new title flow (it will be treated like the table/equation/picture flow and you can copy the style you use for Level1 or 2 or whatever onto it, or give it a different numbering (roman caps or ...).
That's exactly what I was saying that I do (obviously not very clearly, though -- sorry).
There are problems however, all stemming from the fact that this tag flow (the Mellel manual's name for flows like table/equation/picture) will not have the right structural level. It will not appear indented as chapters are in the outline view, but multiply indented below sections, sub-sections and so on.
This is not just a cosmetic problem. It reflects the fact that titles in this flow do not take precedence over sections, sub-sections etc. So if you have an appendix with sub-sections, you cannot move the appendix around with its sub-sections by dragging the appendix heading in the outline pane, as you can with chapters (assuming you have set chapter up as a structural level).

Saying this, it occurs to me that a better workaround might be to set appendices as one level above or below chapters and then put sections below both of them. For example:
Level 1: part or volume
2: chapter (with arabic numbers)
3: appendix (labelled A, B, C or I, II, III etc.)
4: unnumbered chapters (introduction and conclusion, for example)
(we really want all of 2-4 to be at the same level, but can't have this and different numbering schemes for them in Mellel, so this is a kludge)
5: section (these can live inside chapters, appendices or unnumbered chapters and will move with them when they are dragged in the outline pane)
6: sub-section
etc.
It's not perfect because there's a danger that appendices and unnumbered chapters will get dragged with chapters since chapters are higher in the hierarchy. Perhaps making appendices level 2, chapters level 3 and unnumbered chapters level 4 would minimise this, since in linear order the introduction precedes the numbered chapters which precede the appendices. An unnumbered conclusion is a fly in the ointment. One could make it a different level again...

Nick
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