Auto numbering and number alignment

[j***@adobeforums.com]

I am using InDesign CS3. In the TOC, I'm trying to get the automatic numbers to align right so that single digit numbers and double digit numbers align on the right. I've scoured the web and none of the suggestions I encountered are working for me. Below is the set up in my Table of Contents:

I have a ChapterTOC paragraph style. The Bullets and Numbering List Type is Numbers and the Number is "Chapter ^1^t" (the word Chapter followed by a space, a Level 1, and a Tab). The Bullet or Number Position is Left (I tried Right, but nothing changes).

For Tabs, I have zero indents. There are two tab stops, one at 70 points and one at 92 points.

For Indents and Spacing the paragraph is Alignment Left.

The Table of Contents dialog has Page Number Before Entry, and Between Entry and Number is a ^t (tab). Numbered Paragraphs is set to Incude Full Paragraph.

I need the chapter numbers to align right and also the page numbers to align right. Below is an example of the alignment that I need:

Chapter 8 1 What are Widgets
Chapter 9 7 Making Widgets
Chapter 10 20 Selling Widgets
Chapter 11 40 Distributing Widgets

Is there any solution to this other than manual numbering?

[j***@adobeforums.com]

When I posted the topic, the alignment in the example didn't turn out right. The chapter numbers 8, 9, 10, 11 need to line up so that the 8, 9, 0, and 1 align to the right edges of those numbers; and the page numbers 1, 7, 20, and 40 should also align to their rightmost digits. I hope that my explanation is clear.

[unknown]

Does this help?

http://indesignsecrets.com/how-can-i-align-double-digits-in-a-numbered-list.php

Bob

[j***@adobeforums.com]

That's a good article, but unfortunately my numbering situation is too complex for such a simple solution to work.

[S***@adobeforums.com]

Jay sent me an email with this problem.

This is what I suggested:

First, create your TOC as you have.

Then, select all the text.

Then, go to Type > Bullets & Numbered Lists > Convert numbering to text.

This converts the unselectable text for "Chapter n" into selectable text.

Then run a Find for the word "Chapter". In the Change to enter "Chapter ^t".

Change all.

Then select all and insert a right aligned tab where you want the chapter number aligned.

What I was afraid of, though, was that when you export this TOC that had been altered, you wouldn't get the hyperlinks to jump to the pages.

But you do!

The only drawback is that when (if) you update the TOC, you will lose these manual overrides. But it's not a big deal to do them again.

[Diane King]

I had this issue recently, and I just selected the first 9 lines and manually adjusted the hanging indent until the numbers lined up properly. Of course, I didn't have text in front of the numbers, in which case the text will move over with the number. I wish the Bullets and Numbering would allow you to put a tab before the number as well as after. That would fix the problem nicely and automatically.

[j***@adobeforums.com]

Sandee and Diane and anyone else who does long documents,

Please join me in sending a feature enhancement request to Adobe at <http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform>

I have already done so.