Re: Numbering Sections for Flexibility

[Alan Sismey <asismey -at- FNS -dot- COM -dot- AU>]

A number of different issues are raised here, but my suggestion is to NOT
use section numbers at all.

I am responsible for the maintenance of over 100 documents (some with 200
plus pages) and none of these have section numbers. I believe that the
documents are much easier to use without section numbers and I have not had
any complaints from the users. Each type of document has a standard format
with 3 or 4 heading levels.

We have other documents (not my responsibility) which do use section
numbers and you get things like "8.1.1.3.3.1" - I really don't think that
section numbering adds any value to a document.

Some of the issues:
I assume that you are using a word processing package with heading levels
and are not physically numbering each section.
A policy and procedures manual of 200 pages is too big - split it into
smaller documents.
Do the 270 people each receive a hard copy? If so, I would look at online
availability.
Issue the new section as an addendum pending the next major update.

All the best
Alan Sismey

-----Original Message-----
From:   Paul Cordts and Margie Monforton [SMTP:mmmphc -at- MICH -dot- COM]
Sent:   Wednesday, 11 March 1998 10:35
To:     TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Subject:        Numbering Sections for Flexibility

I need help from people who publish and update longer manuals:

My unit writes policy and procedure manuals (approx. 200 pages
total I'd say).  We published our most extensive and changing manual in
January and it goes to 270 people.

Now we're faced with adding a new section - ideally in between some
of the other sections, but we've numbered them 1, 2, 3, etc.  This
addition would throw the numbering off if we don't republish the
entire manual.

Does anyone know a way to number the sections so that you can make
additions and deletions without screwing up the section numbers?