Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 31, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021
Denis frequently uses tables in his documents. In those tables, he has a need to add a series of sequential numbers to the cells in the first column. Denis wonders if there is a way to pick a starting number in a cell and then have Word add the sequential numbers for all the cells under that starting number.
There are a couple of ways you could go about this. One way is to use Word's built-in numbering, in this manner:
If you want to modify the starting number for the cells, right-click the number in the first cell and then choose Set Numbering Value from the resulting Context menu. Word displays the Set Numbering Value dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1. The Set Numbering Value dialog box.
Enter the value you want to start with, and when you click OK, Word updates the numbers in the cells. You'll also note that if you insert any rows in the middle of your numbered sequence, Word automatically adds a number to that inserted row.
Noting this behavior, you might appreciate a simple variation on the above process that works well when you are inserting a brand-new table:
Another powerful way to add your numbering is to use the SEQ field. Follow these general steps:
{ SEQ table1 \r4 }
Finally, if you prefer to use a macro to insert numbers in a sequence of cells, you could use one similar to this:
Sub AddNumbersToTable() Dim RowNum As Long Dim ColNum As Long Dim iStartNum As Integer Dim J As Integer If Selection.Information(wdWithInTable) Then RowNum = Selection.Cells(1).RowIndex ColNum = Selection.Cells(1).ColumnIndex iStartNum = Val(Selection.Cells(1).Range.Text) If iStartNum <> 0 Then iStartNum = iStartNum + 1 For J = RowNum + 1 To ActiveDocument.Tables(1).Rows.Count ActiveDocument.Tables(1).Cell(J, ColNum).Range.Text = iStartNum iStartNum = iStartNum + 1 Next Else MsgBox "Cell doesn't contain a non-zero starting number." Exit Sub End If Else MsgBox "Not in table" End If End Sub
To use the macro, just put a starting sequence value into a cell of the table and leave the insertion point in that cell. When you then run the macro, all the cells under that starting cell are filled with sequential values. (Anything previously in those cells is deleted.)
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (89) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021.
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2024-09-03 08:56:07
DougB
Does not work if the current table is not Tables(1).
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