Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Numbering Only Certain Lines.

Numbering Only Certain Lines

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 4, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Peter noted that Word allows him to add line numbers to a document. In the Line Numbers dialog box he can specify what number he wants to start at and what "count" Word should use for incrementing the line numbers. Peter wants to start at 1 and then count by 10, so that lines 1, 11, 21, and so on are numbered in the document. However, when Peter makes these settings (1 and 10) in the Line Numbers dialog box, Word doesn't display a number next to line 1; it only displays line numbers at lines 10, 20, etc. He wonders how he can get the line numbering that he needs.

The short answer is that you can't get the line numbering you need. There are two fields in the Line Numbers dialog box that control this matter. The Start At setting indicates what line number the first line should be considered. This setting can apply to either the first line of a page, the first line of the document, or the first line of a section, depending on the Numbering radio button that is selected.

The other field that controls this matter is the Count By field. In our experience, the name of this field is actually misleading in its inaccuracy. The words "Count By" could be understood in two different ways. First, if could be understood to mean the number by which each line is incremented. With this understanding if you set Count By to a value such as 3, the first line of the page would be designated as line 1 (or whatever number you specify in the Start At field) and the second line would be 4, the third line 7, etc.

The second possible understanding of the field is that it indicates which lines, incremented from the specification in the Start At field, should have a line number shown. In this understanding if you set Count By to a value such as 3, the first line of the page would be designated as line 1, the second line as 2, the third line as 3, and the fourth line as 4. Only the line numbers for lines 1, 4, 7, etc. would be shown in the document. This understanding seems to be the way that Peter understands the controls.

Unfortunately, neither of these two understandings is correct. The Count By field is simply a divisor that indicates which line numbers should be displayed in the document. In appears that Word uses this setting in a modulo operation involving the current line number. (A modulo operation is performed when you do an integer division of one number by another. The modulo of the operation is the remainder of the division.)

In other words, if Count By is set to 3, then Word divides the current line number by 3 and, if the modulo is 0 (there is no remainder), the line number is displayed. Thus, lines 3, 6, 9, 12, etc. have line numbers displayed; all other lines have their line numbers hidden. This is why Peter sees the behavior he does: when Count By is set to 10, then line numbers for lines 10, 20, 30, etc. are displayed and all others are not.

Because of this behavior of the Count By setting (which really does no counting at all), it is impossible to have Word display numbers for line 1, line 11, line 21, line 31, etc. The reason is because there is no value that you could divide each of these numbers by and end up with a modulo of 0.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9589) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Numbering Only Certain Lines.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Horizontal Alignment Errors for Graphics

Discussion of alignment differences for graphics in Word 97 and Word 2000.

Discover More

Protecting Print Settings

Need to have your print settings always be a certain way? Tired of resetting the settings after others use the workbook ...

Discover More

Working with Imperial Linear Distances

Excel works with decimal values very easily. It is more difficult for the program to work with non-decimal values, such ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!

More WordTips (menu)

Adding Line Numbers

Many types of documents, such as legal documents, require the use of line numbers to make it easier to identify specific ...

Discover More

Setting the Starting Line Number

You are not limited to starting the line numbering in a document with 1. You can, instead, start the numbering at any ...

Discover More

Formatting Line Numbers

Legal documents often use automatic line numbering for their documents. If you want to format those line numbers, you can ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.