How To Automatically Update Word Cross Reference Mac

Based on a Writing Tip I wrote for my piece of work colleagues. Warning: LONG! as there are different instructions for each blazon of cross-reference.

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In many of the Word documents you write, yous may need to refer the reader to another section, an appendix, a table, or a figure, or numbered reference in a References list. You do this with a cross-reference (e.g. 'come across Table 5-2'). Although you tin but type the cantankerous-reference (x-ref), if you add together more sections/tables/figures etc. or delete some, then some or all of your typed x-refs will be incorrect and take the reader to the wrong place.

The solution is to use automated x-refs.

That way, when you add/move/delete sections/tables/figures etc., you just need to update the fields in your document to automatically update the 10-ref numbers to reflect the new numbering of these elements. The other advantage of automated x-refs is that they are clickable in the Give-and-take document (Ctrl+click) and sometimes in PDFs (depending on the Acrobat settings) – in both cases, clicking the link will accept you lot direct to the place referred to.

Assumptions: All the instructions below assume you are working in a document that is based on a template that uses:

• automatic outline numbering for the sections (e.1000. Department 5.three.2) and appendices
• automatic caption numbering for the tabular array/figure captions (east.thou. Table 2-three)
• automatic listing numbering for the items in the References list (bold you have a transmission listing of numbered References).

The instructions vary a trivial for each type of cross-reference—figure/table, section, appendix, numbered References list detail. All the same, for each y'all will offset with the References tab > Captions group > Cross-reference button:

Insert an automated cross-reference to a figure or table

1. Place your cursor in the text where yous want to insert the cross-reference.
2. Go to the References tab > Captions grouping, and then click Cross-reference.
3. In the Reference type field, click the drop-downwardly arrow and select either Figure or Tabular array (they're at the bottom of the list).
4. In the Insert reference to field, click the drop-down arrow and select Simply label and number.
5. Select the effigy or tabular array from the list in the lower half of the dialog box.
6. Click Insert.

Insert an automatic cross-reference to a section

1. Place your cursor in the text where you want to insert the cantankerous-reference.
2. Type the word 'Section' and a space.
3. Become to the References tab > Captions group, then click Cross-reference.
4. In the Reference type field, click the drop-down arrow and select Heading.
5. In the Insert reference to field, click the drop-down arrow and select Heading number (no context).
6. Select the section from the list in the lower half of the dialog box. Hint: If it's a long list, blazon the main department number – e.thou. type 8 to have you direct to headings starting with '8'.
7. Click Insert.

Insert an automated cross-reference to an appendix

1. Place your cursor in the text where you want to insert the cantankerous-reference.
2. Go to the References tab > Captions group, then click Cross-reference.
3. In the Reference type field, click the drop-downwardly pointer and select Numbered item (offset in the list).
4. In the Insert reference to field, click the drop-down arrow and select Paragraph number (no context).
5. Select the appendix from the listing in the lower half of the dialog box. Hint: Appendices are always listed at the Stop of the list, so yous might take to ringlet down a long style.
6. Click Insert.

Insert an automated cross-reference to an auto-numbered Reference listing item in a citation

1. Go to the References section, note its department number (e.g. 9.0), and then identify the row number in the References list for the document you want to cite (e.g. row number 23).
2. Place your cursor in the text where you desire to insert the cantankerous-reference.
3. Type '(Ref. )'; brand sure yous add a non-breaking infinite (Ctrl+Shift+spacebar) after the full finish, and then put your cursor after the space and before the endmost parenthesis.
4. Get to the References tab > Captions group, and so click Cross-reference.
5. In the Reference blazon field, click the drop-downward arrow and select Numbered item (commencement in the list).
6. In the Insert reference to field, click the drop-downward arrow and select Paragraph number (no context).
7. Go to the References section (e.g. nine.0)  in the lower half of the dialog box.
8. Ringlet downwardly the list of numbers after the section number/heading and select the number of the row y'all identified in Footstep 1.
9. Click Insert.

What happens to the ten-ref numbers if I've added new tables/figures/sections etc.? How do I update them?

When you lot add a new department, table/figure, appendix etc. Give-and-take automatically applies the correct sequential number for where you've placed it. If you move an existing section or appendix, these heading numbers will change automatically too. But tables and figures and all the 10-refs DON'T change their numbers until you lot update all the fields in your document.

Although there are several ways to update all the fields (and therefore the automated numbers), the quickest, simplest, and most foolproof way is to switch to Print Preview mode, then switch back—well-nigh all your numbers automatically update:

1. Important: Brand sure Track Changes is turned OFF. Weird things happen if track changes is on, including possibly losing your ten-refs!
2. Become to File > Print. The print preview of your document shows on the right.
3. Become back to the Home All your fields are updated automatically.

That's it!

However, this method doesn't update your table of contents, list of tables, listing of figures, etc.—you have to do those separately using the applicable Update Table buttons on the References tab, or use the method below.

To update EVERYTHING in your document at once:

1. IMPORTANT: Make sure Track Changes is turned OFF.
2. Select the entire document (Ctrl+A).
3. Right-click on the selection and select Update Field.
4. When asked nigh updating the table of contents etc. select Update entire tabular array and click OK. You may accept to answer this several times for each contents list.
5. Repeat steps three and 4 once more to be sure y'all got everything. Sometimes, the first update will update the numbers for moved figures/tables etc. but non the ten-refs too—to be certain you update the ten-refs, repeat these steps a second fourth dimension.

TROUBLESHOOTING

What does 'Error! Reference not found.' mean?

Yous'll get 'Error! Reference not found.' for any x-refs that accept nothing to point (refer) to. The most common reason for these error letters is that you've deleted a section heading (or a figure/tabular array explanation) without realizing that in that location was a x-ref to information technology somewhere else in the document. Behind the scenes, Word has unique ID numbers for each x-ref that refers to specific sections, tables, etc. And then if you delete the department heading/caption but not the ten-ref, Word loses the connection between the two when the fields are updated, and so reports 'Error! Reference non constitute.'. The only simple solutions are to:

• delete the bulletin if the table etc. has been deleted, OR
• replace the message by creating a new x-ref to the right place.

What about Section 0?

If yous notice some 'Section 0' 10-refs afterwards you update the fields, there's a good risk you inserted a new paragraph by pressing Enter at the beginning of an existing section heading and then inverse the manner of the new paragraph. This screws upwards the internal IDs. All-time practice is to insert a new paragraph at the Terminate of the previous paragraph by pressing Enter. For detailed information on this problem and various methods of solving it, meet: http://www.thedoctools.com/demos/demo_crossref_2.html

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See likewise:

• https://cybertext.wordpress.com/2010/08/16/message-to-microsoft-fix-words-cross-reference-dialog-box/

[Links terminal checked Baronial 2014]

Source: https://cybertext.wordpress.com/2014/08/08/word-assigning-automated-cross-references/

Posted by: sullivanpolday41.blogspot.com

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