how do you right-align numbered list items?

[alex]

We'd like our lists to look better in both the webhelp and FrameMaker outputs. In a list including 10 or more items, how do you force the numbers to right-align so that you have leading space before the single-digit numbers?

[carolynmwallace]

There's no easy way to right-align the numbers of an ordered list in Flare because there's no way to do that with HTML/CSS (at least, AFAIK).

The hard way would be to create a table with the list numbers in the left column (right-justified) and the list item text in the right column (left-justified). Turn off the table/cell borders and the reader will never know the table is there.

[KevinDAmery]

I don't think that's quite what the OP is asking for: I think they want the numbers to the left, but to line up on the last digit rather than the first digit.

Carolyn's solution would work, though, just put the numbers in the left-side column and right justify them in the table cell.

[alex]

Thanks. We definitely don't want to have to use tables.
Flare's PDF guides show numbered lists with over 10 items and the numbers don't look like this:

1.
2.
3.
10.
11.

Rather, they look like they should in a print manual (imagine the # is an invisible space):

#1.
#2.
#3.
10.
11.

We are using the method of creating lists as described in the Flare Help and don't want to have to apply any other styles to make this happen. We were just wondering if there was a setting we were overlooking or unaware of because the Flare guide does have the numbering style we want.

Thanks,
alex

[LTinker68]

In the ol tag in the stylesheet, set the list-style-position to outside. That will align the numbers on the decimal period after the number.

[alex]

Thanks Lisa! That works great for the online webhelp target, but it's not translating to the Frame output... I did make sure I changed the setting for both the default and print/Frame outputs.

Is this a Flare -> Frame bug or might there be another setting to tweak?

Thanks,
alex

p.s. It works in Word output, so I'm going to enter a bug for Frame output.

[LTinker68]

I don't use Frame, although I know it has a more structured way of doing lists, since it's supposed to be considerably better than Word's method of doing lists. I would expect Frame to follow the CSS guidelines, but maybe not. Hopefully there's a Frame user in the forums who can address this.

[mattbnh]

In Frame you can make changes to the para style for the (formerly) li format to align on the decimal. Once you get one that looks right, you can update all.

In my test, in the paragraph designer, I needed to add a new tab stop at .15, set that as decimal, then go to the numbering tab and change the auto number format to \t <n+> \t (the \t = tab stop) and it worked.

[carolynmwallace]

In the ol tag in the stylesheet, set the list-style-position to outside. That will align the numbers on the decimal period after the number.

You see? THIS is the reason I come to this forum--I'm always learning something I didn't know!

Thanks, Lisa!

[alex]

Yes, I am always grateful for the tips, tricks, and help I receive in the forums from other users

The official word on this from MadCap in response to the bug I submitted is that the only workaround for this issue in Framemaker is to post-process in Frame, as mattbnh described:

In Frame you can make changes to the para style for the (formerly) li format to align on the decimal. Once you get one that looks right, you can update all.

In my test, in the paragraph designer, I needed to add a new tab stop at .15, set that as decimal, then go to the numbering tab and change the auto number format to \t <n+> \t (the \t = tab stop) and it worked.

If this is something *you'd* like to see resolved in the next release of Flare, please submit a bug about it!

Thanks,
alex