A number of my clients who use WordPerfect for Windows have asked me for a solution to the seemingly impossible task of inserting an automatic paragraph number within a sentence.

If you (i) wish to embed paragraph numbers within a sentence like this, and (ii) use WordPerfect for Windows, and (iii) don't use the Legal Edition, then you are facing a task nearly impossible for mere mortals.

Starting in WordPerfect 8, it is possible but extremely complicated to define a paragraph style with "numbers only" to allow insertion of a paragraph number within a sentence.

WordPerfect recognized the problem and delivered a better solution for the legal community. The 8.0 Legal Edition offers this specific feature under Tools, Legal Applications, Insert Paragraph Number. (By the way, the Legal Edition of WordPerfect 9 will be released in November.)

But what about the rest of us who don't use the Legal Edition? Well, if you use WordPerfect 6.1 or 7, you are out of luck — or so it appears at first glance.

But they say that the best way to learn is to teach. And so, by carefully listening to my students, I made the discovery that this feature is available in WordPerfect versions 8 and 9 — it's just not on a menu.

Add a Paragraph Button to the Toolbar.

1. Use your mouse to point to the toolbar (anywhere is okay).
2. Right click to display your options.
3. Select Edit (way down near the bottom).
   You should now see the "Toolbar Editor" screen.
4. Note the "Feature categories" field (which presently shows "File") — point to the down arrow symbol to its right, then left click.
5. Select "Insert" (4th from the top).
6. In the larger rectangle below it labeled "Features", highlight "Insert Paragraph Number". (You can easily skip down the list, as with all lists in WordPerfect, by clicking on any item within the rectangle, then start typing I N S ...)
7. Now, at the upper right, click the button labeled "Add Button".
8. Click OK to finish.

Voila! You have now added an odd looking button "[I, II, III]" at the right edge of the toolbar. Give it a try and you'll see that it allows flexible control over the level, numbering type, and starting number of paragraph numbers which can even be embedded within text.