How to display figure number only in cross reference

Anonymous
2012-03-09T17:01:27+00:00

Is there a way to have a cross reference to a figure only display the number, without displaying the label?

For example, I want to reference several figures at once, so it is most natural to say "see Figures 1,3,6, and 9".  It is less natural to say "see Figure 1, Figure 3, Figure 6, and Figure 9",

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Stefan Blom 352.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2012-03-09T19:53:23+00:00

After you have inserted the cross-reference, add a so-called numeric picture switch to specify a number format. To do that, press Alt+F9 to display field codes; you'll find that the cross-references are REF fields. Add # "0" to the end of the relevant REF fields. Press Alt+F9 again to hide the codes, and press F9 to update fields in the selection.

Alternatively, manually add a bookmark around the figure number and then insert a cross-reference to the bookmark text.

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Stefan Blom 352.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2012-03-15T22:46:33+00:00

OK, if heading numbering is included with the captions, you can't use the workaround with the numeric switch.

Edit: You actually can use a numeric switch; see Suzanne's article at http://wordfaqs.mvps.org/CombineXrefs.htm.

As previously suggested, you can add a bookmark around the caption number and insert a cross-reference to bookmark text. Alternatively, use the "kludgy" workaround in the article at http://wordfaqs.mvps.org/CombineXrefs.htm.

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-03-24T16:59:07+00:00

    I'll probably use that from now on, even though it's a bit tedious when you have large numbers of figures and tables.

    Another advantage is you can switch between numbering schemes without having to edit every cross-reference field.

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  2. Stefan Blom 352.7K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2016-03-24T00:17:45+00:00

    Fortunately, there is a simple way to create cross-references to captions: just add a bookmark manually, making sure it encloses the particular range that you want to reference, and then insert a cross-reference to bookmark text. (I mentioned this in a previous post as well.)

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-03-24T00:07:45+00:00

    You could try posting a suggestion, but you'd probably be wasting your time. I've requested this exact feature dozens of times, since at least version 2003, and heard only crickets.

    The most frustrating part is that the default, "insert entire caption," is something I've never in my life seen used, and I can't imagine a single situation in which anybody would ever want to use it.

    By the way, there is a bug when using numeric switches to section-numbered figures: #0.00 produces "4.10" instead of 4.1, and similarly adds a trailing zero to single-digit numbers. The alternative, #0.0x or #x.xx produces "4.1" instead of "4.10," and similarly, drops the trailing zero for every multiple of 10.

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