This page explains the numbers in the first column. It describes how they are built, how they update automatically, and which lines have no number. This is useful to know, because you and your colleagues use these numbers to talk about the show, and “we are at 3.2” must mean the same thing to everyone.
The numbers follow the structure
| Position of the line | Number |
|---|---|
| Top level | 1, 2, 3 |
| In a group | 3.1, 3.2 |
| In a sub-group | 3.1.1 |
When you move, add or delete a line, the list renumbers itself immediately. You cannot type a number yourself, because the column is not editable.
Sorting is numeric, not alphabetical
The program compares each part of a number as a number, so the order is 1 → 1.1 → 1.2 → 1.10 → 2 → 10.
A value that is not a number is compared as text, which means that 3a is still sorted correctly next to 3.
Lines without a number
Three types of line have no number, and the reason is the same each time: they are not a step in the running order.
| Line | Why it has no number |
|---|---|
| The archive folder and its contents | The archive never plays. A number would suggest that these lines are part of the running order. |
| A go-to cue | It refers to another line and is not a step itself. It does not change the numbers of the lines around it. |
| A part set to Continue the list’s numbering | Its number would fall between two numbers that already follow each other. |
What the number is not
The number is not a fixed name, because it changes when the structure of the list changes. Links between playouts and go-to cues therefore refer to the cue itself and not to its number, so moving a block never breaks a jump or a link.
If you need a name that does not change, use the title. The program never changes a title.