L.1.10.6 The Complete Story

To summarize the use of numbering information in a document, the paragraph properties specify a numPr element, which references a numbering definition instance via the numId element. The numbering definition instance specifies an inherited abstract numbering definition via the abstractNumId element. The paragraph then also specifies the list level from the numbering definition instance using the ilvl element.

Consider the following WordprocessingML for a numbered paragraph:

<w:p>
  <w:pPr>
    <w:numPr>
      <w:ilvl w:val="0" />
      <w:numId w:val="5" />
    </w:numPr>
  </w:pPr>
  <w:r>
    <w:t>Numbered paragraph</w:t>
  </w:r>
</w:p>

Based on the numId of 5, the paragraph uses the numbering definition instance with a numId of 5:

<w:numbering>
  …
  <w:num w:numId="5">
    <w:abstractNumId w:val="4" />
  </w:num>
</w:numbering>

Based on the abstractNumId of 4, this instance inherits the abstract numbering definition with an abstractNumId of 4:

<w:numbering>
  <w:abstractNum w:abstractNumId="4">
    <w:nsid w:val="FFFFFF7F" />
    <w:multiLevelType w:val="singleLevel" />
    <w:lvl w:ilvl="0">
      <w:start w:val="1" />
      <w:lvlText w:val="%1." />
      <w:lvlJc w:val="start" />
      <w:pPr>
        <w:tabs>
          <w:tab w:val="num" w:pos="720" />
        </w:tabs>
        <w:ind w:left="720" w:hanging="360" />
      </w:pPr>
    </w:lvl>
  </w:abstractNum>
  …
</w:numbering>

Since the numbering definition instance does not specify an override for ilvl 0, the definition for the corresponding level from the abstract numbering definition is applied to the text.