[SOLVED] Section Numbering Problem in LaTeX

[billynomates]

Hi, I have a problem. My LaTeX code below works fine, except that the numbering is wrong on the table of contents and section headers. Instead of 1, 2, 2.1, 3, it goes 0.1, 0.2, 0.2.1, 0.3.
Any ideas why?



\documentclass[11pt]{report}

\usepackage{url}

\setlength{\topmargin}{-.5in}
\setlength{\textheight}{9in}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{.125in}
\setlength{\textwidth}{6.25in}

\begin{document}
\title{Undergraduate Project 1}
\author{Michael Speed\\
Traffic Wales}
\renewcommand{\today}{July 25th 2008}

\begin{titlepage}
\maketitle
\end{titlepage}

\begin{abstract} Abstract abstract abstract.
\end{abstract}

\pagestyle{plain} % No headers, just page numbers
\pagenumbering{alph} % Roman numerals
\tableofcontents
\cleardoublepage

\pagenumbering{arabic}

\section{Overview}
This is a section

\subsection
This is a subsection

\end{document}

[Zugzwang]

That's normal behaviour since in the book and report classes, sections are only the second-highest "structural elements" of the text. You need to start with "\chapter{foo}".

[billynomates]

Thanks for you reply.
Hmm, if I change one of them to \chapter{Section Name} instead of \section{Section Name}, it just changes the text to

Chapter 1
Section Name
but the Table of Contents stays the same.

:confused:

[Zugzwang]

but the Table of Contents stays the same.


Did you run Latex two or three times to update the TOC?

[billynomates]

2 or 3 thousand. I'm using MiKTeX on Windows, if that makes a difference (I'm at work). I don't see why it should though.

[Zugzwang]

Don't have a clue why that happens. I modified your example:



\documentclass[11pt]{report}

\usepackage{url}

\setlength{\topmargin}{-.5in}
\setlength{\textheight}{9in}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{.125in}
\setlength{\textwidth}{6.25in}

\begin{document}
\title{Undergraduate Project 1}
\author{Michael Speed\\
Traffic Wales}
\renewcommand{\today}{July 25th 2008}

\begin{titlepage}
\maketitle
\end{titlepage}

\begin{abstract} Abstract abstract abstract.
\end{abstract}

\pagestyle{plain} % No headers, just page numbers
\pagenumbering{alph} % Roman numerals
\tableofcontents
\cleardoublepage

\pagenumbering{arabic}

\chapter{Overview}
This is a chapter

\section{Stuff}
This is a section

\end{document}


...and it works fine. You might try deleting the .toc and .aux files of your document and copy this example.

[hod139]

Zugzwang already mentioned this, but I'll say it again, you can't use \section as the top level in a report; report expects \chapter to be the top level.

[billynomates]

Ok, cool. Deleting the aux and toc files worked, but I don't really want chapters in my report. That's a bit counter-intuitive, don't you think? Surely chapters should be saved for books?

I'd change it to an article but I like the layout for abstracts and title pages that you get in reports. Changing it to an article also messes up my page numbering. :(