Automatic Numbering of Headings H1-H6 using jQuery

Question

I read related posts, but didn't find a solution for IE, so I ask for a jQuery-solution for this problem:

I've some nested hierarchical Headings like this

<h1> heading 1</h1> 
<h2> subheading 1</h2>
<h1> heading 2</h1> 
<h2> subheading 1</h2>
<h2> subheading 2</h2>

I need some automated headings output like this:

1. heading 1
1.2 subheading 1
2. heading 2
2.1. subheading 1
2.2. subheading 2

Is there a way how this can be achieved using jQuery or alike, working in IE6+?

Answer 1

Here's my take on it:

var segments = [];

$(':header').each(function() { 

  var level = parseInt(this.nodeName.substring(1), 10);

  if(segments.length == level) {
    // from Hn to another Hn, just increment the last segment
    segments[level-1]++;
  } else if(segments.length > level) {
    // from Hn to Hn-x, slice off the last x segments, and increment the last of the remaining
    segments = segments.slice(0, level);
    segments[level-1]++;
  } else if(segments.length < level) {
    // from Hn to Hn+x, (should always be Hn+1, but I'm doing some error checks anyway)
    // add '1' x times.
    for(var i = 0; i < (level-segments.length); i++) {
      segments.push(1);
    }
  }

  $(this).text(segments.join('.') + '. ' + $(this).text());

});

Working example on all levels, H1 - H6

Answer 2

another possibility

var indices = [];

function addIndex() {
  // jQuery will give all the HNs in document order
  jQuery('h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6').each(function(i,e) {
      var hIndex = parseInt(this.nodeName.substring(1)) - 1;

      // just found a levelUp event
      if (indices.length - 1 > hIndex) {
        indices= indices.slice(0, hIndex + 1 );
      }

      // just found a levelDown event
      if (indices[hIndex] == undefined) {
         indices[hIndex] = 0;
      }

      // count + 1 at current level
      indices[hIndex]++;

      // display the full position in the hierarchy
      jQuery(this).prepend(indices.join(".")+" "+this.tagName);

  });
}

jQuery(document).ready(function() {
  addIndex();
});

Answer 3

honestor, simply speaking, the problem will be solved once we can get all the <h2> tags that follows right after every <h1> tag and just before the next <h1> tag, right ?

This code has made it and working just fine

$("h1").each(function(mainHeadIndex)
 {
     // Numbering the main heads
     $(this).html(mainHeadIndex +1 +'. ' + $(this).html());

     // Find all the h2 tags right under this particular main head
     $(this).nextUntil("h1").filter("h2").each(function(subIndex)
      {
          // calculate the right sub head number
          var newSubIndex = subIndex+1;
          // Numbering the sub heads
          $(this).html(mainHeadIndex +1 +'.'+ newSubIndex +$(this).html());
      });
  })

you can test it on this link

P.S: thanks for you MatejB, I didn't know jsfiddle.com before your post :)