# creating a subcounter to a counter I created

I created a counter, call it ncfor newcounter:

\newcounter{nc}

I want to create a "subcounter", let me call it snc for sub new counter, whose behavior mimics the way subsection is a "subcounter" to section. How do I do this?

If it is not clear what I am asking, here is an example: if the value of nc is 4, then I want the value of snc to be 4.0, and the next call to snc to be 4.1, etc.

This is surely well known but I searched briefly and couldn't find a clear answer.

• The term subcounter isn't really correct. section is the resetting counter of subsection. – user31729 Mar 13 '17 at 18:27

Counters that should be reset from other counters are usually defined with \newcounter{snc}[nc] where nc is the resetting counter.

However, this does not provide the requested format, i.e. nc.snc, so \renewcommand{\thesnc}{\thenc.\arabic{snc} is needed.

Counters itself can't have a floating point value like 1.1 -- their output is a combination of some counter values which is defined in the relevant \the... macro.

\documentclass{article}

\newcounter{nc}
\newcounter{snc}[nc]

\renewcommand{\thesnc}{\thenc.\arabic{snc}}

\begin{document}

\setcounter{nc}{4}

\thenc\ and \thesnc

\stepcounter{snc}

Now snc has the value \thesnc.

Let's step nc and look what happens:\stepcounter{nc}

Now snc has the value \thesnc.
\end{document}


With the chngcntr package this can be simplified a little bit, i.e. for example if [nc] has been forgotten in the definition of the snc counter, this and the formatting change can be done with the command \counterwithin{snc}{nc}. However, \newcounter{scn} is still necessary.

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{chngcntr}

\newcounter{nc}
\newcounter{snc}

\counterwithin{snc}{nc}

\begin{document}

\setcounter{nc}{4}

\thenc\ and \thesnc

\stepcounter{snc}

Now snc has the value \thesnc.

Let's step nc and look what happens:\stepcounter{nc}

Now snc has the value \thesnc.
\end{document}


Both styles give following output: