Need LaTeX to automatically update a reference number within a table

Question

I'm need to assign a reference number inside a table such that it automatically updates the number at the end and restarts the counter when the initial part of the reference number changes. For example, I might have FX-##, and I want LaTeX to enumerate FX-01, FX-02 etc. I might then change to EL-## and I need LaTeX to reset the counter as I've started a new reference number, so it would become EL-01. I also want to be able to label the reference numbers and refer to them later. When I refer to them later I want the full reference number to show, FX-01 etc. I do not know where to start on this so have included very basic code.

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\begin{table}[]
\begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|}
FX-01\label{fire}  & Fire & Call for help \\ 
FX-02\label{explo} & Explosion  & Run away \\
EL-01\label{elec} & Electrocution & Contact doctor  \\ 
\end{tabular}
\end{table}
\end{document}

Answer 1

Something like this?

My proposition uses categories (such as FX or EL), each time a new category is introduced, a counter is increased and the local element counter is reset. The \newcatelement macro is responsible for stepping the element counter, an eventual label and the output of FX-XX where XX is a the number.

\documentclass{article}


\usepackage{xparse}


\newcounter{categorycounter}
\newcounter{elementcounter}[categorycounter]


\makeatletter


\renewcommand{\theelementcounter}{%
  \@currentcategory-%
  \ifnum\value{elementcounter} <9\relax%
  0\number\value{elementcounter}%
  \else
  \arabic{elementcounter}%
  \fi
}

\newcommand{\newcategory}[1]{%
  \gdef\@currentcategory{#1}%
  \refstepcounter{categorycounter}%
}
\NewDocumentCommand{\newcatelement}{+o}{%
  \refstepcounter{elementcounter}%
  \IfValueT{#1}{\label{#1}}%
  \theelementcounter%
}

\makeatother

\usepackage{hyperref}


\begin{document}

\begin{table}[]
\begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|}
  \newcategory{FX}\newcatelement[fire]  & Fire & Call for help \\ 
  \newcatelement[explo] & Explosion  & Run away \\
  \newcategory{EL}\newcatelement[elec] & Electrocution & Contact doctor  \\ 
\end{tabular}
\end{table}

See \ref{fire} or \ref{explo}, but also \ref{elec}
\end{document}

Update with better setup

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{xparse}


\newcounter{categorycounter}
\newcounter{elementcounter}[categorycounter]


\makeatletter


\newcommand{\@categoryseparator}{-}

\NewDocumentCommand{\setcategoryseparator}{+m}{%
  \renewcommand{\categoryseparator}{#1}%
}



\renewcommand{\theelementcounter}{%
  \@currentcategory\@categoryseparator%
  \ifnum\value{elementcounter} <9\relax%
  0%
  \fi
  \arabic{elementcounter}%
}


\def\@currentcategory{}

\NewDocumentCommand{\newcategory}{m}{%
  \gdef\@currentcategory{#1}%
  \refstepcounter{categorycounter}%
  \ignorespaces
}

\NewExpandableDocumentCommand{\newcatelement}{s+o+m+m}{%
  \refstepcounter{elementcounter}%
  \edef\@currentlabelname{#4}%
  \IfValueT{#2}{\label{#2}}%
  \theelementcounter& #3 & #4 \IfBooleanF{#1}{\tabularnewline}%
}

\makeatother

\usepackage{hyperref}




\begin{document}

\begin{table}[]
  \begin{tabular}{|*{3}{l|}}
    \newcategory{FX}
    \newcatelement[fire]{Fire}{Call for help}%
    \newcatelement[explo]{Explosion}{Run away}% 
    \newcategory{EL}
    \newcatelement[elec]{Electrocution}{Contact doctor}
  \end{tabular}
\end{table}

In case of \ref{fire} just \colorbox{yellow}{\nameref*{fire}} or but in case of \ref{explo} \colorbox{red}{\color{white}\bfseries\nameref*{explo}}. Take care of \ref{elec}!
\end{document}