Style an Ordered List like "1.1, 1.2" instead of "1, 2"

Question

NOTE:

Due to some of the answers/comments left below (with which I agree), I feel this question is too vague, and does not explain sufficiently my problem. I was too hurried when I put it together, and this has caused the incorrect answers, for which I accept the fault. Due to the current answers and comments, I feel that even if I edited this question again, that future viewers would be confused by the answers/comments on the page, unless everyone were to update them as well. Because of this, i have created another question that completely clarifies my problem. Again, I apologize for the confusion I caused on this question.

The clarified question can be found here: Style an Ordered List like “X.X” based on list start attribute

---

I am working on updating a client website that contains a policy page. Within the policy are nine different sections, each with their own content. Inside each section are different section statements, which should have the numbering system of "x.x". However, this does not exist in basic HTML. In addition, some sections have various different forms of ordered lists inside themselves.

---

I have determined that I do not want to tackle this problem in a nested way, that is to say like this:

<ol>
    <li>Section 1
        <ol>
            <li>Item 1</li>
            <li>Item 2</li>
        </ol>
    </li>
</ol>

This is the way that every other answer I have looked at treats the problem. Rather, I wish to tackle it like this (code for below sample). I want a list that simply displays "x.1, x.2, x.3," where 'x' is dependent on the start number of that particular list.

<h2>Section 1</h2>
<strong>Heading 1</strong>
<ol class="specialList">
    <li>Item 1</li>
    <li>Item 2</li>
    <li>Item 3</li>
</ol>
<strong>Heading 2</strong
<ol type="lower-roman">
    <li>Item 1</li>
    <li>Item 2</li>
    <li>Item 3</li>
</ol>

<h2>Section 2</h2>
<ol class="specialList">
    <li>
        <ol type="upper-alpha">
            <li>First subitem</li>
            <li>Second subitem</li>
        </ol>
    </li>
    <li>Second Item</li>
    <li>Third Item</li>
</ol>

<h2>Section 3</h2>
<ol class="specialList">
    <li>First item
        <ol type="circle">
            <li>First subitem</li>
            <li>Second subitem</li>
        </ol>
    </li>
    <li>Second item</li>
    <li>Third item</li>
</ol>

<h2>Section 4</h2>
<ol class="specialList">
    <li>First item</li>
    <li>Second item</li>
    <li>Third item</li>
</ol>

Section 1

  Heading
  1.1 First item
  1.2 Second item
  1.3 Third item

  Heading 2
  i.  First item
  ii. Second item
  iii. Third item

Section 2

  2.1 First item
    A. First subitem
    B. Second subitem
  2.2 Second item
  2.3 Third item

Section 3

  3.1 First item
    • First subitem
    • Second subitem
  3.2 Second item
  3.3 Third item

Section 4

  4.1 First item
  4.2 Second item
  4.3 Third item

---

This way, I can avoid using a nested ordered list, and hopefully simplify the matter, especially the necessary CSS. It will mean hardcoding some start value attributes in to each ordered list, but the policy sections will not change frequently, so this should not matter.

I do not wish to use JavaScript, as the client wants it to look this way regardless of the user's setup. The pages are JSP pages, so if there is a way to set it up to dynamically generate, that would be acceptable.

I have already looked at these links below. While they are excellent questions, none of them answer my specific question. The first deals with nested ordered lists, while I am dealing with a single ordered list. The second one has the right idea, but is still a bit different (has "x.x.x", while I only want "x.x").

Can Ordered List Produce Results that looks like 1.1?

Achieve sub numbering on ordered list

Please let me know if I need to clarify anything! Thanks!

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Summary

In conclusion, the client wants a list that will start at "x.1" and go as far as necessary, where "x" is a given start value attribute for the specific list. I just clarified this matter with them, which is the reason for this "update" of requirements. Basically, I need a class that changes the numbering system of the top level of a list to the "x.x" format (again, where the first "x" is the starting value"). Any sublists (nested lists) will not follow this format, but will follow another format as specified by the "type" or "list-style" attribute.

Answer 1

Took a while to figure this one out!

here is my fiddle

 h2.title {
   font-size: 20px;
   font-weight: 800;
   margin-left: -20px;
   padding: 12px;
   counter-increment: ordem;
 }
 li.heading {
   font-size: 16px;
   font-weight: bold;
   padding: 12px;
   list-style-type: none;
 }
 .bullet {
   counter-reset: bullet;
   padding-left: 12px;
 }
 .bullet li {
   list-style-type: none;
 }
 .bullet li:before {
   counter-increment: bullet;
   content: counter(ordem)"." counter(bullet)" ";
 }
 ol.none {
   list-style: none!important
 }
 li.s2sub::before {
   counter-increment: none!important;
   content: none!important;
 }
 li.s2sub {
   list-style: upper-alpha;
 }
 li.s3sub::before {
   counter-increment: none!important;
   content: none!important;
 }
 li.s3sub {
   list-style-type: circle;
 }
 li.roman::before {
   counter-increment: none!important;
   content: none!important;
 }
 li.roman {
   list-style: lower-roman inside;
 }

<body>
  <ol>
    <h2 class="title">Section 1</h2> 
    <li class="heading">Heading 1</li>

    <ol class="bullet">
      <li>text 1 one</li>
      <li>text 1 two</li>
      <li>text 1 three</li>
      <li>text 1 four</li>
    </ol>
    <li class="heading">Heading 2</li>

    <ol class="bullet">
      <li class="roman">Item 1</li>
      <li class="roman">Item 2</li>
      <li class="roman">Item 3</li>
    </ol>
    <h2 class="title">Section 2</h2>
    <ol class="bullet">
      <li>First item
        <ol>
          <li class="s2sub">First subitem</li>
          <li class="s2sub">Second subitem</li>
        </ol>
      </li>
      <li>Second Item</li>
      <li>Third Item</li>
    </ol>
    <h2 class="title">Section 3</h2>
    <ol class="bullet">
      <li>First item
        <ol>
          <li class="s3sub">First subitem</li>
          <li class="s3sub">Second subitem</li>
        </ol>
      </li>
      <li>Second item</li>
      <li>Third item</li>
    </ol>
  </ol>
</body>

Answer 2

I got it to work like so:

body{
    counter-reset: section children;  
}
li{
    list-style:none;
}
.parent::before {
  counter-increment: section;  
  content: counter(section) " - ";
}
.parent li:first-child{
    counter-reset:children;
}
.parent li::before{
    counter-increment: children;  
    content: counter(section) "." counter(children) " - ";
 }

<ol>
    <li class="parent">Section 1
        <ol>
            <li>Item 1</li>
            <li>Item 2</li>
        </ol>
    </li>
    <li class="parent">Section 2
        <ol>
            <li>Item 1</li>
            <li>Item 2</li>
        </ol>
    </li>

</ol>

I removed the list style, since it isn't necessary.
What this does is create two separate counters for the children and the sections, then resets the children counter on every new section.

JSFiddle Demo