How to make nested lists with automatic numbering in Sphinx?

Question

I am using Sphinx to write a documentation for a Python program. I would like to create an ordered list, with a nested list, and with automatic numbering.

I would like to obtain something like this:

Here it follows a numbered list

1. This is the first item of the list
2. This is the second one
   • The second item has a nested list with two items
   • this is the last item of the nested list
3. The parent list continues with its third item

Everything is ok if I explicitly use numbers for the numbered list. The issue raises when I want to use automatic numbering, because I want to remain flexible. The list is long and could change in the future, and I do not want to change all of the numbers when I introduce a new item.

I have tried using the following code:

Here it follows a numbered list

#. This is the first item of the list
#. This is the second one

  * The second item has a nested list with two items
  * this is the last item of the nested list

#. The parent list continues with its third item

And the result I get is the following:

Here it follows a numbered list

1. This is the first item of the list

2. This is the second one

   • The second item has a nested list with two items
   • this is the last item of the nested list

.1. The parent list continues with its third item

[I have to add some character, here a dot, for the 3rd item or the markdown system in stackoverflow shows a 3!]

As you can see the numbering after the nested list restarted from the beginning.

Answer 1

You have to properly indent the two items of the nested bullet list to match the text of the parent list, so just add a space like this:

#. This is the first item of the list
#. This is the second one

   * The second item has a nested list with two items
   * this is the last item of the nested list

#. The parent list continues with its third item

Full explanation here