# File lib/asciidoctor/document.rb, line 293
  def counter(name, seed = nil)
    if !@counters.has_key? name
      if seed.nil?
        seed = nextval(@attributes.has_key?(name) ? @attributes[name] : 0)
      elsif seed.to_i.to_s == seed
        seed = seed.to_i
      end
      @counters[name] = seed
    else
      @counters[name] = nextval(@counters[name])
    end

    (@attributes[name] = @counters[name])
  end