Can't get TOC to use right-align page numbers

Jeff, it sounds like your manuals were originally set up as a single FM document that probably contains content divided by paragraph tags and headings to simulate having multiple "chapters", is that correct?

If so, that's the reason that the old "TOC" was created in what seems like a "clutzy" manner, because you're constrained by trying to contain everything (ordinary content and generated content such as the TOC) in a single file. The only way to have a TOC within a single file like you have is to use the convoluted process of creating the TOC as a separate file and then copy / pasting it back into the single chapter. The big downside is that when the manual content changes you have to re-do the entire process again, as you've found.

For most users this is indeed a roundabout, time-consuming, and error-prone way to get a TOC. And it's usually a sign that the files were created by somebody who didn't have time to learn any of the basics about how FM uses books and chapters, so they just put everything into a single file, similar to what most folks do with Word docs.

The result that you've achieved, getting as far as you did, is as good as it will get if the docs stay in their current single file incarnation (bravo for getting that far!)

The better way is to reconfigure your manuals so that you have multiple FM files, one for each chapter, one for the cover, one for the frontmatter, etc. Add each of the chapters to a new FM book file. Save the book file. Then with the book file and all the chapters open, use Add > Table of Contents to add a TOC to the book, placing it in the correct position within your book file. Then Edit > Update to generate the TOC content.

With a book file structure and the TOC correctly created this way, all you will need to do after editing will be to have the files open and do Edit > Update to refresh the TOC, automagically creating new entries if any are needed, refreshing the page numbers, etc.

All of these steps are covered in several online resources; there are many tutorials that go over these basics. Once you "get" how books work in FM you'll undoubtedly impress the manager by being able to add a new "list of figures" or an index to your manuals too :-)

Sheila

Firstly, unless there is some compelling reason to in-line the TOC, do it as a separate xyzzyTOC.fm file in the book.

I had to manually insert each tab.

In the TOC Reference page "openObjectId" of the xyzzyTOC.fm file, merely insert the tab in each line. These objects control TOC formatting.

Once set up, you almost never need to touch the TOC.fm file again. We clone new books from old without ever touching the TOC ref page.

We only edit ours for copyright date and history, although you might also need to edit for publication/edition history if you put that there.

Mchael F wrote: Hi, I am using Framemaker 7.2 (I have used Framemaker 8 inthe past and will try to get company to upgrade) and am frustrated by Framemaker's clutzy method for creating a TOC. (Why haven't they copied Word's simple idea of field codes and detailed TOC dialog boxes?) My client uses one file for each manual but no one here knows how the previous tech writer built the TOC for each manual. I used Special->Table of Contents from the single manual file and clicked No to create a standalone file. I imported all the heading TOC tags (I forget how I got them) into the TOC file, then did Update Book (I had to create a book file with the TOC file and the one file containing the manual). When I opened the TOC file it was formatted with the correct paragraph tags (font, point size, and indenting) but all entries failed to use the right aligned page number tab. I had to manually insert each tab. Finally I copied the contents of the TOC file into the front of my single manual file. This is tedious. And it's not going to help me convince the manager to upgrade Frame since I don't know if making a TOC is any easier with newer versions. Can someone unscrable this TOC mess? Michael F

Search Google for terms like "FrameMaker generate toc tutorial" and similar phrases without quotes for useful info that clarifies the TOC setup process, and simplifies the ongoing regenerating of TOCs, as document contents change.

HTH

Regards,

Peter

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Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

Sorry, why wouldn't you use the separate TOC doc within the book?