Generated TOC has two TOC Reference Pages (TOC and TOC1)

[Old_Guard_1221]

Hi,

I created a new book and added one file called FrontMatter.fm. That file has four Reference Pages (Reference, MasterPageMaps, TOC, and IX). The TOC Reference Page has the formatting (styles, tabs, leaaders, etc.) I would like the generated TOC to use, as shown below:

I then use Insert > Create TOC to add a generated TOC to the book. In the Set Up Table Of Contents dialog I add the heading styles I want to use and click OK. In the Update Book dialog I leave the defaults and click Update.

The generated TOC has 5 Reference Pages (Reference, MasterPageMaps, TOC, IX, and TOC1). The TOC Reference Page looks like the image above (as expected), but the TOC1 Reference Page looks like this:

The TOC entries that are created on the Body page of the generated TOC are using the formatting from the TOC1 Reference Page (not the ones from the TOC Reference Page).

At one point it was working correctly, so I figure I must have subsequently made some change to the FrontMatter.fm that is causing this new behavior. I deleted the book and TOC files and started over as described above, and the issue keeps happening. It seems the issue must be in the FrontMatter.fm file but it looks OK as far as I can tell. I'd rather not have to recreate the FrontMatter.fm file if I can avoid it (and in any case I'd like to understand what I may have done to cause the problem so that I don't inadvertently do it again).

So, can you suggest a specific reason why FrameMaker is ignoring the TOC Reference Page (inherited from FrontMatter.fm) and instead is creating and using a new TOC1 Reference Page?

Thanks,

Geoff

[FrameMaker-dk]

It's a wee difficult to figure out what you are actually doing and what you are attemptig to do. When you create a TOC from scratch it won't come up with a formatted look for the paragraph styles initially. FrameMaker creates new paragraph styles in the new TOC based on the names of the paragraph styles you want to include in the TOC. So formatting the TOC is an iterative process where you first figure out what information needs to go into each heading... paranum, paranumonly, paratext, pagnum etc. When that is in place, you can start formatting these new styles and make the TOC look proper. I am not sure what you mean with the new reference pages...? You wouldn't normally get a lot of new references pages when you create a TOC.

[Barb Binder]

Hi @Old_Guard_1221:

I would:

1. Delete the TOC1 reference page from the generated file, then
2. Save and close it
3. Remove the file from the book window. (Deleting it from the book does not remove it from your hard drive.)
4. Add it back into the book with Insert > Table of Contents. Watch the suffix... it should show TOC and not TOC1.
5. Add it your paragraph styles and proceed normally.

As long as you use TOC, the rest should fall into place. If it doesn't, come back and tell us. 

~Barb

[Bob_Niland]

Barb, have you any insights on what can cause a RefPage TOCn to get created?
I've never encountered it.

[Barb Binder]

Hi Bob:

Yes. If the default suffix was already used, Fm adds the 1 and keeps on going. TOC1, IX1, etc.

~Barb

[Old_Guard_1221]

Hi Barb,

Thanks for the suggestion. I did what you suggested (or how I interpreted what you suggested), summarized below:

1. Format > Document > Delete page "TOC1".
2. Saved the TOC file.
3. Closed the TOC file.
4. Deleted the TOC from the book (but it still existed on the hard drive).
5. In Book, did Insert > Create TOC. In Set Up Table of Contents dialog the Suffix is TOC. I specified the styles to include and clicked OK.
6. In Update Book dialog I left the defaults (Apply Master Pages was not selected). Under Generate it said TestTOC.fm. Clicked Update.

Result:
TOC File had recreated the TOC1 Reference Page. New TOC1 reference page ignored the information on the existing TOC  reference page of the TOC as well as the TOC reference page in the first non-generated file. It instead used default font (Times New Roman) and spacing: <$paratext> <$pagenum>
The styles in new TOC1 reference page were flagged as overrides, whereas the ones in existing TOC reference page were not.

If I misinterpreted something you'd said, please let me know, but based on what I did the issue persists.

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

Hi Geoff, 

I've seen this both in my own work and with students in FrameMaker training classes...

My recollection is that I'd find two flows named TOC in the reference pages, and that the first flow was being used.

Here are two suggestions, so back up your doc so you can try them both if needed.

OPTION 1: Check ALL the reference pages, regardless of ref page name to see if you have 2 TOC flows. If so (and especially if the first TOC flow is found before your desired formatting), delete the offending flow.

OPTION 2: Redefine the paragraph tags in the TOC flow being used to to get the formatting desired.

**From the Body pages of the TOC, change the color of the paragraph style for a quick way to see what TOC flow is being used in the reference pages.

[Old_Guard_1221]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for that. Once I examined the Flow in the reference pages I quickly discovered there an issue. I tried reapplying a customized Text Frame with TOC Flow and that set me on the road to recovery.

Thanks all.

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

Glad to hear you're back in business!

For others' benefit, what was the exact issue and solution?

[Old_Guard_1221 · Accepted solution]

The issue was essentially that I didn't have a designated Flow for the TOC Reference Page. I had a Reference Page called TOC which looked correct. When I clicked in that page the left side of the status bar indicated the paragraph style at the current cursor position. To the left of that, where it should have said "Flow: TOC" it didn't say anything. It sounds obvious now, but you don't always notice the absence of something until you are specifically looking for it. As to how the Flow came to be missing from this page I can't say for sure. I do recall that prior to the issue occuring I had been exploring the column settings used in the TOC reference page, and can only assume I did something to delete the Flow without realizing it. Using Format > Customize Layout > Customize Text Frame I was able to reset the column settings in the TOC Reference Page and simultaneously set the Tag value back to TOC. "Flow: TOC" now correctly appeared at the left end of the status bar when I clcked in the TOC Reference Page, and when I created a new generated TOC file in the book it correctly used the TOC Reference Page and did not create an additional TOC1 Reference Page.

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

Ah, the problem wasn't multiple TOC flows, but lack of a TOC flow!

Good stuff!