Table of Contents Question

[J0HN_G00DWIN]

Hello all - I'm brand new to the forums and relatively new to Frame, but I've been a tech writer for 10 years.

I added a Chapter to a book, and it won't show up in my ToC.  I did not set up the original ToC, so I'm not sure why it sees the other Chapters (I'm still learning).

I have played with a few things but can't get it to work.  I don't want to set up any paradigms that could limit the creativity of your responses, so I'll wait before I explain what I tried.

Any suggestions?

[Bob_Niland]

I added a Chapter to a book, ...

Added how? Using Add > Files from the .book menu?

... and it won't show up in my ToC.

My first guess would be that the new chapter is using (heading) paragraph format names that are different, even if only slightly, from the names used in the other chapters that are seen by TOC gen.

If so, you can fix that by either making the names consistent, or in .book, select the TOC file from the book menu, and Edit > Set up Table of Contents to Include the new names. You may need to do an Update Book for the book file to see all the fmts book-wide (but chances are you've already done that).

[J0HN_G00DWIN]

To add the chapter, I selected the Add File button and browsed to the new chapter, located in the same folder as the other chapters.

I imported the formats from an old chapter to the new chapter.  I am assuming that this will ensure the paragraph format names are the same.  Is that a good assumption?

When the .book is open but all files are not open (including the TOC), and I select the TOC (per your instructions) by clicking it once, there is no option under Edit to Set up Table of Contents.  When I actually open the Table of Contents, there is still no option under Edit to Set up Table of Contents.  I'm using FrameMaker 9.0, is that the reason?

I did do an Update Book several times.  All the boxes are checked except *EDIT: "Apply Master Pages." *END EDIT.

In any case, it still isn't showing the new Chapter in the TOC.

[Bob_Niland · Accepted solution]

I imported the formats from an old chapter to the new chapter.  I am assuming that this will ensure the paragraph format names are the same.  Is that a good assumption?

Correct.

.... there is no option under Edit to Set up Table of Contents.

Ah. That suggests that the TOC file is not a "real" (generated) TOC file.

It may have been set up by generating a TOC, then copying and pasting back into an ordinary chapter file. Or, it may have been created by hand-crafting Xrefs. Or it may have been a generated file at one time, but lost that status due to an inelegant move/rename operation. These scenarios suggest that either the author didn't know how to build and care for an automagic TOC, or they had some unique formatting or content problem that prevented using a generated TOC.

You may have to make a backup of that file, delete it from the book, do an Add > Table of Contents to generate a new one, and import the formats from the failing TOC file.

But not yet. Allow some time for other remote crystal ball readings from other contributors here.

And is there anything odd about that TOC, like text trailing the entries that might be lost if auto-generated?

[J0HN_G00DWIN]

I can see we're going to have a good working relationship )

Your solution worked.  It also created a few new questions.  When the book is open, you can see the book contents in the pane on the left side of the screen.  Until I implemented your solution, all the file icons were white.  Now that my ToC is correct (by correct I mean it now shows all my chapters), it is also orange in color instead of white.  My next question is this:  Should my List of Figures and List of Tables also be orange in color?  I'm considering backing them up also and then attempting to add them again, but I'm not sure specifically how to do that.

[Bob_Niland]

Now that my ToC is correct (by correct I mean it now shows all my chapters), it is also orange in color instead of white.

On Fm7.1/Unix, they all have tiny green bars. You never did tell us what platform and version of Frame you are using. However, on FM9/Win7-64, I do see that the generated TOC and IX files are orange.

My next question is this:  Should my List of Figures and List of Tables also be orange in color?

Dunno. I've never done a LoF or LoT, and frankly have never paid attention to the details of book icons. I'd guess that if the icons have the same appearance as ordinary non-generated book component files, they aren't seen by the book as generated files.

[Guest]

> Should my List of Figures and List of Tables also be orange in color?

John,

I'm running 10.0.1.402

In book files that have been created by others on the team (prior to my recent arrival) the LOF and LOT files also show up in the book as orange.

HTH

[J0HN_G00DWIN]

Very good.  I'm now going to back up my list of figures, cross my fingers, and then select Add --> List of --> Figures...

I hope it works.

Here's my next question:

At the very beginning of each chapter of my book, it looks like this example (and this is the way it SHOULD look):

             CHAPTER 1

SPACE SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

In my Table of Contents, I need that all to appear on one line, like this:

CHAPTER 1 SPACE SYSTEM DESCRIPTION.....................................1-1

How do I do it?  Currently, it looks like this (wrong):

CHAPTER 1

SPACE SYSTEM DESCRIPTION 1-1

Each chapter is showing up on 2 lines instead of one, and there are no ellipses dots even though I selected the ellipses dot radio bullet.

Any suggestions?

[Bob_Niland]

...even though I selected the ellipses dot radio bullet.

Selected where? And in what file?

The format of TOC lines is controlled by TOC-specific paragraph formats that are auto-created when the TOC file is first generated. Heading1, for example, is controlled, in the TOC file, by para format Heading1TOC.

The easiest way to edit them is on Reference Page TOC of file MyBookNameTOC.fm.

Look for lines of format:

<$paratext> <$pagenum>

Change the space to a tab.

Define the tab functions using Paragraph Designer.

[J0HN_G00DWIN]

Thanks for the response.  Clarification question:  What is the specific location of the space to which you are referring when you say, "Change the space to a tab."  Do you mean the space in between <$paratext> and <$pagenum>? 

EDIT To answer your question on the ellipses dots, I have two tab stops set up presently for the Chapter style in the Table of Contents file.  One is 1.25" L and the other is 6.75" R ....  When you select a tab stop and click Edit... you get the option to select a Leader.  In this case, I have selected the 2nd ellipses dot Leader for the Right tab.  END EDIT.

[Bob_Niland]

What is the specific location of the space to which you are referring when you say, "Change the space to a tab."  Do you mean the space in between <$paratext> and <$pagenum>?

Correct.

I have two tab stops set up presently for the Chapter style in the Table of Contents file.

If "Chapter" is the paragraph format in a body file, you need to set the tabbing for paragraph format "ChapterTOC" in the TOC file.

"ChapterTOC" is probably not in the Catalog by default.

[J0HN_G00DWIN]

The actual name of the paragraph format is ChapTitleTOC.

I put that tab in there in place of a space, and nothing changed.  Let me just copy paste what I have on the reference pages and you can take a look at it.  Here it is:

<$paratext> <$pagenum> 

        <$paranumonly> <$paratext> .........................................................................<$chapnum>-<$pagenum> 

openObjectId <$relfilename>:<$ObjectType> <$ObjectId>

SECTION <$PARANUMONLY> - <$PARATEXT>

        <$paranumonly> <$paratext> ..........................................................................<$chapnum>-<$pagenum>

        <$paranumonly> <$paratext> ..........................................................................<$chapnum>-<$pagenum>

        <$paranumonly> <$paratext> ..........................................................................<$chapnum>-<$pagenum>

         <$PARANUMONLY> <$PARATEXT> ..........................................................<$CHAPNUM>-<$PAGENUM> 

FOREWARD ........................................................................................................................ <$PAGENUM>

<$PARANUMONLY> <$PARATEXT> ...................................................................<$CHAPNUM>-<$PAGENUM>

openXmlElementId <$relfilename>:<$UniqueXmlElementId> <$RelativeXmlElementId> 

<$PARANUM> <$PARATEXT> ..........................................................................<$CHAPNUM>-<$PAGENUM>

SAFETY SUMMARY ...............................................................................................................<$PAGENUM>

That's it.  I don't know the significance of caps vs normal, bold vs not bold, a dash vs a space vs a tab, single spacing vs double spacing, etc.

Can you make sense of this?

[Bob_Niland]

Can you make sense of this?

Not really. I've never seen a TOC ref page that [apparently] messed up. I'd be tempted to auto-create a new one and apply formats.

I don't know the significance of caps vs normal, ...

I don't know if those building blocks are case-sensitive, and they may not actually be capitalized text - they may just have an all-caps Character Format applied.

... bold vs not bold, a dash vs a space vs a tab, single spacing vs double spacing, etc.

I would expect empty lines to be ignored. But without the text symbols, there's no way to know if the extra space is empty lines or generous space-above/below in the Paragraph Format.

[J0HN_G00DWIN]

After further analysis, I believe that what I'm trying to do is get the Table of Contents to ignore a carriage return in a style.  In Chapter 1, for example, it begins like this:

          CHAPTER 1

NORMAL OPERATIONS 1-1

Because there is a carriage return after the "1," the Table of Contents wants to put the text on two lines.  I need it to ignore the carriage return so that it looks like this:

CHAPTER 1 NORMAL OPERATIONS.....................................1-1

Any way to make the ToC ignore that carriage return?

[Van Kurtz]

John,

       CHAPTER 1

NORMAL OPERATIONS 1-1

Because there is a carriage return after the "1," the Table of Contents wants to put the text on two lines.  I need it to ignore the carriage return so that it looks like this:

CHAPTER 1 NORMAL OPERATIONS.....................................1-1

Any way to make the ToC ignore that carriage return?

You make the TOC ignore the carriage return by setting the paragraph format for the chapter 1 TOC paragraph to RUN IN. A run in paragraph runs into the following paragraph. To get some space between the chapter number and the following paragraph, you will have to add some spaces at the end of the ChapterTOC (or whatever you name is) paragraph on the reference page. I suggest a standard width, such as an em space.

Van