TOC help!

Report · Aug 26, 2009

(I think I know the answer to this, but can't hurt to ask!)

Is there a way to bring only part of a heading into an automatically generated TOC? I'm working on a tech manual that uses academic headings (1, A, i, a, etc., each level indented one step). For the second-level headings and higher, the customer wants the text to wrap onto the heading line. So right now if I generate an automatic TOC based on the paragraph styles, I pull a TON of material into the TOC that's not needed and that I have to manually delete every time I update the book.

In other words, the page looks something like this:

1. Introduction
   a. Heading. Paragraph text starts immediately.
   b. Heading. Paragraph text.
      1. Heading. Paragraph text.

Right now, if I generate a TOC using all three heading styles, I get something that looks like this (page numbers are right-aligned):

1. Introduction                                                         p.1
   a. Heading. Paragraph text starts immediately.       p.2
   b. Heading. Paragraph text.                                   p.3
      1. Heading. Paragraph text.                                p.4

Whereas I WANT to see (page numbers are right-aligned):

1. Introduction                                         p.1
   a. Heading.                                          p.2
   b. Heading.                                          p.3
      1. Heading.                                       p.4

Is that clear as mud...?

I guess what I'm going for is if there is any rule to exclude something from a certain paragraph style when it is included in the auto TOC...

Any help or words of wisdom (other than jettisoning this flawed outline!) are GREATLY appreciated! Thanks!

Report · Aug 26, 2009

It looks like you have the documents set up to use a single paragraph for

both heading and paragraph text. Instead you should make heading and text as

separate paragraphs. Then, in the paragraph designer, set the paragraph

style for the heading paragraph to "Run-In Head," so that it stays on the

same line as the following text in the document, but lets you select the

heading only for the TOC.

Mike Wickham

Report · Aug 26, 2009

I can't believe it was that easy. So far, looks like it's going to work, but I'm sure I'll be back here in a jiffy if it doesn't! Thanks!!

Report · Aug 27, 2009

So far, so good... but since I can't leave well enough alone, I have a new question.

In my run-in headings, the client wants the text ONLY to be underlined, but not the following punctuation or the heading number. However, when I try to underline the text in either the paragraph or character designer, it automatically underlines the heading number, as well.

I get something that looks like this:

a. Heading Text. Paragraph text.

OR

a. Heading Text. Paragraph text.

However, I want this:

a. Heading Text. Paragraph text.

Any suggestions? If it's anything like last time, I'm sure it's so simple that if it was a snake it would've bit me... Thanks!

Report · Aug 27, 2009

It depends on how much manual work you want to do...

Bottom line is because the TOC is generated automatically, the formatting is applied automatically too. In this case, it's applied to the entire content of the HeadingTOC paragraph tag -- which includes the number and punctuation.

You can get to where you want to go if you're willing to go through the TOC manually and apply a character tag (probably would have everything set to AsIs, except the Underline attribute). But that's going to be painful.

If you want to make a change in the format of the Heading entries in the book, you could break out the head number seperately in a new paragraph tag (HeadingNumber) and set its pagination to RunIn, so that it preceeds the Heading text and replaces the existing autonumbering in the Heading tag, That would allow you to separate that part of the string and just underline the Heading.

But there isn't anything much you can do about trailing punctuation to the Heading... except that note that no style guide that I'm aware of ever calls for punctuating headings or titles like you do in your example.

Report · Aug 27, 2009

Here's one method:

1. Create a character format called NoUnderline. In the global command

dropdown of the character designer, Set Window to As Is. Then make sure the

Underline box is completely unchecked.

2. In the paragraph designer, set the Heading style to have an underline.

3. In the paragraph designer, remove punctuation from the field in the

Run-In Head checkbox area.

4. In the paragraph designer, set your autonumber format. In the Character

Format field of the autonumber tab, choose the NoUnderline style.

Now you will have the number with no underline and the heading with an

underline.

5. The final step will be to move any punctuation at the end of the Heading

paragraph to the beginning of the text paragraph, where it will receive no

underline.

Mike Wickham

Report · Aug 27, 2009

Awesome. Just tried Mike's solution and it worked like a charm (naturally)! I'll keep Art's solution copied down somewhere in case that comes in handy some other time. Thanks again for your help!

Oh, and in response to Art... this manual is done to the Marine Corps style guide, last updated waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1987... <sigh

Report · Aug 27, 2009

Adding to my previous note, the following would seem like a simpler

approach:

1. Create a character style called Underline.

2. Apply it only to the Headline text.

However, it does not work if you select the entire Heading paragraph-- such

as when you have the punctuation (and possible space after punctuation) set

in the Run-In Heading tab. In other words, the Heading text is all that is

in the paragraph, but the autonumber and punctuation after are

autogenerated. In that instance, Frame has this quirk where selecting all

the text in a paragraph causes a paragraph style override that flows through

to its autonumbering.

If, however, you manually add the punctuation and spacing to the Heading

text, then you can select only the heading text without punctuation and

apply a character format that won't roll over to the autonumbering.

Mike Wickham

Report · Aug 27, 2009

Mike -

I did it the first way you suggested, deleting the run-in punctuation and then I manually add that in... that gives me the bonus of not having to worry about awkward punctuation in the TOC or any cross-references...

Thanks again soooo much for your help!

Amy

Report · Aug 28, 2009

Amy

In addition (or in clarification of) to Mikes elegant solution try using a period followed by two spaces in the autonumbering for the paragraph format that follows your headings. I got this solution from Arnis for a post I made yeasterday.

In case any one is really interested MIL-STD-961 does require this style for paragraph headings

BG