TOC links don't work after I update the book

[AmandaCMS]

I'm trying to set up a TOC with working links. I've created the TOC from scratch several times and the links work. But when I update the book, all the links stop working. I'm using unstructured Frame 11 and have several chapters with text insets. I've tried this with 3 different books. Everything is working correctly until I update the book. When I first create the TOC, the formatting is all messed up, so I apply the correct formatting and there are several blank pages. I update the book to fix the page numbering and blanks, and then none of the links work. 

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

How did you create the TOC in the first place? You have to have FM create one for you before you can fiddle around with formatting.

[AmandaCMS]

Yes, I create it through Frame - Add > Table of Contents. Add the Para Tags I want to include and make sure the Hypertext Links box is checked. It's definitely a generated File (the icon is the orange/black color). The links still work after I apply the formatting. They stop working after I generate the book. 

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

FM11 is pretty old - are you all patched up? Was this working before & now it doesn't - or did it never work? Have you tried creating a simple book as a test and creating a TOC for it?

[AmandaCMS]

I created a couple of test books. It seems when I apply the formatting, it works until I update the book. But when I don't apply any formatting, it works even after I update the book. So there must be something in the formatting (it's from a template) that messes up the linking after I update the book. Does anyone have any areas to look at first - as far as common formatting that messes up the TOC links? Thanks!

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Ok, so how are you applying the formatting changes?

[AmandaCMS]

I open the template file, then with the TOC in view I click File > Import > Formats and choose the template file. I had all the Import and Update check boxes selected, but I've just started trying it with only certain ones selected. 

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I think that's where you're messing up the formatting - you probably only need to bring in paragrah & character tag formats.

[AmandaCMS · Accepted solution]

It turned out to be this text on the Reference Pages 

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

I'm not sure what that's for, but I removed it and everything seems to be working now. There was some design stuff on the Reference pages I was hoping to keep, so I was trying to get those formats to import correctly along with the para styles. Thanks much for your help!!

[frameexpert]

Something to investigate: Let's assume one of your headings that you are pulling into the TOC is formatted like this:

Installing the Widget

When you generate the TOC, only the text up to the property change (italic in this case) will be "hot"; the rest of the text will not be a link in the PDF. There is actually a reason for this which I won't go into here (not a useful reason any more), but see if this is the issue with non-working links.

[AmandaCMS]

Thanks, frameexpert - I saw in some other posts about character styles preventing the links from working. I don't have any character styles in my TOC though, so I knew it wasn't that. 

[frameexpert]

What is odd to me is that you deleted this:

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

and your links still work. This is the line that is supposed to control how the links work in your generated file.

[frameexpert]

If you still have problems and have time for a quick web meeting, I can probably troubleshoot this by seeing it on your screen. I am busy for the next hour or so, but will be available later. Please contact me offlist: rick at frameexpert dot com. There would be no cost for this.

[Winfried Reng]

Hi,

I have TOC files for English and German FrameMaker. Therefore several reference files (IVZ, TOC) and several openObjectID lines for several paragraph formats (ActiveIVZ, AktivIVZ, AktivTOC, ActiveTOC) on each of the reference pages.

This setup works.

I do not know Amanda's reference pages.

Rick, thank you for helping her!

Best regards

Winfried