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Mahmood Zidan
Inspiring
November 12, 2022
Question

Table of contentes adding custom titles that don't exist in the document

  • November 12, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 931 views

Hello,

Is it possible to add titles to the table of contents that aren't present in the document. What I need are two things:

 

  • To add an extra title, say above few titles. The usecase for this is that I have a document that lists company profiles. The client wants to have "Company profiles" as a title in the table of contents but doesn't want it included in the page. He also doesn't want it's number to appear in the TOC.
  • To change the wording of the titles in the TOC. So if I have the title "Company A", I want the title to be "Tech Compnay" in the TOC while maintaining the origianl ("Company A") in the company page.

 

I know this sounds like too much. I would like to know if it's possible while maintaining the automatic TOC functionality of adding page numbers. If not, what are my options for expanding or unliking the TOC and converting it to a normal text box?

 

Thanks in advance.

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2 replies

E
Community Expert
Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 12, 2022

Ok I think I know what you want to do

 

I've attached a sample file based on what I think you want to do.

(ATTACHMENT AT END OF POST)

 

You will need to open the panels Window>Type>Conditional Text

 

This way - you can make 2 TOCs (you can have as many TOCs in a document as  you like - just create TOC Styles) as demonstrated below and in my sample document.

 

I've never done this before - so let me know if it's working for you 😄 

 

 

 

Create 2 Table of Content Styles

 

On the TITLE - you will have Company Profile (it's the 2nd box down)

And do this also for the other TOC style but call this one Tech Company.

 

Setup a Conditional Text for the Headings

 

So when you turn on Tech Company it looks like this

 

Go to Layout

Table of Contents

 

Select the correct TOC to be inserted first

 

And place that 

 

Go to Layout

Table of Contents

 

 

Select your 2nd one

 

 

 

It will show up like this

 

BUT

Change your conditional text to Tech

So it looks like this

 

Select the TOC for the tech profile

 

 

and only the TOC you have selected will update,

 

Then Swtich your conditional text back to Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

E
Community Expert
Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 12, 2022

Basically - my idea would mean that when you go to update the Tech Profiles you just need to switch the conditional text to the Tech - update the toc - then switch back.

This means you can update the TOCs for each separately by just temporarily switching Conditional Text.

 

 

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Barb BinderCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 12, 2022

Two ideas:

 

  1. The first is to add the text in its own text box with its own style that you can call into the TOC. Then, pull the text box to a corner of the page so that most of it is on the pasteboard but an empty part of the frame is overlapping the page. This way the text is associated with the page, and InDesign can see the page number but the text is off the page and not visible to the user. 
  2. The other option is to add the content inline, change the color to none and use a small type size. If you do this, you'll need to rely on story editor to edit it when necessary.

 

~Barb 

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
Peter Spier
Community Expert
Peter SpierCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 12, 2022

Barb, when I need to do this I set the frame to non-printing, and make the text big and red on the page so it is obvious it's there when I'm doing any other editing.

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