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Three chapters missing from TOC

Engaged ,
Apr 18, 2025 Apr 18, 2025

I'm having a problem that I found several previous posts about, but none of them solve my problem. Three chapters are missing from my TOC (Abstract, Intro, and Chapter 1), and I can't figure it out. Here's what I've done after reading the posts:

1. Checked the paragraph styles, which are all correct. I synchronized the book using a chapter that is included in the TOC just to make sure

2. Checked that the text in the naughty chapters aren't on hidden layers and selected "include text on hidden layers" just to be extra thorough

3. I have no style groupings in this book, so that's not the problem

 

Attached are screenshots of my TOC creation box and the test TOC, plus a shot of the book file with the missing chapter highlighted.

I'm happy to share the TOC file and one naughty and one nice chapter.

Thanks for any help!

Susan

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

LEGEND , Apr 20, 2025 Apr 20, 2025
quote

[...] but changing the type of story seems quicker.

 

By @Susan Culligan

 

OK, I should've checked before posting 😉

 

You need to crate a new TextFrame - connect it to the first TextFrame of your old Story:

 

RobertatIDTasker_0-1745142694347.png

 

then delete this new TextFrame:

 

RobertatIDTasker_2-1745142787874.png

 

Then, when you create TOC - it won't automatically replace your main story:

 

RobertatIDTasker_1-1745142743194.png

 

 

RobertatIDTasker_0-1745143072382.png

 

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LEGEND ,
Apr 19, 2025 Apr 19, 2025

Please click my nickname and send me link privately. 

 

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LEGEND ,
Apr 19, 2025 Apr 19, 2025

@Susan Culligan

 

I don't rember if you work on Windows, but if you do, then you could use free version of my ID-Tasker tool - you could just open a "good" and a "bad" file, load all ParaStyles, sort by Name and check if you've all the same styles in both files.

 

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Community Expert ,
Apr 19, 2025 Apr 19, 2025

Check, if the paragraph styles of the headlines and their folders have exactly the same name. Those are case sensitive and a space at the end of a style name makes an invisible difference. 

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Community Expert ,
Apr 19, 2025 Apr 19, 2025

Hi Susan:

 

As per Willi, this is often the case of a slight difference in style names. If that is what the problem is, you'll see the variation in the right column, but you've scrolled too far down right for us to see it in your screen shot.

 

If that's not it, I'm also happy to take a quick look at your files.

 

~Barb 

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Engaged ,
Apr 19, 2025 Apr 19, 2025

Thanks, here are

  • Contents file, which has the correct TOC Style box (and which also doesn't show in the TOC)
  • Chapter 1 (naughty) and Chapter 2 (nice)
  • Screenshots of the TOC, the TOC style box, and the Book file with the (now 4) missing chapters. My TOC style box keeps reversing the Chapter# and Chapter title (see highlightes), don't know why.

I've loaded the relevant Chapter 2 Paragraph Styles into all the naughty files, so I know they're the same.

If you (or anyone) can figure this out, may blessings fall upon your head.

Thanks,

Susan

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LEGEND ,
Apr 19, 2025 Apr 19, 2025

@Susan Culligan 

 

OK, styles look the same...

 

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LEGEND ,
Apr 19, 2025 Apr 19, 2025

@Susan Culligan 

 

I know 😄

 

RobertatIDTasker_0-1745112593824.png

 

Somehow, you've re-used TOC Story as your "body" story.

 

I got to this by trying to create Index - in the same document - and your "body" text - vanished.

 

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LEGEND ,
Apr 19, 2025 Apr 19, 2025

https://www.indesignjs.de/extendscriptAPI/indesign-latest/#StoryTypes.html

 

Values

Name

Description

Value

StoryTypes.ENDNOTE_STORY

The story is an endnote story

1701737332

StoryTypes.INDEXING_STORY

The story is an index.

1768190836

StoryTypes.REGULAR_STORY

The story is a regular text story.

1919382388

StoryTypes.TOC_STORY

The story is a table of contents.

1953461108

 

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Engaged ,
Apr 19, 2025 Apr 19, 2025

Unfortunately, I don't have any idea what this means or how to fix it. I could have run a TOC from another file by mistake, as Barb mentioned. But how do I change the type of story in the naughty docs?

Barb fixed Ch1, and I could do that with the other three docs, but changing the type of story seems quicker.

Oy!

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LEGEND ,
Apr 20, 2025 Apr 20, 2025

@Susan Culligan

 

StoryType property is read-only so you need to copy your text to a completely new TextFrame and reflow - either in the same document or in a new document - create a new Story. 

 

The old, wrong Story needs to be deleted. 

 

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LEGEND ,
Apr 20, 2025 Apr 20, 2025
quote

[...] but changing the type of story seems quicker.

 

By @Susan Culligan

 

OK, I should've checked before posting 😉

 

You need to crate a new TextFrame - connect it to the first TextFrame of your old Story:

 

RobertatIDTasker_0-1745142694347.png

 

then delete this new TextFrame:

 

RobertatIDTasker_2-1745142787874.png

 

Then, when you create TOC - it won't automatically replace your main story:

 

RobertatIDTasker_1-1745142743194.png

 

 

RobertatIDTasker_0-1745143072382.png

 

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Engaged ,
Apr 20, 2025 Apr 20, 2025

Yahoo! Genius! It worked perfectly. Thank you so so much, I've spent a week trying to figure this out. This was the last step in finishing an Epub file and uploading to Amazon.

You're a prince!

SC

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LEGEND ,
Apr 20, 2025 Apr 20, 2025
LATEST

@Susan Culligan

 

You're welcome 🙂 always happy to help.

 

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Community Expert ,
Apr 19, 2025 Apr 19, 2025

Thank you for trusting us with your files, Susan. I'm happy to remove them for your privacy after you are clear on the answer.

 

So I took a very close look at your files and couldn't find any reason why the content isn't being pulled into the TOC.

 

I finally created a new file, copied the ch01 text and pasted it in the new file. I didn't change anything other than saving it and adding it to the book and it worked exactly as expected. This points to corruption in the ch01 file (that saving as .idml didn't fix).

 

My recommendation is that you move the ch01 content to a new file. This would be simplied/streamlined by opening a working chapter like ch02, saving it under a new name and then replacing the ch02 content with the ch01 content. Add it to the book and update. If it pulls in the content then you can stop and review the new ch01 to make sure everything is in place.

 

~Barb

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LEGEND ,
Apr 19, 2025 Apr 19, 2025

There is no corruption. 

 

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Community Expert ,
Apr 19, 2025 Apr 19, 2025

This is fascinating, Susan. Did you inadvertently create a TOC in ch01, delete it and then flow in the text? Or base ch01 on the TOC chapter? I've never seen this before.

 

~Barb

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