TOC does not show all of my chapter titles

[Sofia25629549ta0q]

HELP! 

I've tried creating a TOC for my formatting project but it doesn't show all of my chapter titles. I have no idea why! 😞

a few things about this book:

1. it's 700 pages long

2. 1000+ footnotes

3. Several images

Not sure if those are a factor for the missing titles but I have created a TOC for version 1 but now I can't seem to find the reason why it cuts on page 200 something.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

That's getting up there for a book/file size but it should be well within InDesign's capabilties.

The only reason I know for a TOC update to skip entries is because it's looking for specific Paragraph Styles (e.g. Chapter Title) and will only collect that exact style for inclusion.

I'd go through and make sure every element you want in the TOC — chapter number, chapter title, major headings — is assigned EXACTLY the same Paragraph Style. It should not take anything more than that.

General rules — create a separate, named TOC 'style' and save it. Don't use the default TOC style. And save that style every time you make a change, or the changes will be lost on the next update.

[Sofia25629549ta0q]

Thank you for responding.

I did check all the chapter title style but it still cuts off on a certain chapter. I tried checking the edit story to see if it is just hidden, and there's nothing there as well.:( 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Is this all in a single INDD file, or in multiple files within a Book?

If you haven't, try 'fixing' the document by saving it to IDML, then opening that file and saving as INDD under a new name. That can fix all kinds of document corruption that causes inexplicable faults like this.

[Sofia25629549ta0q]

This is in one single indd file and I have done the IDML route as well, still not working. 😞

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I can't think of anything else but to delete the TOC style and create a new one, starting with just the Chapter Heading. It's

 something to do with styles, I think, but what... can't guess.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Let me back up to a really, really dumb question. When you create your TOC, and then place the text frame for it... are you extending it over additional frames to see the entire content? That is, does your TOC frame have overset text and is only showing the first few chapters etc.?

[Sofia25629549ta0q]

There is no overset text, i actually hope that's the case but it's not. 😞 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I am stumped. I think someone would have to dissect the file to see where the problem lies.

[Willi Adelberger]

Can you give me a link where I can download it to check the files?

[Willi Adelberger]

Have all titles the exactly same paragraph style?

[Sofia25629549ta0q]

Yes, so the chapter title has one paragraph style, the subheadings has one and the part name has one. So when I create the TOC , i have 3 separate styles added.

[Willi Adelberger]

Are they also case sensitive the same and they are in the same folder?

[Sofia25629549ta0q]

Hi,

sorry for not replying sooner. I was able to do it!

Somehow, I just restarted my computer, I did the TOC again and it worked. Thank you so much for all your help.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Good!

A final, subtle workaround for things like TOCs and EPUB export is to close everything up*, then open ID, open the problem file, and immediately do the faulty operation. Sometimes working with that fresh load of the file gets past whatever problem is caused by editing, changing settings or even just browsing back and forth through the file. Not often, but often enough to try it before moving on to more laborious fixes.

* "....walk away and never come back." — sorry, had to. 🙂