Creating a table of contents in Word

[tomekinc]

Hola, this is kicking my butt haha...

Ok, so I'm trying to add a table of contents using Word (Office 2004) and the different instructions have not been helpful.

What I want to do is where my cursor is, select Insert>Index&Tables>Table of Contents and viola, there should be a generic template and I can just plug everything in...but alas it's not so easy...even if I highlight what I want to be my table of contents (I wrote it out) nothing happens...instead, it says: Error! No table of contents entries found.

What other steps am I missing? I've used the Word Help feature and gone to Mactopia's site, also googled, followed all kinds of different instructions but absolutely nothing happens when I follow those steps.

Any thoughts?

 

[Satori]

I haven't used the TOC function in MSWord for a while as it is such a pain in the rear. As I remember it indexes the headings you have put in your doc by looking for the styles that you have used (Heading 1 etc.). If you haven't used styles in this way then no TOC template.
D

 

[gauchogolfer]

I don't think there is any such thing as a template for a TOC. Are you using Heading Styles in your document?

 

[tomekinc]

I don't even know what heading styles are =(

 

[gauchogolfer]

I don't even know what heading styles are =(

Sounds like a trip to Word Help is in order. It'll explain things better than we can here. If you've still got questions after reading it, drop back by.

 

[tomekinc]

Actually that's why I'm here. I've been to Word help and it's not helpful... I really have spent a lot of time on Word Help, Mactopia Help and Google trying to get a step by step to get my TOC going .... but the instructions are not helpful anywhere...I understand the concept of Style Headers but can't find any concise directions that will help a newb set this up...

I've attached a pic of the instructions from Word...but I can't figure out how to get all this to jive...

 

[gauchogolfer]

Actually that's why I'm here. I've been to Word help and it's not helpful... I really have spent a lot of time on Word Help, Mactopia Help and Google trying to get a step by step to get my TOC going .... but the instructions are not helpful anywhere...I understand the concept of Style Headers but can't find any concise directions that will help a newb set this up...

I've attached a pic of the instructions from Word...but I can't figure out how to get all this to jive...

So, at the start of each section you've probably got something like
Introduction
Background
Process
Conclusions
Summary

If you want each of those to exist in your TOC, you need to highlight 'Introduction' and change the style from Normal to Heading1. Continue for the remaining section headers. Now when you insert a TOC it will grab the names you've changed to Heading1 and put the pagenumbers next to them.

 

[tomekinc]

Maybe I just had an aha moment...but do you need to set what all the headers are first before creating the TOC?

What if I have 50 headers and Word only shows 9? (I don't have that many just curious at this point)

 

[tomekinc]

So, at the start of each section you've probably got something like
Introduction
Background
Process
Conclusions
Summary

If you want each of those to exist in your TOC, you need to highlight 'Introduction' and change the style from Normal to Heading1. Continue for the remaining section headers. Now when you insert a TOC it will grab the names you've changed to Heading1 and put the pagenumbers next to them.

We typed and sent at the same time...but I think I gots it!

 

[tomekinc]

Yup, I gots it!!!

thanks!