Quick Guide to Creating Automatic Tables of Contents

I've got this post with a PDF from my workbooks on how to create tables of contents. However, I wanted to also make one that's just here in the web site, and with fewer details.

This is  a table of contents in Writer. Never, ever create one from scratch. It is so much easier to create one automatically.

Note:
- The gray part doesn't print; it's just there to indicate that there's something automatic happening.
- You can change how each level looks just by modifying certain styles; more on that later.
- If you make changes to the document, then right-click on the TOC and choose Update, the TOC will automatically reflect the changes in the document. Page numbers will be correct, etc.

Creating a Table of Contents: Step 1, Select and Apply Paragraph Styles

Writer knows what to put in the TOC based on what paragraph styles you tell it to look at. Paragraph styles like Heading1 etc. should be applied to the headings in the document. So plan and apply the paragraph styles that set up the structure of the document.

Paragraph styles are here; choose Format > Styles and Formatting. You can use existing ones such as Heading1 through Heading10 (recommended) or create your own.

For instance, in this document I decided that the first heading (chapter) would have Heading1 paragraph style applied;  the second level down would have Heading2 paragraph style applied, and so on. So in this illustration, the heading Types of Bread has the Heading2 style applied.

So that's what you do.

• Decide what paragraph styles you'll use on the top-level headings, the second-level headings, and so on.
• Apply those styles to the headings.

To apply a style:

• Click in the heading
• And either double-click the style name in the Styles and Formatting window, or if it's there, select it in the dropdown list on the left.

Do that to every heading in your document. This is of course less of a pain if you do it as you write the document rather than all at once afterwards.

Note: If you apply Heading1, Heading2 etc.  and don't like how they look, right-click on a heading with the style applied and choose Edit Paragraph Style.

In the window that appears, just make your changes and click OK.

Creating a Table of Contents: Step 2, Set Up the Table of Contents

Click in your document before any of the content. Then choose Insert > Indexes and Tables > Indexes and Tables. This window will appear.

First, check the number of levels you want to include. If you don't want all of them, change the Evaluate Up To Level setting.

Then be sure that the Outline checkbox is marked. Click the ... icon next to it.

In this window, specify the paragraph styles you selected and applied  in the previous major step, then click OK. If you used Heading1 through Heading10 it should already be set up correctly.

Then click OK in the main tab and your TOC will appear.

Creating a Table of Contents: Step 3, Modifying the Table of Contents

If you don't like how the TOC looks, modify the styles used to format the TOC. Right-click on a line in the TOC that you don't like and choose Edit Paragraph Style.

In the window that appears, change the settings, then click OK.

The TOC will reflect those changes.

To update, edit, or delete the TOC, right-click on it.

Is That All There Is?

Definitely not. See this blog for more info including how to make the TOC hotlinked. But you're well on your way.

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Comments

[Darren Hart]

Hey thanks for the quick write up... if only OpenOffice.org help had "Table of Contents" in it. It was the "Indexes and Tables->Indexes and Tables" that through me - not very self discoverable. Anyway, I appreciate the writeup.

[Solveig]

Hi Darren -- yeah, terminology is off a little sometimes. It's only recently that the cell wrap option in Calc has the word "wrap" in it. ;>

[really fed up]

You know, I really used to like open office...until I tried to do anything....I just cannot understand the styles stuff. It may be great if you're a computer person - but I'm not.

I have a table of contents and I only want it to work at TWO LEVELS. But I WILL NOT LET ME DO THAT.

I've got a really big deadline tomorrow and I wish I had never used this stupid programme.

[david]

You know, I really used to like open office...until I tried to do anything....I just cannot understand the styles stuff. It may be http://www.batterygoshop.co.uk/toshiba/satellite-a80-battery.htm toshiba satellite a80 battery , great if you're a computer person - but I'm not.

I have a table of contents and I only want it to work at TWO LEVELS. But I WILL NOT LET ME DO THAT.

[Permana Jayanta]

Hello, thanks your the tutorial. Really helps me.

I have some question. How can I make the TOC item to link to the Chapter Page ?

[Martina]

Hi Darren - OpenOffice.org help index terms are always in plural. So, you have to look for "Tables of contents".

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[Hire Technical Writer]

Table of contents is definitely a must-have in almost all the documents. Thus your blog has contributed in easing out the documentation. OpenOffice.org's this feature will help everyone to keep tab on the content throughout the document.