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Word - Take tables of contents (TOCs) to the next level Tutorial

In this video, you will learn about how to take tables of contents (TOCs) to the next level.
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Available in Microsoft365

Objectifs :

This course aims to enhance your skills in creating a custom automatic Table of Contents (TOC) in Word, allowing for personalized formatting and improved document navigation.

Chapitres :

Introduction to Custom Table of Contents
In the previous course, we learned how to create a basic Table of Contents (TOC) using the References tab. This course will take you to the next level by teaching you how to create a custom automatic TOC with personalized formatting.
Removing the Current Table of Contents
To start fresh, we need to delete the existing TOC. Click on 'Table of Contents' and select 'Remove Table of Contents'. This ensures that everything is completely cleared before we add a new one.
Adding a Custom Table of Contents
Next, click where you want to insert the new TOC. Open the Table of Contents gallery and select 'Custom Table of Contents'. Here, you can specify your preferences, such as including page numbers and hyperlinks.
Configuring Tab Leaders and Levels
You can choose a tab leader, which is the line of dots or dashes between the TOC entry and the page number. For example, you can change the default dots to dashes. Additionally, you can adjust the number of outline levels displayed. By default, three levels are shown, but you can increase this to four by changing the number next to 'Show levels'.
Setting Options for Heading Levels
Click on 'Options' to determine what Word includes in the TOC. By default, Word maps the first four heading styles to the TOC levels. You can customize this mapping if needed, but for this course, we will stick with the default settings.
Choosing Formatting Styles
The TOC will initially use the document's template formatting. To change this, click on the 'Formats' dropdown. You will see various formatting options similar to those in the Document Formatting section. Use the 'Preview' feature to see how different formats will look. For this example, we will select 'Formal'.
Building the Table of Contents
After selecting your formatting options, click 'OK'. Word will generate the automatic TOC based on the selected heading styles. If the appearance is not to your liking, you can return to 'Custom Table of Contents' to make adjustments.
Final Adjustments
If you prefer a different format, such as 'Simple', you can select that option. Note that this may affect the alignment of page numbers. After making your selections, click 'OK' twice to remove the current TOC and build a new one with your customizations.
Exploring Further Customizations
In future lessons, we will explore how to make specific changes to fonts, styles, and margins within the TOC, enhancing your document's overall presentation.

FAQ :

How do I create a Table of Contents in Word?

To create a TOC in Word, go to the References tab, click on Table of Contents, and select either an automatic or custom TOC option. You can then format it as needed.

Can I update my Table of Contents automatically?

Yes, you can update your TOC automatically by clicking 'Update Table' and selecting 'Update Entire Table' whenever you make changes to your document.

What are tab leaders in a Table of Contents?

Tab leaders are the dots, dashes, or lines that connect the TOC entries to their corresponding page numbers, helping to guide the reader visually.

How can I customize my Table of Contents?

You can customize your TOC by selecting 'Custom Table of Contents' from the Table of Contents gallery, where you can choose options like including page numbers, hyperlinks, and changing the tab leader.

What are heading styles and why are they important for a TOC?

Heading styles are predefined formats in Word that categorize text as headings. They are important for a TOC because Word uses these styles to determine what content to include in the TOC.

How do I change the format of my Table of Contents?

To change the format of your TOC, click on the Formats dropdown in the Custom Table of Contents dialog box and select your desired style. You can preview the changes before applying them.

Quelques cas d'usages :

Creating a Professional Report

When preparing a professional report, you can use a custom TOC to organize sections and chapters, making it easier for readers to navigate through the document. This enhances the document's usability and professionalism.

Developing a User Manual

In a user manual, a well-structured TOC allows users to quickly find information on specific topics. By customizing the TOC with hyperlinks, users can jump directly to the relevant sections, improving their experience.

Academic Thesis Formatting

For an academic thesis, creating a detailed TOC with multiple outline levels helps to clearly present the structure of the document. This is essential for meeting academic standards and facilitating reader navigation.

Project Documentation

In project documentation, a TOC can be used to outline various phases and tasks. Customizing the TOC to include page numbers and specific formatting can help team members quickly locate important information.

Legal Document Organization

In legal documents, a precise TOC is crucial for referencing specific clauses and sections. By using a custom TOC, legal professionals can ensure that their documents are organized and easy to navigate, which is vital for clarity and compliance.

Glossaire :

Table of Contents (TOC)

A list of the sections or chapters in a document, typically organized by page number, allowing readers to easily navigate the content.

References tab

A section in Microsoft Word's ribbon that contains tools for managing citations, bibliographies, and tables of contents.

Automatic Table of Contents

A TOC that is generated automatically by Word based on the heading styles used in the document, which can be updated easily.

Custom Table of Contents

A TOC that is manually configured by the user, allowing for specific formatting and inclusion of certain elements like page numbers and hyperlinks.

Tab leader

The dots, dashes, or lines that connect the entry in a TOC to the corresponding page number, helping to visually guide the reader.

Outline levels

The hierarchical levels of headings in a document, which determine how they are represented in the TOC.

Heading styles

Predefined formatting options in Word that apply specific styles to text, such as Heading 1, Heading 2, etc., which are used to create a TOC.

Document template

A pre-designed document structure that includes formatting, styles, and layout, which can be used as a starting point for new documents.

Formats dropdown

A menu in Word that allows users to select different visual styles for elements like the TOC, affecting its appearance without changing the content.

00:00:04

Introduction to Table of Contents,

00:00:06

we created a TOC by going to the References tab,

00:00:10

clicking Table of Contents,

00:00:12

and selecting an automatic table of contents.

00:00:15

Automatic tables of content, or TOCS, are easy to create,

00:00:20

and you can update them automatically

00:00:21

whenever you make a change to your document.

00:00:23

All of you have to do is click Update Table,

00:00:26

and Update Entire Table.

00:00:32

In this course, we'll go to the next level,

00:00:34

and create a custom automatic table of contents

00:00:37

and then add our own formatting.

00:00:39

Let's start by deleting the current TOC.

00:00:42

The best way to do that is click Table of Contents,

00:00:46

and Remove Table of Contents.

00:00:48

That way you can be sure that everything gets deleted.

00:00:51

Now click where you want to add the TOC,

00:00:54

open the Table of Contents gallery,

00:00:57

and then click Custom Table of Contents.

00:01:01

To build a custom table of contents,

00:01:02

you need to tell Word what you want

00:01:04

and this is where you do it.

00:01:07

You can decide whether to include page numbers,

00:01:10

and hyperlinks, things like that.

00:01:14

Here you can choose a tab leader.

00:01:17

That's what those dots are called that go between

00:01:19

the table entry and page number.

00:01:21

Let's change that to dashes.

00:01:25

You can also change the number of outline levels

00:01:27

that are shown.

00:01:29

By default, a table of contents shows three levels,

00:01:32

headings one, two, and three.

00:01:35

Let's change that by changing the number next to Show levels to four.

00:01:40

Now for more options related to levels,

00:01:42

click Options.

00:01:45

This dialog box lets you determine what Word includes

00:01:48

in the table of contents.

00:01:51

By default, Word maps the four levels we selected

00:01:55

to the first four headings.

00:01:58

So in other words, when Word builds our table of contents,

00:02:01

it includes any text that's formatted with

00:02:03

heading styles one through four,

00:02:05

and it assigns them to TOC levels one through four.

00:02:09

We could change this, for example,

00:02:10

so that the heading five style mapped to TOC level four.

00:02:16

But we'll just stick with the default for now.

00:02:21

The last thing we'll do is make

00:02:22

one overall formatting adjustment.

00:02:24

We'll do more in the next movie.

00:02:26

By default, the table of contents uses whatever

00:02:29

document formatting is included in the document template.

00:02:32

Then let's try one of the other formats.

00:02:35

Click the Formats dropdown.

00:02:39

The choices you see here

00:02:41

are roughly the same as those you have on the Design tab

00:02:43

in Document Formatting

00:02:47

except these only affect the look of the table of contents.

00:02:52

Again, Preview shows you

00:02:53

how the different formats will look.

00:02:55

For now, let's go with Formal.

00:02:59

So let's see what happens when we click OK.

00:03:03

Word builds the automatic table of contents

00:03:05

from the four heading styles

00:03:06

based on the options we chose.

00:03:10

If you don't like the way something looks,

00:03:11

go back to Custom Table of Contents,

00:03:19

and make your changes.

00:03:21

I think for formatting, I'll use Simple instead.

00:03:25

Notice that when we select this format,

00:03:27

the page numbers are no longer right-aligned.

00:03:30

So let's change that.

00:03:33

Click OK,

00:03:35

and click OK again to tell Word to remove the current table

00:03:39

and build a new one.

00:03:43

So we've done some customizing.

00:03:45

But what about making specific changes to fonts,

00:03:47

styles, or margins, things like that?

Mandarine AI: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

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