Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

How to create list of figures with captions, but using the title only

1,579 views
Skip to first unread message

i_lik...@officeformac.com

unread,
Oct 15, 2008, 4:10:59 PM10/15/08
to
Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Hello,

I am writing a dissertation, am creating a 'List of Figures and Tables' section. I am using captions to create my list of figures, but thus far, I cannot isolate the figure title only to be included in my List of Figures.

To clarify my situation, here is an example.

I have

Figure 1.1.1. EXPLANATION OF FIGURE. [REFERENCE INFORMATION]

as the figure title, and would only like the "Figure 1.1.1" portion included in the List of Figures entry. However, I cannot seem to isolate the title only, at least not automatically. If anyone can offer a solution, I would highly appreciate it. Thank you very much in advance.

John McGhie

unread,
Oct 16, 2008, 5:36:16 AM10/16/08
to
This is missing from the Word 2008 Help. You need the field code as shown:

{ TOC \a "Figure" }

Field codes: TOC (Table of Contents) field
{ TOC [Switches ] }
Builds a table of contents. The TOC field collects entries for a table of
contents using heading levels, specified styles, or entries specified by TC
(Table of Contents Entry) fields. Word inserts the TOC field when you use
the Index And Tables command (Insert menu).
Note If the table of contents created by the TOC field affects the
pagination of the document, you may have to update the field again to
reflect the correct page numbers.
Switch Does this
\a Identifier Lists items captioned with the Caption command (Insert
menu) but omits caption labels and numbers. The identifier corresponds to
the caption label. For example, although a caption on page 12 is "Figure 8:
Mercury", the field
{ TOC \a figures } displays entries as "Mercury............12".
Use the \c switch to build a table of captions with labels and numbers.
\b BookmarkName Collects entries only from the portion of the document
marked by the specified bookmark.
\c "SEQIdentifier " Lists figures, tables, charts, or other items that
are numbered by a SEQ (Sequence) field. Word uses SEQ fields to number items
captioned with the Caption command (Insert menu). SEQIdentifier, which
corresponds to the caption label, must match the identifier in the SEQ
field. For example, { TOC \c tables } lists all numbered tables.
\f EntryIdentifier Builds a table from TC fields. If EntryIdentifier is
specified, the table is built only from TC fields with the same identifier
(typically a letter). For example, { TOC \f t } builds a table of contents
from TC fields such as { TC "Entry Text " \f t }.
\l Levels Builds a table of contents from TC fields that assign entries
to one of the specified levels. For example, { TOC \l 1-4 } builds a table
of contents from TC fields that assign entries to levels 1-4 in the table of
contents. TC fields that assign entries to lower levels are skipped.
\n Levels Omits page numbers from the table of contents. Page numbers are
omitted from all levels unless a range of entry levels is specified. For
example, { TOC \n 3-4 } omits page numbers from levels 3 and 4. Delete this
switch to include page numbers.
\o "Headings" Builds a table of contents from paragraphs formatted with
built-in heading styles. For example, { TOC \o "1-3" } lists only headings
formatted with the styles Heading 1 through Heading 3. If no heading range
is specified, all heading levels used in the document are listed. Enclose
the range numbers in quotation marks.
\p "Separators " Specifies the characters that separate an entry and its
page number. For example, the field
{ TOC \p "---" } displays a result such as "Selecting Text---53." The
default is a tab with leader dots. You can use up to five characters, which
must be enclosed in quotation marks.
\s Identifier Includes a number such as a chapter number before the page
number. The chapter or other item must be numbered with a SEQ field.
Identifier must match the identifier in the SEQ field. For example, if you
insert { SEQ chapter } before each chapter heading, { TOC \o "1-3" \s
chapter } displays page numbers as 2-14, where "2" is the chapter number.
\d "Separator " When used with the \s switch, specifies the number of
characters that separate the sequence numbers and page numbers. Enclose the
characters in quotation marks. Word uses a hyphen (-) if no \d switch is
specified. In the table of contents generated by { TOC \o "1-3" \s chapter
\d ":" }, a colon (:) separates chapter numbers and page numbers ã for
example, "2:14."
\t "Style,Level,
Style,Level,..." Builds a table of contents from paragraphs formatted with
styles other than the built-in heading styles. For example,
{ TOC \t "chaptertitle,1, chapterhead,2" } builds a table of contents from
paragraphs formatted with the styles "chaptertitle" and "chapterhead." The
number after each style name indicates the table of contents entry level
that corresponds to that style.
You can use both the \o switch and the \t switch to build a table of
contents from built-in heading styles and other styles.
\w Preserves tab entries within table entries.
\x Preserves newline characters within table entries.

Examples
Field Resulting contents
{ TOC } All headings formatted with the built-in heading styles.
{ TOC \b Part1 \o "1-3" } All headings formatted with the built-in styles
Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3, in the portion of the document marked
with the bookmark "Part1."
{ TOC \c "Tables" } Tables that you captioned with the Caption command
(Insert menu).
{ TOC \f m } Entries marked with TC fields that contain the "\f m"
switch. For example, the entry marked by { TC "Map: Expeditions of
Champlain" \f m } is listed, but the entry marked by { TC "The Port Royal
Colony" \l 3 } isn't.

On 16/10/08 5:40 AM, in article 59b5d...@webcrossing.caR9absDaxw,
"i_lik...@officeformac.com" <i_lik...@officeformac.com> wrote:

--

Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Nhulunbuy, NT, Australia. mailto:jo...@mcghie.name

i_lik...@officeformac.com

unread,
Oct 16, 2008, 11:16:31 AM10/16/08
to
Whoa John, I do sincerely appreciate the very detailed help, although it does appear to be a handful. I will look into your suggestion. Many thanks again.

i_lik...@officeformac.com

unread,
Oct 17, 2008, 7:11:42 AM10/17/08
to
I see, when I toggled the field codes, the formatting was revealed. I changed the field code to what was suggested:

{ TOC \a "Figure" }

but got an error message

"No table of figures entries found.
In your document, select the words to include in the table of contents, and then in the Formatting Palette under Styles, click a heading style. Repeat for each heading that you want to include, and then insert the table of contents in your document. You can also create a table of contents by clicking the Create with Manual Formatting option and then type the entries manually."

Oops, I just realised that I have changed the method to create my List of Figures from styles. Sorry about that. John, could you please help me with the field code for including just the figure title using the aforementioned method (List of Figures from styles) please? Thank you in advance.

Jeff Wiseman

unread,
Oct 17, 2008, 9:36:22 PM10/17/08
to
i_lik...@officeformac.com wrote:


I'm nowhere near as gifted as John but if worst comes to worst,
the following may be an acceptable compromise.

either:

1) put the figure number on one line and put the description on
another right below it, or:

2) Put the figure number on one line and include the description
in the figure itself or the empty paragraph that contains the figure.


Of course, if there is a proper way to define the table of
figures field to do this, then just ignore what I said :-)


--
Jeff Wiseman
to reply, just remove ALLTHESPAM

i_lik...@officeformac.com

unread,
Oct 18, 2008, 10:57:04 AM10/18/08
to
Thank you Jeff for your input. In the end, I simply used the 'styles' method to create my list of figures, and manually truncated portions of text which were unnecessary. I can still "Update Tables of Figures," and select "Update page numbers only," which does not affect the modified text.

Another problem with tinkering with the field codes themselves was that my document would get corrupt, which crashed Word when subsequent page number updates were made. Perhaps there is a way to make it work stably, but I couldn't figure it out under the current time pressure.

John McGhie

unread,
Oct 18, 2008, 10:09:09 PM10/18/08
to
Ah! THAT requires thought ... :-)

When you use Styles, the TOC generator retrieves the entire string of text
formatted with the style you nominate.

If you are using a paragraph style for the caption, you will get the entire
caption.

If you wanted to use styles to do this, you would have to nominate a style
of type Character, and apply that style only to the words you want to see in
the List of Figures.

Normal readers never use the List of Figures. So I never include them in my
documents these days. Unless it is a "Required Element" in your
dissertation, I would simply leave it out: it's just wasted paper.

Cheers


On 17/10/08 8:41 PM, in article 59b5d...@webcrossing.caR9absDaxw,
"i_lik...@officeformac.com" <i_lik...@officeformac.com> wrote:

--

i_lik...@officeformac.com

unread,
Oct 19, 2008, 6:55:14 AM10/19/08
to
Thanks John for your assistance.

My supervisor unfortunately wanted a list of figures and tables included in my dissertation. As mentioned earlier, it was easy enough to modify the text description appropriately for my list of figures and tables, and if I only update the page numbers, the modified text isn't affected.

Daisuke

John McGhie

unread,
Oct 23, 2008, 6:54:08 AM10/23/08
to
Hi Daisuke:

You can use a Character style for this, and if you do that, it's easier than
you think :-)

Next time...

Cheers


On 19/10/08 8:25 PM, in article 59b5d...@webcrossing.caR9absDaxw,
"i_lik...@officeformac.com" <i_lik...@officeformac.com> wrote:

--

i_lik...@officeformac.com

unread,
Oct 23, 2008, 10:24:20 AM10/23/08
to
Thanks again John,

I will note your suggestion for next time!

0 new messages