RE: text insets for chapter TOCs

[Simon Bate <sbate@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've also tried using mini-TOCs.  Ananda's pros and cons are spot on.  

To solve the maintenance issues (Ananda's issue 1), I created a FrameScript
that purges an existing list of xrefs and builds a new list.  It's specific
to our formats, but should be easy to adapt.

If you're interested, let me know.

Simon

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stevens, Ananda [mailto:Ananda.Stevens@windriver.com]
> Sent: Monday, November 27, 2000 9:06 AM
> To: 'Gilda_Spitz@markham.longview.ca'; Jerilynne Sander
> Cc: framers@omsys.com
> Subject: RE: text insets for chapter TOCs
> 
> 
> > ...use a text inset to  insert a "mini-TOC" on a chapter page. 
> 
> Been there, tried that, had so many headaches with it we chucked 
> it and went to a different system. 
> 
> We use a list of cross-references. 
> 
> Each level 1 heading gets an xref which includes the text of the
> heading and its page number. Each xref is in its own paragraph.
> The para format for the mini-TOC is not used anywhere else. 
> 
> There are a couple of minor disadvantages to this method:
> 1) Individual level 1 headings need their xrefs created manually.
>    NOTE: you could do this with a FrameScript, but we haven't set
>    that one up yet. (Rick? :-)
> 2) If you rearrange the sections in the chapter, your manually-
>    created xrefs get out of order. You need to check their page
>    numbers before you go to production. (Again, something that 
>    could be fixed if you automated the process with a FrameScript.)
> 
> The advantages:
> 1) None of the problems associated with text insets.
> 2) Cross-references update automatically when you're doing the 
> book builds, so you have fewer files to update and NO additional
> files to update manually.
> 3) Fewer files required for the book. 
> 4) A *lot* less complexity. 
> 
> 
> When I was a FrameMaker neophyte, this subject came up on the 
> Framers list a couple of times. As I remember it, the consensus
> was to use the list of cross-references rather than mucking around
> with text insets.
> 
> 
> --Ananda Stevens
> ananda.stevens@windriver.com
> 
> 
> 
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