Office 2021: The page number of a heading in the table of contents (TOC) appears directly next to it

Jamal NUMAN · #1 08-29-2024, 10:49 PM

Office 2021: The page number of a heading in the table of contents (TOC) appears directly next to it instead of at the edge of the page.

In the screenshot below, I couldn’t figure out why the page number of a heading in the table of contents (TOC) appears directly next to it instead of at the edge of the page.

How this issue can be fixed?

macropod · #2 08-30-2024, 12:36 AM

See: How to align table of figures or contents

jthomas666 · #3 09-03-2024, 08:57 AM

I think it that in certain situations manual tab stops can confuse the TOC generator. Notice how in the instances where the page numbers aren't aligned to the far right, they're all aligned on the manual tab stop? Deleting that tab stop in the paragraph style might fix the problem. Also, try putting your cursor in front of the number and pressing the spacebar. That should move the number to the far right.

Guessed · #4 09-03-2024, 03:20 PM

The alignment issue looks a lot like a Jason tab issue.

I recommend you check out this link or do some further searching on "Jason tab"
Word: Getting rid of the ‘Jason tab’ in a TOC | CyberText Newsletter

jthomas666 · #5 09-03-2024, 04:52 PM

Huh. I had this problem regularly in my last job; for some reason it never occurred to me that Word might be putting the tab stop in on its own. But it does sound like a classic Word "feature, not a bug".

Thanks for the info!

Guessed · #6 09-04-2024, 12:44 AM

After you've updated the TOC you can select it and press Ctrl-Q to reset the TOC paragraphs to their style definitions. This should be sufficient to remove the Jason tabs.

I use a macro to update the TOCs in order not to worry about the Jason tab issue.

Code:

  'remove the jason tabs (local formatting tabs inserted in toc with hanging text)
  Dim aTOC as TableOfContents
  For Each aTOC In ActiveDocument.TablesOfContents
    aTOC.Update
    aTOC.Range.ParagraphFormat.Reset
  Next aTOC

Jamal NUMAN · #7 09-09-2024, 12:34 PM

But in all cases, why might the same style have different presentations in the Table of Contents?

For example, entries styled as TOC4 do not have the same format in the Table of Content!

What could be the issue here?

Italophile · #8 09-09-2024, 01:36 PM

Because there is probably a rogue tab stop, either in those paragraphs or in the TOC 4 style. This is evidenced by the longer entries where the text goes beyond the first tab stop.

Jamal NUMAN · #9 09-09-2024, 11:09 PM

Unfortunately, I checked the style settings and tab stop positions, and attempted to remove the Jason tab with the code, but nothing worked. It's very frustrating.

What other options do I have to resolve this issue?

The template file, on which my current document is built, is attached

jthomas666 · #10 09-10-2024, 05:27 AM

I can think of two options

1. After generating the ToC, go to each truncated entry, put the cursor in front of the page number, and press <Tab>. Of course, you have to do that every time, and yes, it gets annoying.

2. Lengthen the affected headings. If they're long enough, they won't be affected by the Jason tab.

Italophile · #11 09-10-2024, 05:51 AM

The tab stop is clearly visible in your screenshot.
If it isn't in the TOC4 style it is probably in the Heading 4 style because you are still not following the instructions you have repeatedly been given to set numbering up correctly using a List Style.
When the number is followed by a tab you should always leave "Add tab stop at" unchecked.

Stefan Blom · #12 09-10-2024, 06:01 AM

Since you are setting up numbering for the table of contents and NOT for the headings in the body of the document, I would suggest that you reformat the TOC styles using the Multilevel List dialog box. Click in the very first TOC 1 in your document and click Home > Multilevel List > Define New Multilevel List. Carefully verify the numbering and indents for each level.

Jamal NUMAN · #13 09-10-2024, 12:37 PM

Right. It appears that the issue is with the “tab stop position” of the “TOC4” style. Removing the 4.7 cm tab stop position seems to resolve the issue.

However, when the TOC is updated, the 4.7 cm tab stop position reappears for the TOC4 style. What could be causing this issue?

jthomas666 · #14 09-11-2024, 12:37 PM

Try this:

1. Create a new paragraph that's not part of the TOC.
2. Format it with the TOC4 style. Is the rogue tab stop present? If so, delete the tab stop and update the style.
3. Then regenerate the TOC. If the tab stop returns, then it's almost certainly the Jason tab referenced earlier, and you may just have to live with it--Every time you generate the TOC, delete the tab stop and update the style--that should correct all the affected TOC paragraphs.

Charles Kenyon · #15 09-11-2024, 01:56 PM

See my post in your parallel question about sources of these images:
Formatting a Table of Contents Intricacies

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