Using Multiple Tables of Contents

Word allows you to include multiple tables of contents in a single document. Thus, you can have a table of contents for each chapter of a book, even if all the chapters are in the same document.

In order to restrict the table entries for each separate table, you will have to use unique custom styles for each table. For example, you might use styles named "Chapter1Heading1", "Chapter1Heading2", and so on for the first chapter, and "Chapter2Heading1", etc., for the second chapter.

With your styles defined and applied to all the appropriate heads in your document, you are ready to generate the tables of contents. You can do this by following these steps:

1. Position the cursor at the location in the document where you want the table
2. Choose Index and Tables from the Insert menu. (Word 97 and Word 2000) or choose Reference from the Insert menu, then choose Index and Tables from the resulting submenu (Word 2002 and Word 2003). Word displays the Index and Tables dialog box.
3. Click on the Table of Contents tab. (See Figure 1.)



Figure 1. The Table of Contents tab of the Index and Tables dialog box.

4. Click on the Options button. Word displays the Table of Contents Options dialog box. (See Figure 2.)



Figure 2. The Table of Contents Options dialog box.

5. Change the TOC Level column to reflect which styles you are using in the table of contents you are inserting. Thus, if you were using doing a TOC for Chapter 1, beside the "Chapter1Heading1" style you would place a 1 in the TOC Level column.
6. Click on OK to close the Table of Contents Options dialog box.
7. Click on OK to close the Index and Tables dialog box and generate the table of contents.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1145) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Using Multiple Tables of Contents.