TOC problem - text appeares in wrong order

[Jan Magnussen]

Hi

I'm a graphic designer and I have a job where I need to make a Word template
in MS2007.

My headlines need to be located outside the standard text area - and I have
placed it in a Text Box. With the 'Heading 1' style attached to the content
it apperares as the first level in the table of content with the
corresponding correct page number, so thats okay.

The 2nd level in the TOC is a Heading 2, this text is located inside the
standard text area.

The problem is that the 2nd level in the TOC is then placed above the 1st
level !!!! The page number is correct but ofcause it should be located below
the 1st level.

AAAAA - 1st level 2
BBBBBB - 1st level 3
CCCCC - 1st level 4
ddddd - 2nd level 8
DDDDD - 1st level 8

Why is this happening???

I know the problem originates from the Heading 1 in the Text Box but I need
the headings to 'hanging' alone at the top of the page and only at the
begining of a chapter. Is there another solution to gain this design?

Kind regards
Jan Magnussen

 

[Lene Fredborg]

It is not totally clear what you mean by "outside the standard text area". If
you want Heading 1 to hang into the left margin, modify the Heading 1 style.
You can apply a negative left indent to the style (via the Paragraph dialog
box). Skip the text box.

--
Regards
Lene Fredborg - Microsoft MVP (Word)
DocTools - Denmark
www.thedoctools.com
Document automation - add-ins, macros and templates for Microsoft Word

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

As Lene suggests, if you just want the heading "outdented," you can do this
with a negative left indent. If you want it truly in the margin, I would
strongly advise that you use a frame rather than a text box. Although Word
2007 can see text in text boxes for the purpose of creating TOC and REF
fields, earlier versions cannot, so this technique is not
backward-compatible.

Whether you use a text box or frame, the order in which it appears will
depend on which paragraph it is anchored to. Display object anchors so that
you can see this. If the Heading 1 is anchored to a Heading 2 paragraph,
that I can foresee potential problems.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Jan Magnussen]

Thank you for your answers.

The posision of the text has nothing to do with outdent or indent. My text
need to plased horizontal upward away from the standard text area. By
standard text area I mean the area between the right/left margins and the
footer/header.

The text box is placed at the same location, but on top, as the header, 1,5
cm away from the top of the text area. The text box only needs to contain the
name of the chapter and only on the first page of the chapter. But I need the
standard text area to be pure 'normal' text - without headers. That is why I
need this 'flying' text box.

Suzanne - I see your point regarding the anchors. Even though I dont see why
it is the Heading 2 that is plased wrong in the TOC.

The situation is created this way:
When I reach a new page where the header needs to be flying at the top, I
placed the cursor on the first line and insert a text box. This text apears
correct in the TOC. When I later on the same page, style a text with Heading
2, this text is placed above the heading I had just plased. The anchor of the
Heading 1 text box is placed further up that the Heading 2. Where should I
place this anchor to get it right?

It seems that the TOC 'reads' the standard text area first and then the
surroundings.

Any help will been appreciated.

Kind regards
Jan Magnussen

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I would approach this in a different way. It is a Bad Idea to try to put a
heading in the header (which is what you're using a roundabout method to
do). It would make more sense to place your Heading 1 at the top of the page
in a different way. You can ensure its separation from text using Spacing
After or by placing it in a borderless table cell with Exact row height. If
you really want it to be at header height (though I find that perverse),
then you can achieve this through a combination of top and header margin
settings and using the "Different first page" option, plus a Header that
will push subsequent pages down to a normal position.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org