Often the document that we create in Word has a very complex structure, with a large number of headings and subheadings, a huge number of pages. In this case, a table of contents is created to navigate the document. It can be done manually by entering the names of the subheadings and the page numbers on which they are located. However, if the text is really large, then this process can take a lot of time. Therefore, it is better to use the automatic table of contents in Word. Consider this process with the example of Word 2003.
Pagination
Despite the fact that the table of contents in Word can be created without page numbering, since the program does this very well in the background, for most works page numbers are required. In order to number pages in Word 2003, you need to click on the Insert tab and select the Page Numbers ... item.
Here you can select the position of the number and click "OK".
Headings
In order to make a table of contents in Word 2003, oddly enough, you will need to create headings that can be of various levels. To do this, select the word or phrase, which is the title, and select the title style in the tab of the main panel. Typically, the heading uses “Heading 1” formatting and the subheading uses “Heading 2,” but you can use the one you like best. In addition, you can create your own headers or modify existing ones.
Table of contents
Now let's look at how to make a table of contents in Word 2003. So, after the numbering is set and the headings are completed, you need to select the "Insert" tab, find the line "Link" and in the drop-down window click on the line "Table of Contents and Indices ...".
After this click, a window will appear in which there are three tabs: "Indexes", "Table of Contents" and "List of Illustrations". In order to create a table of contents, you must open the "Table of Contents" tab. In this tab, you can create the table of contents that you need by formatting it at your discretion.
How can it be?
How to make a table of contents in Word 2003 is now clear, but how to make it not the same as the default, but create the desired format? To do this, Word 2003 provides several functions. Firstly, you can configure it so that only the title names are displayed in the table of contents, and page numbers are not indicated. To do this, uncheck the box next to the line “Show page numbers” in the “Table of Contents” tab of the “Table of Contents and Indexes” window.
If you uncheck the line "Page numbers on the right edge", then the page numbers will not be on the right edge, but next to the names of the headers.
You can also use a placeholder to fill in the distance between the title and page number. It can be in the form of points, in the form of a dashed and solid line. Here you can choose one of the proposed format options: classic, sophisticated, intricate, modern, formal and simple.
Table of Contents Update
In some cases, when the headings have been changed or the page numbers on which these headings are located have changed as a result of formatting, the table of contents may need to be adjusted. If it was done manually, it would require scrolling through the document in search of headings and page numbers. However, automatic table of contents makes this easier. In order to change the table of contents, you need to right-click on it and select "Update Field".
As a result of these actions, a window with options for update modes will appear. If the headings have not changed, then you can select the option “Update only page numbers”, otherwise you need to use the option “Update whole”. Then the table of contents is automatically updated in accordance with the changes made to the document.
Deleting a table of contents
How to make a table of contents in Word 2003, how to change and update it, we figured it out, but what if it is no longer needed? Unfortunately, unlike later versions of Vord, there is no specific button for deleting the table of contents, so you have to do it manually: select the table of contents, right-click and select Cut.
Using an automatic table of contents makes navigation much easier, especially in large documents with many headings. However, in small texts its use is very convenient. The advantage is that creating such a table of contents is very simple, adhering to our simple recommendations.