Formatting TOC for MicroSoft Word -User Manual

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Ericam
Propeller Head
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:18 pm

Formatting TOC for MicroSoft Word -User Manual

Post by Ericam »

I have spent weeks with Madcap technical support to set up my project /TOC to print properly in Word. It is still not the way it needs to be. Help! I just want the typical User Manual format. The page layouts do NOT work the way they are intended. The bottom line is the blank pages do not show up after a Title page or First page as it is documented in Flare's online help. I created 3 page layouts using FrontmatterResizable. I have a title layout, chapter layout and user manual layout.

For my title page I created a topic and inserted an image(images are not supported in Word if you put them in the page layout). I applied the title page layout, with the type of page Title. This assumes a blank page will follow. (It does not). (The title layout has a Title and Empty page in it)

Next, I have my TOC. I applied the User manaual page layout. Page Type Title. Again because I want a blank page after the TOC. No blank page follows. I also tried RIght page. (The User Manual page layout has: Left, Right, First, Empty page types in it).

Lastly, I have a Chapter topic. I applied Chapter page layout, page type First. Assuming blank page will follow. It does not. (The Chapter Page layout has a First and Empty Page in it)

This is how I want it to look for two sided printing. All chapters to start on Right side.
Title Page
Blank Page with Copyright (My work around was creating a Copyright topic
TOC
Blank Page
Chap 1 (with mini TOC)
Blank Page
Topics A
Topics C
Chap 2 (with mini TOC)
Blank Page
Glossary
Blank Page
Index
Blank Page

I wish there was some template on how to set up a user manual. I realize the style sheet is largely tied to this too. Any help is appreciated. I hate to bother Flare support again, but I have a deliverable due in two weeks. I don't want to have to tweak this in Word, that defeats single sourcing!

I attached a screen shot of my TOC, but I know that doesn't help much since you can't see the properties for each topic, etc. I was not able to upload my style sheet.

Thank you
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DoCo
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Posts: 47
Joined: Tue May 26, 2009 3:18 am
Location: Belgium

Re: Formatting TOC for MicroSoft Word -User Manual

Post by DoCo »

Hi

This is probably not the solution you are looking for, but if time is running, why don't you create a 'blank' topic that you would manually insert where expected in the TOC ?
Define a <p> style, for example p.blank, with page-break-before and page-break-after set at 'always'. Apply this style to the unique <p> present in the blank.html topic. This blank.html topic should then be defined as 'PrintOnly' if you use the same TOC for both print and online Outputs.

For example : blank.html

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<html xmlns:MadCap="http://www.madcapsoftware.com/Schemas/MadCap.xsd"  MadCap:conditions="Default.PrintOnly" class="">
    <head>
    </head>
    <body>
        <p class="blank"> </p>
    </body>
</html>
with the css for print medium :

Code: Select all

p.blank
	{
		page-break-after: always;
		page-break-before: always;
	}
HTH

DoCo
Ericam
Propeller Head
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:18 pm

Re: Formatting TOC for MicroSoft Word -User Manual

Post by Ericam »

Good work around. This works for after the Title page, but not after my TOC. For some reason, the blank page after the TOC is taking on the header and footer of the page layout that is assigned to the TOC. (UserManual) I tried creating a blank page layout and applying that, but it does not pick it up. The page layout of the TOC still dictates the header footer of the blank page!! It is really frustrating.
LTinker68
Master Propellus Maximus
Posts: 7247
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 9:38 pm

Re: Formatting TOC for MicroSoft Word -User Manual

Post by LTinker68 »

Did you actually specify the blank page layout be used on the blank page in the TOC?
Image

Lisa
Eagles may soar, but weasels aren't sucked into jet engines.
Warning! Loose nut behind the keyboard.
Ericam
Propeller Head
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:18 pm

Re: Formatting TOC for MicroSoft Word -User Manual

Post by Ericam »

Hi,
Yes, I actually specified Blank page. No matter what I do, it ignores what I choose.
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