Automatically Build A Table of Contents

The Table of Contents (TOC) builder is a feature of Debenu PDF Aerialist Pharma and Debenu PDF Aerialist 11™. It is used to build a listing of files and/or sections of files and to control its layout. This list is visually displayed as either new pages on a specific PDF or a new file.

Clicking preview will show the default generation of a TOC, and the following settings can be adjusted to customize the way that a TOC is generated and the way it looks.

The TOC Builder can be opened from its own button in the tool button group. If no document is open in Acrobat, only a Master TOC can be built. To build a document TOC, first open the source PDF/the PDF file you are working with.

There are five sections in the menu box:

1. Build settings
2. Text Format
3. Options
4. Page Size Margins
5. Destinations

Build Settings

Type

There are two types of Table of Contents that can be built using the TOC builder.

A Document Table of Contents

A Document Table of Contents can be created from existing bookmarks or example headings in the active document. Each entry in the table of contents will be linked to the corresponding section in the active document.

A Master Table of Contents

A Master Table of Contents is built from many files and can be created from existing bookmarks, example headings or document information fields such as Title, Subject, or Filename.

If a Master Table of Contents is selected, you must also define the source files to be processed. To do this, click ‘Files…’

Text Source

The options in this list determine where to gather the text used for each entry in the Table of Contents.

Bookmarks:

The Table of Contents will be built based on bookmarks already defined in the document. For a master table of contents the table of contents will be concatenated in the same order as the files are processed. Link actions will be inherited from the bookmarks.

Headings:

The Table of Contents is built dynamically from distinct section headings in the document. Headings styles can be defined by a combination of font, size, color, indentation and text.

Here is a video tutorial on how to build or generate table of contents (TOC) based on headings in a PDF.

Filename:

The table of contents will be based on the filename as defined by the selected files. This option will use write filename only and not the full path. Link actions will be set to open the external document using either an absolute or relative address.

File path:

The table of contents will list the full path and filename of the files as set. Link actions will be set to open the external document using either an absolute or relative address.

Title:

The table of contents will list the title (as set in the document properties) for each file of the selected files. Link actions will be set to open the external document using either an absolute or relative address.

Subject:

The table of contents will list the subject (as set in the document properties) for each file of the selected files. Link actions will be set to open the external document using either an absolute or relative address.

Author:

The table of contents will list the author (as set in the document properties) for each file of the selected files. Link actions will be set to open the external document using either an absolute or relative address.

Custom:

Using the custom option will allow you to define a combination of static and dynamic text such as filename, title, subject, creation date, file size etc. The table of contents will list the subject (as set in the document properties) for each file of the selected files. Link actions will be set to open the external document using either an absolute or relative address.

Defining Heading Styles

Automatically generate a Table of Contents based on the font styles and layout used in your PDFs. After setting the desired combination of attributes for each level in the TOC, Debenu PDF Aerialist Pharma can quickly scan one or more PDF files to build the Table of Contents for each document.

To define headings:

1. Select the Master or Document from the ‘Type’ drop down.
2. Select the ‘Headings…’ and click on “Define…” to set the parameters.
3. To set individual Heading styles please follow the instructions in section 5.5 Building Bookmarks.

Text Format

The layout of the final TOC is completely customizable. It is possible to customize the font used for the TOC as well as the indent for each line, font size and color. The title of the TOC is static text and can be customized as required. To edit any of these settings, click the associated button and enter in new settings as desired.

‘Level 1…Level 2…’ etc. indicates where they appear in the table of contents hierarchy e.g Level 1 is 1, Level 2 is 1.1, Level 3 is 1.1.1 etc.

 

Options

Use these settings to control some important minor options:

Section Numbers:

Leave as is, add, or remove the presence of section numbers in the TOC.

Line Spacing:

Set line spacing between TOC entries to either single, 1.5 or double.

Links:

Relative: Links will be created using relative addressing provided that the final destination of the TOC is specified.
Absolute: Links will be created with absolute addresses.
None: No links will be created.

Magnification:

Links in the TOC will maintain the view as set in this dialog.
Separator: Entries in the TOC are justified. Select the desired separator (dots, hyphens, underscores, none) to control what character will separate the text from it’s associated page number.

Page Size Margins

Use these settings to customize the formatting of the pages that will be inserted into the PDF document.

Size:

Autosize will detect the current dimensions the PDF document is using and create the TOC with those attributes. Other sizes include: letter, executive, ledger, tabloid/11×7, screen, A3 and A4.

Orientation:

Portrait or Landscape can be chosen.

Margin units:

Page margins can be specified in inch, mm, or cm for the top, bottom, left and right of the page

Destination

The settings here control whether the TOC will be inserted into the open document or a new file. If a new file is created then it is recommended you specify the full path and filename especially if you wish to use relative rather than absolute links.