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Report with Table of Contents Sample

Overview

The Report with Table of Contents (TOC) sample demonstrates:

  • Automatic TOC generation — table of contents generated from headings
  • Heading levels — H1 through H6 with default styling
  • Page numbering — automatic page collection and numbering
  • Internal links — clickable page numbers in TOC
  • Multi-chapter reports — structured document with sections
  • Two-pass rendering — accurate page counts and positioning

Key Features Demonstrated

1. Table of Contents Page

C#
container.TableOfContents(p =>
{
    p.Size(PageSize.A4);
    p.Margin(2, Unit.Centimetre);
    p.PageColor(Color.White);
    p.DefaultTextStyle(s =>
        s.FontFamily("Helvetica").FontSize(12)
            .FontColor("#000000").SemiBold().LineHeight(1.5));
    
    p.Header().MarginBottom(12)
        .Text("Table of Contents").AlignCenter()
        .Bold().FontSize(20).FontColor(Color.Black);
});

2. Heading Levels

C#
// Six heading levels with automatic TOC collection
col.Item().H1("Introduction");
col.Item().H2("What is TerraPDF?");
col.Item().H3("Key Features");
col.Item().H4("Feature Details");
col.Item().H5("Sub-feature");
col.Item().H6("Technical Note");

3. Heading Styling and Customization

C#
// Default heading sizes:
// H1: 24pt, bold
// H2: 20pt, bold
// H3: 16pt, bold
// H4: 14pt, italic
// H5: 12pt, bold
// H6: 11pt, regular

// Customization
col.Item().H2("Custom Heading")
    .FontColor(Color.Blue)
    .Underline();

col.Item().H3("Another Custom")
    .FontSize(18)
    .FontColor(Color.Green.Darken1);

4. Multi-Chapter Document Structure

C#
// Chapter 1 — Introduction
container.Page(p =>
{
    p.Size(PageSize.A4);
    p.Margin(2, Unit.Centimetre);
    
    p.Header().Text("Report with Table of Contents")
        .Bold().FontSize(14).FontColor(Color.Grey.Medium);

    p.Content().Column(col =>
    {
        col.Item().H1("Introduction");
        col.Item().Text("Introduction content...").Justify();

        col.Item().H2("What is TerraPDF?");
        col.Item().Text("Definition and overview...").Justify();

        col.Item().H2("Table of Contents Feature");
        col.Item().Text("TOC feature description...").Justify();

        col.Item().H3("How it works");
        col.Item().Text("Two-pass rendering explanation...").Justify();
    });
});

// Chapter 2 — Features Demo
container.Page(p =>
{
    // ...similar structure...
});

// Chapter 3 — Internal Navigation
container.Page(p =>
{
    // ...with internal links...
});
C#
col.Item().Text("Click here to go to Chapter 2")
    .InternalLink(2, 120);  // pageNumber, topY position

// Or use heading references
col.Item().H1("Features");  // Automatically added to TOC
col.Item().Text("See also the ").
    Link("Features section", 5, 150);

Heading Structure Example

The sample generates a professional document with:

Code
Table of Contents
├─ Page 1: Introduction
│  ├─ What is TerraPDF?
│  ├─ Table of Contents Feature
│  │  └─ How it works
│  └─ Supported heading levels
│
├─ Page 2: Features
│  ├─ Available Heading Levels
│  ├─ Styling Customisation
│  ├─ Sample Table
│  └─ Further reading
│
├─ Page 3: Internal Navigation
│  └─ Linking Within Documents
│
└─ Page 4-N: Content continues...

Two-Pass Rendering

TerraPDF uses two passes to accurately generate TOC:

  1. First Pass — Measure content, collect all headings and their page positions
  2. Second Pass — Render final PDF with populated TOC and accurate page numbers

Features Demonstrated

  • Heading collection — automatic from H1-H6 elements
  • Page counting — accurate total page numbers
  • Link generation — clickable TOC entries
  • Nested structure — hierarchical headings
  • Custom styling — override default heading styles
  • Multi-page layout — tables inside chapters
  • Accessibility — structure for screen readers

Use Cases

Perfect for:

  • Technical documentation — API guides with chapters
  • Reports — structured business documents
  • Books — organized content with navigation
  • Theses — academic papers with TOC
  • Manuals — user guides with sections
  • Policies — organized compliance documents

What You'll Learn

  1. Table of Contents — automatic generation from headings
  2. Heading levels — H1-H6 with default styling
  3. Page collection — two-pass rendering strategy
  4. Internal navigation — clickable links
  5. Document structure — organizing complex documents
  6. Heading customization — overriding default styles
  7. Nested content — tables and components in chapters

Best Practices

  • Use heading hierarchy logically (don't skip levels)
  • Keep headings concise
  • Use consistent terminology
  • Place TOC near the beginning
  • Avoid too many nesting levels (2-3 is ideal)
  • Test navigation in PDF viewers

File Output

Generates: 09_report_with_toc.pdf

Creates a professional multi-chapter report with automatic table of contents, proper page numbering, and interactive navigation via clickable TOC entries.

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