Text Formatting ⇒ Help on Section and Table of Contents

[imdadullah]

dears

using \section*{dadadsfa}
I got heading without numbering in chapter and no entry in table of contents.

I need that
Section head without number in chapters but with numbering in table of contents.

Plz help and guide in easy way. Just new to Latex.
I am using Miketext distribution and Winedit editor.

Thanks in advance.

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Hi imdadullah,

welcome to the board!

Numbering is commonly intended for look-up, not for counting in the table of contents. Numbers without references to it are pretty useless in my opinion.

A table of contents (TOC) is for look-up.

• There are page numbers, which help to find the section browsing the book looking at the page numbers in the footer or header.
• There are section numbers for the same purpose. In the TOC I see the interesting section is section number 11, which helps to find it: I browse the book looking at section numbers in headings, or even better at section numbers in running heads, at the top. If sections were not numbered in the text, there's no good chance to find section 11.
• Let's say, in the book you refer "see section 11 in chapter 2". In the text you cannot find that, even with running heads. You would go back to the TOC, look for the number 11 there, take the page number and return to the text. Would be easier with numbers also in text.

I understand if you don't want to number sections in the text. However, in my opinion there should not surprisingly appear a number in the TOC, which is not used in the text, just to make the TOC nicely numbered.

I suggest: look into some good books, did you ever see unnumbered sections in the books body text but numbered sections in the TOC?

If it's your idea, think about it. If it's a requirement, speak about it with your institution or your supervisor or tutor, respectively.

Of course it can be done: use \section* in the text and additionally use \addcontentsline or \addtocontents.

Stefan

[imdadullah]

Thanks for detailed reply and suggestions.

I have seen in many of the books and thesis.

Perhaps I have not posted in details what I wants.

I need

\chapter* {Introduction}
.
\section*{test}
.

\chapter* {chapter 2}
but in table of contents
i need

1 Introduction
1.1 test
2 chapter 2

thanks in advance