can you make lists of figures and tables easily in pages?

Style all the names of the tables as say Table Caption and the figures Figure Caption and make sure they are in their own paragraph.

Then create a Table of Contents. from the Styles. The T.O.C. has to be at the beginning of the document to catch all the examples after them.

If you want to keep the two separate, do it twice using only one of the styles in each.

Peter

Hi Christina,

As far as I know, there's no automated means of making either of these lists in Pages.

Looking ahead, you might want to Provide Pages Feedback directly to Apple, requesting thi feature be added in a future version of Pages. You'll find Provide Pages Feedback in the Pages menu in Pages '09, or use the link in this message.

Regards,

Barry

Hi j (and J),

From what you've stated, it's pretty clear that Pages, in its current state, is not suitable to the tasks you need to do. That being the case, your options are pretty clear:

• work to make it suitable for your tasks
• use something that is suitable to your tasks

If the first option requires changes to the application, you need ot talk to the developers, not to users of the software (which is who you're talking to here). People who use the software can offer suggestions or instructions in using the application as it currently exists, but don't have the opportunity to make changes to the software itself.

Getting Apple to make changes can be a slow process. At the moment, print output does not seem to be high on the priority list. The obvious push is toward mobile devices, and cross-compatibility between the OS, OS X and iCloud versions of the iWork appliations. Change may come, but I doubt it will come quickly.

In the meantime, the secnd option is likely the more productive one. Find something that is currently available, and will do the tasks you require. You might take Peter's suggestion, and start your search with LibreOffice.

Regards,

Barry

These workarounds don't seem to enable the table of figures to update automatically when I moved them around or delete or add them. This is really a basic requirement for me producing basic reports for work. Oh well, it's back to Word for Mac 2011, which I really dislike. Very disappointed that such a basic function is missing in Pages

Hi J,

Every function that you use is 'basic' in your own view (general 'you,' not you personally), but isn't necessarily 'basic' to anyone who doesn't have a need to use it.

If you think this one is 'basic' to a large number of people, I'd suggest you Provide Pages Feedback to Apple, using the menu item of that name in the Pages menu. Here you're talking to users of the software, who can advise you on ways to accomplish tasks using th software as it exists. In the feedback channel your comments and requests go to peple who can change the software itself.

Regards,

Barry

It is basic for the myriad of writers who need both a table of contents and an updatable table of figures (TOF). I have sent this request to Feedback multiple times, in multiple versions. Given that Pages is generally superior to Word in its handling of images, anyone who is creating a thesis, a dissertation, or any other multi-chapter publication containing images may need to keep references them up to date as changes are made. To make the TOC last, and remove the links from the TOF, means that you have to keep 2 sets of the same document, submit the second for review, and if changes are made by an editor, etc (and likely NOT as a pages doc at all), and it loses the appropriate page numbers. Or, in my case, I submitted a Thesis, essentially doing what PeterBreis suggests, except i created a "duplicate" document in Word, with all blank pages except the ones with the images, then exported JUST the TOF, as text, back to Pages. Now, I'm taking that Pages doc and attempting to create a dissertation. SO ALL MY IMAGES WILL NEED TO BE RENUMBERED, OF WHICH THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 50, and that is before the new images i am adding to the dissertation.

So Barry, perhaps you can imagine, in this expanded view, just HOW MANY possible dissertations and theses and books (self-publishing being a very fast growing area), around the world there are? And, because Apple has not produced something non-basic, they are forcing otherwise Apple hardcore users (um, like Aperture, which handles my images?) to other developers/products?

If Apple itself would do a search on this term, they would see that this question has been asked in various forms many many many times. And these are only the ones where someone has taken time to ask in print.

So yes. I thinnk this is 'basic'. And the workarounds should not be.

I have been really disappointed by Pages. Whether others consider the need to insert and update tables of contents, fIgures etc 'basic' or not it doesn't really seem that much to expect. All my reports have a Table of Contents based on headings, and Tables of Figures and Plates. They usually also have auto-updatable references to figure numbers in the text.

I am really not interested in complex workarounds, I just need software that does this. So although I do have other problems with Word 2011 for Mac, it is still the only option for me.

Similarly with Numbers, I thought I would be able to simply move all my Excel tables over, but it converted all the dates from UK format eg 01/04/2014 = 1st April, into US format i.e. 01/04/2014 = 4th January. This wasn't just a presentation issue, it really had changed the dates, so if I tried to show them in the UK format I still got the US dates. Needless to say this was absolutely useless to me, and I contacted Apple who immediately offered a refund. Once again, back to MSOffice.

These really are - to me at least - rather serious shortcomings for key Apple software, which doesn't seem to be designed for 'serious' use. I am not going to start a campaign to change it, I am simply not interested in using products that don't do what I need. But they don't reflect well on Apple in general.

You probably have your computer set to US English localization instead of British English, hence you are getting the wrong date format. Check in System Preferences > Language and text > Language > British English should be the top most alternative. If not click on the + and choose British English and then OK. Drag it to the top of the list. Log out and in again and the language should be set to British English.

I fully agree with Peter and Barry. Pages isn't a clone of MS Word, nor is Numbers one of Excel. Use the application that works best for you.

Barry and Fruhulda-

I'm very aware of your "suggestions". I've been at this gig a long time. I had Palm Pilot 1, Word Perfect, Lotus 1-2-3 1and on, Excel 1.........; I've worked for Oracle as a program manager and I'm a former CPA now defending a dissertation in education policy. I had a Compaq "luggable", and was the person people came to when they needed a complex spreadsheet or macros.

Both Windows and Mac. AND VMWare to use ATLAS.ti for advanced qualitative research (only in windows).

Started with Mac 2005 (Peter, we exchanged emails back in the Circus Ponies day around '06! You had a great Daytimer template...).

I HAVE looked for other options. And what I'm asking is a) not complex, b) not "power user" and c) not a random few have a need for it.

And, while I appreciate the idea of looking at LibreOffice, I'm at this point committed to a dissertation completion in the very near future. I did a 127 page Thesis in Pages because of its image management, and did the workarounds to convert it to Word to manage reviewing and Acrobat to manage submission.

I'm certainly not starting over. But I did just have to buy the new version of ABBYY Fine Reader for Mac, since they signfiicantly improved its document OCR capabilities. AND yes, I'll be using Word 2011.

But here is only what I and many others have been trying to get across: We type text. We add references in-line (EndNote makes a great product, has even expanded it to iPad, created a new plugin, but Apple has broken it with the latest version of Pages so as to make it unusable.). I add images (Pages being far more appropriate for linking to Aperture/iPhoto etc., and placing images easily with little extra processing). The images have captions.

They should be number-able, in "real-time" to allow for changes. Like page numbers do, or lists, or footnotes. Which Pages handles.

Think about the actual programming here. Pages ALLOWS multiple TOC. One for each section if you want. And while it can handle different headers and footers in each section, different page numbering schemes, or schemes that DONT change in each section, footnotes that can continue throughout OR change.... This is not rocket science we are talking about here.

Microsoft Word 2011 actually has done a MUCH better job of keeping interfaces with other programs up to date. This is "the competition". But folks, it's still Microsoft. Constant updates to plug holes, constant crashing. Cause it's not an Apple OS X that it's based on. EndNote, same thing. Yet Apple took it's product backwards, had to put stuff back due to the volume of complaints, and is known to be very poor at working cooperatively with outside vendors.

And, in my 31 years as a knowledgeable and active computer "early adopter" and 9 years as a very very very loyal user going back to the first iPod with a color screen and 5 different Apple products in Daily use (iMac, iPad Air, iPhone 5s, Thunderbolt Display (2013) and MacBook Air), I’m not just blowing BS.

In the past 3 years, Apple is losing my personal support FAST. There are unfortunately, if we are being honest, only 2 games in town. Wouldn't you think Apple could spend a few bucks of their $137B in liquid assets on customer satisfaction instead of only the march to world domination?

Hi j,

Not a lot there that I would disagree with. Your points are well-taken, but they're outside the scope of this forum. The users you're talking to here don't have direct influence on any question/suggestion containing "should" when applied to Apple.

"And what I'm asking is a) not complex, b) not "power user" and c) not a random few have a need for it."

...and d) not something that can be changed by the users in this forum.

"Apple has broken it with the latest version of Pages so as to make it unusable.)"

Unless you have intentionally removed it, or had never installed it on this computer, the previous version will still be available, and located in "iWork 09", a folder in the Applications folder on your hard drive. That version has the same faults as it had before, of course, but none of the 'new and improved' ones.

"They (Apple) should be..."

See above.

There are several things that Pages "should be" that it isn't. Here, though, we can't deal with 'should be'.

Best wishes for success with your dissertation, whatever tools you decide to use.

Regards,

Barry

I remember you and we really do agree, but Apple is Apple and not even the same Apple we knew back then.

Whatever silly games they are playing internally they are impacting on us as users, but we have no say other than standing fast and telling Apple exactly how we feel about being treated the way we are.

Apple is really, really REALLY deaf to its users. It knows we are all idiots and and not qualified to tell it anthing.

It comes out in nearly every level of contact with Apple but most of all it comes out in their actions.

In Australia we have had a couple of hundred years of dealing with authority that we don't respect. We handle it by being right up front with what we think and then we proceed to blithely ignore it. A large part of the control any organisation has over you is only what you give it. Don't give it and it turns into a paper cutout.

I found travelling around the States a really odd phenomena, something I previously only observed from afar. Americans loudly talk about freedom, but then do as they are told, mostly without question. They should try standing up for themselves for a change. Particularly in the face of their corporations.

You do not have to use Apple's software, nor even their hardware. If you do however like parts of what they offer take those. There are other alternatives for almost everything, explore what they have to offer. They may be worse, they may be better, balance that off against what Apple offers and take what works best for you.

So many of Apple's customers have been indoctrinated into thinking only Apple can supply what they want. They stand there passively waiting for Apple to "fix" what they broke, or to give them something they "need". Not even looking around them to whatever else is available.

Time to wake up out of the dozy daydream and take control of their own lives, before Apple leaves you with no options.

Just suggesting users grow a pair!

Peter

Thx Peter!

Agree on all points! And clearly I'm not a sit quietly type...

After disso, will expand horizons. Last time tried ~1 year ago, not much options. Like life, trade one + for another - .

I loved being a public accountant because I couldn't stand the American Way, treating people like numbers. Lots of life is not about numbers, hence my qualitative bent.

I'm a total process-person. Would be nice to see computing (and social focus) move in that direction. $£€.... In the end, in the 80 +/- human input range, you and those on this thread and in our life interactions matter. Corporation as "person"? BAH!

Could you describe in more detail what you want to achieve?

This does not work. I just tried doing it and it removes your original TOC.

Which you didn't mention you had.

So actually it did work. You have to do two passes, Export the TOC of captions to text and reimport it, then do your standard T.O.C.

Peter