[Tex/LaTex] How to control spacing in toc for different sections

spacingtable of contents

I need to have a TOC that has double space between Chapter titles but single space between sections and subsections. I know there are several related questions on this matter, but the difference is that when using some of the suggested solutions like \setlength{\cftbeforesecskip}{-2pt} or \renewcommand\cftchapafterpnum{\vspace{}} that changes the spacing before or after the section or subsection, and if the title in question is one-line long is fine, but if its a long three lines title of a section then, it gives very irregular spacing, with the desired space above the section title, and then what looks like one half spacing and again single spaced after the page number.
Another solution I have tried is within the actual text use something like \section[\singlespacing{\noindent Long title}]{Long title}but then although I get single spaced lines in the TOC, I also get some undesired vertical space between the section number and the beginning of the section title. Is there any way of uniformly changing the spacing in the TOC by hierarchical sections, or avoid the extra vertical space in my second approach? Also, it is worth mentioning that I am loading the setspacepackage and using \onehalfspacing on the preamble of my document, since the main body of it should be one-half spaced. Thanks a lot,
Here is how it looks what I have:

\documentclass[12pt,reqno]{report}
\usepackage[titles]{tocloft}
\setlength{\cftbeforesecskip}{-2.5pt}
\setlength{\cftbeforesubsecskip}{-2.5pt}
\usepackage{setspace}
\onehalfspacing
\usepackage{blindtext}
\begin{document}
\tableofcontents
\newpage
\chapter{this is a really really long title that someone else wrote for all the penguins in the world}
\section{this is a really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really long title having more than three lines of text to appear on the toc.}
\subsection{this is a really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really long title having more than three lines of text to appear on the toc.}
\blinddocument
\blinddocument
\blinddocument
\blinddocument
\end{document}

On this MWE I show one of the options I tried. I hope someone can comment on this. Thanks.

Best Answer

You can hook into \cftchapafterpnum for adding some vertical space after a chapter title in the table of contents.

\documentclass[12pt,reqno]{report}
\usepackage[titles]{tocloft}
\usepackage{blindtext}

\renewcommand{\cftchapafterpnum}{\vspace{\cftbeforechapskip}}

\begin{document}
\tableofcontents
\newpage
\chapter{this is a really really long title that someone else wrote for all the penguins in the world}
\section{this is a really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really long title having more than three lines of text to appear on the toc.}
\subsection{this is a really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really long title having more than three lines of text to appear on the toc.}
\blinddocument
\blinddocument
\blinddocument
\blinddocument
\end{document}

enter image description here

However, long titles have nothing to do with the problem; you seem to be loading setspace with \onehalfspacing, probably to comply with silly requirements by your institution (if not, just use standard spacing, you'll leave happier).

Just issue \singlespacing when doing the table of contents.

\documentclass[12pt,reqno]{report}
\usepackage[titles]{tocloft}
\usepackage{setspace}
\usepackage{blindtext}

\renewcommand{\cftchapafterpnum}{\vspace{\cftbeforechapskip}}

\onehalfspacing

\begin{document}

\begingroup\singlespacing
\tableofcontents
\endgroup

\chapter{this is a really really long title that someone else wrote 
for all the penguins in the world}
\section{this is a really really really really really really really
really really long title having more than three lines of text to appear on the toc.}
\subsection{this is a really really really really really really really
really really really long title having more than three lines of text to appear on the toc.}

\blinddocument

\end{document}

enter image description here

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Line spacing in ToC, LoF, and LoT

This may or may not work for you in terms of convenience, because it is not automated. But I try to address both the actual question (about TOC, LOF, & LOT) as well as your comment follow-up about chapter & section titles. In both cases, I use stacks to try to resolve the issue.

First, I don't invoke \doublespacing until after the TOC, LOF, & LOT are printed.

Then, for the TOC, LOF, and LOT, I use the optional argument of \chapter, \section, and \caption to insert a \stackunder{}{} at the end of the optional text, which effectively provides a double spacing to the item below it. That process could be automated if you were willing to redefine those sectioning/captioning commands (which I don't do here).

Note: My answer at multiple spacing in TOC is related to this problem. And there, I show how to automate the process by redefining (in that example) \section.

To deal with the double spacing of headings in the report itself, I set an appropriate long-stacking gap when I go into double spaced mode, and then use left-aligned \Longunderstacks to build single-spaced headings. Note though that for sections and lower-level headings, the stack will be fully indented with respect to the section number, rather than wrapped to the left margin (as seen in section 1.1).

\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{report}

\usepackage{setspace}
\usepackage{mwe} % just for dummy images
\usepackage[usestackEOL]{stackengine}
\setstackgap{L}{\baselineskip}
\def\stacktype{L}

\begin{document}

\addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{Contents}
\tableofcontents 

\addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{List of Figures}
\listoffigures

\listoftables
\addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{List of Tables}

\doublespacing
\setstackgap{L}{.6\baselineskip}

\chapter
[Test Chapter with a very very very very long name which \\splits over multiple lines\stackunder{}{}]
{\Longunderstack[l]{Test Chapter with a very very\\ very very long name which \\splits over multiple lines}}

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer  

\section
[This is a long section title which splits across multiple lines. Dummy Text Dummy Text Dummy Text Dummy Text\stackunder{}{}]
{\Longunderstack[l]{This is a long section title which splits\\ across multiple lines. Dummy Text\\ Dummy Text Dummy Text Dummy\\ Text}}

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer 

\subsection{Another section title}

\begin{figure}[!htb]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=3cm]{example-image}
\caption
[This is a long figure caption which splits across multiple lines. Dummy Text Dummy Text Dummy Text Dummy Text\stackunder{}{}]
{This is a long figure caption which splits across multiple lines. Dummy Text Dummy Text Dummy Text Dummy Text}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[!htb]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=3cm]{example-image}
\caption{This is a short caption}
\end{figure}

\begin{table}[!htb]
\caption
[This is a long table caption which splits across multiple lines. Dummy Text Dummy Text Dummy Text Dummy Text\stackunder{}{}]
{This is a long table caption which splits across multiple lines. Dummy Text Dummy Text Dummy Text Dummy Text}
\centering
\begin{tabular}{ l | r }
\hline
  1 & 2 \\
  7 & 8 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{table}

\begin{table}[!htb]
\caption{This is a short caption.}
\centering
\begin{tabular}{ l | r }
\hline
  1 & 2 \\
  7 & 8 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{table}

\end{document}

enter image description here

[Tex/LaTex] Modifying spacing in the list of figures

Thanks Johannes and Touhmi for your input. Touhami, I tried entering your command, but that didn't seem to work for me. However, I did find a simple solution at Increase space between numbers and text in List of Figures.

Basically, I just used

\usepackage{tocloft}
\setlength{\cftfignumwidth}{2.55em}

at the beginning of the document to adjust the spacing between my figures numbers and titles in the table of figures. This was used in place of

\makeatletter
     \renewcommand*\l@figure{\@dottedtocline{1}{1.5em}{3.2em}}
\makeatother

which, was somehow messing up the desired line spacing in my table of figures.

Aaron

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Line spacing in ToC, LoF, and LoT

[Tex/LaTex] Modifying spacing in the list of figures

Related Question