Navigation Panel for Google Docs

Question

I'm writing a script for Google Docs. I want to get the position of all the headings in the document. Then I want to create a list of other links with these headings in the document. I do not want to use TABLE_OF_CONTENTS. I want to make similarity Navigation Panel in Word 2010(link). Only in Google Docs. How can I get the position, or create links to all the headings in the document and put them in the sidebar? Thank you for your help! Have a nice day.

Answer 1

See this example. It's a Google Doc with a script to create a sidebar with a table of contents.

Below is just the code to get the list of headers. The linked document has everything in its Script Editor.

//Recursively get subsections
function getHeadersFromParagraphs(paragraphs, limit, starter){
  var headers = [], header, hType, level, start, result,
      paragraph,
      heading,
      i,
      h1 = DocumentApp.ParagraphHeading.HEADING1,
      h2 = DocumentApp.ParagraphHeading.HEADING2,
      h3 = DocumentApp.ParagraphHeading.HEADING3,
      h4 = DocumentApp.ParagraphHeading.HEADING4,
      h5 = DocumentApp.ParagraphHeading.HEADING5,
      h6 = DocumentApp.ParagraphHeading.HEADING6,
      hTypes = [h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6];

  //Loop through all paragraphs
  start = starter ? starter.id+1 : 0;
  for(i = start; i < paragraphs.length; i += 1){
    paragraph = paragraphs[i];
    heading = paragraph.getHeading();
    level = hTypes.indexOf(heading);

    if(level > -1 && level < limit){
      if(paragraph.getText() == "") continue;
      if(starter && level <= starter.level) { i--; break; }

      header = { name : paragraph.getText(), id : i, level : level };
      result = getHeadersFromParagraphs(paragraphs, limit, header);
      i = result.index;
      header.subheaders = result.headers;
      headers.push(header);
    }
  }
  return { headers : headers, index : i }
}

//Initiate parsing of headers. By default, limit to Heading 1.
function pullHeaders(level){
  level = level || 1;
  var body = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getBody(),
      paragraphs = body.getParagraphs();
  var result = getHeadersFromParagraphs(paragraphs, level);
  return JSON.stringify(result.headers);
}

Answer 2

You no longer need to resort to 3rd party add-ons as Google has embraced this feature and released it on 09/03/2016.

Just check Tools > Document outline option and you are good to go.

Answer 3

By now this answer might be obsolete, but there is an Add on in Google Docs that allows you to do that. Just click "Add-Ons" and search for "table of contents" or "document navigator" - you'll find the add on that will generate you a navigation bar as you described. There may be other add ons out there doing the same stuff.....