🚀 go-pugleaf

Ed,
You can survive this, but it isn't a word processor... it's a publishing tool that works with different kinds of objects, so expect the learning curve.

Building a TOC is discussed in the help file, but basically you need
to set three levels of controls that do different things.

First, set up what types of paragraph tags are included in the TOC
using the book file, when you Add > TOC to the book. When you update
the book, that process generates a special type of cross reference
made up of a series of variables in the TOC file.

2. The type of variable you select or add to the Reference page of the
TOC (View > Reference) controls the type of information -- but not the format -- of what
is displayed. For instance, you can modify the default setup of
<$parannum> <$pagenum>
  to read
<$paranum> <$chapnum> <$pagenum>
This is also the place where you'd insert a tab stop (just press the
Tab key) to separate the items -- probably between the <$paranum>
<$chapnum> so that the tab stop will be automatically inserted when
the TOC is generated.

3. In the TOC file itself, paragraph tags with a TOC suffix control
the formatting of entries, just as they do in any other FM file.
That's where you set the leadering -- it's linked to a tab stop that
you need to create. The tags also control the indent of a particular
tag Heading1TOC, or Heading2TOC, for instance.

It sounds as if you have #1 under control. So go on to 2 to control
the content and 3 to control the format, and you should be in good
shape.

And again, if you're trying to add text manually to the TOC, add it at the top of the first page, SAVE THE TOC, and then Update in the book.