Custom margin for \listoftables and \listoffigure

Question

I am using document class book and adding list of tables and list of figure using code below in TOC

\cleardoublepage \addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{List of Figures} \listoffigures \cleardoublepage \addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{List of Tables} \listoftables

I want to remove the extra space from the top margin and space between title list of tables and where tables start,

What is expected by the university is

Answer 1

This assumes that the captions have no titles, just "Table 1:". Or they do allow titles but just didn't show them in the example. If not, then \l@table will have to ignore the title and just use \numberline (doable using saveboxes, but more complicated). Note that the margins (\leftskip and \rightskip) include the table and page numbers.

It turns out thet \@dottedtocline cannot add a right margin, so had to format everything. OTOH, the only thing I changed with \listoftables was to replace \chapter*{\listtablename}.

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage{showframe}

\renewcommand\thetable{\arabic{table}}% as opposed to 1.1, 1.2 etc.

\makeatletter
\renewcommand*\l@table[2]{% #1 = title (with \numberline), #2 = page
  \def\numberline##1{\leavevmode\llap{Table~##1: }}%
  \leftskip=0.5in% left margin
  \rightskip=0.75in% right margin
  {#1}\leaders\hbox{$\m@th\mkern \@dotsep mu\hbox{.}\mkern \@dotsep mu$}\hfill% dotted line
  \rlap{ #2}\par}

\renewcommand\listoftables{%
    \if@twocolumn% probably not needed
      \@restonecoltrue\onecolumn
    \else
      \@restonecolfalse
    \fi
    %\chapter*{\listtablename}% defalt title
    \null\vskip\baselineskip
    \noindent\parbox{\textwidth}{\centering
      LIST OF TABLES\\
      \vskip\baselineskip
      (There is no bold or italics text on LOT)}\par
    \null\hfill\makebox[0.75in][l]{ PAGE}\par
      \thispagestyle{plain}%
      \@mkboth{% sets header
          \MakeUppercase\listtablename}%
         {\MakeUppercase\listtablename}%
    \@starttoc{lot}%
    \if@restonecol\twocolumn\fi
    }
\makeatother

\begin{document}
\frontmatter
\cleardoublepage \addcontentsline{toc}{chapter}{List of Tables}% add to toc
\listoftables

\mainmatter
\chapter{Start}
Some text.

\begin{table}[ht]
  \caption{}
\end{table}

\begin{table}[ht]
  \caption{}
\end{table}
    
\end{document}