Indexing NOT to page numbers

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Doogman2
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Indexing NOT to page numbers

Post by Doogman2 »

I have diligently searched for Forum and come up empty on this topic:
I want to index my 300-page book, but it is a publication that will never see the light of paper - electronic formats only, PDF, Ebook, etc.
All of the indexing topics I have read tell me how to index to a page number but not to incidences of selected text. Can you direct me to a video or other link which explains this to a NWP novice? Or explain it in a few click-by-click steps?
Thanks.
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martin
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Re: Indexing NOT to page numbers

Post by martin »

If you don't want the generated index to list page numbers, you'll need to index your text using custom text messages. The custom text you enter during indexing will be shown in the generated index instead of page numbers. Here's how to do that:

1. Select the text you want to index.
2. Use the menu Tools > Index > Index As.
3. In the dialog activate the option "list cross-reference" and type whatever custom bit of text you want to use.

That will add the customized text indexing.

You can add the same kind of indexing via the Indexing palette. Once you add an indexing entry to the selected text, set the "Entry Listing" mode to "Text message" and enter the desired text.
Doogman2
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Re: Indexing NOT to page numbers

Post by Doogman2 »

Thanks, martin. Once all that is done for the entire document, then I can magically generate the index with another command? If so, what would that be?
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martin
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Re: Indexing NOT to page numbers

Post by martin »

Doogman2 wrote: 2020-07-06 18:13:19 I can magically generate the index with another command? If so, what would that be?
Use the menu Tools > Index > Insert Index.

I recommend that you give it a try to get a feel for how it works. Mark a few terms for inclusion in your index, and then insert a generated index. Then mark a few more terms for indexing inclusion and rebuild the generated index using the command "Rebuild Index" on the main or contextual menu.
Doogman2
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Re: Indexing NOT to page numbers

Post by Doogman2 »

As a real novice at NWP, working on a 300-page project, this is just what I needed to know, thanks.
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phspaelti
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Re: Indexing NOT to page numbers

Post by phspaelti »

I would just like to say here that indexing with "Index As" to some text is really no index at all. It's just a word list.
Nisus has a variety of tools that would help you generate word lists of various kinds much more quickly and more automatically.
If you want any help with such things you may want to describe in outline what kind of thing you are trying to do.

Of course if you really want to attach unpredictable words/phrases to random words in your text, then "Index As" may be the way to go. But since you seem to already have the 300 page document, you could also just tag the words you want "indexed" with some style or other method and pull them out to create the list.
philip
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phspaelti
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Re: Indexing NOT to page numbers

Post by phspaelti »

Just as an example, maybe you have a document with short named paragraphs, or mini-sections, or numbered verses, etc. and you want to create an index to these section names or numbers rather than pages, then I would recommend doing this task with a macro rather than "Index As".
philip
Doogman2
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Re: Indexing NOT to page numbers

Post by Doogman2 »

Philip, do you mean creating my own macro, or are there some already suited to the task?
Doogman2
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Re: Indexing NOT to page numbers

Post by Doogman2 »

I've been going through, selecting copy text manually and then using the Reference Tools palette. It seems to require an Entry Listing, which turns out to be the clickable link to the text section. I would sometimes prefer not having to enter anything here, but it will likely be helpful to the reader as a means of distinguishing which aspect of the main topic is most relevant.
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