In the Index: How to format the appearance of reference words and page numbers

Swarup · #1 08-09-2018, 04:21 PM

I am finalizing work on a 300 page book in MS Word 2016 and have created a lengthy index for it. I am facing the following problems in formatting the appearance of the index:

1) In the text of the book I have opted for page numbers of the style "- 1 -". When I give the order to construct the index, the index tool provides the page numbers together with the hyphen before and after each number. I do not want the hyphens; I just want the page numbers.

2) Following each reference word there is a comma, and then the page number. I just want a space after the reference word; commas should appear only between page numbers e.g. where there is more than one listed occurrence of the reference word.

3) All words listed in the index currently start with a small first letter. Each word listed in the index should start with a capital first letter.

4) Most of the words I have added into the index were used in the text of the book in italics. But only a few of the words have been brought into the index in italics, and the rest in standard Roman. It seems arbitrary the way it has happened. Can I set whether I wish the reference words in the Index to appear in Roman or in italics?

Is there a way to systematize corrections for the above four issues, so as to avoid having to fix them by hand?

macropod · #2 08-09-2018, 07:29 PM

1) Instead of using the '- 1 -' page # format, use a basic format in the headers/footers and type the hyphens before/after the page # field.

2) The commas between index entries and their page refs will disappear if you tell Word to right-align the page #s. Alternatively, add an \e " " switch to the INDEX field.

3 & 4) If you're using a concordance document to build the Index, the form they'll appear in is controlled by the second column of the table you use for this, as I outlined in https://www.msofficeforums.com/word/...tml#post131815. So, if that table has lower-case entries, italics, TNR, that's how those entries will appear in the Index.

Swarup · #3 08-09-2018, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

1) Instead of using the '- 1 -' page # format, use a basic format in the headers/footers and type the hyphens before/after the page # field.

It is surprising that with such a sophisticated program as word, this arrangement has to be done by hand.

The book has 300 pages and 53 sections; as far as I see from my test, this adding of the hyphens by hand will have to be on a section basis i.e. repeated 53 times, times three for the 1st page, and odd and even pages.

I tried typing the hyphen in; it will not allow any space between the hyphen and the page number. Even then it may look ok; there should be an option to have a space between the hyphen and the page number though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

2) The commas between index entries and their page refs will disappear if you tell Word to right-align the page #s. Alternatively, add an \e " " switch to the INDEX field.

Thanks, I'll try the right align tomorrow. (Not sure where to add the \e " ")

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

3 & 4) If you're using a concordance document to build the Index, the form they'll appear in is controlled by the second column of the table you use for this, as I outlined in https://www.msofficeforums.com/word/...tml#post131815. So, if that table has lower-case entries, italics, TNR, that's how those entries will appear in the Index.

I did use the concordance approach. I'd made a Notepad file containing a list of all the words for the index. Just had to browse to that file in the "References|Insert Index>Automark" as you indicated earlier. There was no two column table. I just browsed to the automark place, it gave me a browser window, I supplied the Notepad file, and when I then clicked on "create index", the index was created.

macropod · #4 08-09-2018, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarup

The book has 300 pages and 53 sections; as far as I see from my test, this adding of the hyphens by hand will have to be on a section basis i.e. repeated 53 times, times three for the 1st page, and odd and even pages.

If your Section headers/footers have the 'same as previous' attribute, you'll only have to do it once for each header or footer for the whole document.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarup

I tried typing the hyphen in; it will not allow any space between the hyphen and the page number.

You really shouldn't have any difficulty with that...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarup

Not sure where to add the \e " "

Select the Index field, press Shift-F9 to expose the field code, then add the \e " ".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarup

I did use the concordance approach. I'd made a Notepad file containing a list of all the words for the index. Just had to browse to that file in the "References|Insert Index>Automark" as you indicated earlier. There was no two column table.

Well, I did refer to a concordance document, and I did say what the table columns were for...

Charles Kenyon · #5 08-10-2018, 12:47 AM

Quote:

If your Section headers/footers have the 'same as previous' attribute, you'll only have to do it once for each header or footer for the whole document.

To do this in your document, you may need to be using the StyleRef Field.

macropod · #6 08-10-2018, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles Kenyon

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

If your Section headers/footers have the 'same as previous' attribute, you'll only have to do it once for each header or footer for the whole document.

To do this in your document, you may need to be using the StyleRef Field.

How so? I can't see how a StyleRef Field would apply to such a situation.

Swarup · #7 08-10-2018, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

If your Section headers/footers have the 'same as previous' attribute, you'll only have to do it once for each header or footer for the whole document.

My headers/footers do not have the 'same as previous' attribute. Every chapter is different, and within the chapter the 1st page as well as even and odd pages are different. It creates quite a job to add all these hyphens by hand. I will do it. But I would have thought that Word would have provision to allow for automatic hyphenation in the text of the book without having that hyphenation carry over to the index. Hyphens are commonly used for page numbers especially in footers, so it is appropriate that Word has this option to implement it automatically; and yet it is obvious that on one would want that hyphenation to appear in their index.

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

You really shouldn't have any difficulty with that...

I tried it again this morning, and it is working indeed. Thank you. Doing it by hand just now, it appears that at least from pages 11-19 the hyphens do not appear perfectly symmetrically arranged (on the left and right of the page number) the way they were when it was done automatically. But it will have to do.

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

Select the Index field, press Shift-F9 to expose the field code, then add the \e " ".

I am a novice at this, please don't mind my foolish questions on this point: I could not understand where the "Index field" is. I went to the actual created index at the back of my document, but there didn't seem to be any fields in it. Are you referring to the "document" you've mentioned below? If so, please see my reply below, as I could not understand where to create that document.

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

Well, I did refer to a concordance document, and I did say what the table columns were for...

Again, please don't mind my foolishness here, I am a novice at this. When I go to References|Insert Index>Automark, I get a browser window and I browse to my Notepad file containing the word list I created, and it makes the index. Where does this two column table get created?

macropod · #8 08-10-2018, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarup

My headers/footers do not have the 'same as previous' attribute. Every chapter is different, and within the chapter the 1st page as well as even and odd pages are different.

In that case, I'd be inclined to use a macro. As yet though, I don't know whether the numbers are in the headers or footers, whether they're on every page, or how much reformatting you've already done.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarup

Doing it by hand just now, it appears that at least from pages 11-19 the hyphens do not appear perfectly symmetrically arranged (on the left and right of the page number) the way they were when it was done automatically.

That may be due to the use of justification, tabs, etc. However, the use of narrow non-breaking spaces (202F,Alt-x), for example, should ensure consistency.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarup

I went to the actual created index at the back of my document, but there didn't seem to be any fields in it.

The Index is a field. Select and press Shift-F9 to expose the field code.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarup

When I go to References|Insert Index>Automark, I get a browser window and I browse to my Notepad file containing the word list I created, and it makes the index. Where does this two column table get created?

As I've said twice now, you should use a Word document , not a plain text file, for the concordance. Copy your plain text file's content into a Word document , select the content then use Insert|Table>Convert Text to Table to turn it into a single-column table, add a column to the Table and format the entries in the second column how you want them to appear in the Index.

Swarup · #9 08-10-2018, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

In that case, I'd be inclined to use a macro. As yet though, I don't know whether the numbers are in the headers or footers, whether they're on every page, or how much reformatting you've already done.

The numbers are in both the headers and footers. The document is for use in India, where page edges are likely to be damaged in use, so having them at the top & bottom means they'll last longer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

That may be due to the use of justification, tabs, etc. However, the use of narrow non-breaking spaces (202F,Alt-x), for example, should ensure consistency.

Are you saying I should type 202F,Alt-x each time?

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

The Index is a field. Select and press Shift-F9 to expose the field code.

What screen should be open in front of me when I do Shift-F9? I tried that combination when my MS Word document was open and I was looking at the end of the file on page 305 i.e. the index. But nothing happened when I pressed Shift-F9.

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

As I've said twice now, you should use a Word document , not a plain text file, for the concordance. Copy your plain text file's content into a Word document , select the content then use Insert|Table>Convert Text to Table to turn it into a single-column table, add a column to the Table and format the entries in the second column how you want them to appear in the Index.

Thank you, I understand now and should be able to take it from there.

macropod · #10 08-10-2018, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarup

What screen should be open in front of me when I do Shift-F9? I tried that combination when my MS Word document was open and I was looking at the end of the file on page 305 i.e. the index. But nothing happened when I pressed Shift-F9.

You should select the Index. What part of 'select' don't you understand?

As for re-doing the page numbering, try the following macro:

Code:

Sub Main()
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Dim Sctn As Section, HdFt As HeaderFooter
For Each Sctn In ActiveDocument.Sections
  For Each HdFt In Sctn.Headers
    Call UpdateHeaderFooter(Sctn, HdFt)
  Next
  For Each HdFt In Sctn.Footers
    Call UpdateHeaderFooter(Sctn, HdFt)
  Next
Next
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

Sub UpdateHeaderFooter(Sctn As Section, HdFt As HeaderFooter)
Dim Rng As Range, Fld As Field
With HdFt
  If .Exists = True Then
    If (Sctn.Index = 1) Or (.LinkToPrevious = False) Then
      .PageNumbers.NumberStyle = wdPageNumberStyleArabic
      For Each Fld In .Range.Fields
        With Fld
          If .Type = wdFieldPage Then
            Set Rng = .Result
            .Delete
            With Rng
              .Text = "-" & ChrW("&H202F") & " " & ChrW("&H202F") & "-"
              .Fields.Add .Characters(3), wdFieldEmpty, "PAGE", False
            End With
            Exit For
          End If
        End With
      Next
    End If
  End If
End With
End Sub

Swarup · #11 08-10-2018, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

You should select the Index. What part of 'select' don't you understand?

You are saying that the index is a field which needs to be selected. If I were looking at a data base or spread sheet having various fields among which one were the index, then I could easily understand. But when I am looking at a MS Word document which contains text, then in that setting when you say the index is a field that needs to be selected, I do not understand where are the fields among which the index is one to be selected.

macropod · #12 08-10-2018, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarup

You are saying that the index is a field which needs to be selected.

That is exactly what I said! The term 'field' in Word has an entirely different meaning when applied to a document than what it has in Excel, Access or any other spreadsheet or database application.

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

The Index is a field. Select and press Shift-F9 to expose the field code.

Swarup · #13 08-10-2018, 05:45 PM

So would you kindly tell me where I am to find this field?

I am eager to follow your instructions, if you would clarify this point for me. Which document are these fields in? Where do I find these fields, among which to select the Index field?

Thanks for your patience.

macropod · #14 08-10-2018, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarup

So would you kindly tell me where I am to find this field?

I have already told you this

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swarup

I am eager to follow your instructions, if you would clarify this point for me. Which document are these fields in? Where do I find these fields, among which to select the Index field?

I have already told you this, too. If you would indeed follow the instructions, all would be revealed.

Swarup · #15 08-13-2018, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macropod

Kindly select the Index and press Shift-F9

I got a chance to play with this a bit today and figured out what you are referring to. I changed the index field in this way:

It was like this:
{ INDEX \c "2" \z "1033" }

I changed it to this:

{ INDEX \e " " \c "2" \z "1033" }

After adding the \e " " though, nothing changed. Did I put it in the right location?

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