Creating an index

An index is a valuable reader aid in a longer document such as a report or manual. The Index Wizard helps you create an index with main entries and subentries, based on index entry marks you insert in frame, table, or artistic text.

PagePlus includes four built-in text styles intended specifically for use in an index: “Index-Main”, “Index-Separator”, “Index-Sub”, and “Index-Title”. You can update the Index styles as needed (see Using text styles).

To mark index entries:

  1. Select a portion of text or click for an insertion point before the first word you want to mark.

  2. Select Edit Story from the Edit menu. The WritePlus window opens.

  3. Click the PagePlus tbr writeplusstory markindex Creating an index Mark Index button on the Story toolbar.

  4. Use the Mark Index Entry dialog to edit index entry marks in the Main entry or Subentry box.

    If you selected a word or phrase in the story, it appears as the Main entry in the dialog. You can use the entry as it is, or type new text for the main entry and Sub-entry (if any). You must include a main entry for each sub-entry. The dialog’s scrolling list records entries and sub-entries alphabetically.

  5. Index entry marks are invisible on the PagePlus screen and can only be added or edited in WritePlus.

  • To reuse an index entry, click it in the scrolling list.

  • For a standard index entry, leave the Current page box enabled.

  • To insert a cross-reference with the term(s) preceded by “See:”, enable Cross-reference (to include a word other than “See,” simply replace it in the box).

  • You can also specify a bold and/or italic page number format.

  1. Click Mark to insert the new entry mark or update a selected mark.

Entries use the following format:

 

MAIN ENTRY:

{weapons}

 

ENTRY + SUB-ENTRY:

{weapons:trebuchet}

 

CROSS-REFERENCE:

{siege engines[See: weapons]}

To build an index:

  1. First mark the entries as described above.

  2. Choose Index… from the Insert menu.

  3. Run through the Index Wizard, choosing where to place and how to format your index. Repeat at any time to update the information.

Creating an index