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iamazure77
Participant
March 3, 2019
Question

Complex index in InDesign Question

  • March 3, 2019
  • 1 reply
  • 570 views

I have a huge document (1000 pages) that needs an index.  It's several sections so I made an InDesign file for each section and added to a book format with page numbers.  All the files were submitted though word documents.  I need help making a unique index at the very end of the booklet.

How I received it in word:

Date(tab)     Project Number(tab)     Project Name (first name last name). Coordinator, Location

I need to make an index in the following format:

Last Name (tab)     First Name (initial if applies) (tab)     Page Number (tab)     Project Name

From what I can see, nothing is innately referenced or labeled.  It's just plain word documents.   Is there some way to automate this as easy as possible inside InDesign or with any scripts available?

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    1 reply

    Michael Bullo
    Community Expert
    Michael BulloCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 3, 2019

    My initial thoughts are to create the Index pulling in all the relevant information. Then run a GREP Find/Change on the Index to rearrange everything into your preferred format.

    Edit > Find/Change > GREP

    Could you post some example text.

    I
    iamazure77Author
    Participant
    March 3, 2019

    It's sensitive information so I can't share it exactly, but it's precisely how I put the example.

    How I received it in word:

    Date(tab)     Project Number(tab)     Project Name (first name last name). Coordinator, Location

    I need to make an index in the following format:

    Last Name (tab)     First Name (initial if applies) (tab)     Page Number (tab)     Project Name

    I don't know how to rearrange the data to get it in the right order and capture all the names.

    Michael Bullo
    Community Expert
    Michael BulloCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 3, 2019

    We don't need to see the actual data but could you post some dummy text? If we go down the GREP path any suggestions could be highly dependent upon the data itself. For example, how is the date written?

    - Monday, 4 March

    - 04/03/2019

    - 03/04/2019

    - 04 March '19

    - etc…

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