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Participant
January 24, 2025
Answered

InDesign can't alphabetize proper names correctly.

  • January 24, 2025
  • 5 replies
  • 457 views

For example, it lists Vanderpoole before Van Dyne. I had to put a nonbreaking space to keep Van Dyne out of the D section.

Correct answer Peter Kahrel

If you use the index then you should handle sort problems using the sort-order field (in the New Topic window). For some applications, see 

https://creativepro.com/files/kahrel/indesign/index-fixes-sorting.html

5 replies

Peter Kahrel
Community Expert
Peter KahrelCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
January 25, 2025

If you use the index then you should handle sort problems using the sort-order field (in the New Topic window). For some applications, see 

https://creativepro.com/files/kahrel/indesign/index-fixes-sorting.html

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 25, 2025

Ok. I'd probably go with the non-breaking space, but either way, you have a solution. Happy weekend!

 

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
Community Expert
January 25, 2025

non-breaking space to fix would be my solution too 

 

Find

\u\l+\K +(?=\u)

That should find a space between an

Upper case followed by lowercase (+ indicates all lowercase letters when following the \l

there's a blank space there but you could use \h 
as here \u\l+\K\h+(?=\u)

that would be any horizontal space (including tabs so be careful)

 

and (?=\u) is to look ahead for an upper case letter

 

So it should find all instances of 

Xxxxx X

 

and replace with non breaking space

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 24, 2025

Well, wait. These are two different features. Are you indexing, or sorting lists? If indexing, you want to fix the topic reference, otherwise you will have to fix the index after each update.

 

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
Participant
January 24, 2025

True, but I can finish the index and then sort it with the sortparagraph function at the end.

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 24, 2025

Hi Andrew:

 

Details help us help you faster. Are you using the script that comes with InDesign? If yes, did you try disabling Ignore Spaces?

 

~Barb

 

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
Participant
January 24, 2025

Thank you. This is very clear.

 

Community Expert
January 24, 2025

How are you alphabetizing, with the SortParagraphs script? When using this script, my test results work correctly.

Participant
January 24, 2025

I was just using the index generating function. Ah! It works. Thanks very much!