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mikel60656858
Participating Frequently
December 6, 2018
Answered

RH 2019 How to delete index?

  • December 6, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 2731 views

Is there any way to delete the entire index at once? I have a project that we migrated from FM and the index is a total mess. It's full of dozens of useless entries. I want to ditch the entire index and start over, but I can't figure out if there's any way to do so.

I poked around in the project files and found an Index folder with <project_name>.idx. I tried deleting this file entirely, which apparently removed the index but left the Index, Glossary, and TOC tabs totally greyed out and unusable. I opened the file in a text editor and didn't see anything significant, but I tried deleting all of the content anyway and saving the file - that didn't seem to do anything at all.

Any thoughts? I really don't want to go through every single individual index entry.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Peter Grainge

I have found a quicker way.

Go to Reports and click the check alongside the column headings.

Now right click and scroll down to Index.

You will have to delete each term but it looks as if that will be a quicker way.

See www.grainge.org for free RoboHelp and Authoring information.

@petergrainge

2 replies

Sean5CF1
Sean5CF1
Inspiring
December 7, 2023

OK I had this same problem and all above didn't work for me

BUT THIS DID

 

Step 1.

  1. Open your whole book
  2. click on find/change
  3. under "find what" click on the @symbol
  4. click on markers --> then index marker
  5. leave change to: blank
  6. under search, search "all documents"
  7. Then "change all"

 

Step 2. (can you believe it?)

  1. remove unused topics
  2. from index menu check reference and book
  3. highlight (click on) any indexed topic
  4. go to top right menu and "remove unused topics"

 

Tah DAH - all index markers are deleted and your old index is clean ready to rebuild

Whew!! you're welcome 🙂

 

All this SHOULD be an ID single click menu option. WHY?

  • For all of us who rebuild indexes for the same book/manual/document
  • requiring all old/dead/deleted (but not deleted) special or hidden characters
  • but require all styles and indexing setup to remain intact

 

    Peter Grainge
    Community Expert
    Peter GraingeCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 6, 2018

    In 2019 the index entries are in the topics so the answer is No. The file

    you found is for cross references.

    Peter Grainge

    www.grainge.org

    @petergrainge

    Use menu (bottom right) to mark as Best Answer or to Highlight particularly useful replies. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here.
    M
    mikel60656858Author
    Participating Frequently
    December 6, 2018

    Hmm that's too bad.

    Wonder if it's faster to right click each index entry or to open each topic in HTML view and manually delete the index metadata... We'll see.

    Peter Grainge
    Community Expert
    Peter GraingeCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    December 6, 2018

    I have found a quicker way.

    Go to Reports and click the check alongside the column headings.

    Now right click and scroll down to Index.

    You will have to delete each term but it looks as if that will be a quicker way.

    See www.grainge.org for free RoboHelp and Authoring information.

    @petergrainge

    Use menu (bottom right) to mark as Best Answer or to Highlight particularly useful replies. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here.
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