Skip to main content
C
carol mcgann
Inspiring
April 21, 2019
Question

Can I copy index entries from one InDesign document into another?

  • April 21, 2019
  • 1 reply
  • 1918 views

I'm preparing two books that will have a lot of index entries in common. Is there a way to load all of the index data from the first into the second, and have it go find all of those words? I am formatting the entries in the first to "add all", and I need that to happen in the second when I bring in the entries. "Import topics" is in the pull-down menu in the index panel as an option, but I am entering these items as "references".

      This topic has been closed for replies.

      1 reply

      L
      Community Expert
      LaubenderCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      April 23, 2019

      Hi Carol,

      do you mean two InDesgn Book files?

      Or do you mean two InDesign documents for two books you want to publish?

      Regards,
      Uwe

      C
      carol mcgannAuthor
      Inspiring
      April 23, 2019

      I guess I'm doing the latter---I have two separate InDesign documents, that are volume 1 and volume 2 of the subject I'm writing about.

      You made me go look up "book" in InDesign, and perhaps I should have done that... but I didn't. I've imported paragraph and character styles from the first one into the second, which is why I was thinking index entries might be importable.

      I will have to do index entries for each book, as volume 2 has a lot of stuff 1 does not, but there are a number of shared entries; importing them will save me a only a little work. I was hoping to get at least that little bit less work!

      L
      Community Expert
      LaubenderCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      April 24, 2019

      Hi Carol,

      you can copy a distinct index marker from one document to another.

      And also use a GREP Find/Replace action to look after all corresponding key words for that index marker.

      And you can copy also that index marker that is in your clipboard to all relevant found texts if you like.

      Example:

      You applied an index marker to a word like "Xerxes" in document A.

      Document B has several entries with "Xerxes", but has no index markers for this.

      Copy the index marker that is in front of "Xerxes" in document A to the clipboard.

      Best do that when seeing your text in the Story Editor.

      Switch to document B and do a GREP Find with:

      (Xerxes)

      and a replace pattern with:

      ~c$1

      That will insert the formatted contents of your clpboard, the index marker from Document A, just before the found text.

      Just an example concerning the Find pattern. It could be more flexible if you e.g. want the word only standing alone or written in lower case as well etc.pp.

      Also you could get style overrides if the formatted contents is added.

      But you have to do that with every index marker that corresponds with a specific entry.

      Look into the scripts by Peter Kahrel. I think there is something for you to automate this.

      Regards,
      Uwe

      Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
      Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices