Creating interactive index from "dead" index

[Tom Tomasko]

Hello,

In preparation to create an ebook from  print files I will need to link index entries from an index that is not linked yet. Any advice on how to do that? I see lots of info on how to create an interactive index as one goes along writing the book but I cannot figure out how to reverse engineer that.

Thanks,

Tom

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

There may be some script or indexing tool out there, but I don't know of any magical way to link an index list back to its source points without re-entering the index markers and re-generating it.

Exactly what "print" files do you have right now?

Also, keep in mind that indexes are, if not obsolete, at least of far less use in a searchable e-text. It's fairly common to leave the print-edition index in place as a search and info guide, especially if it was well-constructed and not just a list of keywords. So the (rather large) effort to make the index active may not really be worth it. Page numbers are of course no longer useful but can be valuable location and approximate-context indicators; it's a toss-up whether to leave them in or take them out of such a 'dead list.'

[TᴀW]

LiveIndex - Id-Extras.com ?

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Ah, I guess this is what I was dimly recalling. A bit pricey for one use, maybe, but a very clever bit of software.

[Barb Binder]

A bit pricey for one use

I think that's subjective. $70 to reverse-engineer an index that would take days to do manually? That's a bargain, IMO.

~Barb

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Subjective, yes. The OP may consider it a bargain.

But then, as e-books have only a limited need for an indes, as above, it could also be 100% too much. 🙂