Index - invalid characters

[JMBONN]

Hello

I'm working on a 500-page document in InDesign 18 containing an index of approximately 2,000 names. The indexing was done in Word, but upon import, I realized I'd lost some indexes. So I completed it in InDesign. Halfway through the 500 pages, I launched an index generation to show the author. There were no issues.

Now, I'm nearing the end of the work and I want to launch the index. It immediately tells me that the index cannot be generated due to invalid characters. But how can I find these characters? I've reread it several times and can't find anything unusual.

I used the KPS Index Editor script, which didn't find any errors. I'd like to be able to export this index so I can analyze it better and find the problem.

Do you have any ideas to help me complete this work?

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @JMBONN,

Thanks for sharing the details. That definitely sounds frustrating. Since the index generated fine earlier but is now throwing the 'invalid characters' error, it's possible that one or more index entries may have picked up a hidden or unsupported character during editing.

One way to track this down is to open the Index panel and carefully scroll through the entries manually. You can also try generating a partial index in sections (say, the first 100 pages, the next 100, and so on) to narrow down where the issue begins. That might help pinpoint the problematic entry or section.

Let me know if this helps. Looking forward to hearing back from you. 

Abhishek

[JMBONN]

Hello Abhishek

I used index panel to check it : but difficult to find anything. And what is an invalid character? How could find it ? For the section, I'm not sure it will work because all the name in the index are alle over the book 😞

[Peter Kahrel]

Sometimes when you add a topic with some text selected, a return character is smuggled in. You can't see it and it causes index generation to fail. But special characters such as em- en en-dashes, for instance, are illegal in indexes. See https://creativepro.com/files/kahrel/indesign/index-fixes.html under the heading Special characters can break the index for details and possible fixes.

If you can't find the problem, post your document (or email it to me, address is n the web page) and I'll take a look.

[JMBONN]

Thanks Peter, I'm trying to do that. It takes time because this is a huge document 😞

[JMBONN]

Peter, I just sent you a mail with the link to the document. So strange 😞

[Peter Kahrel]

Thank you, I'll take a look.

[JMBONN]

Thanks for your help. But please let me know how you find this f.... little square. I don't find it in the index panel, except when I click on the name. Are you a magician ?

😉

[Peter Kahrel · Accepted solution]

Essentially as @Abhishek Rao outlined. First do a visual check of the Index panel. But of course with just over 2,000 topics that's not easy.

Next, a binary method: delete the first half of the story. If the index generates then the problem is in the second half of the document. Save this half document. Now do the same with this document: delete the first half and generate the index. Et cetera. By halving the document repeatedly you work your way through it fairly quickly.

[JMBONN]

OK ! Happy the issue was about a name found only once in all the book .

I'm sad : no magic tool to do that 😞

Thanks a lot