Multiple Page cross reference

that replacent I mentioned -- \(see page.+?\) -- deletes the whoile parenthetical, which is wrong: you want to delete just the cross-references, so use

\(see page\K.+?(?=\))

instead.

Here's a script, a bit rudimentary, but it does the job. As I said, it's pretty straightforward.  The core of the script is in fact quite short, most of it is auxiliary things like checking and comments. A script like this can be done in various ways, the script below is just one possibility. It created InDesign cross-references so if the text changes all you need to do is to update the cross-references.

The script doesn't cater for referenced text that's deleted, but that can be added. The easiest is to delete all \(see page.+?\) and run the script again.

First, create a cross-reference format and call it xref. Use only the page-number variable:

Then where you want the cross-reference to appear, enter (see page) and place the cursor between the e and the ). Then run the script. A small dialog is displayed, enter the term you want cross-referenced (e.g. Oregon). Click OK and the references are added.

(function () {
  var indd = app.documents[0];
  var cr_format = indd.crossReferenceFormats.item ('xref');
  var find, found;
  var source, destination;
  var i;

  if (!app.selection || !(app.selection[0] instanceof InsertionPoint)) {
    alert ('Select an insertion point');
    exit();
  }

  find = prompt ('Enter a search term', '', 'Cross-references');
  if (!find) {
    exit();
  }

  app.findTextPreferences = app.findChangeTextOptions = null;
  app.findChangeTextOptions.properties = {
    caseSensitive: true,
    wholeWord: true,
    searchBackwards: false,
  }

  app.findTextPreferences.findWhat = find;
  found = indd.findText();

  // More than one cross-ref: pluralise 'page'
  
  if (found.length > 1) {
    app.selection[0].contents = 's ';
  } else {
    app.selection[0].contents = ' ';
  }

  for (i = found.length-1; i >= 0; i--) {
    // Ignore the selected paragraph
    if (found[i].paragraphs[0] == app.selection[0].paragraphs[0]) {
      continue;
    }
    // Create a cross-reference: a source (an xref source), 
    // a destination (a text anchor), and a hyperlink
    source = indd.crossReferenceSources.add (app.selection[0], cr_format);
    destination = indd.hyperlinkTextDestinations.add (found[i]);
    indd.hyperlinks.add (source, destination);
    // Don't add a comma after the last cross-ref
    if (i > 1) {
      app.selection[0].contents = ', ';
    }
  }
}());

P.

> How did InDesign ever become the standard in the industry is beyond me.

Two factors. One: there's no real competition. Two: InDesign's scripting support is stellar. There's not much that you can't script. What you're after is pretty straightforward to script. The main problem is going to be how you want to constrain the references. In the Oregon example, should all occurrences of Oregon be included?

Hi @DexAlpenglow:

Adobe will consider adding features that are requested by a user, and upvoted by others. You can log this as a feature request here: https://indesign.uservoice.com. 

For now, Eric is correct: the options are an index with multiple markers, multiple cross-references or a script.

~Barb