problem creating index post starting with a number

[tinas39366092]

I have earlier been able to create indexes of keywords starting with a number, such as "1734 års lag". Now it doesn't work either in CC2025, CC2024 or CC2022. Indesign crasches as I hit ok in the add index post dialog.
I also tried to just select "års lag", an then add the "1734" manually in the dialog, but with the same result.
I have restarted programs and computer. Working in Sonoma 14.5 on a macbook pro, 2021.
What is the problem?  

[tinas39366092]

And yes, I have tried a new fresh document, with the same result!

[Peter Kahrel]

I don't see that problem on Windows.

You can try deleting the preferences (restart InDesign holding down the (Mac equivalent of) Ctrl+Alt+Del

If that doesn't work, delete InDesign's caches. On my Windows PC they're in

C:\Users\Peter\AppData\Local\Adobe\InDesign\Version 20.0\en_GB\Caches

I don't know what the Mac equivalent would be.

[tinas39366092]

Hi, and thank you for answering! However, I'm sorry to say neither deleting preferences nor cache folder did the trick. Any other suggestions?

[HARSHIKA_VERMA]

Hi there,

Thank you for trying the suggestion shared by our expert. Would you mind sharing a screen recording of the issue for better investigation? Please also share the version of InDesign installed on your machine.

We will be happy to assist you further.

Thanks,

Harshika

[tinas39366092]

Hi! thank you! Enclosed is a screen recording showing the problem. I have the same problem in indesign versions 20.3.1, 19.5.1 and 17.4.1
Best regards,

/tina

[Peter Kahrel]

Something else to try: select just an insertion point (i.e. just click in the heading title, don't select anything), then open the Index window and type the index entry 1734. What happens?

[tinas39366092]

Same result, I'm afraid. 

[Peter Kahrel]

Looks like an old problem that's come back, see

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs/suggestions/32044843-index-entry-cr...

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/indesign-2024-crashing-when-trying-to-add-an-ind...

You could add your experience to the User Voice report (the first link above).

[tinas39366092]

Oh, good idea, i found exactly my problem there:
https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs/suggestions/41641102-id-crashes-ins...
So I have posted my vote on that bug, lets hope for a solution, though I have a feeling that Adobe doesn't pay much attention to these oldfashioned utilities, such as footnotes, indexes. Old problems seems never to be fixed.

Thanks alot for your help! /tina

[Peter Kahrel]

In fact a workaround (to elaborate on the UserVoice post) would be to add a letter at the start of the topic name, and set the Sort By field without that letter. Then, after generating the index, you delete those latters. If you used 'a', as in the screenshot below, then delete it with th following Grep replacement:

Find what: ^a(?=\d)

Replace with: <Leave empty>

[tinas39366092]

Actually, it still crashes!! Seems like something has gone rotten in this document though, when I tried the workaround in a new document, it worked. 

Well, now I know how to deal with this, it's not very common to add entrys like this in indexes, but still it happens. And it can drive you crazy when something you know how to do, suddenly doesn't work that way!
Thank you so much for your help, as always, brilliant! 🙂

[Peter Kahrel]

Maybe try it without the workaround in the new document.

Another thing: roundtripping to IDML sometimes fixes problems in dodgy documents: export the document to IDML, then open the IDML file in InDesign.

[tinas39366092]

Yes, idml was my first troubleshooting action, it doesn't help. But now with a new dokument, everything works alright, so it's obviously something in the original document, that goes further than what idml:ing can fix.

[tinas39366092]

I'm working with the document now, and suddenly noticed another strange thing with the index. The Swedish letters å and ö, which are to be sorted at the end of the alphabet, now sorts at the end of a, in the case of å, and the ö word at the end of o. BUT: when the Swedish letter is the second letter of the word, it's sorted correctly! 

[Peter Kahrel · Accepted solution]

Did you set the sort order to Swedish?

[tinas39366092]

Oh, this is so interesting! I have used Indesign for over 20 years, but I have never seen that options!! It was set to Basic latin, so maybe that was the problem. Wonder why, I have never needed to change that setting before. But it's an old document so I don't really recall every move it has been through. Thank you!