Index entries not showing up in Index

[Nedlaw]

Hi. Not an InDesign newbie, but I have an indexing problem I haven't run into. (I'm using the latest updated ID CC (updated this week -- which may have caused the problem) on Win 10.)

I have a 70p multi-file book for a client. I have indexed and generated the index and that all seems to work. Then came the update -- only a point update to 15.0.3, but still. On a revision to the doc, I made more index entries -- but these don't show up when I generate the index. On inspection of the index panel, it appears that I entered all the "new" index entries as topics rather than references. I think this occurred when I updated ID -- the default shifted somehow to topics. In all the indexes I've done in the past, this never happened, and I have always made reference entries. So some number of entries I made were made as topic entries when -- in good faith -- I believed I was making reference entries at specific points in the doc.

So the question is: I have a bunch of topic entries that should have been reference entries. (a) how to convert them to reference entries without going back through a 70p book line by line, and failing that (b) how to find the location in the book where I made these erroneous entries if I have to do this by hand -- my guess is I can't, or (c) how can I differentiate a topic not used as a reference (to show me the new bunch)? I have tried "Show Unused Topics" and it shows me ALL topics, and then grays out.

I have this feeling....

Thanks for any help.

-j

[Barb Binder]

I don't think you can do that without a script. However one of our forum ACPs—Peter Kahrel—has an index script that may do the job. I haven't used it, so you need to confirm that it will work for you. Here is the link: https://creativepro.com/files/kahrel/indesign/lists_indexes.html. Scroll down to Page references from imported topics—you have the topics, now you want page references.

Two notes:

1. Always work on a copy of the original file.
2. There is no fee to download the script, but a donation would be appropriate if it works for you.

~Barb

[Nedlaw · Accepted solution]

Thanks!

After hacking around with my index problem for a half hour, I've concluded that the brute force solution is probably best. I'm re-indexing the doc. There is no apparent easy way to delete an entire index except entry-by-entry, so I'm indexing on top of the old entries. Duplicates will appear on the same page anyway and won't appear twice, and any variation in terminology I can weed out in an iterative process post-generation.

Tough lesson: It's easy to mistake the Topics DB for the Reference DB... especially if you're focused on speeding through the process as I was. Never noticed that the input had shifted from reference to topic... so it's my mistake... but a costly one in terms of time (since I'm not billing by the hour, and the index was essentially "done.")

Thanks for your quick response, as always.

-j

[muskoka lake]

I sypathize, I made the same mistake. Only consolation is that you can use the topic list  when re-doing it.

I have also just updated Indesign and now find that my Index will not regenerate to show the changed Reference entries. Makes me wish for paper and pen days. good luck on your project.