Print PDF Index goes to topic but wrong page

[saratogacoach]

Need to use PDF published output to upload to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing for a new eBook. Index built, pointing to topics. Published to PDF, index displays page number locations, not topic locations. If you click on the page number in the index, it goes to the first page of a topic, even when the index word is on the second page of the same topic (different than the page number location in the PDF index, so actual word location is on second page of same topic).

I suspect that I may be doing something wrong, and need to fix this, if possible, so that the Kindle eBook that will be created will not show the wrong page number location for indexed words in topics that occupy more than one page in the published PDF.

Any help appreciated.

[Amebr]

I'll assume you're using New UI of some flavour as you haven't specified. If you are using a Classic version, then please post back with the full version number.

As far as I'm aware, the index for print output has always displayed a page number as this is how indexes work in books.

For the second issue, I think this is working as intended by Adobe. In New UI you can only add an index keyword to a topic and this is stored in the head tag of the topic, so the only place the link can go is to the start of the topic.

In Classic you could link an index keyword to a bookmark within a topic. This would allow the page of the bookmark to displayed, instead of the start of the topic. But as far as I know this is no longer possible in New UI, although I don't have access to RH2020 or RH2022 right now to double-check.

[Amebr]

I just thought to check Peter's site and it turns out you can add an index keyword in the body of the page. Have you done this with your keywords? I'd have thought the page number would be different in this case but as I said I don't have an up-to-date version to try right now.

[Amebr · Accepted solution]

I forgot the link: https://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/rh_tour/rh2022/toc_index_glossary/index.htm

[saratogacoach]

Thank you, Amebr, for this information and link.

BTW, latest UI, version 2020.8.34.

Unfortunately, I built the index by adding words directly in it, locating them in topics, etc. and not by adding them through the body of the page.

However, I went to Peter's guide that you linked, tried the method there and did not get a different result. It still set the page in the newly indexed word as the first page of the topic, whereas the word was on the second page. Maybe I am doing this wrong?

[Amebr]

I hope adding them the way Peter describes will list the page number they appear on, rather than the first page of the topic. Post back when you find out, so that other people in future will know the answer. 🙂

[saratogacoach]

Since my first writing of the above post, I rechecked by trying the process described in the link: did not get the needed result. Maybe I am still not doing this correctly? (Edited my post above to reflect this. Posts must have crossed in cyberspace. Apologies.)

Still not sure how to fix this (or, if it can be fixed).

[Peter Grainge · Accepted solution]

Something I know nothing about in practice but wouldn't an eBook output work here?

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My site www.grainge.org includes many free Authoring and RoboHelp resources that may be of help.

[saratogacoach]

Hi Peter,

Haven't used the ePub output for conversion to a Kindle eBook. So, tried it out using latest ePub generator. Many issues with formatting. Far better option is PDF.

I wonder if I can open and edit the index file to change the pages needing changing?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Did you drag the keywords into the body as Peter's page states? I'm also puzzled by your remark on formatting in the ePUB - wouldn't all that be controlled by the CSS used?

[saratogacoach]

Hi Jeff,

Given the length and complexity (329 pages with illustrations, videos, etc.) of this eBook, reformatting for ePub CSS may be a long and arduous task, which given other time demands is not currently possible.

I did try every variation that I could conceive to test drag and dropping the keyword into the topic body. Oddly, none of these actually added the new test keyword to the index in the published PDF, although a topic symbol and a bookmark symbol would appear in the authoring UI in RH for the index under the correct added keyword, and the keyword was correctly listed in the UI's topic properties for the tested topic.

Not sure how else to test this?

BTW, I have read on the Kindle publishing site on Amazon that HTML is an accecptable upload for conversion to eBook, so I can investigate this further. The HTML5 published output from RH is flawless, including the index which lists topics and not pages where a keyword appears. The latter would be a welcome addition as an option for the PDF output as it would similarly solve the problem. Will report back on any progress.

[saratogacoach]

OK, am able to use Peter's drag and drop solution to publish a PDF with the correct index keyword's page. When previously testing, given multiple TOC's, I accidenattaly was choosing the cut-down TOC that did not include the relevant topic, so, of course the keyword was not showing up in the index. Retesting with the correct TOC including the test topic, all worked well.

Will re-edit the index to create it using this solution.

Apologies. And much thanks for all of your help!

[saratogacoach]

One more thought to help others if they encounter this issue: when using this solution, the index's list of keywords, when expanded, should have bookmark symbols and not topic symbols for each of the added locations.

HTH