Rapidly create an index?

[Iteria]

I'm working on a project where it would be useful to have an index. Is there any way I can create one rapidly? I could create one by hand, but I have something like 300 sections and it would get tedious quickly.

I don't know if there's some type of regular expression search + code combo or other thing I could do to create one in the ballpark of what I need. I wouldn't mind doing tweaking, so long as I didn't have to build it from the ground up.

[mrmikel]

The problem with an index in epubs is where do you point it to?

You have to put anchors in multiple locations in the text in order to link to a particular section or word.

Rather than epub, you might consider doing a PDF which has fixed pages and create the whole thing in a word processor which is capable of creating an index. Your 505 is able to read PDFs.

Other readers like the Nook, I am told, have a search feature. Your 505 and my 300 do not. A search feature would reduce the need for an index.

[Iteria]

I should have updated my profile with my new reader. I have a T1 now. Still, this book isn't just for me. I understand that there's a search feature, but that doesn't really help since I'm trying to create a index that groups chapters by relevant topic.

Like if I had a cookbook and I wanted to list all the recipes containing onions. Yes, I could run a search on the word “onion” but it would be more effective to just see a list of all the recipes with onions in it in an index instead of having to hop to each instance of the word onion, which of course would appear several times in any given recipe.

I don’t mind setting up an anchor point to each chapter. I was just wondering if there was a way to generate the resulting links back to the anchor without having to do it by hand.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Iteria

I should have updated my profile with my new reader. I have a T1 now. Still, this book isn't just for me. I understand that there's a search feature, but that doesn't really help since I'm trying to create a index that groups chapters by relevant topic.

Like if I had a cookbook and I wanted to list all the recipes containing onions. Yes, I could run a search on the word “onion” but it would be more effective to just see a list of all the recipes with onions in it in an index instead of having to hop to each instance of the word onion, which of course would appear several times in any given recipe.

I don’t mind setting up an anchor point to each chapter. I was just wondering if there was a way to generate the resulting links back to the anchor without having to do it by hand.

That task is well outside the scope of Sigil. Libre Office has an 'Index' feature (it appears to need user input, so it may not be quick)

To remind you, EPUB has no page numbers, so each occurrence of a value will need an anchor tag or to a more general location, say chapter heading.

[Iteria]

I had a quick look and open/libre office does seem to be useful for creating indexes. I'm just not sure how I could apply that feature to what I have. I will have to experiment.

I hope that Sigil eventually develops an indexing feature since, to me, the creation of indexes is well within Sigil's mission scope. Indexes are a common enough book element that I'm sure that I can't be the only one longing for such a feature.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Iteria

I had a quick look and open/libre office does seem to be useful for creating indexes. I'm just not sure how I could apply that feature to what I have. I will have to experiment.

I hope that Sigil eventually develops an indexing feature since, to me, the creation of indexes is well within Sigil's mission scope. Indexes are a common enough book element that I'm sure that I can't be the only one longing for such a feature.

Add the Writer2EPUB plugin to LibreOffice for when it is time to make a book (I don't know if index conversion was included. There is a forum (2 down) here for that plugin)

Most of us (tweak) edit Fiction, where an Index is not commonly needed.
Sigil will generate a nested TOC from heading tags.

[meme]

I expect to, eventually, add index creation, but it won't be soon. Its likely I'll use the same file format as Libre Office to have you define the index entries to create as it least it gives a starting point for a standard.

[cybmole]

i expect old style indexes to become redundant, as readers learn how to use their device search facilities.

why bother to go to index pages to then scroll in order to look for a word when you can look for any word, any time by bringing up the search menu.

If I set out to read a non fiction book with index, I usually delete all of the index xhtml pagesbefore starting, as it's a waste of space & gives a false sense of how long the actual book is.

Also, new features like Kindle's x-ray will hasten the obsolescence.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by cybmole

i expect old style indexes to become redundant, as readers learn how to use their device search facilities.

Well-made and well-thought indexes are more than a simple word search. They list topics which may not be obvious from a word search, and bring you to where the interesting fragment starts, not some part in the middle from which you'd have to page back.

What Iteria suggests is actually a good example of what an index should be a word search would be clumsy.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Jellby

Well-made and well-thought indexes are more than a simple word search. They list topics which may not be obvious from a word search, and bring you to where the interesting fragment starts, not some part in the middle from which you'd have to page back.

What Iteria suggests is actually a good example of what an index should be a word search would be clumsy.

Excellent point.
Indexes also may give you a clue to what the previously unknown keyword might be .