Making an Index with Mellel

Feature requests, and in-depth discussions of features and the way Mellel works

Moderators: Eyal Redler, redlers, Ori Redler

Post Reply
DRB
Knows everything, can prove it
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:20 am

Making an Index with Mellel

Post by DRB »

Very few users of Mellel are aware that hidden among Mellel's treasures is an indexing facility. I have made an index for my Tutorial which, as far as I can tell, creates a reliable and highly customizable index for your manuscript and places the index at the end, although it is simple to locate it elsewhere if you so prefer (unlikely as that might seem!). Included is also a chapter on how to create such an index.

The entire Tutorial (for Mellel 3.0.2) including its index is somewhat over 18 megabytes big (uncompressed). Since my indexing system is still at beta stage, I would like those of you who have the time, the desire, and the opportunity to test it out, to email me directly and we can work out the easiest way to get it to you — using DropBox or some other such system.

Don Broadribb
DRB
Knows everything, can prove it
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:20 am

Re: Making an Index with Mellel

Post by DRB »

I need to point out that in order to send this tutorial+index from my drop box to yours, you need to send me your email address, so that I can ask the drop box people to send you a message with the appropriate code reference for accessing my drop box.

Don Broadribb
DRB
Knows everything, can prove it
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:20 am

Re: Making an Index with Mellel

Post by DRB »

Several people have asked me for copies of my indexing idea.

Essentially, it makes use of the Reference system which has been in Mellel for some years now. Whenever you put in a Bookmark or an auto title, Mellel asks you to fill in a Target ID. What you fill in as the Target ID turns up in the Existing Targets list, nicely alphabetized. You will notice that when you decide to insert a reference into your text, Manuel automatically fills in the current page number of the referenced item.

If you consistently fill in the Targets ID's, you bit by bit construct a latent complete index for your manuscript. You can easily put in more than one reference or bookmark for any item, by using a very slight (or, for that matter, major) Target ID each time. When you have finished your manuscript, all you need to do is start an index page, and then systematically click on each of the Existing Targets items in turn, which results in a complete alphabetized index of your work.

One particular benefit of this system is that Mellel automatically keeps track of page numbers when ever your manuscript is changed in any way, so that the page numbers in the Existing Targets list are automatically kept up to date.

Because in the Target ID lines you can add any other words or text you wish, this makes it possible to tailor your index item as you wish: for example

Character styles, changing: page

And Mellel will type in for you the appropriate number. By playing around with the many variations of wording which you can make, you can have as detailed or as specialized an index as you wish. You can also alter character or word styles etc. as you like.

This short summary gives the essence of the method. If you download my current form of the tutorial, from my drop box, you can see the entire system as well as a very detailed chapter on precisely how to make and include the index. Since my current updated tutorial runs to just under 18 MB, the only easy way to get hold of it is via the drop box method.

I spent several months working out the indexing system, learning how to avoid errors. testing it in considerable detail. One particular advantage of the indexing system is that once you find a page number reference in the manuscript, by double-clicking on the page number you are taken immediately to the referenced material.

It is far easier to see the whole system then to describe that in words. For that reason, I hope that a number of you will take the trouble to download my indexed tutorial, try out the index at the end of the tutorial, and perhaps find even more useful ways to embellish the indexing.

Don Broadribb
DRB
Knows everything, can prove it
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Jan 17, 2008 8:20 am

Re: Making an Index with Mellel

Post by DRB »

I should also point out that the tutorial+indexing chapter+index is now easily available from the URL: http://d.pr/f/ozCJ

Don Broadribb
ealvarez
Knows everything, can prove it
Posts: 130
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:44 pm

Re: Making an Index with Mellel

Post by ealvarez »

Thanks a lot! I was not aware of that : )
jsnow
New to all this
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2014 11:39 pm

Re: Making an Index with Mellel

Post by jsnow »

Can i please have your information so you can allow me to see your indexing information on dropbox! I need it ASAP Thanks
rpcameron
Knows everything, can prove it
Posts: 980
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2005 12:48 am
Location: IE, CA, USA

Re: Making an Index with Mellel

Post by rpcameron »

jsnow wrote:Can i please have your information so you can allow me to see your indexing information on dropbox! I need it ASAP Thanks
Unfortunately, that won't be possible. Don Broadribb passed back in 2012. Mellel's website may have a link to it, though.
— Robert Cameron
Post Reply