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Review Navigation
| | Index Creation Software
Just as buying an accounts package does not qualify you as an accountant,
using indexing software will not make you an indexing expert. The packages
examined are great tools but they will not turn you into a lexicographer. They
will, however, help you recognise the skills and fine judgement required to
compile an effective index.
Indexing software is for the experts. This is just an overview so you can
assess what is involved if you, as a writer, are tempted to prepare an index or
if you fancy learning this skill.
| Three packages are inspected here.
It would be unfair to use the term ‘review’ because a full ‘live test’ has
not been carried out on each package. These are not ‘me too’ products
as they offer different facilities and work in different ways. |
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| The ‘look and feel’ of the packages differ.
 | With CINDEX you put the entries on what looks like an index card.
The cards can be defined in a format to suit the work. |
| For Sky Index the metaphor is that of a database. The entry sheet
looks just like a spreadsheet with each row on the grid as an index entry. The
latter makes your progress easily visible. |
| Macrex has a ‘no-nonsense’ blank
sheet onto which items are typed within some minimal formatting. |
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| Indexing software is for the experts.
This is just an overview so you can assess what is involved if you, as a
writer, are tempted to prepare an index or if you fancy learning this skill. |
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The software earns its keep by speeding up the process of compiling and
amending an index.
| You can repeat the page reference from the previous record with a single
keystroke. Facilities make it easy to copy fields from the previous record,
duplicate records and swap fields. |
| As you type, the program second-guesses what you are about to type, based on
earlier entries and the number of times you have typed them. In Sky Index it is
called "Auto entry" facility and "Auto-Completion" in Cindex. |
| Keyboard-shortcuts store common terms, allowing you to type a few letters
which are expanded automatically. Cindex calls these "abbreviations" and
Sky
Index "acronyms". Sky Index achieves this with a simple mouse click while
Cindex
creates a separate file of abbreviations which requires some forethought. |
| If pages are added or deleted the programs automatically increment or decrement the range
of pages. |
| With Cindex, you can drag text from outside the index but, strangely, you
cannot drag it between entries within the same index, while Sky Index adopts
precisely the opposite model! |
| Tasks such as sorting and repagination make it easy to reorganise the index. |
Further facilities allow the indexer to concentrate on the words and the
construction of the index.
| If you are indexing periodicals or a multi-part publication, it is valuable to
export the word list which saves time and achieves consistency. |
| If you are working with others, you can often import records prepared using
other software and most indexing packages. |
| You can either buy or create your own supplementary dictionary for spell
checking. |
| Sky Index and Cindex permits as
many indexes as your computer’s memory will allow, which is handy if you are preparing an
author as well as a subject index. |
The end product
Most indexes will work with galley proofs that the book designer will have
paginated. The index is created as a completely independent document. It is not
constructed by tagging or marking up the digital text although the latest
versions of CINDEX and Sky can now embed codes to documents, allowing the word-processing
software to assign the page numbers to the index. You drag index entries into an
RTF-compatible program such as MS Word so the index is generated within the
word-processor. (If you want to match the pages on your word processor
manuscript to the printed pagination see the
guidelines.)
Having observed the evolution of software for over 20 years, I believe this specialist
market for indexers has a way to go to achieve the convergence seen among the
standard office packages. You can now move from one brand of spreadsheet or word
processor to another and find 90% of the facilities familiar. It is probable
that they will learn from each other over the years to provide the best range of
features in one package. In the meantime, potential indexers will need to take
advantage of the generous trial versions offered.
Preparing an index (and why you might need some specialist help)
© Charles Jones 2003
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