FrameMaker 7.0 Tutorial:
Indexes

This tutorial is provided for advanced documentation students on a free, as-is basis, without guarantee of accuracy. If you find any errors or think we should include other tasks, let us know!

This tutorial discusses the following topics:

• Downloading and Saving the Source Document
• Marking Simple Index Entries
• Generating an Index
• Formatting the Index
• Adding Markers for Nested Index Entries
• Adding an Entry for a Range of Pages
• Adding an Entry without a Page Number
• Editing Index Entries in the Source Files

Subsequent tutorials focus on tags, tables, anchored frames, graphics, templates, master pages, reference pages, cross-references, tables of contents, variable text, book building, conversion techniques, and structured documents. These tutorials provide an overview of each topic discussed. If you required information about advanced FrameMaker topics, refer to the Adobe FrameMaker User Guide or Adobe FrameMaker Classroom in a Book for the current version of FrameMaker.

Note: For the sake of brevity, we use an abbreviated style for menu commands throughout this lesson. For example, "Select File > New" means "Select New from the File menu."

Downloading and Saving the Source Document

1. Select the following link: indexes.mif.
   
   

   Note: Earlier versions of Netscape may attempt to display this file directly. To force Netscape to download this file, right-click the link above, and select Save Link Target As.

   
   
2. Select the directory in which to save the file, and click Save.
   
   

   Note: If you are working in the TCM computer lab, save the file to your lab account. If you do not have a lab account, please contact your instructor.

To save the source document:

1. Open FrameMaker, and select File > Open.
   
   
2. Change to the directory in which you saved the source document.
   
   
3. Select index.fm, and click Open. (If messages appear, click OK to continue.)
   
   
4. Select File > Save As.
   
   
5. Select the directory in which to save the file.
   
   
6. In the File name box, change .mif to .fm.
   
   
7. Click Save.

Marking Simple Index Entries

1. With the indexes.fm file open, turn on Borders, Text Symbols, and Rulers; for more information, see Changing the Display of the Page.
   
   
2. Select Special > Marker.



3. Highlight the words short documents located in the second paragraph on page 2.
   
   The text appears in the Marker dialog box.
   
   
   
4. Select Index from the Marker Type pull-down menu.
   
   
5. Click New Marker.
   FrameMaker places (index marker) to mark the index entry.
   
   




Tip: To view the contents of a marker, select the marker symbol while the Marker dialog box is open. The contents of the marker are displayed in the Marker dialog box.




6. Highlight the word phrasing located in the third paragraph on page 2.
   
   
7. Click New Marker.
   
   
8. Highlight the words lone headings located in the fourth paragraph on page 2.
   
   
9. Click New Marker.
   
   
10. Click to close the Marker dialog box.
    

Generating an Index

1. Select Special > Standard Index.
   
   The following message appears.
   
   
   
2. Click Yes.
   
   The Set Up Standard Index dialog box appears.
   
   
   
3. Verify that Index is the only marker listed under Include Markers of Type. (If Index is not included, locate the marker in the Don't Include list, and double-click it.)
   
   
4. Click Set.
   
   The index appears in your document window. FrameMaker generates your index in a new file called indexesIX.fm. (The name of the source document plus the suffix "IX".)
   

   Note: To get a better look at your index, you can hide text symbols by deselecting Text Symbols from the View menu.

   
   

Note: You can generate an index for an entire book by selecting Standard Index from the Add menu; for more information about creating an index for a book, see Book Building.

Formatting the Index

1. Place your cursor in the first line of your index. (This paragraph should be tagged GroupTitlesIX.)
   
   
2. Open the Paragraph Designer (Ctrl + M), and click the Basic tab.
   
   
3. From the Space Above Pgf pull-down menu, select 1 Line (14.0 pt), and click Update All.
   
   
4. Click the Default Font tab.
   
   
5. From the Family pull-down menu, select Arial.
   
   
6. From the Weight pull-down menu, select Bold, and click Update All.
   
   
7. Place your cursor at the very beginning of your document (first line, first position), type the word INDEX, and press Enter.
   
   
8. Place your cursor within the word INDEX, and select Title from the Paragraph Tag pull-down menu.
   
   
9. Click Update All, and close the Paragraph Designer.
   

Note: The index will retain this formatting through new generations, as long as you do not change the name of the source document.

Adding Markers for Nested Index Entries

1. Return to the indexes.fm file, and select Special > Marker.
   
   
2. Highlight the words stacked headings located in the fifth paragraph on page 2.
   
   
3. Click New Marker.
   
   
4. Within the same text, highlight the word headings.
   
   
5. Within the Marker dialog box, type a colon and the word stacked immediately following the word headings.
   
   Your marker text should look similar to the following.
   
   
   
6. Click New Marker.
   
   
7. In the previous paragraph, add a similar index marker for lone headings.
   
   
8. Generate the index; see Generating an Index.
   
   Your index should look similar to the following.
   
   
   
9. Press and hold the Shift key, and select File > Save All Open Files to save your files.
   
   

Adding an Entry for a Range of Pages

1. Within the indexes.fm file, place your cursor anywhere in the first paragraph on page 2.
   
   
2. In the Marker dialog box, type <$startrange>lists.
   
   Your marker text should look similar to the following.
   
   
   
3. Click New Marker.
   
   
4. Place your cursor anywhere in the last paragraph on page 3.
   
   
5. In the Marker dialog box, type <$endrange>lists.
   
   
6. Click New Marker.
   
   

Adding an Entry without a Page Number

1. Place your cursor anywhere in the first paragraph on page 2.
   
   
2. In the Marker dialog box, type <$nopage>rules. See guidelines.
   
   Your marker text should look similar to the following.
   
   
   
3. Click New Marker.
   
   
4. Click to close Marker dialog box.
   
   
5. Generate the index; see Generating an Index.
   
   Your index should look similar to the following.
   
   
   
6. Press and hold the Shift key, and select File > Save All Open Files to save your files.
   
   

Editing Index Entries in the Source Files

1. Open the index document you have just generated. Make sure that View > Text Symbols is checked.
2. Click Special > Marker to display the Marker dialog. Unless you have accidentally selected an index marker, this dialog box will be empty.
3. Click in the text near the index marker you want to change. There are two ways to select an index marker that you want to change:
   • Move your cursor just inside the index marker, which looks like a big . Hold down Shift (in Windows) and press the right arrow once or twice until some text appears in the Marker dialog box
   or
   • Use your mouse to select enough of the index marker so that text appears in the Marker dialog box.

   Either way you accomplish this task, the results will look like this; the index marker just after first-level headings is highlighted by about the space between the s and the 2.

   
   

4. To go to the index tag in the source, hold down Ctrl and Alt (in Windows), move the mouse pointer over the selected index marker, and when the pointer turns into a hand, click the mouse. FrameMaker will open up the file that contains the index tag you want to change and display the index entry in the dialog box:




5. Make the necessary changes and click Edit Marker.

Information and programs provided by hcexres@io.com.