How do I add entries to the report indexes?

[Barbara Grempler 0]

How do I add entries to the report indexes?

Applies to: TMG

 

Answer: The Report Writer will create a variety of different indexes from names and places entered in name and event tags.

 

You add entries to these indexes using the [iNDEX:] and [:INDEX] printer codes. You might want to add an index entry when a person's name or a place appears in an event memo. See the note about limitations below.

 

If you want your manually created index entries to be sorted properly among the automatic entries, your entries must match the format of the entries created by TMG. The basic format is relatively simple:

 

[iNDEX:]name-of-index:index-data[:INDEX]

 

The "name-of-index" part is replaced by the name of the appropriate index. Index names vary based on the indexes you choose on the Index(es) screen.

 

The content of the "index-data" part varies by the type of index entry being created. You may add additional colons to create additional indentation levels in the resulting index. For example, the entry above would create an index entry roughly as follows:

 

name-of-index

index-data

 

Add another colon and more data to add another indentation level:

 

[iNDEX:]name-of-index:level1:level2[:INDEX]

 

The resulting index entry would be:

 

name-of-index

level1

level2

 

In order to create entries in the correct index, you have to know the name of the index and the index data to provide. This is somewhat complex, mostly because the Report Writer supports a number of indexes and in some cases provides options that combine multiple indexes into a single index. The list below describes each index in detail. The [iNDEX:] and [:INDEX] codes have been omitted to reduce clutter in the table. Please assume that they surround each of the formats and examples.

 

The examples below are in the format:

Name of Index

Format(s)

Example(s)

 

People Related: Surname, Given Name, and Surname/Given Name Combined

(The inclusion and format of the lifespan varies by lifespan-specific options)

 

Surname Index (only)

[People:surname:given name (lifespan)

People:Smith:Mary (b. 1901, d. 1964)

 

Given Name Index (only)

People:given name:surname (lifespan)

People:Mary:Smith (b. 1901, d. 1964)

 

Surname Index and Given Name Index (both indexes, not combined)

People by Given Name:given name:surname (lifespan)

People by Surname:Surname:given name (lifespan)

People by Given Name:Mary:Smith (b. 1901, d. 1964)

People by Surname:Smith:Mary (b. 1901, d. 1964)

 

Surname Index and Given Name Index(combined)

People:Given Name:Surname (lifespan)

People:surname:given name (lifespan)

People:Mary:Smith (b. 1901, d. 1964)

People:Smith:Mary (b. 1901, d. 1964)

 

Place Related: Places (See the note about places below)

 

Places Index

Places:subfield 1:subfield 2, etc.

Places:Massachusetts:Boston

 

People and Place Combined (You may only combine the People and Place indexes when a single People index (either Surname or Given Name) is chosen; the examples assume that the Surname Index was selected)

 

People and Places Index(combined)

People and Places:level 1:level 2, etc.

People and Places:Smith:Mary (b. 1901, d. 1964)

People and Places:Massachusetts:Boston

 

Marriage Related: Bride, Groom, and Bride/Groom Combined

 

Bride Index

Brides:bride surname, bride given name and groom

Brides:Smith, Mary and John Jones

 

Groom Index

Grooms:groom surname, groom given name and bride

Grooms:Jones, John and Mary Smith

 

Bride Index and Groom Index (combined)

Marriage:surname, given name and spouse

Marriages:Jones, John and Mary Smith

Marriages:Smith, Mary and John Jones

 

Places

 

You may choose to create multiple index entries for a single place by checking the "By City (L4)", "By County (L5)", etc., options on the Index(es) tab of the Publication Tools dialog. When you check one of those options, you are requesting an index entry for each place that includes that level of detail as well as all larger levels of detail. The subfields may be ordered smallest elements first or largest elements first. In the examples above, I assumed that only the "By City (L4)" option was checked. I also assumed that the "Largest Elements First" option was checked.

 

Limitations

 

The [iNDEX:] and [:INDEX] codes provide the means to manually create index entries, but it is up to you to key the appropriate data between the codes. The format of the entries created automatically by the CRW varies based on the selections you make in the Publication Tools dialog. If you create the manual index entries to match a particular option set, and then change the options, your manual entries may not sort properly among the automatic entries.