Formatting lists and indexes

See how you can format a generated list or index with a template in FrameMaker.

The first time you generate a list or index (if you don’t use a template), it uses the page layout of the source document or the first non-generated document in the book, and all entries look the same. You can change the page design and the formats in the list or index after you generate it, just as you do in any other document. When you generate the file again, your changes are retained.

1. Copy the template to the source document’s folder using the same filename as the list or index.

2. Generate the list or index.

Learn how you can edit a special text flow for a list or index.

Many formatting aspects of a list or index are controlled by a special text flow on a reference page in the generated file. The name of the reference page matches the default suffix, such as TOC for a table of contents or IX for a standard index.

For generated lists, each paragraph in the flow corresponds to a paragraph tag or marker type you included in the list. These paragraphs have tags that use the default suffix. For example, a paragraph tagged Heading1TOC in the text flow for a table of contents corresponds to the entries for first-level headings (tagged Heading1 in the source document).

Special text flow on reference page for a table of contents

For indexes, the paragraphs in the flow correspond to the marker types you included in the index, the levels of entries and subentries, the sort order, the separator text used, and several other index properties.

Special text flow for an index

A. Separators placeholder B. Levels of entries C. Group titles placeholder D. Sort order E. Ignore characters placeholder

If the list or index was created with hypertext links, the special text flow also contains a paragraph that specifies the form of the hypertext commands in the generated file. The paragraph’s tag begins with the word Active.

Special text flows for lists and indexes have special paragraphs with placeholder text. This placeholder text lets you specify how your entries will look when you regenerate the file.

Building blocks placed in each paragraph of the special text flow determine the information that appears in the list or index, and the order in which the information appears. You can use the following building blocks in the special text flow.

1. In the list or index, choose View > Reference Pages.

2. Display the reference page that contains the text flow you want.

3. Edit the appropriate paragraphs in the text flow.

4. Choose View > Body Pages.

5. Generate the index again to see the effect of your changes.

See how you can change paragraph and character formats of entries in FrameMaker.

In this topic:

• Introduction

• Change the paragraph format of entries

• Change the character format of entries

Change the paragraph format of entries

1. In the list or index, display the reference page that contains the special text flow. Usually this is TOC for a table of contents and IX for a standard index.

2. Locate the placeholder paragraphs that have paragraph formats corresponding to the list or index entries. (For example, Level1IX is the format for the placeholder text for the first-level index entry, and Head1TOC is the format for a Head1 entry in a table of contents.)

3. Change the properties of the paragraph formats, such as indents and font size, and update the paragraph formats, so that they are available the next time you generate the file. The placeholder paragraphs show you how the entries will look.

Formatted placeholder paragraphs

Know how to include book component and paragraph auto numbers in a generate list in FrameMaker.

In this topic:

• Introduction

• Include volume and chapter autonumbers

• Include paragraph autonumbers

Introduction

In a generated list, you can include autonumbers—text and numbers inserted automatically as part of a paragraph format—in addition to (or instead of) page numbers in entries. In an index, you can use autonumbers instead of page numbers if all paragraphs that contain index markers are also autonumbered.

Index using section symbols and section numbers instead of page numbers

You can use the following building blocks to add autonumbers:

• <$volnum>, <$chapnum>, <$sectionnum>, <$subsectionnum> which include the volume, chapter, section, and sub section counters.

  Building block for volume and chapter autonumbering, and resulting index
  

  

  
  

• <$paranumonly>, which includes the counters and the characters between them (for example, 2.2 for a paragraph whose autonumber is Section 2.2).

  Building block for paragraph autonumbering using section numbers, and resulting index
  

  

  
  

• <$paranum>, which includes the counters and all text in the autonumber (except for spaces or tab characters at the end).

  Building block for paragraph autonumbering using “Section” text and section numbers, and resulting index
  

  

  
  

Find out how you can change page number separators in FrameMaker.

A typical index entry such as Erosion 1, 23–includes a space after the entry text, a comma and a space between page numbers, an en dash to show a page range, and nothing after the last number. You can change the en dash to the word to, or change this separator text in any other way. For example, you could change the separator text so that a comma appears after the entry, such as Erosion, 1.

1. Choose View > Reference Pages, and display the reference page that contains the special text flow.

2. Edit the Separators paragraph. (Look for the paragraph containing 1, 23–.) You can change any separator, but you must use the placeholder numbers 1, 2, and 3.

A custom Separators paragraph on the IX reference page

A. En dash B. Em space

Learn to manually add text to generated list entries in Adobe FrameMaker.

You can add text to all entries generated from paragraphs with a particular tag or markers of a particular type. For example, you can enclose page numbers in brackets.

Brackets added in a TOC

You can also use custom marker types with added text to display page numbers in a variety of ways in an index. For example, suppose you want to generate the following scholarly index.

Custom page numbers added in an index

To do this, you need two custom markers: one for page numbers followed by ff, and one for page numbers followed by note. You might call these markers Indexff and IndexNote.

When generating the index, you include all three marker types (Index plus the two new ones). After generating the index for the first time, you can edit the special text flow for the marker types on the reference page.

The next time you generate the index, the changes appear in the generated index.

1. Choose View > Reference Pages, and display the reference page that contains the special text flow for the list or index.

2. Enter the text where you want it to appear. For example, to enclose all page numbers in brackets, enter brackets around the page number building blocks: <$paratext>[<$pagenum>]

See how to use tabs and tab leaders in a list or an index in FrameMaker.

You can use tabs to align page numbers in a list or index. You can also use tabs to add tab leaders, such as a row of dots, between entry text and page numbers.

Right-aligned tab stop with leader dots in a TOC

Tab stops make index page numbers line up in columns.

1. Choose View > Reference Pages and display the reference page that contains the special text flow.

2. Do one of the following:

   • For a list, select the space between the <$paratext> and <$pagenum> building blocks in the paragraph whose tag matches the entries you want to change.

   • For an index, select the space before the number 1 in the Separators paragraph.

3. Press Tab.

4. Change the paragraph format by adding a tab stop where you want to align the page numbers. Define the format to include leader dots, if you want. Then update the paragraph formats so the changes are available the next time you generate the list or index.

Learn to rearrange information in list entries.

You can specify the order in which the parts of a list entry appear. For example, you can specify that the page number appears first, followed by the paragraph text.

1. Choose View > Reference Pages, and display the reference page that contains the special text flow for the table of contents or list.

2. Rearrange the building blocks. For example, to put the page number first, followed by the paragraph text, rearrange the building blocks: <$pagenum> <$paratext>.

See how to resolve cross-references when a marker has been deleted or the ID and ID reference do not match.

In this topic:

• Resolve a cross-reference when a marker has been deleted

• Resolve a cross-reference when the ID and ID Reference values mismatch