Can we dream of an imakeidx 2.0? [closed]
First I want to give a shout-out of appreciation to Enrico Gregorio. He has done the pioneering work of creating the imakeidx package (no small feat), and I and I'm sure many other LaTeX users are grateful for this.
I am sitting here with a large book document which is nearly complete. It has required a lot of custom formatting and therefore a lot of packages (by my package-intensive coding style). Among these packages, the one that has required the most hacks and workarounds is the imakeidx package. This is not a critique of package design, but merely a pointer to the fact that making an index is particularly challenging relative to the functions of most other standard LaTeX packages.
Here are some of the imakeidx-related workarounds currently in place in my document:
I don't favor commas between my index entries and their page numbers, and so (per this post) I have coded a separate file to achieve this tiny change in formatting.
I would like my index to be able to catalog both individual words and the topics of paragraphs. The latter is extremely useful for readers looking to use the book as a reference. It is also quite common among the best books on my bookshelf (including textbooks in mathematics and medicine for example). However, the
indexcommand ofimakeidxis designed only for cataloging individual words, not paragraph topics. In particular, problems arise whenindexis used in a natural fashion to bracket paragraphs and equations (see here and here for examples). In such cases, ad hoc formatting tricks are necessary to cobble together the desired functionality.My index does not fall at the end of my document; I have
indexcommands afterprintindex. As this post describes,imakeidxignoresindexcommands afterprintindex. Semi-manual workarounds usingnoautomaticandsplitindexappear possible but cumbersome. Is there a way to code a package option that allows for the construction of a mid-document index? Perhaps similar to the way that the table of contents is constructed?
Again, more than anything, I interpret these sorts of issues as pointing to the challenge of coding a package which is flexible enough for the broad range of index-related needs out there.
It would be great to have an expanded version of imakeidx, or a companion package, that extends the initial offerings of imakeidx to make customizations like the above more natural.
While I wish I could offer this next-generation package to the LaTeX community myself, I think the project is better left to more experienced hands. Is it reasonable to hope that someone with the necessary expertise will soon find the time to do this important work?
indexing imakeidx
asked Mar 18 at 19:30
SapereAudeSapereAude
515
closed as off-topic by egreg, Sebastiano, Kurt, JouleV, Raaja Mar 19 at 5:01
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "This question does not fall within the scope of TeX, LaTeX or related typesetting systems as defined in the help center." – egreg, Sebastiano, Kurt, JouleV, Raaja
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
add a comment |
First I want to give a shout-out of appreciation to Enrico Gregorio. He has done the pioneering work of creating the imakeidx package (no small feat), and I and I'm sure many other LaTeX users are grateful for this.
I am sitting here with a large book document which is nearly complete. It has required a lot of custom formatting and therefore a lot of packages (by my package-intensive coding style). Among these packages, the one that has required the most hacks and workarounds is the imakeidx package. This is not a critique of package design, but merely a pointer to the fact that making an index is particularly challenging relative to the functions of most other standard LaTeX packages.
Here are some of the imakeidx-related workarounds currently in place in my document:
I don't favor commas between my index entries and their page numbers, and so (per this post) I have coded a separate file to achieve this tiny change in formatting.
I would like my index to be able to catalog both individual words and the topics of paragraphs. The latter is extremely useful for readers looking to use the book as a reference. It is also quite common among the best books on my bookshelf (including textbooks in mathematics and medicine for example). However, the
indexcommand ofimakeidxis designed only for cataloging individual words, not paragraph topics. In particular, problems arise whenindexis used in a natural fashion to bracket paragraphs and equations (see here and here for examples). In such cases, ad hoc formatting tricks are necessary to cobble together the desired functionality.My index does not fall at the end of my document; I have
indexcommands afterprintindex. As this post describes,imakeidxignoresindexcommands afterprintindex. Semi-manual workarounds usingnoautomaticandsplitindexappear possible but cumbersome. Is there a way to code a package option that allows for the construction of a mid-document index? Perhaps similar to the way that the table of contents is constructed?
Again, more than anything, I interpret these sorts of issues as pointing to the challenge of coding a package which is flexible enough for the broad range of index-related needs out there.
It would be great to have an expanded version of imakeidx, or a companion package, that extends the initial offerings of imakeidx to make customizations like the above more natural.
While I wish I could offer this next-generation package to the LaTeX community myself, I think the project is better left to more experienced hands. Is it reasonable to hope that someone with the necessary expertise will soon find the time to do this important work?
indexing imakeidx
asked Mar 18 at 19:30
SapereAudeSapereAude
515
closed as off-topic by egreg, Sebastiano, Kurt, JouleV, Raaja Mar 19 at 5:01
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "This question does not fall within the scope of TeX, LaTeX or related typesetting systems as defined in the help center." – egreg, Sebastiano, Kurt, JouleV, Raaja
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
3
Your second point requires a rewrite of MakeIndex. The first point is something to be achieved with MakeIndex styles. The third point is simply impossible. And the post is off-topic.
– egreg
Mar 18 at 22:50
@egreg Thanks for this explanation. I've tried to edit the third point to emphasize what I think should be possible, though you'll have to be the judge.
– SapereAude
Mar 19 at 4:59
More broadly, I doubt I'll do better than this reply from egreg, so I'm happy to have this post marked as off-topic if egreg agrees.
– SapereAude
Mar 19 at 5:02
add a comment |
First I want to give a shout-out of appreciation to Enrico Gregorio. He has done the pioneering work of creating the imakeidx package (no small feat), and I and I'm sure many other LaTeX users are grateful for this.
I am sitting here with a large book document which is nearly complete. It has required a lot of custom formatting and therefore a lot of packages (by my package-intensive coding style). Among these packages, the one that has required the most hacks and workarounds is the imakeidx package. This is not a critique of package design, but merely a pointer to the fact that making an index is particularly challenging relative to the functions of most other standard LaTeX packages.
Here are some of the imakeidx-related workarounds currently in place in my document:
I don't favor commas between my index entries and their page numbers, and so (per this post) I have coded a separate file to achieve this tiny change in formatting.
I would like my index to be able to catalog both individual words and the topics of paragraphs. The latter is extremely useful for readers looking to use the book as a reference. It is also quite common among the best books on my bookshelf (including textbooks in mathematics and medicine for example). However, the
indexcommand ofimakeidxis designed only for cataloging individual words, not paragraph topics. In particular, problems arise whenindexis used in a natural fashion to bracket paragraphs and equations (see here and here for examples). In such cases, ad hoc formatting tricks are necessary to cobble together the desired functionality.My index does not fall at the end of my document; I have
indexcommands afterprintindex. As this post describes,imakeidxignoresindexcommands afterprintindex. Semi-manual workarounds usingnoautomaticandsplitindexappear possible but cumbersome. Is there a way to code a package option that allows for the construction of a mid-document index? Perhaps similar to the way that the table of contents is constructed?
Again, more than anything, I interpret these sorts of issues as pointing to the challenge of coding a package which is flexible enough for the broad range of index-related needs out there.
It would be great to have an expanded version of imakeidx, or a companion package, that extends the initial offerings of imakeidx to make customizations like the above more natural.
While I wish I could offer this next-generation package to the LaTeX community myself, I think the project is better left to more experienced hands. Is it reasonable to hope that someone with the necessary expertise will soon find the time to do this important work?
indexing imakeidx
asked Mar 18 at 19:30
SapereAudeSapereAude
515
First I want to give a shout-out of appreciation to Enrico Gregorio. He has done the pioneering work of creating the imakeidx package (no small feat), and I and I'm sure many other LaTeX users are grateful for this.
I am sitting here with a large book document which is nearly complete. It has required a lot of custom formatting and therefore a lot of packages (by my package-intensive coding style). Among these packages, the one that has required the most hacks and workarounds is the imakeidx package. This is not a critique of package design, but merely a pointer to the fact that making an index is particularly challenging relative to the functions of most other standard LaTeX packages.
Here are some of the imakeidx-related workarounds currently in place in my document:
I don't favor commas between my index entries and their page numbers, and so (per this post) I have coded a separate file to achieve this tiny change in formatting.
I would like my index to be able to catalog both individual words and the topics of paragraphs. The latter is extremely useful for readers looking to use the book as a reference. It is also quite common among the best books on my bookshelf (including textbooks in mathematics and medicine for example). However, the
indexcommand ofimakeidxis designed only for cataloging individual words, not paragraph topics. In particular, problems arise whenindexis used in a natural fashion to bracket paragraphs and equations (see here and here for examples). In such cases, ad hoc formatting tricks are necessary to cobble together the desired functionality.My index does not fall at the end of my document; I have
indexcommands afterprintindex. As this post describes,imakeidxignoresindexcommands afterprintindex. Semi-manual workarounds usingnoautomaticandsplitindexappear possible but cumbersome. Is there a way to code a package option that allows for the construction of a mid-document index? Perhaps similar to the way that the table of contents is constructed?
Again, more than anything, I interpret these sorts of issues as pointing to the challenge of coding a package which is flexible enough for the broad range of index-related needs out there.
It would be great to have an expanded version of imakeidx, or a companion package, that extends the initial offerings of imakeidx to make customizations like the above more natural.
While I wish I could offer this next-generation package to the LaTeX community myself, I think the project is better left to more experienced hands. Is it reasonable to hope that someone with the necessary expertise will soon find the time to do this important work?
indexing imakeidx
indexing imakeidx
asked Mar 18 at 19:30
SapereAudeSapereAude
515
asked Mar 18 at 19:30
SapereAudeSapereAude
515
edited Mar 19 at 4:54
SapereAude
asked Mar 18 at 19:30
SapereAudeSapereAude
515
asked Mar 18 at 19:30
SapereAudeSapereAude
515
asked Mar 18 at 19:30
SapereAudeSapereAude
515
515
closed as off-topic by egreg, Sebastiano, Kurt, JouleV, Raaja Mar 19 at 5:01
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "This question does not fall within the scope of TeX, LaTeX or related typesetting systems as defined in the help center." – egreg, Sebastiano, Kurt, JouleV, Raaja
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
closed as off-topic by egreg, Sebastiano, Kurt, JouleV, Raaja Mar 19 at 5:01
This question appears to be off-topic. The users who voted to close gave this specific reason:
- "This question does not fall within the scope of TeX, LaTeX or related typesetting systems as defined in the help center." – egreg, Sebastiano, Kurt, JouleV, Raaja
If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
3
Your second point requires a rewrite of MakeIndex. The first point is something to be achieved with MakeIndex styles. The third point is simply impossible. And the post is off-topic.
– egreg
Mar 18 at 22:50
@egreg Thanks for this explanation. I've tried to edit the third point to emphasize what I think should be possible, though you'll have to be the judge.
– SapereAude
Mar 19 at 4:59
More broadly, I doubt I'll do better than this reply from egreg, so I'm happy to have this post marked as off-topic if egreg agrees.
– SapereAude
Mar 19 at 5:02
add a comment |
3
Your second point requires a rewrite of MakeIndex. The first point is something to be achieved with MakeIndex styles. The third point is simply impossible. And the post is off-topic.
– egreg
Mar 18 at 22:50
@egreg Thanks for this explanation. I've tried to edit the third point to emphasize what I think should be possible, though you'll have to be the judge.
– SapereAude
Mar 19 at 4:59
More broadly, I doubt I'll do better than this reply from egreg, so I'm happy to have this post marked as off-topic if egreg agrees.
– SapereAude
Mar 19 at 5:02
3
3
Your second point requires a rewrite of MakeIndex. The first point is something to be achieved with MakeIndex styles. The third point is simply impossible. And the post is off-topic.
– egreg
Mar 18 at 22:50
Your second point requires a rewrite of MakeIndex. The first point is something to be achieved with MakeIndex styles. The third point is simply impossible. And the post is off-topic.
– egreg
Mar 18 at 22:50
@egreg Thanks for this explanation. I've tried to edit the third point to emphasize what I think should be possible, though you'll have to be the judge.
– SapereAude
Mar 19 at 4:59
@egreg Thanks for this explanation. I've tried to edit the third point to emphasize what I think should be possible, though you'll have to be the judge.
– SapereAude
Mar 19 at 4:59
More broadly, I doubt I'll do better than this reply from egreg, so I'm happy to have this post marked as off-topic if egreg agrees.
– SapereAude
Mar 19 at 5:02
More broadly, I doubt I'll do better than this reply from egreg, so I'm happy to have this post marked as off-topic if egreg agrees.
– SapereAude
Mar 19 at 5:02
add a comment |
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3
Your second point requires a rewrite of MakeIndex. The first point is something to be achieved with MakeIndex styles. The third point is simply impossible. And the post is off-topic.
– egreg
Mar 18 at 22:50
@egreg Thanks for this explanation. I've tried to edit the third point to emphasize what I think should be possible, though you'll have to be the judge.
– SapereAude
Mar 19 at 4:59
More broadly, I doubt I'll do better than this reply from egreg, so I'm happy to have this post marked as off-topic if egreg agrees.
– SapereAude
Mar 19 at 5:02