[Solved] Using Concordance for Indexing

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ybarniv
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 7:43 am

[Solved] Using Concordance for Indexing

Post by ybarniv »

Hello gurus,

In the Insert Index/Table window, the Index/Table tab, the File button, I load a concordance file. When I load a different concordance file, I am still getting the same index. In other words, the Open Office document seems to be clinging to the first concordance file I chose to connect it to, and it then sticks to this particular file despite my desperate attempts to load a differenct file.

The funny thing is that, after having loaded a different concordance file, when I "Edit" the file through the same OO dialog, I DO see the contents of the new concordance file, but the index itself is still made based on the initial file. I even deleted that initial file from the relevant folder. It look like OO keeps it in the text file itself and it won't let go of it.

Anyone knows how to convince OO to connect to a new concordance file? This is driving me crazy.

Thanks much for any help,
Yair
Last edited by Hagar Delest on Wed Feb 08, 2012 9:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: tagged [Solved].
Windows 7, Open Office version 3.3.0
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squenson
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Posts: 1885
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:21 pm
Location: Lausanne, Switzerland

Re: Using Concordance for Indexing

Post by squenson »

Welcome to this forum, ybarniv!

The concordance file is used to load a set of entries in a document. As you noticed, once the file is loaded, the entries stay in the document even if the file is deleted. To use a different concordance file, you must first delete the entries, then use the new file. To delete the entries, here is an extract from the help file:

Index entries are inserted as fields into your document. To view fields in your document, choose View and ensure that Field Shadings is selected.
1. Place the cursor immediately in front of the index entry in your document.
2. Choose Edit - Index Entry, and do one of the following:
To change the entry, enter different text in the Entry box.
To remove the entry, click Delete.
To cycle through the index entries in your document, click the next or the previous arrows in the Edit Index Entry dialog.
LibreOffice 4.2.3.3. on Ubuntu 14.04
ybarniv
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 7:43 am

Re: Using Concordance for Indexing

Post by ybarniv »

Dear Squenson,

Thanks you SOOOOO much, you made my day!!! And, since I have now figured out many more puzzles related to using the concordance file, I wrote it all down for the benefit of everyone---including myself, so I don't forget it.

Right-click anywhere in the grayed area of the Index and choose Edit Index/table.
In the Index/Table window that opens check the boxes “Protected against manual changes”, “AutoCapitalize entries”, “Concordance file”, and “Combine identical entries”. Click on the File button and load the Concordance file. I suggest that you open this file with WordPad or with any other text editor. When you change things in that file and save it, you can go back to the Index in the OO document, Right-click and choose “Update Index/Table”. This will update based on your edited (text) Concordance file.

Back to the Insert Index/Table window. Go to the “Entries” tab. Highlight “S”, delete all other items except for a single entry, E. Click on E and choose the Character Style you want for the alphabet single-letter divider.
Highlight “1” below the “S”. I arranged the structure of this level as E, T, #.

Click on E and choose the Character Style for the entry. Click on T (this tab will show in the Index), and check the box “Align right”. You can also choose the "filler" such as dots. Click on # and choose a Character style for the page number itslef.

Highlight “2” under the “S” to set up the sub-entry. I set it exactly like level 1. Highlight level 3, and either set it the same as levels 1 and 2, or delete all the structure that belongs to it; that’s what I did because I don’t have level-3 entries (I don't know yet how to get rid of it altogether).

Important info regarding the Concordance file itself: Do not leave any spaces between the entries and the semicolons because, otherwise, the space will become a part of the entry and that entry might not be found at all as a result.

Thanks again, Yair
Windows 7, Open Office version 3.3.0
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