[Solved] Create A Document Index

[Libraridan50]

My task is seemingly simple, but Google has not been co-operative.

I have long text documents that I would like to have indexed. So far I have not been able to figure out how to do it. The Writer Help entry got me to a place where it inserted the title "Alphabetical Index" but there were no entries.
Am I missing something really basic?
Do I have to know the terms I want to index first?
Is there a template I can use?
Is there third party software that can do it?

Any and all help appreciated!

[RoryOF]

Mark the entries in text by /Insert /Indexes and Tables /Entry. Try out on a test or copy file first to get the hang of it. A short test file might be best.

Edit: There is a method of using a text file of words to generate an Index, but this can "over-index" the file. I think the keyword to search for is "Concordance"

[Libraridan50]

Thanks for the suggestion but it leads nowhere. I was doing /Insert/Indexes and Tables then under Type I selected Alphabetical index and then OK. The large, bold words "Alphabetical Index" appears in the text at the cursor but that's all. Not actual indexing of the document, just the title.

[RoryOF]

I don't think you have any Index entries defined. You insert these with /Insert /Indexes and Tables /Entry. After you have defined some Index entries you must right click on Alphabetical Index and select Update Index from the popup menu.

[RoryOF]

Yes, you must know the terms you want indexed and mark them. OpenOffice cannot read your mind.

[Bill]

Thanks for the suggestion but it leads nowhere. I was doing /Insert/Indexes and Tables then under Type I selected Alphabetical index and then OK. The large, bold words "Alphabetical Index" appears in the text at the cursor but that's all. Not actual indexing of the document, just the title.

Artificial intelligence hasn't been implemented in AOO, so the Alphabetical Index can't define its own entries. The user must do that. Help should get you started. Open Help, select "OpenOffice Writer", click the Index tab and search for "indexes;defining entries in". When you've finished defining your index entries, then right-click the Alphabetical Index you've already created and select Update Index/Table to get your entries to appear in the Alphabetical Index.

[Libraridan50]

Thanks for the suggestion but it leads nowhere. I was doing /Insert/Indexes and Tables then under Type I selected Alphabetical index and then OK. The large, bold words "Alphabetical Index" appears in the text at the cursor but that's all. Not actual indexing of the document, just the title.

Artificial intelligence hasn't been implemented in AOO, so the Alphabetical Index can't define its own entries. The user must do that. Help should get you started. Open Help, select "OpenOffice Writer", click the Index tab and search for "indexes;defining entries in". When you've finished defining your index entries, then right-click the Alphabetical Index you've already created and select Update Index/Table to get your entries to appear in the Alphabetical Index.

thanks!!!

[RoryOF]

To be clear on the matter, are you creating an Index, normally placed at the end of a document, which gives the location of specific terms within the documents, or are you looking for a Table of Contents, normally placed at document start, which points to specific sections (perhaps chapters) within the document? These are both generated by the same menu entry (/Insert /Indexes and Tables) in OpenOffice, but the mechanism of definition of the targets differs.