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HTML Indexer Tips and Techniques
Go to the list of tips Include HTML files with other extensionsNormally, HTML Indexer recognizes three file extensions for HTML files: .htm, .html, and .asp. You can set up HTML Indexer to consider files with other extensions, toosuch as .shtml or .jspbut it requires editing the Indexer.ini file, which you should always approach with caution. Important: You should only add extensions that represent HTML format files. To include a non-HMTL file, use the "external URL” feature. See the online help for instructions on adding external URLs. If you aren't comfortable editing INI files by hand, just send yours as an e-mail attachment to If you want to do it yourself:
Go to the list of tips Retain customizations when you rebuild the HTML indexHTML Indexer includes dozens of customization options (see the online help for details). These options address the needs of most of our customers, and we know they'll save you a lot of time when you rebuild the index. If there are other customizations you want to preserve, read on. Other customizationsTry this method to preserve your customizations:
Go to the list of tips Create an index of indexesYou can create index entries in a master index that point to subindexes, and HTML Indexer will embed your index entries in the subindexes. But those embedded entries will be lost when you rebuild the subindexes. Instead, use the "external URL" feature to create enduring entries for subindexes.
Index entries for external URLs aren't embedded in the source files, so they won't be lost when you rebuild the subindexes. Go to the list of tips Create an index of external web sitesYour index project doesn't have to include any local files. For example, you can create indexes of topic-related sites all over the Weblike "bookmark" lists, only they're automatically alphabetized and formatted, and you can have as many of them as you want. You do have to define a main directory, though, so HTML Indexer has a place to write the output file. Go to the list of tips Create multiple entries with a common top-level headingTo make sure index entries have a common top-level heading and save yourself a lot of typing, try this:
Go to the list of tips Prevent default entries from containing formatting tagsOne of HTML Indexer's strengths is that you can include formatting in your index entries. But this can make default entries hard to read if the associated text contains a lot of formatting or other HTML mark-up. As explained in the online help, the default entry for a file is the text in the first <Hn> tag found in the file (or the <TITLE> tag, if no <Hn> tag is found); the default entry for a named anchor is the text between the <A> and </A> tags. In the current version of HTML Indexer, the only way to prevent default entries from including formatting is to make sure the formatting tags are outside the tags that define the default entries. For example, change this: <H2><FONT FACE="Algerian" COLOR="#FF0000">All about dogs</FONT></H2> to this: <FONT FACE="Algerian" COLOR="#FF0000"><H2>All about dogs</H2></FONT> This technique is less straightforward when the formatting applies to a subset of the associated text, but you can still use it in many cases. For example, change this: <A NAME="my-anchor">All about <EM>big</EM> dogs</A> to this: All about <EM><A NAME="my-anchor">big</A></EM> dogs The trade-off is that the default entry for my-anchor will be "big" rather than "All about big dogs." But the default entries are just thatdefaults. They're useful on several levels, but we also assume most users will want to edit them, anyway. Go to the list of tips Run HTML Indexer in batch modeIf your web site meets these criteria, you might want to build indexes as part of an automated (or "batch") process:
For HTML Help, you might want to build the .hhk file as part of a batch process that compiles the help project. Whatever your reason, you can build indexes from an existing project by running HTML Indexer in batch mode. At the DOS prompt type: Indexer.exe projectfile.ipj [options] Options: /makeindex Example: "C:\Program Files\HTML Indexer\Indexer.exe" "C:\My Web Projects\site-index.ipj" /makeindex When you use the /makeindex option, HTML Indexer loads the specified project, builds the indexes, and exits. A progress bar appears briefly, but there is no other visual display. You must run HTML Indexer normally to create the project, manage files and index entries, specify output types and filenames, and set style options. Once you do, you could even write a batch job to create the project (.ipj) file, too. The real purpose of this feature is to support batch creation of indexes for web sites that change content rapidly and that code source files to provide acceptable default index entries. Go to the list of tips Build a table of contentsYou can use the "Sort As" feature to build a table of contents for your HTML documents:
Go to the list of tips Create "external" cross-referencesHMTL Indexer 4 includes fully integrated cross-references, along with many other new features. Cross-references typically link one entry in your index to another, like this: garbage collector. See sanitation engineer Remember, HTML Indexer maintains all aspects of these cross-references for you, automatically. All you have to do is decide the best text for the heading ("garbage collector") and locator ("sanitation engineer"). But what if you want to a create cross-reference that points to a location outside your finished index? With the latest version of HTML Indexer, you can use a simple technique to do so. Important: If you deviate from these instructions, this technique may produce nested or unclosed anchors. They may work with your version of your favorite browser, but it is not valid HTML. Follow these steps carefully, test your index output file in as many browsers as possible, and let us know if you have any problems. Note: This technique can be used in HTML indexes only—it will not work in an HTML Help or JavaHelp index. To create an external cross-reference
We call this an "external cross-reference" because the intended target of the cross-reference is outside the index file and because, like the External URL feature, you have to type the target URL by hand. (Remember, this is much less convenient than the new fully integrated cross-references, in which HTML Indexer maintains all aspects of the cross-reference for you, automatically.) In fact, the target of your external cross-reference can be a page on your web site. For example, you could direct readers to a local page where you mention the Society of Sanitation Engineers. Just type this into the X-ref Locator text box: </a><a href=\"industrygroups.html#sse-org\">Society of Sanitation Engineers assuming the industrygroups.html file resides in the same directory as your finished index (and assuming it contains an anchor named "sse-org"). As you may have guessed, you can use any valid URL, either relative or absolute. Important: If you deviate from these instructions, this technique may produce nested or unclosed anchors. They may work with your version of your favorite browser, but it is not valid HTML. Follow these steps carefully, test your finished index in as many browsers as possible, and let us know if you have any problems. Note: This technique can be used in HTML indexes only—it will not work in an HTML Help or JavaHelp index. Go to the list of tips Create hyperlinked common headings New!HMTL Indexer automatically handles nested entries for you. For a single entry (such as "cats, breeding") the HTML index includes this: cats, breeding As soon as you add another entry with the same heading (such as "cats, feeding"), HTML Indexer nests the entries appropriately. In the rebuilt HTML index, you see this: cats Delete the original entry, and the rebuilt HTML index includes this: cats, feeding HTML Indexer automatically handles nesting in your HTML Help and JavaHelp indexes, too. While this is almost always the correct behavior, you may have an occasional need to create a group of entries like this: common heading (link to commontext.htm) To achieve this effect, you must:
Important: If you deviate from these instructions, this technique may produce nested or unclosed anchors. They may work with your version of your favorite browser, but it is not valid HTML. Follow these steps carefully, test your finished index in as many browsers as possible, and let us know if you have any problems. For subtopic1.htm: Index As<a href=\"commontext.htm\">common heading</a>, subentry 1Sort Ascommon heading, subentry 1 For subtopic2.htm: Index As<a href=\"commontext.htm\">common heading</a>, subentry 2Sort Ascommon heading, subentry 2 For subtopic3.htm: Index As<a href=\"commontext.htm\">common heading</a>, subentry 3Sort Ascommon heading, subentry 3 Notes:
You can download a zipped project (.ipj) and index (.htm) file that demonstrate this techique. Go to the list of tips Specify a target frame or windowHMTL Indexer 4 includes the ability to create a framed index page and to specify a target frame or window for the entire index or for individual index entries, along with many other new features. Get the latest version! Go to the list of tips Split the HTML index into multiple filesHMTL Indexer 4 includes the ability to create a separate file for each letter group in the HTML index, along with many other new features. Get the latest version! |
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