More on this manual...
The original manual had an index, but my client wanted a more comprehensive one. So now I've become an indexer. I've done some basic indexes for a few proposals in the past, but not anything that was really complex. Indexing is a real profession and it's hard work. It requires logical thinking, a good eye for detail, and lots of concentration. I could probably be pretty good at indexing if I took some courses and learned how to do it properly, but I don't want to be an indexer. There are also programs that are made specifically for indexing which of course I don't have.
So I'm having to use Word to re-create this index. Indexing in Word is a real pain. It's not hard to do, but it is time-consuming. I decided to try to reduce the time by using what is called a "concordance file." Creating a concordance file is pretty easy to do but the end result leaves a lot to be desired. When you create and apply the file to your document, it marks every single entry of the word or phrase you are indexing. So many of the index entries end up with way too many page references that you don't want or need. That's what I have right now, so I have to either go back into the concordance file and edit it, or go back into the manual to take out the marked index entries that I don't want.
Either way, this is not good.
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