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DITA: Index entries

You can add index entries to topics. Even if you don't see the value in providing an index, index entries can help searches find the right topics.

There are various approaches for adding indexes, but here's a typical way to add index entries.

In the prolog | metadata | keywords element of a topic, add index terms The prolog element comes just after the shortdesc element (which follows the title). Here's a sample: 
<title>My Title</title>
 <shortdesc/>
<prolog>
    <metadata>
      <keywords>
        <indexterm>cars</indexterm>
      </keywords>
    </metadata>
  </prolog>
You can also nest index entries inside of each other to create parent-child relationships among the index terms: 
  <prolog>
    <metadata>
      <keywords>
        <indexterm>cars
                <indexterm>sedan</indexterm>
        </indexterm>
      </keywords>
    </metadata>
  </prolog>
The result in the index will look like this: 
cars
  - sedan

When you want to create a "see" entry for an index, code it like this:

   <indexterm>vehicle
   <index-see>car</index-see>
</indexentry>

The result of the index-see element is the following:

    vehicle, see car

If you want to include a page number with the see also reference, write it like this:

    <indexterm>vehicle
   <index-see-also>car</index-see-also>
</indexentry>
    </indexterm>

The output will look like this:

    vehicle ..... 23
           see also car

Keep in mind that index entries added to the prolog section will include page numbers pointing to the location of the prolog. Since most topics are short, this isn't a problem. Also, since the online help is usually the main deliverable, it's also not a problem. However, you can also add index entries in the middle of your topics. (But apparently this causes some problems, especially with translation.)

Also, some PDF renderers don't include page numbers to index entries. At any rate, since PDF isn't usually the main deliverable, this is not a concern with index terms.

About Tom Johnson

Tom Johnson

I'm a technical writer / API doc specialist based in the Seattle area. In this blog, I write about topics related to technical writing and communication — such as software documentation, API documentation, visual communication, information architecture, writing techniques, plain language, tech comm careers, and more. Check out my API documentation if you're looking for more info about that. If you're a technical writer and want to keep on top of the latest trends in the field, be sure to subscribe to email updates below. You can also learn more about me or contact me. Finally, note that the opinions I express on my blog are my own points of view, not that of my employer.

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