Rob, Thanks for this insight! Yes, I have been importing index specs from a source file; it's possible that file has a bad reference page. I'll check that out. Since I do work alone from the point of index generation, no one will know or care if I leave a "dead" reference page... but it's worth the effort to clean it up.
I agree, it seems as though TOCs and indexes should have tables just like the other reference pages. I don't know why this has to be so inscrutable. As writers/editors, we spend our time trying to make information understandable. Wonder why the software developers can't make the tool we use (more) understandable, too. Thanks again, --Karen > >Dear Karen: >I am quite familiar with this problem. The problem arises since FM can and >does create two or more reference pages which on first sight deal with Index >Specifications. >This arises I think because of multiple format imports. The result is that >one or more of these Index Specification pages are "dead". By dead I mean >they have no effect on the target text. >There are two workarounds. One is to delete the dead reference pages. >Usually the live Index Specification is on the last reference page. > If you working from the start page onwards it is likely that you are >editing dead index specifications and all you have to do is find the" real" >Index Specification. >The second workaround is to go to the last page of the reference pages and >there edit your format, leaving the dead index specifications in situ. This >is the lazy option...Ok if you are working alone. >I do not understand at all why TOC and Index Specs do not have their own >dedicated tables as is the practice throughout the reference page range. >Such tables would be stable and allow for editing as does the well-designed >master page determination table. > > It is a good idea of course to fix your template file first otherwise you >will forever be importing dead Index Specifications, but notice that >importing the corrected Index specifications does not solve the problem as >the reference pages are not automatically overwritten. Only named reference >pages are overwritten. The answer here is to create blank reference page in >your template file with the same name as those pages you wish to get rid of. >I hope this rambling helps. >Rob
