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Subject: RE: [dita] index terms
Given the possible misinterpretation of "every single
book index I've seen uses page ranges", I'd like to
clarify here (though I suspect Chris was just speaking
casually and knows all this already).
You can't see what I think we mean by "page ranges"
in printed indexes.
If one has "point-wise" indexterms for "Hammer" whose
associated positions end up, after formatting, on
pages 3, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 8, and 10, then sufficiently
robust indexing software will generate an index entry for:
Hammer 3, 5-8, 10.
This is not a use of page ranges. We do not need the extra
markup for page ranges just to get this output effect.
Page ranges is markup concept. It's used when one wants
to be able to "bracket" some input content and say that
*every character within that range* should be considered
as being indexed under the given indexterm. It's morally
equivalent to putting a point-wise indexterm on every
word within the range and then having indexing software
do the usually merging as demonstrated above.
I'm fully aware of the utility of indexing page ranges--and
possible Chris is saying that every single book index whose
source markup he's seen uses page ranges as I've described
them--but I do suggest it may be outside the cost/benefit
tradeoffs for DITA 1.1.
paul
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