Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry, Third Edition

Chapter 18. Indexing

An index is often a reader’s primary information retrieval device. When readers search for a particular topic and find it referenced in an index, they are assured that the topic is covered in the document and their search has ended. When readers do not find a topic in an index, they might decide that the topic is not covered in that document and they might look elsewhere.

This chapter discusses the following topics:

• “What Is an Index?” on page 303

• “Style and Format for Indexes” on page 304

• “Creating an Index” on page 307

• “Refining and Checking an Index” on page 323

• “Checking the Size of an Index” on page 330

• “Global Index” on page 330

• “Online Index” on page 331

What Is an Index?

According ...