Bug 129719 - ALPHABETICAL INDEX: "run-on" entries need to be separated by semicolons (not commas)
Summary: ALPHABETICAL INDEX: "run-on" entries need to be separated by semicolons (not ...
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Writer (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
unspecified
Hardware: All All
: medium enhancement
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks: TableofContents-Indexes
  Show dependency treegraph
 
Reported: 2020-01-01 16:03 UTC by R. Green
Modified: 2020-01-23 10:12 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
Writer file with example index, showing "run-on" entries (29.34 KB, application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text)
2020-01-01 16:03 UTC, R. Green
Details
Screen shot of a "run on" index (136.94 KB, image/png)
2020-01-01 16:06 UTC, R. Green
Details

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Description R. Green 2020-01-01 16:03:03 UTC
Created attachment 156886 [details]
Writer file with example index, showing "run-on" entries

1. Open the attached writer file. Inspect the index edit dialogue, Entries tab. Note that "Key separated by commas" has been ticked.

2. Now close, the dialogue and view the index.

Expected result: Entries should be separated by semicolons, e.g. "could 1; dead-end 2, 3; disappeared 2, 3;" etc.

Actual result: Index looks like this, "could 1, dead-end 2, 3, disappeared 2, 3," etc.

In other words, the entries should be separated by semicolons, not commas. See "New Hart's Rules" (Oxford University Press): Indexing > Layout.
Comment 1 R. Green 2020-01-01 16:06:09 UTC
Created attachment 156887 [details]
Screen shot of a "run on" index
Comment 2 R. Green 2020-01-12 14:11:17 UTC
The other thing is that "Key separated by commas" needs to be changed to "Key separated by semicolons".
Comment 3 Dieter 2020-01-21 16:47:23 UTC
(In reply to R. Green from comment #0)
> In other words, the entries should be separated by semicolons, not commas.
> See "New Hart's Rules" (Oxford University Press): Indexing > Layout.

I confirm the described behaviour. But I assume, but "New Hartt's Rules" is not the only Layout Guide. So I would prefer to add the option "Key separated by semicolons"

cc: Design-Team for further input.
Comment 4 R. Green 2020-01-21 21:09:17 UTC
The other authority is "The Chicago Manual of Style". And it shows the same thing: each entry separated from the other by a semicolon and a space.
Comment 5 Heiko Tietze 2020-01-22 09:35:18 UTC
Yes, let's introduce the option in the ToC creation dialog. It's a bit unclear to me when to set a semicolon. From the Chicago manual:

"Scattered references to a subject over several pages or sections are usually indicated by separate locators (34, 35, 36; 8.18, 8.20, 8.21)."

So how to define "scattered"?
Comment 6 R. Green 2020-01-22 13:32:31 UTC
(In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #5)
> "Scattered references to a subject over several pages or sections are
> usually indicated by separate locators (34, 35, 36; 8.18, 8.20, 8.21)."

You are referring to a different (and less common) type of index, whereas the ones we are dealing with are page number referenced only, and more common by far. The main thing is (to quote the CMOS):

"In  run-in  style,  the  subentries  follow  one  another  without each one’s starting a new line. They are separated by semicolons."
Comment 7 Heiko Tietze 2020-01-23 10:12:06 UTC
(In reply to R. Green from comment #6)
> You are referring to a different (and less common) type of index...

Okay, so let's just introduce this option - if the roundtrip is granted.