Index With Page Numbers to Left of Index Entries, and Part Number to the Right.

[brookchef]

Hello Forum!

I am creating an index for a business catalog.  Our existing catalog shows the page number first, then the product name and then the part number. 

Is there a way to have Publisher 2 create an index with the page number on the left side of the product? 

I would also like to have the part number appear to the right if possible. 

I have not come across anything discussing either of these features, but it would be useful for business catalogs.  Has anyone set up an index like this?  Without the ability to create this full index using the index tool, it will need to be created and hyperlinked manually.

Thank you.

[Old Bruce]

2 minutes ago, brookchef said:

I am creating an index for a business catalog.  Our existing catalog shows the page number first, then the product name and then the part number. 

Is there a way to have Publisher 2 create an index with the page number on the left side of the product? 

I would also like to have the part number appear to the right if possible. 

I have not come across anything discussing either of these features, but it would be useful for business catalogs.  Has anyone set up an index like this?  Without the ability to create this full index using the index tool, it will need to be created and hyperlinked manually.

You could take a look at the Table of Contents panel. It allows page number before the entry. Not sure if this would be of use in that it would be sorted by page number and not product name.

[brookchef]

Thank you @Old Bruce.  I have thought of the TOC option, but I do need this in alphabetical order.\

One thought for a workaround will contain the following steps:

1. Create the content using a TOC

2. Copy TOC contents to a spreadsheet (hope that's not too difficult)

3. Alphebetize by product name

4. Copy and paste page by page as individual tables (Publisher is unable to extend tables to next page as it can with text)

5. Add hyperlinks manually.

 

This will take a lot of time and I'm hoping to automate as much as I can.  I do not mind taking the time to set the document up properly if this can be done by Publisher.

[Oufti]

4 hours ago, brookchef said:

2. Copy TOC contents to a spreadsheet (hope that's not too difficult)

3. Alphebetize by product name

You can also copy to Word or LibreOffice and use the command menu Tools > Sort…

Then paste, without formatting, the whole table back in Publisher in place of the original TOC, and add manually hyperlinks lost in transfer.
(Note you'll have to redo that each time you refresh the TOC.) 

[Old Bruce]

16 hours ago, Oufti said:

(Note you'll have to redo that each time you refresh the TOC.) 

Only if you have new page numbers or items added. I would assume the ToC would be discarded and the Table kept.

[prophet]

Here's a rough and utterly ridiculous technique…

Index as a symbol, placed twice (red dotted outline), blue shape has Text Wrap to force right side index to align left, white shapes (with transparency to show what's happening) cover up the respective words and numbers of the 2 symbols.

Cons: insane to try and build and maintain
Pros: um…technically does what the OP wants? maybe?

[brookchef]

@Oufti Yes,  I was thinking what you are describing.  More effort than I would like to put into it.

@prophet Interesting approach.  If the index created hyperlinks to the listing as well as the page number, I might try this.  I would need to add the part numbers on top of the hidden page numbers to the right, for about 6 full page length columns.  While more work than I would like, it will be easier to maintain if I put the effort in to exporting the index, reconfiguring columns and then adding part numbers, then pasting into separate tables on each page.  Entries will not change much if at all.

Thank you all for your input.