Printing Indices and Menus

To print an index means to include it as part of a manual or Info file. This does not happen automatically just because you use @cindex or other index-entry generating commands in the Texinfo file; those just cause the raw data for the index to be accumulated. To generate an index, you must include the @printindex command at the place in the document where you want the index to appear. Also, as part of the process of creating a printed manual, you must run a program called texindex (see Hardcopy) to sort the raw data to produce a sorted index file. The sorted index file is what is actually used to print the index.

Texinfo offers six separate types of predefined index, each with a two-letter abbreviation, as illustrated in the following table. However, you may merge indices (see Combining Indices) or define your own indices (see New Indices).

Here are the predefined indices, their abbreviations, and the corresponding index entry commands:

cp

concept index (@cindex)

fn

function index (@findex)

vr

variable index (@index)

ky

key index (@kindex)

pg

program index (@pindex)

tp

data type index (@tindex)

The @printindex command takes a two-letter index abbreviation, reads the corresponding sorted index file and formats it appropriately into an index.

The @printindex command does not generate a chapter heading for the index. Consequently, you should precede the @printindex command with a suitable section or chapter command (usually @appendix or @unnumbered) to supply the chapter heading and put the index into the table of contents. Precede the @unnumbered command with an @node line.

For example:

     @node Variable Index
     @unnumbered Variable Index
     
     @printindex vr
     
     @node Concept Index
     @unnumbered Concept Index
     
     @printindex cp
     

We recommend placing the concept index last, since that makes it easiest to find. We also recommend having a single index whenever possible, since then readers have only one place to look (see Combining Indices).