How to Add Index Topics in Bulk

You don’t have to mark topics one by one. Paste a list of topics, pick up every term set in one style, or import a list from another book, and Lacuna files every mention in one step.

Each way shows you first how often your book mentions each topic, and nothing is indexed until you click. Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z⌘ Cmd+⇧ Shift+ZCtrl+Shift+Z undoes the whole step.

How to paste a list of index topics

In the Index panel, click Add topics.
Type or paste one topic per line. Lacuna counts each one’s mentions as you go.
Check the topics to add. Topics your book mentions start checked. Click File as on a name to file it under the surname.
Click Index N mentions.

A topic your book already has is marked (already a topic), and its new mentions are filed too.

Shortcuts in a topic list

Click a shortcut under the box to add its symbol where you are typing, or point at it to see what it does. Every one is optional.

Type	To
`cats > wild`	File wild as a subentry of cats (Subentry). Up to three levels.
`Lincoln, Abraham \| Abe Lincoln`	Also find Abe Lincoln in your text (Also matches).
`The Hobbit ~ Hobbit`	Sort it under H (Sort as).
`Turkey !`	Find Turkey but not turkey (Match case).
`Honest Abe -> Lincoln, Abraham`	Send readers to the other topic (See).
`copyright ->+ permissions`	Add a related topic (See also). One per line: repeat the topic on another line for more.
`# Places`	A note to yourself. Lines that start with `#` are skipped, and so are blank lines.

How to index every word set in one style

For books whose important terms are already set apart: species names in italics, key terms in bold.

How to index every word set in one style

Click Add topics, then Add by style… at the bottom.
Under Style to look for, choose Italic, Bold, Small caps, Underline or Handwriting. Every word or phrase in that style is listed, with how many times it appears.
Uncheck any that aren’t topics. To file them all as subentries of one topic, pick it under Under topic.
Click Index N runs (a run is one place set in the style).

How to import a topic list

A topic list is a plain text file, one topic per line, with the same shortcuts. Export one from a book to use its topics in another, such as the next book in a series.

How to import a topic list

In the Index panel, open Index options (the settings button beside Add topics) and choose Import topics….
Pick the .txt file. Lacuna lists its topics and counts their mentions.
Check the topics to keep, and add your book’s spelling to any that are not found.
Click Index N mentions.

In the import review	To
A checked topic	Found in your text, or already in your book. Its count is how often your book mentions it.
Not found in the text	Topics your book never mentions in those words. Unchecked to start.
Add a spelling	Type the words your book uses (a middle initial, a nickname) and click Add. The topic is counted again and kept as another spelling.
See …	A topic that only sends readers elsewhere. It brings that topic with it.
Add without indexing	Add the checked topics and leave their mentions for Review.
Index N mentions	Add the checked topics and file every mention, in one step you can undo.

Importing never removes a topic. Nothing is added until you click: closing the panel first asks whether to import or Discard import.

To export your topics, open Index options and choose Export topics…. Lacuna saves them as index-topics.txt. A topic list holds the topics, their other spellings and cross-references, not where they appear in your text.

Questions

Why are some of my topics unchecked?

Your book never mentions them in those words, so indexing them would add topics with no page numbers. Check one to add it anyway, or add the spelling your book uses.

What does “Not found in the text” mean?

Your book doesn’t use those words. A name in a book often carries a middle name or initial a list leaves out: click Add a spelling and type it the way your book does.