Embedded indexing

When the latest version of Microsoft® Word was released, a function, unnoticed by some, was the ability to export XML files. Furthermore, Word's embedded indexing tags are successfully included in the XML file. Microsoft is starting to push Office/XML as the front-end to almost everything, and so publishers, many of whom are developing XML- based systems, will start to look at embedded Word indexes as a preferred medium for transporting index information. In any case, embedded indexes can have advantages and can be worthwhile, if creating them is sufficiently easy. Embedded indexes are not complicated, and in today's world it would be wise for any indexer to have an under- standing of the issues. This article explains simply how an embedded index works; the advantages and limitations of embedded indexes; how to create an embedded index using Microsoft Word, and briefly describes the software available to make embedding practical.