Index sorting does not care about language setting
- InDesign 14.0.1 x64
- Create a document.
Add an index reference for the word "Skrå".
Add an index reference for the word "Skrivare".
Add an index reference for the word "Överleva".
Add an index reference for the word "Ondska".
Go to index Sort Settings. Select Header Type Finnish/Swedish for the Roman script.
Generate an index.
Observe:
Ondska is placed under O.
Överleva is placed under Ö. Which is at the end of the alphabet. This is as it should be, here in Sweden-land.
However:
Skrivare is placed below Skrå. Despite å being placed last in the swedish alphabet. We have "å, ä ö" after z.
In other words: Index sections care about sort options. There seems to be no way to make the sorting of the actual topics respect the same sort options.
The only way I've found to generate a proper swedish index is to install the shudder swedish version of InDesign.
This seems weird to me. I should be able to create documents in other languages than the one InDesign itself is using. And most of InDesign supports this – dictionary languages can be chosen by paragraph, but the index will always be generated based on the InDesign UI language...

3 comments
-
Mikael Bergström commented
Workaround for books:
With NO DOCUMENTS OPEN: Use Type->Character to choose "global InDesign language". Choose swedish) or whatever language you want).Why we can't just choose the language for a given book, or for the index separately, is beyond me.
-
Mikael Bergström commented
Given workaround does not work for books.
If there are two or more documents in a book, checking the "book" box in the Index panel will switch between correct and incorrect sorting. Regardless of document/InDesign global language, dictionary setting, etc.To replicate:
Do the above (adding references etc) with two separate documents. Make sure documents use Swedish language.
Create a new book. Add the two documents.Result: On the document level, sorting is correct. Bot not on the Book level.
The only sure workaround still seems to be changing the InDesign UI language...
-
Mikael Bergström commented
Additional info / workaround: The sorting seems to depend on the "document language". So:
1) Make sure no objects are selected.
2) Go to text tool.
3. Choose language.Seems like a pretty weirdly hidden setting - why is the only way to change the global/overall language for the document hidden in the text tool?