<refentry id="index.element">
<?dbhtml filename="index.html"?>
<refentryinfo>
<pubdate>$Date$</pubdate>
<releaseinfo>$Revision$</releaseinfo>
</refentryinfo>

<refmeta>
<indexterm><primary>elements</primary>
<secondary>index</secondary></indexterm>
<refentrytitle>index</refentrytitle>
<refmiscinfo>Element</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>
<refnamediv>
<refname>index</refname>
<refpurpose>&index.purpose;</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>

&index.synopsis.gen;
<refsect1 condition='ref.description'><title>Description</title>

<para>
An <sgmltag>Index</sgmltag> contains the formatted index of a document.
An index may begin with introductory material, followed by
any number of <sgmltag>IndexEntry</sgmltag>s or <sgmltag>IndexDiv</sgmltag>s.
</para>

<refsect2><title>Processing expectations</title>
<para>
&format.block; An <sgmltag>Index</sgmltag> in a <sgmltag>Book</sgmltag>
frequently causes a forced page break in print media.
</para>

<para>
In many processing systems, indexes are generated automatically or 
semiautomatically and never appear instantiated as DocBook markup.
</para>
</refsect2>

<refsect2 role='fu' revision="5.0"><title>&FutureChanges;</title>
<para>
<indexterm><primary>DocBook DTD</primary><secondary>Changes for <acronym>V5.0</acronym></secondary>
</indexterm>
Formal objects and other elements inappropriate for an index will be
removed from the content that can appear before the first
<sgmltag>IndexDiv</sgmltag> or <sgmltag>IndexEntry</sgmltag>.
</para>
</refsect2>


&index.parents.gen;
&index.children.gen;
</refsect1>
<refsect1><title>Examples</title>

<informalexample role="example-source">
<programlisting>&index.example.1.txt;</programlisting>
</informalexample>

<informalexample role="example-source">
<programlisting>&index.example.2.txt;</programlisting>
</informalexample>

&index.example.seealso.gen;
</refsect1>
</refentry>

