[l2h] Interaction between 'show_section_numbers' and 'short_index'

[Volker Simonis]

Hello alltogether,

I found the following interaction between the two options 
'show_section_numbers' and 'short_index': if I use -show_section_numbers the 
created index will contain only the section numbers, no difference if the 
option -short_index was used or not. This is because of the following code in 
'makeidx.perl':

    if ($SHOW_SECTION_NUMBERS) { $words = &make_idxnum; }
    elsif ($SHORT_INDEX) { $words = &make_shortidxname; }
    else { $words = &make_idxname; }

I think this interaction is confusing, especially because it is not 
documetned, neither at the description of 'show_section_numbers' nor at the 
description of 'short_index'.

I think the best thing would be to simply skip the first line, because it's 
would be the only way to use 'show_section_numbers' and produce a short 
index. 

Another point is that the function make_shortidxname uses a logical numbering 
of chapters, parts and so on. So if I have for example a Table Of Contentents 
before the first chapter, make_shortidxname will return '2' for an index into 
the first chapter, whereas make_idxnum correctly returns '1'. This is 
especially confusing when using -short_index together with 
-show_section_numbers (which admittedly wasn't possible until now).

So 'make_shortidxname' should be fixed as well or not used more at all in 
favour of 'make_idxnum' in the case where -show_section_numbers is used, 
because different section numbers in the section title and the index are 
quite confusing.

What's youre opinion on this topic?

Volker Simonis