Re: Index of cases

[Alan L Tyree <alantyree@gmail.com>]

On 08/09/13 14:37, Jambunathan K wrote:
> CC me in the reply.
>
>
> Alan L Tyree <alantyree@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> G'day,
>>
>> I am the author of a legal text of about 700 pages. I currently have
>> the book in LaTeX using the memoir class. A couple of macros define
>> special indexes for a Table of Cases and a Table of Statutes.
> Please share the existing macros.  Others may find it useful or get
> inspiration from it.
G'day Jambu,
Here are the LaTeX macros that I use.
\idx is just the normal index
\sdx generates a Table of Statutes
\cdx is the ordinary macro for generating a Table of Cases

\cdxnop indexes the case (Puts it in the Table of Cases) but does not 
print it in the manuscript; this is for certain cases like Re Jones that 
should appear in the Table of Cases as "Jones, Re"

\cdx and \cdxnop have two arguments since the legal tradition calls for 
the name but not the citation to be italicised.

%%%%%%%%% section numbers as references
\newcommand{\idx}[1]{\specialindex{ablidx}{subsection}{#1}}%%Section numbers
\newcommand{\cdx}[2]{\specialindex{ablcdx}{subsection}{#1 #2}\emph{#1} #2}
\newcommand{\cdxnop}[2]{\specialindex{ablcdx}{subsection}{#1 #2}}
\newcommand{\sdx}[1]{\specialindex{ablsdx}{subsection}{#1}}

\makeindex[ablsdx]
\makeindex[ablcdx]
\makeindex[ablidx]


Here is the way that the case indexing macro appears in text:

#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE
Provided the documents are in order, the buyer must pay. This is so
even if it is known that the goods have been lost at sea. For example,
in \cdx{Manbre Saccharine Co Ltd v Corn Products Co Ltd}{[1919] 1
   KB 198} the defendants sold American pearl starch to the plaintiffs
on CIF London terms.
#+END_EXAMPLE

The Memoir class requires some special set up for printing the alternate 
indexes:

\cleartorecto
\renewcommand{\indexname}{Table of cases}
\onecolindextrue
\printindex[ablcdx] % table of cases


>
>> I would like to move the whole thing to Org to make it easier for my
>> editors who can be easily alarmed by the LaTeX markup.
>>
>> The LaTeX is overkill since I submit the manuscript to the publisher
>> in a Word file.
> If you are interested in ODT export and find something missing, I would
> be happy to implement.
I use ODT export quite a bit, but I haven't used it with book length 
writing that requires indexes. Obviously would be nice, but I can submit 
the chapters separate from the indexes so it may not be necessary. If I 
get anywhere with this, I'll definitely rely on your kind offer.
> The exporter currently doesn't print table of figures etc.  It is
> something that I hope to flesh out.  Btw, the exporter already
> categorises Math formula (meaning png images or MathML snippets
> converted from Latex math snipppets) in to it's own sequence counter.
> So I believe we can conjure up a way to enumerate the cases separately.
>
>> Is there a standard way to get, say, the table of cases? A typical
>> "case" looks like this:
>>
>>      Howell v Coupland (1874) LR 9 QB 462; (1876) 1 QBD 258
>>
>> The Table of Cases needs to indicate where in the text the case is
>> mentioned; reference to section numbers is OK. So, for example, in the
>> Table of Cases, the above case appears as:
>>
>>      Howell v Coupland (1874) LR 9 QB 462; (1876) 1 QBD 258  [15.16]
>>      [15.25]
> Assuming that the cases are introduced in a paragraph you can attach a
> label and caption to a paragraph and link to the NAME with the usual
> "reference" link.  (This is possible with the new exporter.)
>
> #+CAPTION: A Non-sensical case
> #+NAME: case:dismissed
> This paragraph describes HowellvCoupland.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Another alternative would be to introduce the title of the case as a
> paragraph of its own and styled separately and then link to the
> paragraph.
>
> #+ATTR_ODT: :style "Cases"
> A Non-sensical case
>
> This paragraph describes HowellvCoupland.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The difference between the two is this: In the second case, the name of
> the case goes right in to document content rather than as a paragraph
> caption.
>
> In ODT, it is possible to "collect" paragraphs that have a given style
> in to an index of it's own.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
If I understand you correctly, both approaches would require quite a bit 
of markup to go back into the main part of the manuscript. This is what 
I'm trying to avoid since the publisher and editors have always required 
Word. I have (I think) got them to agree to accept plain text, but I 
would like to make it just as plain as possible.

Paragraphs in the text may refer to many cases, so I don't think your 
suggestions will meet that goal. Again, that is under the assumption 
that I understood you correctly.

Thanks for the input!

Cheers,
Alan

> I am writing from memory and you know better than to repose trust on
> someone you have never met.


-- 
Alan L Tyree                    http://www2.austlii.edu.au/~alan
Tel:  04 2748 6206              sip:typhoon@iptel.org