In 1984, I saw what a chore it was to create the annual index to Bluegrass
Roots, the quarterly publication of The Kentucky Genealogical Society.
Back then, the predominant means of indexing was writing terms on 3x5 cards, sorting them by hand,
and then typing the index into columns with a typewriter. I looked around for a program that
would create indexes, found none suitable, so I sat down and created one.
Here's the important points about IXM.
IXM was created to index things that were not already composed on a computer,
such as old county histories, typed genealogies, periodicals, etc. With IXM,
you sit down with the final (or almost final) printed draft of the resource to be
indexed. You then enter the items you want to go into the index, into IXM's
text-editor, using a simple and easy to remember special keying format.
You do not have to repeatedly enter page numbers, and family surnames, or other
high level entries. This special keying format can save you lots of data
entry time, and disk space. IXM cannot read your current computer files
and automatically create an index. I know of no program smart enough to do
this. Yes, some programs can create an every-word index, but they cannot
create a back-of-book index. Also, some word-processing programs have built-in
indexing facilities, but they can be much more work than IXM.
You do not have to use IXM's editor to get index data into IXM. If you are PC
savvy, it's possible to bring over data from other programs. It's also possible
to arrange the data for separate projects so they can be combined into one big
index. Also, it's possible to have more than one person keying data, and then
you can bring it together onto one PC for processing by IXM. Others in the
project only need a simple text editor to key data, not a complete copy of IXM.
IXM runs on the IBM PC and compatibles, even the older PCs with as little as
512k of RAM and one diskette drive, but a hard disk works better. Even though
it's a DOS program, I provide a Windows icon, and instructions on how to define
IXM to Windows, so you can just click on it to bring it up. IXM will handle 1
million entries, even on a minimal PC.
IXM is fairly configurable. You can tell it where you want your data to reside,
where the output is to go, and a number of formatting and printing options.
For even more flexibility, you can route your sorted and formatted index over to
Word-Perfect, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, or any other word-processing program. You can make use of
your various fonts and formatting, which can save lots of print pages and make
your index more closely match your book.
IXM is just $15. Make your check payable to
The Kentucky Genealogical Society,
as a tax-deductible donation, and send to:
The Kentucky Genealogical Society, PO Box 153, Frankfort, KY 40602-0153.
or for faster service, send your request to me directly at:
Brian Harney, 111 Willowcrest Dr, Frankfort, KY 40601-3939
Unless otherwise requested, IXM will be sent by email.
Note that IXM is not shareware, nor in the public domain.
All rights reserved by the author, Brian D Harney, Frankfort, Ky.
IXM is supported by the author, via e-mail, snail-mail, or by telephone at
502-875-4452. No calls after 10pm Eastern, please. Support is free and unlimited,
(well, within reason) however, I have a regular job, so most calls to me must
be at night or on weekends. Also note that we do not answer calls that have no caller-id, so
if you get the answering machine, leave a message as to when would be the best time for me to call you back.
My e-mail address is bdharney2@aol.com.
No warranty on IXM is implied, and the author nor the KGS assumes any
responsibility for any loss of data or unusual circumstances regarding IXM.
However, the author uses IXM on a regular basis and therefore wants it to work
as smoothly for you. Feedback regarding IXM is welcomed.
IXM was reviewed in
Genealogical Computing twice, both times favorably.
This page created 4-Jan-1996, updated 7-Jun-2003.
Return to Brian Harney's WebPages.
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