Index page for Police Code

[ffutures]

I'm trying to work out how to format the index pages for the Police Code book. There are about 1700 index phrases, and if I leave it single column it's going to be pretty useless. Organizing it vertically in two or more columns may also be a bad idea, invariably someone would want to look up something that was at the bottom of the first column but had entries that stretched over onto the top of the next.

I could break it down into smaller files alphabetically, or put in a row of alphabetical links at intervals, but that adds a lot more button clicks. What I'm wondering is if it would be a good idea to do it as a VERY wide table, say 30 lines high and 50 columns wide, with the user scrolling sideways.

Any thoughts? Better suggestions?

Comments

[lillian13.livejournal.com]

If all the index entries are links, I would just have the set of alphbetical links that would open up to the index listings. A few more clicks, but quite a bit easier on your readers.

[ggreig]

Clicks are better than scrolling, and horizontal scrolling is the devil, in usability terms.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Yes - I think on reflection that what I'll do is put in some alphabetical links, say after each letter and at the top and bottom.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Pretty much what I've done.