Indexing Offline

1.1: What is indexing Offine?

In the old days, before there was an Online Interface to index comics with at the GCD, all indexes had to be done offline. The offline versions of the indexes consisted of text files with tabs that were then compiled together and distributed. File-submission indexing let indexers prepare index files offline using spreadsheet or text editor programs, and submit these files to the GCD as e-mail attachments.

Indexing Offline, or Flat-File Indexing as it often was called, is currently supported on an issue basis.

1.2: How do I use it? How do I reserve comics to index Offline?

Use the Online Interface at http://www.comics.org as usual. After you click on 'edit' for an issue you can always import a file with additional stories. If the issue has no stories attached you can also import a file with information for the whole issue.

1.3: What is the format for indexing Offline?

Note that while data is sometimes optional, the format for the data is not. And if a field is left blank you still have to include the empty field (i.e., have consecutive tabs) so the other fields match up (note that some software won't do this if you try to save a text file, so check carefully).

The following table shows the function of the 11 fields for issue records.

1. number
2. volume
3. indicia publisher
4. brand
5. publication_date
6. key_date
7. indicia_frequency
8. price
9. page_count
10. editing
11. notes

So the line would look like (here and in the following ^T represents a tab)

number ^T volume ^T indicia publisher ^T brand ^T publication_date ^T key_date ^T indicia_frequency ^T price ^T page_count ^T editing ^T notes

The following table shows the function of the 16 fields for story records.

1. Story Title
2. Type
3. Feature
4. Page Count
5. Script
6. Pencils
7. Inks
8. Colorist
9. Letterer
10. Editor
11. Genre
12. Character Appearances
13. Job Number
14. Reprint info
15. Short Synopsis of Story
16. Notes

Story Title ^T Type ^T Feature ^T Page Count ^T Script ^T Pencils ^T Inks ^T Colorist ^T Letterer ^T Editor ^T Genre ^T Character Appearances ^T Job Number ^T Reprint info ^T Short Synopsis of Story ^T Notes

If you import a full issue the first line is for the issue followed by several lines for the story sequences.

An example for a whole issue import:

1 ^T ^T Bildschriftenverlag ^T ^T ^T ^T ^T 0.60 DEM ^T 36 ^T ? ^T Informationen vom Bildschriftenarchiv.
^T cover ^T ^T 1 ^T none ^T ? ^T ? ^T ? ^T none ^T none ^T ^T ^T ^T from Turok, Son Of Stone (Gold Key, 1962 series) #30 ^T ^T
Das verlorene Tal ^T story ^T Turok ^T ? ^T ? ^T Alberto Giolitti ^T Alberto Giolitti; Giovanni Ticci (Assistent) ^T none ^T gesetzt ^T none ^T ^T ^T ^T from Turok, Son Of Stone (Gold Key, 1962 series) #30 ^T ^T
Ein Tag im Leben eines Dinosauriers ^T story ^T Junge Erde ^T ? ^T ? ^T Rex Maxon ^T Rex Maxon ^T none ^T gesetzt ^T none ^T ^T ^T ^T from Turok, Son Of Stone (Gold Key, 1962 series) #30 ^T ^T
Beute der Fleischfresser ^T story ^T Turok ^T ? ^T ? ^T Alberto Giolitti ^T Alberto Giolitti; Giovanni Ticci (Assistent) ^T none ^T gesetzt ^T none ^T ^T ^T ^T from Turok, Son Of Stone (Gold Key, 1962 series) #30 ^T ^T

If one just adds sequences to an issue the first line cannot be there, otherwise it is the same.

Several additional things to consider:

• If a credits field is not applicable for the story (e.g. for a black and white story there is no colorist) please enter 'none' for that field.
• If the Page_Count is uncertain please add a question mark '?' behind it
• If the story title is made up please put it in []-brackets.
• Type has to be one from our list of Types
• indicia publisher and brand have to exist for the publisher