chapter numbers in index

Is there a way to print section number in index page references without printing on the individual pages?



I'm creating a book that will change frequently. i now have about 10 sections in separate documents. i want document numbering to start on page 1 for each document because users will be able to print the section relevant to them and if i had more pages to an earlier document i don't want the page numbers for subsequent documents to change. i thought it was working fine till i started to create my index. i need the chapter numbers to appear in the index; otherwise how does the user know which chapter to go to if the reference is only page 1. i really don't want the chapter numbers as part of the page number on the individual pages. i planned to print a footer that included chapter # and title on one side with page number on the other. if i assign sections to equal my chapters, i can't find a way to print the section in the index without printing in the pages.
chapter numbers in index
What happens if you include the section prefix in the page number, as in 1.4 or 2-75? A lot of technical manuals are numbered that way. I don't know if that will work with the indexing, but I think it should.
chapter numbers in index
that works. the problem is it shows it on the individual pages as well as the index. guess i can't have it both ways.

It seems to me that if you have multiple sections, all with the same numbering, you do a disservice to the reader NOT to include the section prefix on the page. If I open the book in the middle, I want to know if I'm looking at section 4 or section 6, as well as see that I'm on page 29.

I had planned to have a footer across the bottom of the page that had ''section # title of section'' on the left and the page # on the right. the footer also has a colored background to help distinguish one section from another. so the section number is on every page. i just didn't want it ''with'' the page number.

As Mick Jagger might say, ''You can't always get what you want.''