[OS X TeX] Fwd: hyperref problem

Fri Aug 3 10:29:11 EDT 2012

I submitted the message below to texhax, eliciting no response (perhaps this is no longer functioning).  I wonder if someone on this list can enlighten me about the problem.

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Nitecki, Zbigniew H." <Zbigniew.Nitecki at tufts.edu<mailto:Zbigniew.Nitecki at tufts.edu>>
Subject: hyperref problem
Date: August 1, 2012 11:22:28 EDT
To: "texhax at tug.org<mailto:texhax at tug.org>" <texhax at tug.org<mailto:texhax at tug.org>>

As part of a large book project, I am using hyperref on the pdf version of output.  There are many index entries which have compiled with no problem, but all of a sudden one set of index entries is returning an error message.  I have extracted what I hope is an illustrative minimal example.
**********************************************************************
%!TEX TS-program =  latex
\documentclass[11pt]{book}
\usepackage{makeidx}
\usepackage[colorlinks, backref]{hyperref}
\makeindex

\newcommand{\resp}[1]{(\textit{resp}. #1)}

\newcommand{\deffont}[1]{\textbf{#1}}%
\ifIndexDefs
\renewcommand{\deffont}[1]{\textbf{#1}\index{#1}}
\fi

\newcommand{\deffontcustom}[2]{\textbf{#1}\index{#2}}

\begin{document}

These are the \deffont{intercepts}.
The intervals between the intercepts are called the \deffontcustom{axes}{axis|of ellipse} of this ellipse;
the larger \resp{smaller}  is called the \deffontcustom{major axis}{axis|of ellipse|major}
\resp{\deffontcustom{minor axis}{axis|minor|of ellipse}}; thus the larger of $a$ and $b$ is the
\deffontcustom{semi-major axis}{axis  | semi-major | of ellipse} while the smaller is the \deffontcustom{semi-minor axis}{axis | semi-minor | of ellipse}.

\printindex

\end{document}
*****************************************************************************************************

I must admit at this point I don't understand the function of the definition of \deffont followed by \ifIndexDefs and a \renewcommand; there is an "undefined control sequence" error connected with the \ifIndexDefs line, but I don't think this is the problem.  But I get the error messages

./Hyperreftest.ind:3: Undefined control sequence.
<argument> \minor

l.3   \item axis, \hyperindexformat{\minor}{1}
                                              ,
?
./Hyperreftest.ind:4: Undefined control sequence.
<argument> \of
               ellipse
l.4 \hyperindexformat{\of ellipse}{1}

?
./Hyperreftest.ind:5: Undefined control sequence.
<argument> \semi
                 -major
l.5 ...m axis , \hyperindexformat{\semi-major }{1}
                                                  ,
?
./Hyperreftest.ind:6: Undefined control sequence.
<argument> \semi
                 -minor
l.6 \hyperindexformat{\semi-minor }{1}

?

If I ignore them, everything appears to compile OK.

I looked into the .ind file (even for the large project) and these entries are the only ones that seem to generate a
"\hyperindexformat" entry;  all others create subitems.

What is going on, and what can I do to stop it?

I've attached the .tex, .ind, .console, and .pdf files--in fact, all the files generated by this process.

Zbigniew Nitecki
Department of Mathematics
Tufts University
Medford, MA 02155

telephones:
Office    (617)627-3843
Dept.    (617)627-3234
Dept. fax    (617)627-3966
http://www.tufts.edu/~znitecki/

Zbigniew Nitecki
Department of Mathematics
Tufts University
Medford, MA 02155

telephones:
Office    (617)627-3843
Dept.    (617)627-3234
Dept. fax    (617)627-3966
http://www.tufts.edu/~znitecki/

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