How can I customise memoir's index to have more than two columns?

Question

Is it possible to customise memoir's index so that it has more than two columns? My index entries are single Chinese characters, so even \twocolindex results in way too much whitespace.

Answer 1

Use the idxlayout package. It allows for indexes with more than two columns and is responsive to the index-related options and commands of the memoir class.

Disclosure: I'm the package author.

\documentclass{memoir}

% \usepackage{makeidx}% Emulated by memoir
\makeindex

\usepackage[columns=3]{idxlayout}

\begin{document}

\chapter{foo}

Some text.\index{Alpha}\index{Bravo}\index{Charlie}\index{Delta}\index{Echo}\index{Foxtrott}

\printindex

\end{document}

Answer 2

^{Sorry for ressurrecting an old thread, but I'd like to provide another suggestion for completeness' sake. :)}

The most recent version of the imakeidx package is memoir-compliant. We can easily use it to customize our index, including the number of columns. :)

\documentclass{memoir}

\usepackage{imakeidx}[2012/05/09]
\makeindex[columns=3]

\begin{document}

\chapter{Hello}

Some text.\index{Apple}\index{Apricot}\index{Avocado}\index{Banana}
\index{Bilberry}\index{Blackberry}\index{Blackcurrant}\index{Blueberry}
\index{Currant}\index{Cherry}\index{Cherimoya}\index{Clementine}
\index{Date}\index{Damson}\index{Dragonfruit}\index{Durian}
\index{Eggplant}\index{Elderberry}\index{Feijoa}\index{Gooseberry}
\index{Grape}\index{Grapefruit}\index{Guava}\index{Huckleberry}
\index{Jackfruit}\index{Jambul}\index{Kiwi fruit}\index{Kumquat}
\index{Legume}\index{Lemon}\index{Lime}\index{Lychee}\index{Mandarine}
\index{Mango}\index{Melon}\index{Nectarine}\index{Orange}\index{Peach}
\index{Pear}\index{Pitaya}\index{Physalis}\index{Plum}\index{Pineapple}
\index{Pomegranate}\index{Purple Mangosteen}\index{Raisin}\index{Raspberry}
\index{Rambutan}\index{Redcurrant}\index{Salal berry}\index{Satsuma}
\index{Star fruit}\index{Strawberry}\index{Tangerine}\index{Tomato}
\index{Ugli fruit}\index{Watermelon}\index{Ziziphus mauritiana}

\printindex

\end{document}

The output: