Indexing and sorting dBASE tables

Topic group

Rows in dBASE tables can be organized either by indexing or by sorting. Both methods arrange rows in a specific order, but in completely different ways. Relational databases require index files; sorting creates a separate table with a different organization.

This section describes both indexing and sorting in a dBASE table. It covers the following topics:

Indexing versus sorting

Simple indexes and complex indexes

Design concepts and guidelines for indexes

Adding, modifying, and deleting indexes

Sorting data to a separate table

Creating indexes for Paradox tables

Note

The material in this section applies to dBASE, Paradox, and SQL indexes. However, specific guidelines and procedures might differ. If you’re using SQL tables, see your database documentation.