Creating a simple index

Topic group

A simple index consists of a single field.

The key of a simple index is just the name of a field. For example, in the Customer table, if you index on the CUSTOMER_N field, the key is the field name, CUSTOMER_N.

You can create a simple index using either the Table designer or the Manage Indexes dialog box, as shown in the next two sections.

Using the Table designer to create a simple index

To create a simple index in the Table designer, choose an index order for the field you want to use—ascending or descending.

Using the Manage Indexes dialog box to create a simple index

To open the Manage Indexes dialog box, in Table design mode, choose Structure|Manage Indexes. The Manage Indexes dialog box appears.

To create a simple index,

1. Choose New. The Define Index dialog box appears.

• Choose fields from the Available Fields list and add them to the Fields Of Index Key list at the right.

• Choose Ascending or Descending order.

• Choose Specify From Field List for a simple index.

• Enter a name for the new index.

You can use letters, numbers, and underscores, but the first character must be a letter. The name you use must be unique within the index file. For a simple index, use the field name.

Check your vendor documentation for other limitations.

By default, dBASE Plus indexes rows in ascending order. The exact sort order depends on the driver specified in BDE.

When you choose OK in the Manage Indexes dialog box, dBASE Plus builds any indexes you created or changed and removes any indexes you deleted.

Note

You might have to wait while the indexes are created, particularly if the table has many rows or if key expressions are long and complex.