index, indexing

A sorted list of record keys or the process of creating and maintaining such a list. When you index a field in a file, Advanced Revelation creates a two-part list, or index, for that field. One part of the index is the data in the indexed field (for example, company name) for each record, and the other part is the record key. The index is sorted according to the data in the indexed field. For example, if you index the company name field in a file, the index itself is alphabetized by company name.

Indexing has three advantages: 1) you can access records from a data entry window using an indexed field(s) instead of record keys, 2) selecting records for reports and other processes is faster when you select based on indexed fields, because the selection process addresses only the index, not the entire file, and 3) sorting records is faster, because the index is already sorted.

Advanced Revelation offers four types of indexes, each with different characteristics: Btree indexes, Cross Reference indexes, Relational indexes, and Quickdexes/Rightdexes.