SET INDEX

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Opens index files for the current DBF table.

Syntax

SET INDEX TO [<filename list> [ORDER [TAG]
 <ndx filename> | <tag name> [OF <mdx filename>]]]

<filename list>

Specifies the index files to open, including both .NDX and .MDX indexes. The default extension is .MDX.

ORDER [TAG] <ndx filename> | <tag name>

Specifies a master index, which can be an .NDX file or a tag name contained within an .MDX index file. The TAG keyword is for readability only; it has no effect on the command.

OF <mdx filename>

Specifies a multiple index file containing <tag name>. The default extension is .MDX.

Description

Use SET INDEX to open the specified .NDX and .MDX files in the current work area. Open index files are updated when changes are made to the associated table. Including an index file list when issuing USE...INDEX is equivalent to following the USE command with the SET INDEX command.

If the first index opened with SET INDEX is an .NDX file, that index becomes the master index unless you specify another master index with the ORDER option or the SET ORDER command. If the first index opened with SET INDEX is an .MDX file and you don't specify the ORDER clause, no master index is defined, and records in the table appear in record number or natural order. To specify a master index for the current table, specify the ORDER option or use the SET ORDER command.

Before opening the indexes specified with the command, SET INDEX closes all open index files except the production .MDX file, the index file with the same name as the current table. Specifying SET INDEX TO without a list of indexes closes all open .NDX and .MDX files in the current work area, except for the production index file. You can also use the CLOSE INDEX command. All indexes, including the production .MDX file, are closed when you close the table.

The order in which you specify indexes with the SET INDEX command isn't necessarily the same as the order dBASE Plus uses for functions like TAG( ). Open indexes for a specified work area are ordered as follows:

1. All .NDX index files in the order you list them in <filename list>.

• All tags in the production .MDX file, in the order they were created. The tags are listed in order by the DISPLAY STATUS command.

• All tags in other open .MDX files.

The order of the open indexes remains the same until you specify another index order with the USE...INDEX or SET INDEX commands, or you issue an INDEX command.

OODML

Assign to the Rowset object’s indexName property.