Using an Index to Find a Record

Description

The following script is provides a simple example of how to use an index to determine whether a record exists, and to act accordingly. To start, we create an index based on lastname and firstname named "LF". The Order Expression for the index is alltrim(lastname) + "," + alltrim(firstname).

After opening the Customer table, the script uses <tbl>.INDEX_PRIMARY_PUT() to set "LF" as the current index.

The script then displays an Xdialog that asks for firstname, lastname, and phone number. It composes a key based on firstname and lastname and uses <tbl>.FETCH_FIND() to find the first matching record.

If that record does not exist, as indicated by a negative recnum, the script uses <tbl>.ENTER_BEGIN() to add a new record. If the record does exist, the script uses <tbl>.FETCH_GOTO() to move to and then <tbl>.CHANGE_BEGIN() to modify the phone number field in the record.

Example

dim tbl as P
dim shared fname as C
dim shared lname as C
dim shared phone as C
dim shared varC_result as C
dim shared recnum as N
dim thiskey as C
' open the Customer table
tbl = table.open("customer",file_rw_exclusive)
' select LF as the current index
tbl.index_primary_put("LF")
ok_button_label = "&OK"
cancel_button_label = "&Cancel"
' ask for user input
varC_result = ui_dlg_box("Enter Name",<<%dlg%
{region}
First name:| [.40fname];
Last name:| [.40lname];
Phone number:| [.40phone];
{endregion};
{line=1,0};
{region}
<*15=ok_button_label!OK> <15=cancel_button_label!CANCEL>
{endregion};
%dlg%, <<%code%
' respond to the OK button
if (a_dlg_button = "OK") then
    thiskey = alltrim(lname) + "," + alltrim(fname)
    recnum = tbl.fetch_find(thiskey)
    if (recnum > 0) then
    ' the record exists
        tbl.fetch_goto(recnum)
        tbl.change_begin()
        tbl.phone = phone
        tbl.change_end(.t.)
    else
    ' the record does not exist
        tbl.enter_begin()
        tbl.firstname = fname
        tbl.lastname = lname
        tbl.phone = phone
        tbl.enter_end(.t.)
    end if
end if
%code%)
tbl.close()

Limitations

Desktop applications only. Not available in Community Edition.