Parent | Child | Previous | Next

table.INDEX_PRIMARY_PUT Function

Syntax

as P = Index_Primary_Put([C tagname|P index])

as P = Index_Primary_Put( index_object_pointer as P )

Arguments

index_object_pointer: Pointer to an index.
tagname|P: The name of an index or a query.

Description

Set the primary index for the table, using either name or Index object.

Discussion

The .INDEX_PRIMARY_PUT() method sets the primary index for a table referenced by to the specified index tag or query list. You can specify the index tag name, or the query list using either a pointer, or the tag/query list name. For example, the following statements are identical:

dim tbl as P
tbl.index_primary_put("Lastname")
indx = tbl.index_get("Lastname")
tbl.index_primary_put(indx)

To set the primary index to record number order, you can use the .INDEX_PRIMARY_PUT() method without any arguments (e.g., TABLE.INDEX_PRIMARY_PUT(), or you can use the <TBL>.INDEX_RECORD_GET() method. If a query list and an index have the same name, this method will choose the index, not the query list. If you specify a Tag_Name that does not exist, Alpha Anywhere will choose the closest matching Tag_Name that has the same first letter as the Tag_Name you specified. If there is no Tag_Name with the same first letter, Alpha Anywhere will generate an error message. Note : If you set the index with .INDEX_PRIMARY_PUT()

tp = table.open("MyTable")
tp.index_primary_put("Last_name_")

but there is no index named Last_name_ and there is an index named Labor_ID_ (same first letter), the system will set the index to Labor_ID_ without warning you.

Example

This statement sets the primary index of the current table to record number order:

dim tbl as P
tbl = table.current()
indx = tbl.index_primary_put()

This script can be attached to a FIND button on a form to find a customer by last name.

dim tbl as P
tbl = table.current()
find_name = ui_get_text("Find","Enter person's last name:")
indx = tbl.index_primary_put("Lastname")
tbl.fetch_find(find_name)
parent.resynch()

The following commands in the Interactive window indicate how Alpha Anywhere behaves if an index and query have the same name

dim t as P
dim i as P
t = table.open("customer")
i = t.index_primary_put("customer")
? i.type_get()
= 2.000000 'indicates that an index is active.
query.description = "customer"
query.filter = ".T."
i = t.query_create()
? i.type_get()
= 6.000000 'indicates that a query list is active
i = t.index_primary_put("customer")
? i.type_get()
= 2.000000       'indicates that an index is active

Assume that a table has tags called customer_id, lastname and zip.

i = t.index_primary_put("Customer_Id")
? i.name_get()
= "Customer_Id"
i = t.index_primary_put("Firstname")
ERROR: Tagname not found. (because no index tag has name starting with "F")
i = t.index_primary_put("L")
? i.name_get()
= "Lastname" (because first letter matches "lastname" tagname)
i = t.index_primary_put("zop")
? i.name_get()
= "Zip" (because first letter of "zop" matches "zip" tagname)

The following example finds the maximum field value in a character field.

dim idx as P
dim tbl as P
dim last_city as C
tbl = table.open("customer")
table.index_create_begin("City", "ship_city")
table.index_add("city", "ship_city")
idx = table.index_create_end("city")
table.index_primary_put("city")
tbl.fetch_last()
last_city = tbl.Ship_city
? last_city
= "Newburyport"