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V4.5 and indexes

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    #1

    V4.5 and indexes

    In V4.5 I have created a table lookup field rule on an expression Rtrim(FieldA)+Ltrim(FieldB). The look up works fine but Alpha creates an index for this field rule named 'RTRIM'

    My concern is, will this index give me problems because it is using a function name?

    Appreciate any advice here.

    Michael
    Tags: None
    #2
    RE: V4.5 and indexes

    Michael,
    Alpha automatically creates the index with a name. I don't think the rtrim index tag will give you a problem, however, you could try renaming it tosomething else. After renaming it go into the form and do a lookup. After using the lookup, exit the form and take a look at the tags. If Alpha did not add another tag, that should mean that it is using the renamed index successfully.
    John

    Comment

      #3
      RE: V4.5 and indexes

      John,

      Thanks, you have also answered my next question which was going to be 'At what stage does Alpha build the indexes for field rule lookups?'

      I have checked out your procedure and can now see that if I delete the index it is imediately rebuilt when next performing the lookup.

      It helps to know this behaviour.

      As a point of interest, some time ago I had a date field that I had name 'Left'. When I used this in the form filter properties it caused crash problems. I changed the name of the field to 'Has_Gone'

      Thanks

      Michael

      Comment

        #4
        RE: V4.5 and indexes

        Michael, hello there.

        When Alpha Five sets about deciphering a filter expression it has to be able to recognize functions by their names. Left() is a function. I would imagine that your filter expression failed because Alpha Five mistook your field name for a function name. I think that's a different case than the index name situation you describe at the top of this thread. Presumably Alpha Five has no reason to 'decipher' the index tag name. It probably just needs to be able to find it in the CDX.

        Comment

          #5
          RE: V4.5 and indexes

          And here is a a real good tip for naming indexes.

          Let Alpha name them as desired and use the name Alpha creates. For other indexes that you may want to create, choose names that Alpha will not use as a default. The reason for this, is that if an index is accidentally deleted, or a data dictionary corruption, Alpha will try to recreate the indexes that are used in lookups etc with a name of it's choosing (typically derived from the 1st field/word listed in the expression). If you have code that explicitly references one of Alpha's names and then Alpha changes it, you start having big troubles. By using the same names as Alpha generates or ones that Alpha would never generate for specific references, you'll have less trouble should Alpha ever regenerate the index.

          Also, keep the length of the index name to 10 characters or less when you are generating the name. That is because the 1st 10 characters are stored in the CDX index file, and any extensions (up to 24 characters total I believe) are stored in the data dictionary (which if it should get corrupted, Goes back to the 1st ten characters of the name).

          Regards,

          Ira J. Perlow
          Computer Systems Design & Associates
          [email protected]
          Regards,

          Ira J. Perlow
          Computer Systems Design


          CSDA A5 Products
          New - Free CSDA DiagInfo - v1.39, 30 Apr 2013
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          Comment

            #6
            RE: V4.5 and indexes

            Hello Tom,

            Thanks. I learnt this the hard way. I think it will be useful to other message boarders to gaurd against naming any fields with a function name.

            Michael

            Comment

              #7
              RE: V4.5 and indexes

              Number one bad choice field name is DATE

              Since there is a DATE() function, this sometimes confuses Alpha.

              Regards,

              Ira J. Perlow
              Computer Systems Design & Associates
              [email protected]
              Regards,

              Ira J. Perlow
              Computer Systems Design


              CSDA A5 Products
              New - Free CSDA DiagInfo - v1.39, 30 Apr 2013
              CSDA Barcode Functions
              CSDA Code Utility
              CSDA Screen Capture

              Comment

                #8
                RE: V4.5 and indexes

                Thanks Ira and Tom,

                I am now an Index Expert!

                Michael

                Comment

                  #9
                  RE: V4.5 and indexes

                  [b] >>Number one bad choice field name is DATE
                  Peter
                  AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

                   [email protected]
                  https://www.alphabasesolutions.com

                  Comment

                    #10
                    RE: V4.5 and indexes

                    >>Number one bad choice field name is DATE

                    Comment

                      #11
                      RE: V4.5 and indexes

                      Here's one I found for all of you. I'm not sure of the source (yea, RIGHT!)

                      --Ira


                      23:1 The Rabins are my shepherd; I shall not want.

                      23:2 They maketh me to lie down in normalized fields: They leadeth me beside the still waters of Windows crashes.

                      23:3 They restoreth my code: they leadeth me in the paths of quality code for the user's sake.

                      23:4 Yea, though I parse silently through the valley of the shadow of databases, I will fear no bugs: for thou message board art with me; thy action script and thy debugger they comfort me.

                      23:5 Thou set a table before me in the presence of Microsoft: thou anointest my head with the Xbasic Manual; my clipboard runneth over.

                      23:6 Surely solid and reliable applications shall follow me all the days of my
                      life: and I will dwell in the house of Alpha Software for ever.
                      Regards,

                      Ira J. Perlow
                      Computer Systems Design


                      CSDA A5 Products
                      New - Free CSDA DiagInfo - v1.39, 30 Apr 2013
                      CSDA Barcode Functions
                      CSDA Code Utility
                      CSDA Screen Capture

                      Comment

                        #12
                        RE: V4.5 and indexes

                        Maybe substitute "stack" for "clipboard" in verse 23:5.

                        And AMEN.
                        There can be only one.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          RE: V4.5 and indexes

                          Since you mentioned normalizing, and since we aren't exactly on topic anymore....

                          I have a table (not set) that is NOT normalized because I am afraid Alpha Software will die before the need for the table. One of the reasons I chose Alpha in the first place is that DBF is about as immortal as such things get. This particular table functions about like the Invoice in the Normalization example, but the table catalogs a museum collection, so it will never expire. I have three "item" fields as part of each record and sometimes need a second record when the "invoice" needs more than three "items."

                          Is there a better way to handle this? If everything hits the fan, nobody will have Alpha Five (or Ten) to export with, so the then current gorilla of databases will have to read the DBFs. What do other folks do?

                          Comment

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