Index Maintenance Dialog

The Index Maintenance dialog allows you to analyze, create, or edit Archive Indexes for selected Archive Files.

The Number of Files value is the number of files selected in the Select Archive File(s) dialog. Any errors that occur while you are creating or editing an index are displayed at the bottom of the dialog.

Index Maintenance dialog with Files as the active tab. The elements of the Index Maintenance dialog are described as follows.

Tabs

Tabs on the Index Maintenance dialog allow you to browse, edit, and create Archive Indexes for the specified Archive Files.

Files
Displays information about each Archive File. You can enter Archive Index File names for Archive Files without an index file.
Tables
Lists the tables in the Archive Files. You can identify Archive Files that include data from specific archived tables.
Indexes
Lists indexes by table. You can create or modify indexes for each table in the Archive Files.

Files Tab

A grid on the Files tab lists information about each Archive File. You can use this tab to provide names of Archive Index Files to be generated for Archive Files that have no indexes.

Server

The server on which the Archive File resides.

Archive File

The Archive File name, including the path.

Archive Index File

The name, including the path, of the Archive Index File associated with the Archive File. If an Archive Index for the Archive File exists, you cannot change the Archive Index File name.

If an Archive File does not have an associated Archive Index, you can type the name of the file to be generated, use the browse button in a selected grid cell to specify a file, or allow the Index Maintenance Utility to create a file name automatically. The new Archive Index File resides on Server.

Notes:
  • If you enter an Archive Index File name, this name is overwritten if you select Generate for All from the shortcut menu.
  • The utility generates indexes for a validly named Archive Index File only. An error message identifies grid rows that require a name.
Index File Status
The status of the Archive Index File.
Active File
An Archive Index File exists and is currently associated with the Archive File.
Empty
No Archive Index File name is specified.
New
The named Archive Index File will be generated when you run the Index Maintenance Utility.
Exists
The named Archive Index File exists, but it is not associated with the Archive File. When you run the Index Maintenance Utility, you are prompted for permission to overwrite the existing Archive Index File.
Invalid
The Archive Index File name is invalid.

Shortcut Menu Commands

Right-click the Archive Index File grid column to display the following shortcut menu commands:

Generate for Empty
Generate default Archive Index File names for any blank index file names. Any Archive Index File names that you have entered in the grid are not changed. The default file name is the same as the Archive File name, with an .afx extension.
Generate for All
Generate default Archive Index File names for all Archive Files that do not have an associated index file. The generated file names replace any Archive Index File names that you have entered in the grid.
Clear All
Remove any previously entered or generated Archive Index File names.

Right-click anywhere in the grid, to display the following shortcut menu commands:

Clear All Highlights
Remove any highlights, set from the Tables and Indexes tabs, from the grid.
Remove Entry
Remove the selected entry from the grid. When an entry is removed, the Number of files value is updated. Files can be added only by opening a new instance of the Index Maintenance dialog. This option is not available if only one Archive File is listed.
Add Relationship Indexes
Automatically generate indexes based on the relationships between tables in the Access Definition used to create the Archive File. The indexes are displayed on the Indexes tab. (If the Archive File contains tables with the same names but with different qualifiers, you must group the tables with qualifiers in order to use this command.)

This option is available only when the Index Maintenance dialog is opened from the Archive Directory Maintenance dialog.

Tables Tab

The Tables tab lists the tables in all Archive Files listed on the Files tab. You can use options at the top of the tab to limit the tables that are listed.

Index Maintenance dialog with Tables as the active tab. The elements of the Tables tab are described as follows.

Show Tables that Exist

When multiple tables are listed in the grid, use the following options to manage the list.

In Any File
List a superset of all tables in all Archive Files shown on the Files tab. Default.
In Every File
List tables common to all Archive Files shown on the Files tab.
In More than One File
List tables in more than one Archive File shown on the Files tab.

Table Name

The name of the table. The format of the table names (one-part, two-part, or three-part) depends on how you choose to group them. For more information about grouping, see Grouping Files.

Number of Files

The number of Archive Files that include the table.

Shortcut Menu Commands

Right-click the Tables grid to display the following shortcut menu commands:

Highlight Files
Display the Files tab, highlighting rows for Archive Files that include the selected table.
Edit Indexes
Display the Indexes tab and select the specified table for indexing.

Indexes Tab

Use the Indexes tab to view, create, or modify Archive Indexes for one or more Archive Files.

You can use options at the top of the tab to manage the display of tables, indexes, and columns. Select the name of a table to list indexes for the table. The Index grid shortcut menu allows you to add or delete an index.

Index Maintenance dialog with Indexes as the active tab. The elements of the Indexes tab are described as follows.

Show Tables that Exist

When multiple Archive Files have been selected for indexing, use the following options to manage the Table list.

In Any File
List all tables in the Archive Files shown on the Files tab. Default.
In Every File
List tables common to every Archive File shown on the Files tab.
In More than One File
List tables included in more than one Archive File shown on the Files tab.

Show Indexes that Exist

Use the following options to manage Archive Indexes for the selected table.

Note: These options are unavailable if only one Archive File has been selected for indexing and each table in the file occurs only once.
In Any Table
List indexes for any occurrence of the table. Default.
In Every Table
List indexes common to all occurrences of the table. Common indexes are determined by columns and their order in the index, regardless of the index name.
In More than One Table
List indexes common to more than one occurrence of the table. Common indexes are determined by columns and their order in the index, regardless of the index name.

Show Columns that Exist

Use the following options to manage the list of columns in the Available Columns grid.

Note: These options are unavailable if only one Archive File is selected for indexing and each table in the file occurs only once.
In Any Table
List all columns for any occurrence of the table. Default.
In Every Table
List columns common to all occurrences of the table.
In More than One Table
List columns common to more than one occurrence of the table.

Table

Select the name of a table for which you can analyze, create, or modify Archive Indexes. The selected table name represents all occurrences of the table in the files listed on the Files tab. Index, Index Columns, and Available Columns display information for the selected table. Use the Show Tables that Exist options at the top of the tab to manage the list of tables.

Index Grid

The Index grid lists indexes for the selected table. Click a row in the grid to view or edit an index, and to display the Index Columns and Available Columns lists for an index. Use the Show Indexes that Exist options at the top of the tab to manage the display of indexes.

To create an index, right-click the grid and click Add in the shortcut menu. The utility automatically generates a default name for each index. Default names are in the form “Index_nnn,” where nnn is a sequential three-digit number that provides a unique name for each index. You can use the default name, or edit the name according to your conventions.

Although each occurrence of a table can have no more than 16 indexes at one time, you can define up to 16 indexes for each table without regard to any existing index entries. The Index Maintenance Utility will not add indexes for a table once it has 16 indexes. If more than 16 existing indexes for a table are listed, indexes defined for one or more occurrences of a table do not apply to all occurrences.

Note: To delete existing indexes, select Delete in the Action column on the Index grid.
Current® Row Indicator Current Row indicator
Indicates the selected index. To select an index, click the row.
Index Name
The Archive Index name. If different occurrences of the table have matching indexes with different names, the name of the first index is displayed.
Number of Tables
The number of occurrences of the table to which the index applies.
Number of Files
The number of Archive Files that include an occurrence of the table with this index.
Status
The status of the index name.
blank
All indexes of the columns shown in Index Columns have the same name.
Auto-renamed
The utility has generated a name for the index because the name is already used for an index on different columns.
Has multiple names
An index on the same columns applies to different occurrences of the table, but the index names are different. The first name found is displayed.
Auto-renamed and has multiple names
The utility has generated a name for the index because the name is used for another index; and the index applies to different occurrences of the table, but the index names are different.
Action
Type of maintenance performed on the index when you run the utility. Click to select from the following:
Update
Update existing index.
Propagate
Add index for all occurrences of the table, and update existing indexes.

Propagate is the default for new indexes.

Delete
Remove the index for all occurrences of the table.
Note: The Delete option is the only method for deleting existing indexes.

Shortcut Menu Commands

Right-click the Index grid to display the following shortcut menu commands:

Add
Define a new index. Archive inserts a new line in the grid and provides a default name. The Action is set to Propagate. You can define up to 16 new indexes (in addition to any indexes that already apply to the table). Archive will stop creating indexes for a table that has 16 indexes, however.
Remove
Remove a specified index that has been defined but not created. This does not affect an existing index. Set the Action value to Delete in order to delete an existing index.
Remove All
Remove all defined indexes from the grid. Existing indexes are not affected.
Set All Update
Set the Action value to Update for all existing indexes. Indexes defined but not created are not affected. This option is available for the Action column only.
Set All Delete
Set the Action value to Delete for existing indexes. Indexes defined but not created are not affected. This option is available for the Action column only.
Set All Propagate
Set the Action value to Propagate for existing indexes. Indexes defined but not created are not affected. This option is available for the Action column only.
Highlight Files
Display the Files tab and highlight rows for Archive Files that use the specified index. This option is available for existing indexes only.

Index Columns Grid

The Index Columns grid lists columns in the selected index, in the order that they appear in the index. You can drag a column name to change its order in the list.

To add a column to an index, double-click or drag a column name from the Available Columns grid to the appropriate position in the Index Columns grid. To remove a column, use the shortcut menu or double-click or drag a column name to the Available Columns grid.

Notes:
  • You can add any number of columns to the grid, but an index can only have 16 columns. See Index Generation Process for information on processing indexes with more than 16 columns.
  • Data length for a column cannot exceed 255 characters, and the total length of data in all columns cannot exceed 512 characters.
  • An index cannot include a LOB column.
Column Name
The name of the column.
Number of Tables
The number of occurrences of the table that include this column.
Number of Files
The number of Archive Files that include occurrences of the table with this column name.

Shortcut Menu Commands

Right-click the Index Columns grid to display the following shortcut menu commands:

Remove
Remove the specified column from the index. The column is displayed in the Available Columns grid.
Remove All
Remove all columns from the index. The columns are displayed in the Available Columns grid.
Highlight Files
Display the Files tab and highlight rows for Archive Files that use the specified column.

Available Columns Grid

The Available Columns grid lists columns in the table that have not been selected for the index, in the order that they appear in the table. Use the Show Columns that Exist options at the top of the tab to manage which columns are displayed in the grid.

Column Name
The name of the column.
Number of Tables
The number of occurrences of the table that include a column with this name.
Number of Files
The number of Archive Files that include occurrences of the table with this column name.

Shortcut Menu Commands

Right-click the Available Columns grid to display the following shortcut menu commands:

Add
Add the specified column to the index. The column name is listed at the bottom of the Index Columns grid.
Add All
Add all columns to the index. The column names are listed in the Index Columns grid.
Highlight Files
Display the Files tab and highlight rows for Archive Files that include the specified column.