# Index Selection

Often, when working with a database, you need to find a record quickly. Just as we keep our address books in alphabetical order, so that we can quickly look up an individual, if we have filePro sort the records within a file, it can help us to find the needed file almost instantaneously. Moreover, filePro can sort all the records based on any fieldnot just names.

In many cases, you will not have to enter the complete data you are searching for with an index. Often, just filling in a few starting characters will get you very close to the desired record. Keep in mind that this will not work with certain types of data, like dates. Dates must be entered exactly and there must be an exact match in the file for the search to be successful and land you on a record.

From the IUA menu, Select 4 Index Selection

Select "A - Last Name, First Name".

Enter the letters Hak in the name_last field, and press ENTER twice (Do not put anything in name_first).

filePro finds the record immediately, and you are now also inside the file in Index Mode. This means you are viewing the first file that filePro found that your search. At this point, you can use the arrow keys to move up and down through the records. You will notice that they are in alphabetical order.

To see the alphabetical nature of an index graphically, while standing on the Hakan record you just found, press the B key to "browse" the other records in the file. You will see the "Hakan" record at the top of the screen and many records following your selection of "Hak".

Press either the Page Up key or the up arrow at this point to see records that come before "Hak" (alphabetically).

This functionality is maintained throughout all indexes. Those indexes built on character type data, like names and companies, will always organize the file alphabetically. Indexes built on numerical data will organize the file in ascending order from lowest to highest numbers. Indexes built on date data will organize the file chronologically from lowest to highest dates.

Try the Company index, by pressing X to get back to the "clerk" menu. Then select 4 (Index Selection) and then:

Select B Company.

Try just one letter. How about r?

You can see that you have come to the first "r" record in the file. This time the file is being searched by the Company index, not the Last Name index.

If you press B for Browse at this point, you will see that you are in the file alphabetically by Company. Note that the record with NO company comes before the "r" in Rand Corporation. Blanks come before any characters in an index. In fact, to get to the first record in any index, enter a blank as the search criteria. This guarantees that you will see the first record in the index. If there are no blank records, you will see the first non-blank record, and progress from there.