starbase

`index` - index a starbase data table for fast access using the search command.

SYNOPSIS

    `index` -m[sbihr] [-n] [-h] [-r] [-L] *table* *column*

DESCRIPTION

index creates a sorted index file (or sorts the table itself) so that the search command may be used to access rows of the table more quickly than the sequential access provided by row.

OPTIONS

-m[sbihr] Search method to index for. Index creates an index for use with a particular search method.

          * s     sequential (no op)
          * b     primary key index on column
          * i     secondary key index on column
          * h     hash index
          * r     row index

          Hash and Row indexing are untested and Do NOT work.

-n sort index in numeric order. The default is dictionary order.
-h sort index in astronomical numeric order. This option enables the use of RA, Dec values formated in sexagesimal.
-r reverse the index ordering (search -r is broken, don’t use this).
-L record the record locations in the index file. This option allows faster access with index files. The index file contains extra information and will be larger.

EXAMPLES

    Example of primary indexing.  Make a numeric primary index of file foo
    on column A.

        john@panic: index -mb -n foo.mmethod A

    Make three indicies for the file ZYX.tab.  The X column is the primary
    index and the file XYZ.tab will be sorted in X order by the index
    command.  The other two index commands make secondary of "indirect" 
    indexes.  They will create auxillery files that will be used by search. ```

    john@panic: index -mb -n XYZ.tab X
    john@panic: index -mi -n XYZ.tab Y
    john@panic: index -mi -n XYZ.tab Z ```
    Make indexes for RA Dec and Magnitude searching.  The -h option should
    be used for RA, Dec column if they are in HH MM SS.SSS format.

        john@panic: index -mb -h coords.tab RA
        john@panic: index -mi -h coords.tab Dec
        john@panic: index -mi -n coords.tab Mag

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