Indexed file

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

An indexed file is a computer file with an index that allows easy random access to any record given its file key.

The key must be such that it uniquely identifies a record. If more than one index is present the other ones are called alternate indexes.

The COBOL language supports indexed files with the following command in the FILE CONTROL section

ORGANIZATION IS INDEXED

Support for indexed files was built into IBM Mainframe computer COBOL .[1] The indexes were created with the file and maintained by the system.

In later systems

Indexed files were replaced by current relational databases.

See also[edit]

Inline citations[edit]

  1. ^ 1 VS COBOL II Application Programming Language Reference, Release 4, Eighth Edition (March 1993), IBM Corporation, Department J58, Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 1984, 1993. pp. 67-73