Subject Re: Indexing issue From Mervyn Bick <invalid@invalid.invalid> Date Wed, 15 Nov 2023 14:00:03 +0200 Newsgroups dbase.getting-started On 2023/11/14 19:47, Tom wrote: > I am having an illegal key issue on my reindexing.wfm file.  The first line works fine, but the other 2 give me an illegal key on the field initial. > >     index on initial   tag except    for deleted() = false .and. exceptions = "X" >     form.text4.text ='Reindexing Address File - "Bill From"' >     index on initial   tag lessee    for deleted() = false .and. bill_from = "X" >     form.text4.text ='Reindexing Address File - "Bill To"' >     index on initial   tag lessor    for deleted() = false .and. bill_to = "X" > Did this work in the past and is now suddenly giving an error or is this new code that is giving problems? Back in the early days of dBASE, disk space was always at a premium and it was important to try and keep files as small as possible so provision was made to exclude deleted records from indexes.  With slower computers it also made sense to do a SEEK on a smaller index file.  Today this is not a problem. It's been many years since I last used XDML so I may be wrong but you shouldn't need to include deleted() = false in the FOR clause when you create an index.  Although the index file may be a bit bigger the deleted records will not display if you list, or display, the records in the workarea. Although the message is "Illegal key : initial" the problem is actually in the FOR clause.  It's pennies to pounds that you have typos in the field names in the two INDEX command statements. Instead of creating multiple indexes to provide limited rowsets you should consider having a simple index, with no FOR clause, on the initial field and then use SET FILTER to limit the rowset to the records for Exceptions, Bill_to and Bill_from. Mervyn.