Utility Statements › PRINT INDEX › Usage

Usage

How to submit the PRINT INDEX statement

You submit the PRINT INDEX statement by using the batch command facility or the online command facility.

When to use PRINT INDEX

The PRINT INDEX utility can help you determine whether an index needs to be rebuilt. For example, you should consider rebuilding an index when the PRINT INDEX utility report on the index indicates one of the following:

• The number of index levels is greater than anticipated for the original index structure.
• Twenty-five percent or more of the member records are orphans.

An index can be rebuilt using MAINTAIN INDEX or TUNE INDEX. For more information about index rebuilding and indexing in general, see the CA IDMS Database Administration Guide.

Note: The output of PRINT INDEX without the SUMMARY parameter is proportional to the number of index members that are being reported. If PRINT INDEX is run online or in batch through CV, the output is buffered in scratch. If the scratch area cannot contain all the output, PRINT INDEX fails with a task abend.

Hexadecimal display of symbolic keys

The HEX parameter of the SET/SR8 statement is useful when the symbolic key for the index is a non-displayable data type, such as binary or packed.

When to use DBNAME

You can use DBNAME instead of SEGMENT at any time. You must use it when an index member resides in a different segment from the index structure, and the FULL option is used, or you specify a starting MEMBER dbkey.