Setting column indexes
Databases typically include several tables and use special flags—called
indexes or
keys—to reference these tables, ensure uniqueness of data or optimize text search queries. The four types of column indexes (along with their associated phpMyAdmin Action buttons) are:
- Primary The identifying column of a table. Each table may only contain one primary key.
- Index Applied to a key to improve the performance of queries involving it. You can set as many indexes as you wish.
- Unique A key set on a column to ensure that no two rows in the table use the same value for the field.
- Full Text A key you set on a text field to allow it to be searched.
To set a column index:
- In phpMyAdmin, select the table which contains the column on which you want to set an index.
- Click the Action button for the type of column index you want to set (primary, index, unique or full text). The feedback box refreshes to describe your action and show you the SQL query that made it happen.
