Multiple Indexes vs Multi-Column Indexes
Last Updated :
14 Dec, 2022
A database index is a data structure, typically organized as a B-tree, that is used to quickly locate and access data in a database table. Indexes are used to speed up the query process by allowing the database to quickly locate records without having to search through every row of the table. An index is a data structure in a database that is used to improve the speed of data retrieval operations on a database table. It is a special type of database object that stores the values of one or more columns of a table, and the row ids that point to the physical storage location of the corresponding rows. Indexes are used to optimize the performance of queries, as they allow the database to quickly determine the location of the data that is being requested. In this article, we will discuss the different types of indexes, including multiple indexes and multi-column indexes, and how they are used in database management systems.
Multiple Indexes
Multiple indexes have the same name and are created on different columns in a table. This allows the database to create multiple paths to locate data quickly. Each index is organized based on the data stored in the indexed column, and the same index can be used to locate data in multiple columns. Multiple indexes are indexes that contain more than one column. They are used to speed up queries that involve multiple columns of a table.
For example, if a query involves the columns “name”, “age” and “date of birth”, multiple indexes could be created that contain all three columns. This allows the database to quickly locate the data that is being requested.
Multi-Column Indexes
Multi-column indexes are created on multiple columns in a table and are used to speed up query performance. Unlike multiple indexes, multi-column indexes are organized based on the combined data stored in the indexed columns and can only be used to locate data in the indexed columns. Multi-column indexes are indexes that contain multiple columns, but they are also sorted in a specific order.
For example, if a query involves the columns “name”, “age” and “date of birth”, a multi-column index could be created that contains all three columns in the order “name”, “date of birth”, and “age”. This allows the database to quickly locate the data that is being requested, and also ensures that the data is sorted in the desired order.
Difference between Multiple Indexes and Multi-Column Indexes
| Multiple Indexes |
Multi-Column Indexes |
| Multiple indexes are created on a single table, with each index containing a different set of columns. |
Multi-column indexes are created on a single table, with each index containing two or more columns. |
| Multiple indexes can improve the performance of queries that use different combinations of columns. |
A single index can be used to optimize queries that use multiple columns. |
| Each index is stored separately and the size of the index can grow as needed. |
The index is stored as a single unit and the size of the index is fixed. |
| They can be used to enforce uniqueness constraints. |
They cannot be used to enforce uniqueness constraints. |
| They can be used to optimize range queries. |
They can be used to optimize queries that use a subset of columns in the index. |
| They can be used to speed up SELECT queries that use multiple columns in the WHERE clause. |
They are useful when the combination of columns used in the SELECT query is known before the query is executed. |
| They can be used to retrieve data from multiple columns in a table. |
They help to improve the performance of queries. |
| It can be used to speed up the process of retrieving data from a table. |
It is used to speed up the process of retrieving data from a single table. |
| It can also be used to enforce uniqueness across multiple columns. |
It is not possible to use a multi-column index to query data from multiple tables. |
Like Article
Suggest improvement
Share your thoughts in the comments
Please Login to comment...