Question:
In Explain, TermListInfo includes the boolean 'scanable', with comment: "'true' means this list can be scanned". What would 'false' mean? Scan is used to scan an ordered term-list and there does not appear to be any other definition or use for a term-list. What's the point of a term-list if it cannot be scanned?
Response:
A term list might exist to optimize searching (i.e. the so-called term list is actually an index) even though it is not scanable. For example, a server maintaining an index of social security numbers might not support scanning that index.Note that 'searchCost' within 'termLists' within TermListInfo may be used to indicate that a term list is, for example, "optimized", meaning that the attribute combination associated with the term list will do fast searches.
Status: Approved (8/97)
Library
of Congress(10/23/97)