Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!ukc!stc!ist!uel!andrew
From: andrew@uel.uel.co.uk (Andrew Josey)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Informix 4GL Question?
Message-ID: <714@uel.uel.co.uk>
Date: 4 Feb 88 17:37:21 GMT
Organization: AT&T Unix Europe, London, UK
Lines: 25
Keywords: Informix 4GL

When deleting records in my database I check whether they are
referenced by any other records. This is currently done by code
similar to the following :

let counter = 0
select count (*) into counter from table
  where table.column = key
if counter > 0
then 
    cannot delete as referenced
else
    delete
end if

As some of my database tables are large, I would like to find
an alternative technique that terminates after finding the first
match instead of searching the whole table.

There may be something in the manual - but I have not spotted it.
Thanks in advance. Please reply directly by e-mail.
-- 
 Andrew Josey,	AT&T Unix Europe, a Division of AT&T (UK) Ltd.
 International House, Ealing Broadway, London W5 5DB, England, UK
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