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 Concept
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     An Order is a set of keyed-pairs that provides a logical ordering of the
     records in an associated database file.  Each key in an Order (index) is
     associated with a particular identity (record number) in the data set
     (database file).  The records can be processed sequentially in key
     order, and any record can be located by performing a SEEK operation with
     the associated key value.  An Order never physically changes the data
     that it's applied against, but creates a different view of that data.

     There are at least four basic types of processes that you can perform
     with an Order:

     1. Ordering:  Changes the sequence in which you view the data records.

     2. Scoping:  Constrains the visibility of data to specified upper and
        lower bounds.  Determines the range of data items included, through
        a scoping rule, like the WHILE clause.

     3. Filtration:  Visibility of data is subject to conditional evaluation.
        Filtration determines which items of data are included, through a
        filter rule, like the FOR clause.

     4. Translation:  Values in underlying data source are translated (or
        converted) in some form based on a selection criteria.  For example:

        INDEX ON IIF(CUSTID > 1000, "NEW", "OLD")

     The difference between scope and condition as it applies to FOR and
     WHILE is that the WHILE clause provides scope, but not filtering, but a
     FOR clause can provide both.

     There are three primary elements in Order Management:

     .  Order:  An Order is a set that has two elements in it:  an
        Order Name, which is a logical name that can be referenced, and an
        Order Expression which supplies the view of the data.  The Order Name
        provides logical access to the expression and the Order Expression
        provides a way of viewing the underlying data source.  Data ordering
        can also be modified to ascending or descending sequence.

        -  Order Name:  An Order Name is a symbolic name, that you use to
           manipulate an Order, like a file's alias.  The difference between
           an Order Name and the Order Number with which you would normally
           access indexes (Orders), is that the Order Name is stored in the
           index file.  It is available each time you run the program, and is
           maintained by the system.  The Order Number is generated each time
           the Order is added to an Order List and may change from one
           program execution to another.  This makes Order Name the preferred
           means of referencing Orders.

        -  Order Expression:  Is any valid CA-Clipper expression.  This is an
           index expression such as:

           CUSTLIST->CUSTID

           This expression produces the ordered view of the data.  The values
           derived from this expression are sorted, and it is the
           relationship of these values to one another that provides the
           actual ordering.

     .  Order Number:  An Order Number is provided by the Order List.
        An Order Number is only valid as long as the work area to which it
        belongs is open.

        -  Order Numbers provide one of the services performed by Order
           Names, allowing you to access a specific Order.  In general, you
           should avoid accessing Orders by number.

        -  The ORDNUMBER() function returns the ordinal position of the
           specified <orderName> within the specified <orderList>.

     .  Order Bag:  Unsorted collection of Orders.  Each Order
        contains two elements (Order Name and Order Expression).  Each Order
        Bag may have zero to n Orders.  The maximum is determined by the RDD
        driver being used.  Order Bags are similar to multiple-index files in
        that there's no guarantee of any specific order within the container
        or Bag.  Within an Order Bag you can access specific Orders by
        referencing a particular Order Name.  Order Bags have persistence
        between activations of the program.

     .  Order List:  An Order List orders the collection of Orders
        that are associated with and active in the current work area.  It
        provides an access to the Orders active within a given work area.
        Each work area has an Order List, and there is only one Order List
        per work area.  An Order List is created when a new work area is
        opened, and exists only as long as that work area is active.  Once
        you close a work area, the Order List ceases to exist.

        When you SET INDEX TO, the contents of the Order Bag are emptied into
        the Order List.  At this point, the Orders in the Order List are
        active in the work area, where they will be updated as the data
        associated with the work area is modified.  You may access an Order
        in the list by its Order Number or by its Order Name.  You should
        access an Order by its name rather than a hard-coded ordinal
        position.  You can make any Order in the Order List the controlling
        Order by giving it focus, as explained below.

     .  Order List Focus:  Order List Focus is, essentially, a pointer
        to the Order that is used to change the view of the data.  It is
        synonymous with controlling Order or controlling index, and defines
        the active index order.  The SET ORDER TO command does not modify the
        Order List in any way.  It does not clear the active indexes.  It
        only changes the Order List Focus (the controlling order in the Order
        List).