b-tree

[utku]

I am studying on a project that requires to manipulate the index data.
I know oracle uses b-tree index as the default structure.. But where
is this structure stored? Is it a table. If so, can I access data (in
the index)?
Can I access the index from outside (from a java application) Actually
I want to "traverse" the nodes of B-tree.

Thanks a lot..
Utku

[Mark D Powell]

ut**@ce.yildiz.edu.tr (utku) wrote in message news:<99**************************@posting.google. com>...

I am studying on a project that requires to manipulate the index data.
I know oracle uses b-tree index as the default structure.. But where
is this structure stored? Is it a table. If so, can I access data (in
the index)?
Can I access the index from outside (from a java application) Actually
I want to "traverse" the nodes of B-tree.

Thanks a lot..
Utku

Utku, Oracle does not provide a means for a user session to directly
access the contents of an index structure. There is a dump command or
trace event that will perform block dumps of the index blocks:
treedump.

immediate trace name treedump level object_id [of index]

Many computer science books describe the process as does Practical
Oracle 8i by Jonathan Lewis who does it in detail for Oracle b-tree
indexes.

HTH -- Mark D Powell --