For each key argument specified, jvindex and vindex collect the text from the column with that name and stores it in two files with the same name as the key column, suffixed by -A and -B. If the key column name exceeds 14 characters, the table name prefix is truncated to 14 characters. Blanks in key column names must be surrounded by double quotes (") on the jvindex or vindex command lines and are converted to underscores (_) in the look-up table name.

Look-up tables created by jvindex are referenced by their names sans the -A and -B extensions, by jvindex, putkey, getkey and in jve validation and .jverc files.

Look-up tables created by vindex are referenced by their names sans the -A and -B extensions, in the fourth column of ve validation files.

jvindex and vindex, when called with the name of a look-up table as its first (and only) argument, displays the contents of the table.

-fc

use c instead of TAB as the input column separator.

-k

(ve only). when this option is specified, ve uses the lookup table to search for keycolumn, if it is marked, using the m command.

-ooutput

(jve only). name the resulting look-up table output instead of defaulting to the key column name.

: decode

If a colon (:) follows a key column name, the next argument is taken as the name of an optional decode column and its contents are included in the table as a cross-reference to the key column.

$ cat states
st      state
--      -----
AL      Alabama
CA      California
FL      Florida
KS      Kansas
NY      New York
OR      Oregon

The following jvindex command will create a look-up table named States on the st column of the states table, and use the state column as the decode:

$ jvindex states -oStates st : state

To see the contents of the States look-up table:

$ jvindex States
AL -> Alabama
CA -> California
FL -> Florida
KS -> Kansas
NY -> New York
OR -> Oregon