IMPLEMENTING DESCENDING INDEXES WITH A DESCEND FUNCTION

A method and apparatus is disclosed for implementing descending indexes in a database management system. A key value to be inserted within an index is decomposed into individual data bytes, such as an integer character value, that make up the key value and dictate the location where the key value will be inserted relative to other key values. A first function is applied to the data sequences in order to generate a reversed key value having reversed sorting properties. The reversed key values are then inserted into the index. The resulting index thus contains key values that are sorted in descending order. Additionally, indexes may be created on multiple key columns, with the sub_keys being independently sorted in either ascending or descending order. The present invention also discloses transformations that may be performed by a server in order to properly interpret statements that require the creation of standard or functional indexes in descending order.