Suppose I have an index on 5 columns (A, B, C, D, E). If my WHERE clause is not in that order, will the optimizer reorder them as necessary and possible? WHERE A=1 AND C=3 AND B=2 AND E=5 AND D=4 Obviously it can't reorder them in all cases: WHERE A=1 AND (C=3 OR B=2) AND (E=5 OR D=4) If I don't specify columns in the WHERE clause, how much can it use the index? I think it is smart enough to use beginning columns: WHERE A=1 AND B=2 How about skipping leading columns? WHERE B=2 How about skipping intermediate columns? WHERE A=1 AND C=3 Or both, which is probably the same? WHERE B=2 AND D=4? -- ... _._. ._ ._. . _._. ._. ___ .__ ._. . .__. ._ .. ._. Felix Finch: scarecrow repairman & rocket surgeon / felix@xxxxxxxxxxx GPG = E987 4493 C860 246C 3B1E 6477 7838 76E9 182E 8151 ITAR license #4933 I've found a solution to Fermat's Last Theorem but I see I've run out of room o