MySQL Index Deep Dive: Clustered B-Tree Indexes


 

If you’re a frequent reader of the Simple-Talk blog, you’re no stranger to indexes as we’ve covered indexes in database management systems previously – in that blog, we’ve told you that indexes come in a variety of flavors including ordinary Balanced Tree (B-Tree) indexes and R-Tree, or spatial, indexes. B-Tree indexes have multiple types: they can be covering, composite, descending, FULLTEXT, UNIQUE, hash-based, or have something to do with the PRIMARY KEY. B-Tree indexes can also have a clustered form: and that form is what this blog is all about.

What are Clustered Indexes?

In the MySQL world, a