Clarification on findByCriteria interface documentation (B&S )

[b weiss]

   // Returns an array of record numbers that match the specified
	// criteria. Field n in the database file is described by
	// criteria[n]. A null value in criteria[n] matches any field
	// value. A non-null value in criteria[n] matches any field
	// value that begins with criteria[n]. (For example, "Fred"
	// matches "Fred" or "Freddy".) 

I was wondering if I could get some clarification about what this exactly means. I get that the method is supposed to return an array of which record numbers contain the information the user searched by. However:

Field n in the database file is described by criteria[n]

does this mean that the "column" the search is supposed to go through is the last element in the array?

Such that:

A null value in criteria[n] matches any field value.

means that there's no specific "column" to search through and everything should be searched.

and:

A non-null value in criteria[n] matches any field value that begins with criteria[n]

means that if criteria[n] == Name and a String in the criteria array happens to be "Fred" then any Strings in the Name "column" that contain "Fred" are valid records to return.


I have already finished my findByCriteria method and it works up to what I think the this documentation says but I just wanted to know if my train of thought for it was correct.

Thanks!

[K. Tsang]

You may want to check this thread about searching for URLyBird, but the idea is the same.