Hash Indexing

Hash indexing is a method used by databases to quickly find data. Imagine a hash index like an organized filing system where each piece of data has a unique label or "hash value" based on its content. When searching for data, the system uses this label to jump directly to the right location, instead of scanning through everything. This makes lookups very fast, especially with large datasets. However, hash indexes are best suited for equality searches (e.g., finding a specific item) and may not work well for range or ordered queries.