Direct access to a global without SQL

@maxime keltsma 

You can traverse the entire global with a loop and $Order function.

A simple routine to traverse your global can be:

Teste
    Set ^DataTest = 3
    Set ^DataTest(1) = $lb("","1329","JMMK-G1D6")
    Set ^DataTest(2) = $lb("","1516","AMEV-GVPF")
    Set ^DataTest(3) = $lb("","2333","4QC6-4HW3")
    Set key = ""
    // Print the header filds
    Write "Reference", $Char(9), "Code"	, !	
    For   
    {
        // first parameter is global and key, 
        // second parameter opredr to travers globa. 1 = ascending subscript order (the default) or –1 = descending
        // third is target that receives the value if the key is defined
        Set key = $Order(^DataTest(key),  1, data)
        If (key = "")
        {
            Quit // Exit for loop
        }
        Set reference = $ListGet(data, 2)
        Set code = $ListGet(data, 3)
        //
        Write reference, $Char(9), code, !
        
    }
ObjectScript
ObjectScript

Output o execution:

> Do Teste^Teste
> Reference Code
> 1329 JMMK-G1D6
> 1516 AMEV-GVPF
> 2333 4QC6-4HW3

See Using Globals Object Script Tutorial , $Order Function for more examples e details.

    Set Found=0
    Set Id=""
    For  {
        Set Id=$order(^DataTest(Id)) Quit:Id=""
        If $listget(^DataTest(Id),2)=1516 {
            Set Found=1
            Quit
        }
    }
    If Found Write "Found 1516 in Id: ",Id,!
ObjectScript
ObjectScript

So, there's 2 ways to read this, either we want an "exists" check, or following the SQL, we want a count of all instances.   This snippet can be set to do either case based on the existscheck boolean.  Ideally though, you would have an index defined, and this could be read much more efficiently than having to scan an entire global

set count=0
set existscheck=0 //Set to 1 if we only want to find first instance
set targetValue=1329
set key = ""
for   {
    set key = $ORDER(^DataTest(key))
    quit:key=""
    if targetvalue = +$LG(^DataTest(key),2) do $INCREMENT(count)
    quit:existscheck&&count
}
w !,"Count value is "_count
ObjectScript
ObjectScript

couple of options:

1. $order the global checking the list content as others have already mentioned

2. if there is a SQLIndex defined for the field. You can check the index location directly via objectscript, this would save you ordering through possibly billions of lines of data
3. define the SQL column to for Reference to use columnar storage, also single global retrieve to get a $list of rowids.