SET SESSION DEFAULT_STORAGE_ENGINE = InnoDB; drop table if exists t1, t2, t3,t4; create table t1 ( pk1 int not NULL, key1 int(11), key2 int(11), PRIMARY KEY (pk1), KEY key1 (key1), KEY key2 (key2) ); insert into t1 values (-5, 1, 1), (-100, 1, 1), (3, 1, 1), (0, 1, 1), (10, 1, 1); explain select * from t1 force index(key1, key2) where key1 < 3 or key2 < 3; id select_type table type possible_keys key key_len ref rows Extra 1 SIMPLE t1 index_merge key1,key2 key1,key2 5,5 NULL 5 Using sort_union(key1,key2); Using where select * from t1 force index(key1, key2) where key1 < 3 or key2 < 3; pk1 key1 key2 -100 1 1 -5 1 1 0 1 1 3 1 1 10 1 1 drop table t1; create table t1 ( pk1 int unsigned not NULL, key1 int(11), key2 int(11), PRIMARY KEY (pk1), KEY key1 (key1), KEY key2 (key2) ); insert into t1 values (0, 1, 1), (0xFFFFFFFF, 1, 1), (0xFFFFFFFE, 1, 1), (1, 1, 1), (2, 1, 1); select * from t1 force index(key1, key2) where key1 < 3 or key2 < 3; pk1 key1 key2 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 4294967294 1 1 4294967295 1 1 drop table t1; create table t1 ( pk1 char(4) not NULL, key1 int(11), key2 int(11), PRIMARY KEY (pk1), KEY key1 (key1), KEY key2 (key2) ) collate latin2_general_ci; insert into t1 values ('a1', 1, 1), ('b2', 1, 1), ('A3', 1, 1), ('B4', 1, 1); select * from t1 force index(key1, key2) where key1 < 3 or key2 < 3; pk1 key1 key2 a1 1 1 A3 1 1 b2 1 1 B4 1 1 drop table t1; create table t1 ( pk1 int not NULL, pk2 char(4) not NULL collate latin1_german1_ci, pk3 char(4) not NULL collate latin1_bin, key1 int(11), key2 int(11), PRIMARY KEY (pk1,pk2,pk3), KEY key1 (key1), KEY key2 (key2) ); insert into t1 values (1, 'u', 'u', 1, 1), (1, 'u', char(0xEC), 1, 1), (1, 'u', 'x', 1, 1); insert ignore into t1 select pk1, char(0xEC), pk3, key1, key2 from t1; insert ignore into t1 select pk1, 'x', pk3, key1, key2 from t1 where pk2='u'; insert ignore into t1 select 2, pk2, pk3, key1, key2 from t1; select * from t1; pk1 pk2 pk3 key1 key2 1 ì u 1 1 1 ì x 1 1 1 ì ì 1 1 1 u u 1 1 1 u x 1 1 1 u ì 1 1 1 x u 1 1 1 x x 1 1 1 x ì 1 1 2 ì u 1 1 2 ì x 1 1 2 ì ì 1 1 2 u u 1 1 2 u x 1 1 2 u ì 1 1 2 x u 1 1 2 x x 1 1 2 x ì 1 1 select * from t1 force index(key1, key2) where key1 < 3 or key2 < 3; pk1 pk2 pk3 key1 key2 1 ì u 1 1 1 ì x 1 1 1 ì ì 1 1 1 u u 1 1 1 u x 1 1 1 u ì 1 1 1 x u 1 1 1 x x 1 1 1 x ì 1 1 2 ì u 1 1 2 ì x 1 1 2 ì ì 1 1 2 u u 1 1 2 u x 1 1 2 u ì 1 1 2 x u 1 1 2 x x 1 1 2 x ì 1 1 alter table t1 drop primary key; select * from t1; pk1 pk2 pk3 key1 key2 1 ì u 1 1 1 ì x 1 1 1 ì ì 1 1 1 u u 1 1 1 u x 1 1 1 u ì 1 1 1 x u 1 1 1 x x 1 1 1 x ì 1 1 2 ì u 1 1 2 ì x 1 1 2 ì ì 1 1 2 u u 1 1 2 u x 1 1 2 u ì 1 1 2 x u 1 1 2 x x 1 1 2 x ì 1 1 select * from t1 force index(key1, key2) where key1 < 3 or key2 < 3; pk1 pk2 pk3 key1 key2 1 ì u 1 1 1 ì x 1 1 1 ì ì 1 1 1 u u 1 1 1 u x 1 1 1 u ì 1 1 1 x u 1 1 1 x x 1 1 1 x ì 1 1 2 ì u 1 1 2 ì x 1 1 2 ì ì 1 1 2 u u 1 1 2 u x 1 1 2 u ì 1 1 2 x u 1 1 2 x x 1 1 2 x ì 1 1 drop table t1; create table t1 ( pk1 varchar(8) NOT NULL default '', pk2 varchar(4) NOT NULL default '', key1 int(11), key2 int(11), primary key(pk1, pk2), KEY key1 (key1), KEY key2 (key2) ); insert into t1 values ('','empt',2,2), ('a','a--a',2,2), ('bb','b--b',2,2), ('ccc','c--c',2,2), ('dddd','d--d',2,2); select * from t1 force index(key1, key2) where key1 < 3 or key2 < 3; pk1 pk2 key1 key2 empt 2 2 a a--a 2 2 bb b--b 2 2 ccc c--c 2 2 dddd d--d 2 2 drop table t1;