>>Filter expressions are optimizable if the index exactly matches the filter expression but a SEEK is always going to be faster.
>>
>>Try the following:

>>select appur
>>seek the_ident
>>scan while ident = the_ident
>>   * do stuff
>>endscan

>
>>The WHILE inhibits the SCANs behavior of going to the top.
>
>...and keeps the SCAN from going all the way to the bottom....

Unless, of course, the last record in the "the_ident" group happens to be the last record in the table. ;-)