Size of FPT file becoming very large 3

[ManniB]

Hi,

I've written a program which reads contents from one table to another table. The first table has only character fields, the second table has also memo fields to store texts larger than 254 characters. About 50% of the contents in the second table are stored in character fields, the other 50% in memo fields.

After executing the program the size of the resulting dbf file is 5 MB but the fpt file size is 1,8 GB (near to the 2GB limit!!), although the size of the fpt file is expected to be only about 5-6 MB (slighlty larger than the dbf file).

After issuing PACK or PACK MEMO, the size of the fpt file shrinks from 1,8 GB to 6 MB and everything works.

However, I'm concerned why the size of fpt file has grown so much in the first place. In the program there are never any records deleted in the table, so I don't even understand why PACK works wonders here. I'm also worried that next time, when I process more data, the 2GB limit is reached and I don't even get the chance to issue a PACK command.

What could be the reason for the fpt file for becoming so large?

Thank you very much in advance!

Manni

 

[ManniB]

Thank you for the insights, Chris. I will change the blocksize by copying to a new table and then do some experiments with it.

 

[Chris Miller]

In the end, if you can find a timeslot - in the night, for example - it pays to PACK tables as maintenance. Besides removing bloat you remove deleted rows and reorganize the indxes.


Chriss

 

[ManniB]

Yes Chris, I'm doing this as part of a data maintainance procedure.

 

[Chris Miller]

If you do that it opns the question how many tims memo values are edited and if the optimal blocksize against bloat is really important if all that bloat is removed daily. I'd opt for blocksize 0.

Chriss