🚀 go-pugleaf

mzk20@spa.amdahl.com (Makoto Kobayashi) writes:

>I purchased FileMaker Pro to build a database for the literature of my
>interest in computer science.  Each record consists of authors, title,
>source, and key words.  I intend to create about 3000 records currently.
>It will grow to 10,000 records eventually.  However, after I created
>some 300 records and saved it on a diskett, I noticed that each record
>takes about 1K bytes of memory!  Why does it take so much memory?  Is
>there a way to reduce it?  Should I use another more efficient database?

    FileMaker Pro does a whole lot more than just store the records of
the database in one of it's files. Things like layouts, scripts, and the
indexes to all of the fields in the database are also stored in the
file. The real determining factor on file size isn't so much the number
of records in the database, but the number of fields for each of those
records, because that is the amount of space that FM Pro blocks out for
every record, regardless of how many of those fields you fill.
Especially the number of Text fields you have, because all 32,000 bytes
are reserved for every Text field.
    There is, however, a solution to a good portion of this problem. FM
Pro gives you the ability to save and work with a compressed version of
your database. You will find it under the Save A Copy As item under the
File Menu. I recommend using it on a fairly regular basis, it will save
you a lot of space in the long run, especially if you do any deleting of
records.


--
			"Seems awfully breezy in here." - Drip-along Daffy
-Hades (Brian V. Hughes, Moderator: Rec.Arts.Comics.Info)