Calculations

[mdpres]

I have a file with 732 fields 114 relationships and 200 of the fields are calcs.

If I delete a field 75% of the time my file crashes sometimes it will open back up other times it needs to be recovered.

I have Recovered this file using the guidelines FileMaker has said is the proper way to Recover a file, but this file still keeps blowing up.(This happens on Windows & Macs).

I have went through each calc to make sure it was properly done, I have deleted old fields & scripts that are no longer in use. In other words I have tried everything I can think of to make this a nice clean file, but still have some sort of an issue going on with it.

Can someone suggest any other ways of checking this file out for a problem?

Thanks in advance,

Dean

[spb]

The Recover function is dangerous to use. FM designed this function to recover the *data* at all costs, even at the expense of structure (scripts, calcs, layouts, etc.). By putting a recovered file back online, you may have introduced some subtle structural corruption. It is recommended to keep an empty clone of your database. If recovering is necessary, export the data into your empty clone then delete the recovered file (or rename it and bury it deep somewhere). I have learned this the hard way.

When you need to delete fields on a database as complex as yours, you need to make sure the field isn't referenced in another field's calc or a script. Most of the time you can get away with this. It won't allow deletion of a field referenced in a calc, but it will one referenced in a script, leaving behind the string "<field missing>" in your script, altering its functioning. (Ditto relationships.)

In general, FM Developer will allow you to create a report file that will give you the references for every script, field and relationship. I'd suggest investing in this and use that report to track down every reference before deleting fields. The Developer report has its limitations, but there are various commercial products that will do the same job better.

If all else fails, open your backup from before tthe first time you used Recover. Save an empty clone of it. Open this and start redoing your cleanup. Delete old fields & scripts, etc. It will go much faster without records, and you should do this offline (I assume your database is on a server). Once you have the empty version in decent shape, import all your current data into it.

Steve Brown