Few records but Huge Files ... Why?

[Cousin Jack]

I am using FM6 Developer and am writing a relational database for the befriending charity I coordinate.

My start-up file has only one record but is referred to by other files using constOne::ConstOne relationships. ... it is 18MB in size !It mainly contains Text and numeric global fields. NONE are graphics containers.

I also have a single record "about" file which is little more than a central menu and an about screen, again with the ConstOne relationships. This is 23MB.

My clients file is 63MB in size despite having deleted all the ID photographs and having only 38 records. This file refers to the startup file for organisational info via a ConstOne relationship and is cross referenced to the volunteer and support worker files via join files operating via ConstOne relationships.

It also has internal relationships such as rHoldFoundSet for returning to previous lists from single records.

I managed to reduce the size of my volunteers file from 76MB to 9MB by deleting about 20 photos and saving a compressed copy and re-naming, but this has had no effect whatever on the clients file.

I have used this general set up quite successfully in files with much more data in other solutions but cannot see why I am having such problems with file size this time around.

Can anyone give me a few ideas as to why my files might be oversize in this way?

Another point ... I really need the ID photos, but that is another issue.

Look forward to hearing from you

Regards

CJ.

[Fenton]

I would look carefully for graphics. Is it possible that you deleted a container field from all the layouts, but left it in field definitions; in other words, it's still there but you can't see it?

Did you look through all the layouts for graphics objects? It only takes one large graphic, say a Tiff, that's been pasted in, then "reduced" so that it looks small, whereas it's still full-sized.

[Cousin Jack]

Thanks Fenton,

Have been checking through since your reply but there certainly arn't any field definitions still in place, and I really can't see any graphics hiding anywhere.

I remain puzzled, but will keep searching. If I find anything I will post the answer for anyone else who may have this problem. I don't like the idea of putting out a solution with this sort of unexplained problem.

Many thanks for your help

CJ

[Fenton]

Another idea would be to Export the records, as a FileMaker file, all fields. That would eliminate any layout graphics, or disk space that is not being released. Then compare. They will be different; but they shouldn't be wildly different (depends on how many layouts, scripts, etc. your other file has).

You could also Save as Clone. That would isolate only the layouts and structure. There's something hiding somewhere.

It is always a problem with client-entered graphics. Few beginners understand that a jpeg and a raw Tiff look about the same as a 800x600 (or smaller) screen image, but the Tiff is many many times bigger.

[Cousin Jack]

Problem Solved ...

Thanks for pushing me on this one Fenton ! You are quite right - it was a graphics problem.

After hours of searching it was simply my Quit icon causing all the problems!

- hence the reason I had the same problem in more than one file. I had pasted it on each layout instead of calling it from my graphics file.

Hey presto files 70 times smaller !!

For the sake of other relative novices such as myself who might pick up this thread in the future: If you have a graphic that is used numerous times in more than one file...

1. create one copy of it in a global container field (eg called "ghandygraphic" in one (master) file (e.g. a dedicated graphics file for housing graphics.

2. in this (master)file create a calculated field with the name ConstOne and give it the calculated value "1".

3. In all the (client) files you wish to import the graphic to create a field also called ConstOne and again make this a calculated field with the value "1"

4. In the client files create a relationship to the master file called "Graphics File" using the ConstOne fields in master and client files.

5. Finally create your required field on your client file(s) layout(s) using the relationship "Graphics File" and choose the field "ghandygraphic"

This will vastly reduce the size of your client files and make them fly!

Thanks again, Fenton

Regards

CJ.