FILE NOT WORKING PROPERLY

[AndrewBruno]

Have chosen this category as my mind is totally boggled.

I put an audit feature in my order processing system. I defined a fairly complex concatenated calculation field in my ORDER LINE file (to capture a number of field and Status values at that time)and an audit field in the parent ORDER file.Let's call these FIELDA and FIELDB.

I defined a sript in the ORDER LINE file

Set(FIELDA, FIELDA&FIELDB)

This became a subscript in other scripts to update FIELDA at required times.

It worked inconsistently (sometimes perfectly and sometimes not at all)and I posted a topic in Scriptmaker for some help. But this is not now the problem!

The problem is that the file has slowed right down, with the hour glass appearing for anything up to 15 seconds during the simplest of scripts within the file or simply after exiting a field. Everything in the file worked, but with these annoying delays.

So I decided to delete anything to do with this new audit element (fields and scripts). Problem still there.

I even recovered the file - problem still there.

I checked that all my calculated fields are unstored wherever possible - they are.

I'm very worried that something fundamental is wrong and could get worse.

HELP, PLEASE

Andrew Bruno

[Vaughan]

Unstored calculations *slow down* the database, not speed them up, because they have to re-calculated each time they are used!

[AndrewBruno]

Thanks for the prompt reply.

Have to admit that I don't fully understand the difference between Stored and Unstored.

Having said that, I modified my system, which appeared to cause a problem, removed all the modifications and the problem is still there.

Also, all the layouts where I'm having problems contain no calculated fields ( other than simple pipeline fields from other files )

My other files have all Unstored fields and work Ok, and some are of a similar size and complexity.

Have I corrupted the file(s) in some way ? Is it worth rewriting all the scripts ? Any other suggestions ? We can live with the problem but it could get worse or there is something fundamental wrong.

Thanks again,

Andrew Bruno

[Vaughan]

The "simple pipeline fields from other files" are also unstored calculations that will slow down the database. Try to reduce them to a minimum -- only pipe the values through that are necessary.

Try saving a compressed copy of the file.

[AndrewBruno]

Tried compressing the file and then also changed all the calculated fields that I could to Stored. Still no change. Still pulling my hair out!

Thanks for all help.

Andrew Bruno

[AndrewBruno]

Another observation. If I go into another application ( as I have just done to post the above ) and then click back into Filemaker, I get the same problem. The hourglass icon appears and the hard disk is doing something (no idea what!)and I get the pointer after anything up to 15 seconds. No fields have been changed and no scripts can be running.

Another possible clue. I can change layouts using the menu in the status area without problem. As soon as I enter a field, however, and then exit the field, I get the problem, again with no scripts running.

Thanks again,

Andrew Bruno

[AndrewBruno]

Guarded smile as I hope that the problem doesn't repeat as I don't know what went wrong or how it cured itself.

I went into Preferences and looked at both the Document and Application sections, CHANGED ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, and all now appears OK !

Had the program / file corrupted itself somehow ?

Thanks again, your time much appreciated, Vaughan.

[AndrewBruno]

Regrettably, I'm back, as is the problem, after I restarted my system.

Pretty sure it's down to the kak virus I thought I'd got rid of !. Any experience of this ?

[Rigsby]

Real killers are:

Sum(commands)

Count(commands)

Etc.

These calculations are always un-stored and will kill a database tempo better than any other command. A simple example of this is the following: create a file with 3 fields NUM, NUMSUM and NUMCOUNT.

Now set NUM (using replace) in let