Large field size = larger overall database size?

[davidfox]

Will keeping your field size shorter result in a smaller MDB file?

Or does Access only use as much space as there is real data in its fields.

Way back in the dBASE III days, dBASE would pad all your "real" information with as many spaces as necessary to fill up your field. I suspect that the MDB structure is probably smarter than that.


Another question on the same topic - I believe there is a maximum number of characters in a record (4000?). Can your field sizes add up to more than 4000, as long as the actual data, all combined, never totals 4000...?
Thanks............
..dc

 

[whhaatt]

Reduce Database size

It is true that if you increase size of fields this will increase DB file size a lot over time.

There is a small but simple solution to this. Once you have setup youy database, then click on

Tools > Database Utilities > Compact Repair Database

This should reduce the file size of your database,

You should be able to do this as much as you like, Ie every month

Hope this helps

 

[Len Boorman]

If you check the help file on data types you will see that various fields are certain "sizes" Some of the limits you can impose on a text field will not actually reduce the storage required but are more to control user input (I believe). The limit of 4000 chars is not true to my belief since a memo field can be about 30 pages A4 which is a lot of chars.

There are a number of causes of a file getting large.

1) Too many pretty pics
2) Database not correctly normalised. Look how may null values there are in the tables. Ideally there should be none i suggest.

Compacting will reduce the overall file size if there is "white space". These gaps in the file occur when records are deleted etc and is quite normal. Process that run gererate space which is then not used so some "bloat" is quite normal. Normal Compacting housekeeping will control this but keep a look at the file size and see how it moves. You will get a feel for it after a while. If every 2 weeks you compact and it shrinks to 50% then some investigation would be in order

Len

 

[davidfox]

So there is no advantage to trying to keep the sizes of Text fields small, as long as I compact the database occasionally. It sounds as though I could set all the Text fields to their allowable maximum length, as the size of the database will still be determined primarily from the amount of actual data that's inside. Please calibrate me here if I have misunderstood.

Thanks for the replies, they are appreciated!