Expanding Memo FPT File

[Patrick]

I was hoping someone may be able to help with a memo file that keeps super expanding from 522 KB to 1,821,228 KB. I don't know what is causing it, but it is causing issues where the files will not save and locking up. I am at a lost. I have copied over from back ups with the smaller file, but something is causing an issue to corrupt or something to this file. Any thoughts?

[martinwcole]

Re: Expanding Memo FPT File

are you running with multiple users? if so, that is most likely the cause.
edit/create the memo's with xdialog

[Finian Lennon]

Re: Expanding Memo FPT File

What is the memo field being used for? Multi-user system? Do you allow the users to keep the memo field open in either change or enter mode with the possibility of more than one user having the record open? Any images?

It's possible that you are just copying back corrupted records from the smaller backup file. Have you examined the field contents to see if you can identify where things might have gone wrong? It can be a pain to restore the data and sometimes impossible not to have some lost data when trying to fix the problem.

The general approach for memo fields is to never keep them open in enter mode but to open the record, save the record and then open the memo field in change mode only. For text memo fields I use simple xdialogs exclusively to capture the text and have enter, edit and save buttons for the memo field. This means the memo field is never kept open in the UI.

[Patrick]

Re: Expanding Memo FPT File

The Memo Field is part of donor database for our organization. The memos field are specifically notes in a contact table with our donors. Multiple users can access the contact table, but it would be rare if not never that someone would be on the same record simultaneously putting in a note about a donor. Does this still present the same problem?

[Patrick]

Re: Expanding Memo FPT File

"It's possible that you are just copying back corrupted records from the smaller backup file. Have you examined the field contents to see if you can identify where things might have gone wrong? It can be a pain to restore the data and sometimes impossible not to have some lost data when trying to fix the problem."

I recognize this may be part of the issue, but how do you specifically look at the memo field contents to discover what may have gone wrong?

Our UI interface is not well developed, so the memo field is in a contact table in our donor table. The contact table is a one to many set with our donor records. It is in a browse on a tabbed form where we record specific contacts with donors. The memo field is used to make notes on these specific contacts.

[Mike Wilson]

Re: Expanding Memo FPT File

Patrick,
It is best practice to split the memo field into a separate table linked 1:1 with parent (donor) table with the donor table record unique key value. And as Martin recommended in post #2, have data entry into that memo field occur using an xdialog memo or RTF field. My practice is that 100% of data entry occurs through xdialogs.

[Patrick]

Re: Expanding Memo FPT File

Mike,

Although I have used Alpha for years, I a bit of novice so want to clarify? I think I would have to make the memo field a separate table that is linked to each contact as the memo field is used for notes for each contact we have with a donor. Is that correct?

Currently I have the contact table as a browse on a tabbed form tto review the various contacts quickly. Would I be able configure the Contact table one to one with the Memo Table in a browse on a tabbed form?

I hope this makes sense.

[MoGrace]

Re: Expanding Memo FPT File

Hi Mike,
Do you have an example for an xdialog that will do this?

[Patrick]

Re: Expanding Memo FPT File

An example would be definitely great! Thanks for the suggestion Robin...

[martinwcole]

Re: Expanding Memo FPT File

Patric - a 1 to 1 is a table with only one record per parent
a separate table for memos is, inho, a very good idea

[MoGrace]

Re: Expanding Memo FPT File

An example would be definitely great! Thanks for the suggestion Robin...

Well Mike is an xdialog guru so maybe he has something...otherwise, take a look at the UI_GET_TEXT2 function which could be run from a button. However, I don't know how many characters it will accept.

[Finian Lennon]

Re: Expanding Memo FPT File

Here's how we add notes to our tickets. The Notes field is in a child table called "Notes" which is linked to the the ticket header on a one to many basis based on the customer_id rather than the ticket number which is the primary linking in the set. This was so we could see all customer notes (including those entered in tickets) if we were viewing the customer record on its own.

We don't allow notes to be edited and saved. If you retrieve a note and edit and save it, it will always be saved as a new note. The notes are displayed in an embedded browse which is a very small part of the main form as in this first image

BasicForm.png

If you click "Retrieve Note", you get
ClickRetrieveNote.png

If you click "Add note" you get
ClickAddNote.png

Attaching the code is probably pointless as there is so much stuff that is relevant only to our process. But it's attached anyway. There are some global UDF's called that are usually for error messages but they are not included. Maybe this will help give some ideas to Patrick.

[Patrick]

Re: Expanding Memo FPT File

Thanks for the fantastic feedback. I have a training coming up tomorrow through the weekend, but hope to give these new ideas a whirl the beginning of next week. I am honored to have the help!

[Ted Giles]

Re: Expanding Memo FPT File

An example which Mike may disagree with, but it's a simple example anyway.
one to one.zip

I meant Martin.