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Very Large .SEM file

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    Very Large .SEM file

    I have created a number of complex reports (lots of fields) based on a set (HairReportV4). The forms are loading slowly and I noticed that the .SEM is ~760 Mb. I tried deleting some of the reports that I don't use and I compacted the database... the .SEM file is exactly the same size. How can I reduce the size of the .SEM file?

    #2
    Re: Very Large .SEM file

    Have you tried duplicating the set with a new name to see if that is the same size?
    Robin

    Discernment is not needed in things that differ, but in those things that appear to be the same. - Miles Sanford

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Very Large .SEM file

      Originally posted by MoGrace View Post
      Have you tried duplicating the set with a new name to see if that is the same size?
      Yes... that worked ! Thanks!!!

      I recreated a new set with the same tables but with a different name... as you suggested.
      Then I copied the reports and forms and browses from the old set to the newly named set. (If I just duplicated the set, with all of it's forms and reports etc it was as large as before).
      Then I deleted the old set (which automatically deleted all of the associated forms and reports).

      This worked perfectly!

      Thanks Robin

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Very Large .SEM file

        1. When Robin mentioned duplicate, she may have meant a right click on the set name - utilities - duplicate

        all of the objects that are part of the set would copy over.

        2. Another option is to pack the set.

        right click the set - utilities - pack

        The .sem file is actually a dbf memo file and keeps all of the variations of the objects but in a deleted status.
        Packing removes the deleted records and lessens the space used for the file. It also reduces the size of the .set and .sex that are associated with the set.
        Al Buchholz
        Bookwood Systems, LTD
        Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

        Occam's Razor - KISS
        Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
        Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
        When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
        "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
        Albert Einstein

        http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Very Large .SEM file

          Originally posted by Al Buchholz View Post
          1. When Robin mentioned duplicate, she may have meant a right click on the set name - utilities - duplicate

          all of the objects that are part of the set would copy over.

          2. Another option is to pack the set.

          right click the set - utilities - pack

          The .sem file is actually a dbf memo file and keeps all of the variations of the objects but in a deleted status.
          Packing removes the deleted records and lessens the space used for the file. It also reduces the size of the .set and .sex that are associated with the set.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Very Large .SEM file

            Thanks for the clarification Al....
            As I mentioned...
            1) "If I just duplicated the set, with all of it's forms and reports etc it was as large as before"... so... simple duplication did not help :-(
            2) I did try to pack the set and the individual tables... did not work.

            What I had to do was to create a new, identical set, with the same tables and relationships... then I right-clicked on each form browse and report from the old set and copied them, one at a time, to the new set.
            Then I deleted the old set, which also deleted the associated forms browses and reports.
            This worked perfectly! :-)

            Thanks!

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Very Large .SEM file

              It's been a very long time since I've done this, but I think the Dictionary.update() method is appropriate here.
              -Steve
              sigpic

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Very Large .SEM file

                David,

                Do your reports contain a lot of rich text?
                We have some here that, because of requirements in the design, we needed to use rich text. The dictionaries got enormous!
                They work, but they are slower.

                Tom

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Very Large .SEM file

                  Originally posted by Steve Workings View Post
                  It's been a very long time since I've done this, but I think the Dictionary.update() method is appropriate here.
                  Hi Steve... been a long time :-)

                  Dictionary.Update() works on a .DDD file... I have hairreportv5.SEM and .SEM and .SEX but no hairreportv5.DDD

                  Thanks!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Very Large .SEM file

                    Yes... lots of rich text.... but I managed to shrink the .SEM file by 100 Mb ! by recreating the set and copying the reports, forms and browses.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Did anyone establish whether dictionary update can be used on a SEM file?
                      or how to specifically update a SEM file without also packing the tables in the set?

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I set up some tests & if you do runt Dictionary.Update() on the ".set" file is does just udate the .sem &.sex files.

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