Charlotte Foust
cfoust at infostatsystems.com
Mon May 24 19:27:32 CDT 2004
They truncate to 255 characters, I believe. There are a lot of gotchas with memo fields and queries. Charlotte Foust -----Original Message----- From: Jürgen Welz [mailto:jwelz at hotmail.com] Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 4:08 PM To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com Subject: RE: [AccessD] On DB Bloat, Bad DB Design, and various Can you union tables with memo fields and include the memo field in the union? It makes sense to me to be able to index the memo if it is not like other indexes that essentially store a sorted copy of the field in a hidden separate table. It would be handy if a designer could stipulate that only the first 10 or 20 or 40 or some other fixed number of initial text in the memo is the manner of indexing. Ciao Jürgen Welz Edmonton, Alberta jwelz at hotmail.com >From: "Charlotte Foust" <cfoust at infostatsystems.com> > >In 2002 you can index memo fields, Drew. > >Charlotte Foust > >-----Original Message----- >From: DWUTKA at marlow.com [mailto:DWUTKA at marlow.com] >Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 11:15 AM >To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com >Subject: RE: [AccessD] On DB Bloat, Bad DB Design, and various > > >Several issues with Memo fields. Can't be indexed. Can't be grouped. >Can't have lookups assigned to them (<grin>). > >Also, the reasoning behind setting a 255 character limit is not to give >the >user unlimited space to store data, it is to not limit the user >unnecessarily. There is a difference. > >Drew > >-----Original Message----- >From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com >[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Scott Marcus >Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 1:10 PM >To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving >Subject: RE: [AccessD] On DB Bloat, Bad DB Design, and various > > >I know that I jumping in the middle but... > >By setting the field to 255 aren't you still imposing a limit. Why not >set >it to memo to be safe? (playing devils advocate) I know there are reasons >not to set to memo and I'm not suggesting you do so. I'm just pointing out >that maybe you setting it to 255 is going to get you burned in another way >down the road. Don't ask me what other way because your reasoning for >setting it to 255 is for things unforeseen. I understand where you are >coming from. Like Brett I'm just surprised hearing that you do set it to >255. > >Not arguing (maybe I'll start setting mine to 255), just thinking of >the >flip side. > >Scott Marcus >TSS Technologies, Inc. >marcus at tsstech.com >(513) 772-7000 > > -----Original Message----- >From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com >[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of >DWUTKA at marlow.com >Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 1:45 PM >To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com >Subject: RE: [AccessD] On DB Bloat, Bad DB Design, and various > >Good questions. > >First of all, if a user needs 255 characters, isn't it our job to >provide >that to them? In my previous 'state abbreviation' example, the 'need' for >setting a two character limit is non-existant, it should be done in the FE, >not in the BE design. We are all kind of harping on 'set' fields, where a >limit is usually a pretty well educated guess, or even an established fact, >barring no future changes. Let me give you a different (real life) >example. I wrote an ASP version of a paper form. The original developer >(who I was actually working for) had some unusual quirks in his system, too >many to get into with email. However, to handle certain issues, I had to >'ignore' a lot of errors. Not really a problem, unless of course the >errors are telling you that data isn't being written for one reason or >another. The system started as an Access BE, but was later converted to >SQL Server, with all of the 'limitations' that were built into the Access >BE. One such limitation was a fie! >ld 'Exact Location where accident occurred'. This field was set to a 35 >character max. Because of the forced errorhandling, some people weren't >getting that field's data saved, because they were putting in more then 35 >characters. > >Quite frankly, the database I was 'using' should have been completely >redesigned. It is something the original developer and I have talked about >many times. So the 35 character limit is just a drop in the bucket. >However, if that limit wasn't set, then an issue would have never arisen >about it. > >I'll be honest with you, I don't write a heck of a lot of Access >reports. >A large majority of my FE stuff (including reports) is done in ASP. >However, when I do use Access, I size the report fields so that they >display what would be normal data. You can always set the 'Can grow' >property. Besides, I would personally rather get called to change the size >of a report's field, then get told that they cannot entire data into my >database. > >I'm pretty sure I haven't said that setting field size limits is wrong. >If >I did, sorry, it's not wrong, I've just been burned many times on the >issue. But then again, I've been burned on all sorts of other things, which >just didn't work when circumstances changed. I have yet to be burned with >setting the fields to their max size. > >Several people have brought up very valid reasons as to why they use >different max field sizes. Your point about report fields is certainly a >valid argument. However, I haven't had to work on anything from people on >this list (with the exception of Mike Mattys, and I have absolutely no >complaints there!). In the cases where I have been burned by previous >developers setting field limits, I would be willing to bet a round of >beers, that 9 out of 10 times, the limits were set due to the myth that >setting the field size smaller decreases the size of your database. > >So if you set a limit, and you have a valid reason to do so, more power >to >you! Seriously. I am just griping on where I have been burned, and trust >me, not a single 'limit' that has burned me was set for the reasons brought >up so far! > >Drew _________________________________________________________________ MSN Premium helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-ca&page=byoa/prem&xAPID=1994&DI=1034&SU=http://hotmail.com/enca&HL=Market_MSNIS_Taglines -- _______________________________________________ AccessD mailing list AccessD at databaseadvisors.com http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com