Size of MDB code

[H. Martins]

Sometime ago I posted this message:
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...coding/browse_thread/thread/94a26b1bce040c31#

When I add or improve something to the project, I use a development
mdb and a copy of the database (code and data in separated files).

After having debugged say a form, I delete the old form from the
'real' code and import the new form version from the development mdb.

It works fine but I can't get an answer for the fact that, at the
moment, the dev mdb has 63MByte and the 'real' mdb has 25MByte.

Both have the same forms, queries, reports, etc, but the
development .mdb has almost 3x the size of the 'real', mdb.

Of course, these figures are obtained after having compacted the
(code) database. When developing, sometimes the mdb goes over 600MByte
but goes back to around 60 after compacting.

Should I be worried about?

Thanks
Henry

 

[ErezM via AccessMonster.com]

hi
as far as i know (been working with access for over 13 years now), front-end
mdb's if well designed, shouldnt get that big, by far., and the bigger they
get, the more fragile they become. exponentially.
since you said the actual data files (back-end) are seperate, it's
interesting to figure out what is the bloating for? a likely candidates are
embeded images which tend to explode the mdb in size much more than the
original image size (which i would suggest linking to images outside the mdb)

or switching from any ole,blob and other hungry data types to string
datatypes that hold only the path to an outside file

and while on the subject, as a developer, i have on my pc's a back-end bogus
file, and a front end development file.
when i finish working on an update, i always copy the whole front end to the
client's pc, the data is on the back end anyway, so nothing is lost (from the
clients perspective) and i know that what ran in front of my eyes, on my dev
pc is what the client has.

of course it will solve the difference you stated (cause your file and the
client's file are the same)


aim for front ends smaller than 10 MB, they are healthier, faster, more
robust

Good luck
Erez

 

[Henry]

Thank you Erez.

Indeed I have some embedded images, but I have more. I have some
reports with 'pastes' from Excel. These reports are used as forms to
be printed and hand writing still having a couple of reference data
retrieved from database. These 'forms-to-be-written' embedded in
reports are quite complicated and that's why I didn't even try to
duplicate them using Access graphics.

One of the images I have is the local logo. Indeed I have several
logos pasted here and there. It would probably make more sense to have
one logo called from different forms, reports, etc. Except from having
the logo file outside MDB, I don't know how to have just one logo
embedded in the MDB while being able to call it from different forms,
etc. I don't like the idea of having the image outside the MDB
although I agree it is more elegant.

The data itself with several tables with about 1000 records each has
10MByte. Some fields are Memo.

"ole,blob"

I don't know what that is.

Thanks
Henry