[comp.databases] lost memo fields in clipper

zlcbeowen@qut.edu.au (08/02/90)

We have a clipper application for journal control within the library.  It
was installed some months ago and we are still in the data entry phase.
After some months of operation, a .DBT file has grown to 16M, and now
we are having problems ...
 
Now when calling up the memo field of any record in the file using MEMOEDIT(),
the memo field is deleted on returning (by printing, modifying, or just
escaping back without change).  The offending line of code is:
 
    REPLACE biblio WITH MEMOEDIT(biblio,tr+1,tc+2,br-1,bc-2,.t.,"memo_func",;
        "","",init_row,init_col,init_rel_row,init_rel_col)
 
After repacking the .DBT file, the file shrank to <16M and the problem
disappeared.  The Clipper version is Summer '87.
 
Both the developer and our Clipper programmer are at a loss to explain why
this is occurring.  I suspect that MEMOEDIT() may be returning a blank 
record, but I don't really know anything about Clipper.
 
Has anyone else experienced this problem, or have any idea of where to look
for a solution?

Chris Owen                           | c_owen@qut.edu.au
Computer Based Education             | voice +61 7 223 2582
Queensland University of Technology  | FAX   +61 7 229 0874
Brisbane, Australia

SAHRABI@auvm.auvm.edu (08/08/90)

The problem of lost memo fields in Clipper stems from the 16MB capacity
limit of .DBT files, according to the Nantucket Clipper technical bulletin
number 1.  This bulletin is available on Nanforum lib 1 on Compuserve.

No workarounds are available at this time.

Sajjad Ahrabi