[comp.sys.mac.hypercard] 32 K limit on field size in HC 1.2 and 2.0

pevans@umd5.umd.edu (Peter Evans) (09/29/90)

I have just come face-to-face with the 32K (or there about) limit
on the amount of material that can be stored in a field.  The
application is that I am reading raw data from a text file into a
field and then doing various data analysis procedures on this.

Does anyone know of any utilities to get around this limitation eg
reading text into a number of fields and then have that appear as a
one big field?

Does HC 2.0 have a similar limit on field length.

Thanks for any assistance,

Peter Evans

jamesth@microsoft.UUCP (James THIELE) (10/01/90)

In article <7374@umd5.umd.edu> pevans@umd5.umd.edu (Peter Evans) writes:
|I have just come face-to-face with the 32K (or there about) limit
|on the amount of material that can be stored in a field.  The
|application is that I am reading raw data from a text file into a
|field and then doing various data analysis procedures on this.

There is no limit on how much you can put in a variable,
so you can read the data into a variable.

|Does anyone know of any utilities to get around this limitation eg
|reading text into a number of fields and then have that appear as a
|one big field?

No.

|Does HC 2.0 have a similar limit on field length.

Yes.

|Thanks for any assistance,
|
|Peter Evans

James Thiele -- microsoft!jamesth

maller@applelink@apple.com (Steve Maller) (10/02/90)

In article <7374@umd5.umd.edu> pevans@umd5.umd.edu (Peter Evans) writes:
> Does HC 2.0 have a similar (30K) limit on field length?

Yes. We have the same old limit. Its actually a limit in the Macintosh 
TextEdit, which we chose to use so we could be compatible with the Script 
Manager. The SM allows us to work with non-Roman languages (Kanji, Hebrew, 
Arabic, etc...).

Steve Maller
HyperCard Engineering Team
Apple Computer
-------------
I speak solely for myself in these matters

rmh@apple.com (Rick Holzgrafe) (10/02/90)

In article <7374@umd5.umd.edu> pevans@umd5.umd.edu (Peter Evans) writes:
> I have just come face-to-face with the 32K (or there about) limit
> on the amount of material that can be stored in a field.  The
> application is that I am reading raw data from a text file into a
> field and then doing various data analysis procedures on this.
> 
> Does anyone know of any utilities to get around this limitation

You can store data in a variable; they have no hard-and-fast limitation on 
length.

Fields have two big advantages over variables: they can be seen (and 
edited) by the user, and they are non-volatile (the data is still there if 
you quit HyperCard and resume later).

Variables have two big advantages over fields: there's no size limit, and 
they are *much* faster to manipulate in HyperTalk.

You could keep your data in a variable while you're processing it, and in 
a file when you're not. That gives you speed, size, and permanence with 
relatively little pain.

Hope this helps.

==========================================================================
Rick Holzgrafe              |    {sun,voder,nsc,mtxinu,dual}!apple!rmh
Software Engineer           | AppleLink HOLZGRAFE1          rmh@apple.com
Apple Computer, Inc.        |  "All opinions expressed are mine, and do
20525 Mariani Ave. MS: 3-PK |    not necessarily represent those of my
Cupertino, CA 95014         |        employer, Apple Computer Inc."