RE: Variable length fields

["Dan Bale" <dbale@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

-----Original Message-----
> From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx / d.bocian@xxxxxxxxxxx
>
> Hi.  We are trying to use variable length fields in a file, but
> so far there doesn't seem to be any advantage to them.
>
<snip>

Compare using thousands of records.  Even database files with no records
take up at least 32768 bytes; after all, you've got the overhead to contend
with.

Variable length fields are only worth the hassle in a scenario whereby you
have a field that you expect to be, for example, 20 characters max 99% of
the time.  The other 1%, a user could have a legitimate need to enter 300
characters.  Instead of defining the field with a fixed length of 300
characters, define it with varlen(20).  Test that with 10000 records, 9900
of them with a value in that field of 20 characters or less, the other 100
records fill with a value greater than 20 characters in length.  I'd be
curious to know the results.

db