Large memo files

[darrenw]

Large Memo files are created when you raise a document with a windows design. When printing Opera will store the printer output in a memo file for future reference. It does this for both ‘Windows’ type and ‘Text’ type printing. When ‘Window’ printing the image stored is the binary output created by the Windows Printer driver. Because ‘windows’ prints by rendering the output into a picture, and then sending the picture to the printer, the binary image that is stored can be very large (Depending on quality etc.).

You can reduce the FPT file size in one of three ways.

1. Reduce the number of period that an image is stored in the set options for each module. Any that are beyond that date will be removed next period end / reorganise.

2. Remove any unwanted images from the file, by clearing out the image and issuing a PACK MEMO command in FoxPro.

3. If you have ‘Store Text Reports’ flag switch on, then you can reset the binary images to the text based image which can save up to 95% of the space. You can only do this option on the following FPT files.

DMHEAD, DOHEAD, STRAN and WHIST.

To Reset the Binary image to the Text image

For each line that needs to be changed, where ‘??_BINREP’ is True and ‘??_TXTREP’ is populated then you can copy the contents of ??_TXTREP into ??_MEMO and reset the ??_BINREP flag to False. One you have completed this for all the lines necessary issue a PACK MEMO command.

Using any of the above methods will greatly reduce the size of an FPT file.
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We have written a Foxpro utility that will immediately shrink all records in STRAN, DOHEAD & NJMEMO by replacing the binary images with the text versions. This can be purchased from Woodford Computer Systems Ltd (01745 353501) at a cost of £125+VAT. You will need a copy of Foxpro 2.6 or above to run this program.