BB Tour 9630 - Maximum Number of Records?

[NickCaveFan]

I wrote or created a simple linked database going back when I first started using HanDBase with my old Toshiba. Then a Palm Treo. It is a basic list of my music recordings with linked files for Artist, Producer, band members, and record labels. The main file has 1,500+ records and the others have 500+ each. I had trouble just installing it the first time. Plus I had a lot of trouble getting my most up to date version off my Treo as it could no longer sync and I couldn't beam as the Tour doesn't have a receiver. Ack. Maybe no one else thinks it handy to have a list this big (750 K+ just for the main file) but I buy a lot of recordings from garage sales, used bins, and other dusty locations and to be able to use my phone to figure out if I have a decent copy of Memphis Minnie's "I Ain't No Bad Girl" on vinyl already or should I take a chance on a kid selling a $1 copy?

Yeah, I know from reading already it is a work in progress and as a software writer part time in another life, I truly understand. And was really thrilled with my Treo version. And I'm hoping I'm not in for lots of oh frustration because I picked my phone for features, instead of the best choice for the software I use the most (cereal, HanDBase gets lots of use).

Suggestions? Ideas? Intervention or commitment ceremonies/proceedings?

Not Nick.

[dhaupert]

Hi there,

Are you having trouble installing this database to the Tour? It should install OK, though as you've read there are some issues with _some_ databases. I know I've installed far bigger ones myself, but it seems to be dependent on a number of other factors. If possible, could you please send me the database via email (listed below)?

[NickCaveFan]

Hi there,

Are you having trouble installing this database to the Tour? It should install OK, though as you've read there are some issues with _some_ databases. I know I've installed far bigger ones myself, but it seems to be dependent on a number of other factors. If possible, could you please send me the database via email (listed below)?

Yeah, having trouble installing. I installed the smaller files okay. This morning about 10 I started to load the big one. The phone went into (finally) catastrophic reset after 3.5 hours. I've sent you the offending files. As I mentioned in my email, I think my problem is more due to lack of free memory on the phone, not your application or the size of my files. Crap.

[NickCaveFan]

The install aborted or crashed, but the file did make it onto the phone although a single view and the three records from it didn't make it. All other records and links seem to be there.

I'm again trying to synchronize, but expect it to take an hour or more which is depressing. It now has created a second file from Music.PDB called Music.PDB.HH for handheld in the HanDBase/User folder on the desktop? It hasn't done that with any of the other files. In between other than look to verify that the absent view and three records are present on the original, but not on the phone I made no changes in either file. I didn't even try to correct the absences.

Note, the phone continues to try to get me to wireless update the BB software, a 20 MB download, but I've deleted 8 MB of junk I might not use and it's not enough so it aborts before downloading. I have no messages or anything left on the phone. I have to go to the Crackberry or BB site to figure out what I can do to get that to work.

[NickCaveFan]

The phone has been continuously resetting since it initially crashed on the attempt to synchronize files. A peek at the log file shows that all the files had unknown errors. The phone itself was in the white screen with the little clock with the words "reset". It flashes a few filenames or something and attempts to restart, but this has become an endless cycle all day long. It never has stabilized since and I don't believe it is due to the DDH application.

[dhaupert]

Hi again,

Thanks for sending the files. I received them and plan on taking a look as soon as I'm caught up from being out most of last week. Will let you know what I find!

[NickCaveFan]

Update. I had to wipe everything off the phone to get it to stop cycling through endless resets. Phone worked fine for the time being.

I've been slowly installing files without trouble. Had about 5, mostly small, and the tried to install music_collection and it hung up and finally gave an application error 520 or 523, which is what it gave before. At this time it appears to be starting up (the phone), but I'm guessing it will cycle through resets. I'm guessing my file has some corruption in it. Rats. Can I flush the data to another file and lose the corruption or will it be copied along with all the data? Sigh.

i can open the offending file on the desktop without trouble. This is the data from the log file. I only copied the recent part and obscured my name and other things, but otherwise the data is unchanged.

12-12-2009 12:00: Synchronizing with User: Tour
12-12-2009 12:00: HanDBase Professional for Blackberry 4.1.5 Build D5
12-12-2009 12:00: Installing Database: C:___\HanDBase\Tour\Install\Music_Collection.PDB...
12-12-2009 13:07: Installing Database: C:___\HanDBase\Tour\Install\Music_Collection.PDB...OK
12-12-2009 13:07: Database: Artist Sync Mode: Synchronize
12-12-2009 13:07: Synchronizing Database: Artist...
12-12-2009 13:07: Getting BlackBerry Database To Sync with Desktop: Artist...
12-12-2009 13:07: Getting BlackBerry Database To Sync with Desktop: Artist...OK
12-12-2009 13:07: Syncing with Desktop Database: Artist...
12-12-2009 13:07: Syncing with Desktop Database: Artist...OK
12-12-2009 13:07: Saving Changes to BlackBerry: Artist...
12-12-2009 13:08: Saving Changes to BlackBerry: Artist...OK
12-12-2009 13:08: Database: Music Collection Sync Mode: Synchronize
12-12-2009 13:08: Synchronizing Database: Music Collection...
12-12-2009 13:08: Getting BlackBerry Database To Sync with Desktop: Music Collection...
12-12-2009 13:08: Getting BlackBerry Database To Sync with Desktop: Music Collection...OK
12-12-2009 13:08: Syncing with Desktop Database: Music Collection...
12-12-2009 13:08: Syncing with Desktop Database: Music Collection...OK
12-12-2009 13:08: Saving Changes to BlackBerry: Music Collection...

[DavidDevaneyJr]

Update. I had to wipe everything off the phone to get it to stop cycling through endless resets. Phone worked fine for the time being.

I've been slowly installing files without trouble. Had about 5, mostly small, and the tried to install music_collection and it hung up and finally gave an application error 520 or 523, which is what it gave before. At this time it appears to be starting up (the phone), but I'm guessing it will cycle through resets. I'm guessing my file has some corruption in it. Rats. Can I flush the data to another file and lose the corruption or will it be copied along with all the data? Sigh.

i can open the offending file on the desktop without trouble. This is the data from the log file. I only copied the recent part and obscured my name and other things, but otherwise the data is unchanged.

I'm assuming that even though the log said the file was installed OK that it got hung later in the sync, where the log stops. Would you be able to check the amount of Free Memory on the device before you try to install this file and then again after, if it doesn't do constant resets. If you do wind up having to start from scratch could you try installing each database one at a time and check the amount of free memory before and after each of those installs as well. You should be able to check the free memory under Options and the Memory. That should show you the amount of Free Space under Application Memory. You can also go to Options--Status and look at the File Free item there.

The music_collection database could be corrupt, especially if you were having problems getting it off of the Palm Treo. If you still have the Treo you could try to get it off of there again. Not through HotSync though. Your Treo should be able to take a memory card. If you have one that works with the Treo insert it and then launch HanDBase on your device, go to the list of databases and highlight the music collection database. Then tap the Tools button and select Move. That will move it to the Memory card. Exit HanDBase and then you can remove the memory card and use a memory card reader attached to your computer to get that file off.

If you can't get the file off the Palm in that way or if doing so doesn't make any difference then you might have to Export the database to a CSV, comma delimited, file using the HanDBase Desktop. Then create a new empty HanDBase database in the HanDBase desktop with the same structure. You'd want to create a new one in case the corruption is in the structure of the current one. Then you can import the CSV file back into the new database. You might want to open the CSV file in a text editor first and scan through it to see if you see any garbage characters and if you do correct those.

So you know, the .HH file you are seeing is a temporary file created during the sync. Depending on the changes there might be a .DT and a .HH file but if the sync completes properly those would be deleted. If you do see .HH or .DT files after the sync fails you would want to delete those as they might interfere with a future sync.

Regarding the Phone update. You might try to do it through the BlackBerry Desktop instead of wirelessly. The BB Desktop would back up all your info, wipe the device, then install the device and restore your data. 3rd party programs might have to be re-installed though, especially if there is not enough room for them initially. You can also go to this link to see what updates might be available that you would install through your computer.
http://na.blackberry.com/eng/support/downloads/download_sites.jsp

I hope this helps. I'll see if Dave Haupert wants me to test the file you sent.

[NickCaveFan]

Okay, from the desktop I saved the four original files in comma delineated format. I then recreated each from those *.CSV files.
I copied all my original files into a folder elsewhere and deleted them from the HanDBase folder. I then deleted them from the sync function. Finally I went on the phone and deleted all four from the phone. After that I did a hard reset (battery pull) on the phone to clear all memory. I found after that I had 33.6 MB of free application memory.
I loaded the Record_Label file and had 33.4 MB left. I loaded the Producer file and had 32.8 MB left free. I loaded the Artist file, but didn't check the amount of memory. I did examine all the files for obvious corruption and found none. Before I loaded the last file I examined and renamed and set as "unused" any fields I no longer used. Last I loaded the music_collection file and you can see from the log data it took several hours. About six to be specific; from 8:40 PM to 3:30 AM.

01-28-2010 20:40: Synchronizing with User: Tour
01-28-2010 20:40: HanDBase Professional for Blackberry 4.1.5 Build R1
01-28-2010 20:40: Installing Database: C:\Users\Gordy\Documents\HanDBase\Tour\Install\Music_Collection.PDB...
01-29-2010 03:31: Installing Database: C:\Users\Gordy\Documents\HanDBase\Tour\Install\Music_Collection.PDB...OK
01-29-2010 03:31: Error: Unknown Error
01-29-2010 03:31: Sync Complete
01-29-2010 03:31: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After I reset the phone (as I've had to before) I was able to check the memory free and it is down to 5.1 MB.

The file is now approaching 2,000 records. Do I need to eliminate some more fields or what else might help. I can send you a copy if you like. Music_collection is about 675 K on my hard drive and I don't know why it would eat up some 25 MB on the phone.

[dhaupert]

Hi there,

If you can send it, I'd be able to debug with it. There is an issue with memory leaking during installation. It means that surely your 2000 record database does not take up 25MB, but rather somewhere else the memory is in use and even a reset does not unfortunately free up the space.

One thing I'd ask you to try is a memory tools application another customer had mentioned:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

Let me know if after running this you see more memory available!