#1403 30,000 character limit in Notes

[Tim H]

There are 2 related issues here:

1. There is no mention anywhere in the Help file of the 30,000 character limit on the contents of the 'Notes' field.

2. I had a suspicion that there was a limit so I created a test database and pasted in a huge block of text. It let me save it without complaint, but when I went to reopen the database I got the error:

"The following entries have one or more text fields too long to display or edit (over 30000 characters)."

To me, it seems that there error should have been reported before storing -- preferably during the entry phase.

This is with version 3.42pre on Win7 SP1

[DrK]

You are correct. There is a 30,000 character limit for Notes. It is not a bug but a design decision.

[Tim H]

I understand that it is a design decision, and I don't have an issue with that.

The first bug is a "documentation bug" in that the Help should be updated to mention that there is a limit.

The second bug is that I'm allowed to put over 30k characters into the notes field and save the entry, but I may not be able to get them back again when I reopen the database.

[MrMe]

Despite the warning on opening a DB with an entry containing more than 30,000 characters, I don't believe you lose anything on opening the DB and only If you edit the entry and save it is when the entry Notes truncated at 30,000 characters.
I recommend that this be left working as it is now in order to not affect a user that wants to store more than 30,000 characters in an entry but don't plan to edit it.

[DrK]

I will accept that the Help needs updating and I will do that for the next release.

However, may I point out the Oxford English Dictionary definition of a Note:
1. A brief record of points or ideas written down as an aid to memory.
2. A short informal letter or written message.

The pertinent point is brief/short. 30,000 characters is neither short nor brief.

If you want to save a larger amount of data in a record, I suggest you try the “experimental” V4. This has all the functionality of V3 but supports attachments. It is being worked on but at a lower priority than the current Windows V3 and Linux/Mac V1 versions. In order to use this, just export the current V3 database to V4 (on the File->Export menu). The current Windows version will open it just fine (i.e. V3.42 will open V3 and V4 databases) but you can only save a V4 database if the current database is also V4 (as above: to create a V4 database you have to export a V3 database).

[Tim H]

I'm sure nobody expected Lotus Notes to limit them to 30k characters. ;)

Your point is valid. The only reason I pursued figuring out if there was a limit and, if so, what it was, is that a non-techy friend asked me if he could just use the Notes field to safely store some data. I told him I'd look into it -- and here we are...

Thanks for the tip on V4, but "experimental" and "secure data storage" are phrases I don't want to put together. If I tell my friend that and it blows up, I'll take the blame.

[MrMe]

[MrMe]

[DrK]

Thank you but V4 is experimental and is in flux (performance and UI improvements). I would prefer that you create a new discussion thread and not BRs or FRs for this version. After this, maybe you can delete the above comments (if you can - if not ask Rony) as it is not relevant to the suggested BR.

[Rony Shapiro]

Hi,

I'd like to keep the discussions in tickets at least somewhat germane to the subject line, and I think we're wandering off course a bit here.

Suggestions and bug reports re V4 attachments are very welcome, but please open separate tickets for them.

This ticket will be closed once the documentation is updated to describe the Notes size limitation, as discussed above.

[DrK]

This has been fixed and will be in the next release.

Extract from Help:
The Notes field is intended for a short/brief amount of text and has a character
limit of 30,000. Whilst it is possible to add more than this limit when the entry is added,
warnings will be issued the database is re-opened. The Notes field will be truncated
to this limit if the entry is edited. However, if the entry is protected or the database is opened
in read-only mode, then it can be viewed without any truncation.

Note: The validation warnings will not be issued if the database is opened in read-only mode or if the entry is protected as in these cases the Notes field in its entirety can be viewed and copied to the clipboard or edited with an external editor.

[MrMe]

A minor nitpick.

In the second sentence "Whilst it is possible to add more than this limit when the entry is added,
warnings will be issued the database is re-opened.",add "when" after "issued" and before "the".

[DrK]

Done