Re: Rowid problems converting 5.0 to 7.1

At 11:42 AM 5/3/95 -0500, David Matthias wrote: }One of our software packages has made use of rowid in the database }libraries. The release 5.0 of Informix makes use of this virtual field. }Rowid is added to every table. It represents the physical address on disk }of every row in the table. When a new row is inserted into the table that }row is assigned a unique rowid. } }Informix 6.0 still supports rowid; however, Informix strongly recommends }that applications currently using rowid be changed to use some other }accessing method. The reason is that in release 7.1 Informix has }introduced the concept of table fragmentation. This will allow a table to }be partitioned across multple dbspaces and/or multiple spindles. Because }of fragmentation, rowid will no longer be a reliable method of referring to }a row. } }Has anyone already dealt with this problem and what course of action did }you take? Currently we feel our only option is to add a serial field to }every table in the database which would become a major project. There are a couple options. You can either remove ROWID's from your applications, and perform key-based look-ups/access (which is 'correct' way). You can add a serial field to all tables, but an alternative to this, is to create your partitioned tables "with rowids". This is an option in 7.1, which will basically add a serial, indexed column to your table. This column is really nothing more than a serial column, called rowid. Check the 7.1 Administrators guide, part 1, pg 16-20 for more details. Note: tables which are NOT fragmented, contain 'conventional' rowid's, and can be used as before.....but not recommended. }Thank you in advance for your reponses. } }Please email any ideas to : matdav@athena.athenet.net } }-- }David Matthias }Information Systems Teams Manager }Menasha Corporation }matdav@athena.athenet.net } } } ================================================================== Jon Vemo Internet: jvemo@cyberspace.com Bothell, WA USA ------------------------------------------------------------------ Watch out for road-kill on the information superhighway....SPLAT!! ==================================================================