A Word of Caution Concerning Spreadsheet Databases

Back in Chapter 1, "Getting Started," I told you that each spreadsheet in a Quattro Pro notebook contains 1,000,000 rows and 256 columns. So, theoretically, you could create a Quattro Pro database that contains up to 1,000,000 records, with each record containing up to 256 fields. I wouldn't recommend that you store a database that big in Quattro Pro, though.

While setting up a database, it's easy to lose sight of the reason you decided to collect the information in the first place. Most people don't spend hours entering information into a spreadsheet database if they don't intend to actually use the information for something. And, in most cases, that "something" involves searching for the information. In some cases, it also involves building reports from the information.

Spreadsheet databases were never intended to store large amounts of data. I've seen cases where loading a large spreadsheet was so slow that more memory was needed in the computer. And that was just to open the notebook filenot to use it to find information.

If you are trying to enter the Chicago area telephone book into a database, don't use Quattro Pro. In general, if you have more than 1,000 records composed of 10 or more fields, consider using a program other than Quattro Pro; you'll be happier in the long run. Instead, use a program that was designed to handle large databases, like Corel's Paradox, Microsoft Access or FileMaker Pro. If, however, the size of your database fits within the parameters I suggest, read on.