The front end at 400MB compacts down to 30 MB or so, then slowly bloats back
up.
The back end (maybe 50 tables) compacts back down to maybe 200MB, then more
quickly bloats back up.
The back end probably does that because of the tables I recreate daily. I
delete all the records, then insert from a long-running query. There are two
such tables. After reading this post, I'm moving them to a separate db so
they can be more manageable (after I get back into town....)
I also delete and recreate several "import" tables from SAP and derivative
systems. Those tables can be 150,000 rows, quite wide (I import every column,
because my client is constantly changing the data she needs from those
columns....)
On the front end, I'm not sure what causes the bloating. I do have a couple
forms with graphics. I created them before learning there are steps that can
make that less cumbersome. Not worth fixing at the moment.
There are no tables (only links to maybe 50 tables). I have maybe a hundred
queries, a hundred forms, half a dozen modules, 9 macros, and a dozen
reports. The system does a lot of exporting of queries to excel, several
pivot table forms, and nothing much else. It's used by 20 or so users
typically no more than 5 at a time.
I imagine the best way to do the "separate db" for those flat tables would
be to drop the table in the separate db, copy the structure of the model
table from the backend, then insert the 157,000 records into it. That sound
right? Any resources on doing that?