[Solved] Invalid write when save with too many math objects?

[shooter55]

I am writing a book to teach remedial algebra, hence it contains hundreds of MATH objects. The file grew to around 800kb when an attempt to save the file returned an error indicating an invalid write operation. Some instinct led me to suspect that I'd exceeded some limit to the number of MATH objects. I tried "cutting" a sizable chunk off the end of the file and copying that into a new file, which then saved successfully--I thought. The original saved OK after being trimmed and is intact. The new file, containing the cut off section was partly mangled. Toward the end of the file, seemingly at random, the formulas were gone, replaced with a placeholder icon and an object number.

Not many of my equations were clobbered and it didn't take long to fix or replace them.

Here's my plan...I will do what I should have done from the beginning, create a master document and hang the chapters from it, which will keep the individual file sizes down to "size," so to speak. I imagine this will avoid the problem. (Frankly, I didn't expect this project to grow like it has. As my students would say, my bad.)

I'm working with Windows NT and OO 2.3.1 (with which I am rapidly falling in love!)
I guess what I'm asking is if there is some limit to the number of MATH objects permitted, if this is a known bug or feature and if my plan is sound.

Thanks, Dave

[acknak]

I don't think there is a limit on the number, but of course the more you have, the more likely you are to run into some bug or limitation.

If you have your original version from before it ran into problems, perhaps you could post it somewhere and others could test it. It would be good to determine if there is a problem with using lots of formula objects. The only document I have with lots of formulas has 118.

I think your plan to use a master + sub-docs is the right way to go. That will make things easier to manage--well, ok, it's not easier than one big document, but it is more manageable since you're not having to load/save a huge document.

Another approach you might consider: keeping the formulas in separate files (.odm) and then linking to those external formula files instead of actually embedding the formulas inside the text documents. That further distributes your eggs into more baskets, and makes the actual chapter files lighter.

I found that OOo 2.x was "easily confused" when lots of formulas were copied/pasted/moved around. The bug is supposed to be fixed for 2.4 (due in a few days), but if I was working on a document with a lot of formulas, I would want to protect my work and not use just one big basket.

[shooter55]

I think you've solved more than one of my problems.

I checked and the last "surviving" MATH object in the file was number 395. Oddly enough, the page count was right at 35, a number I recall seeing in another post. The file is 807kb--where would I post it? Should it be reported as a bug? After all, we have what looks like a sensible work-around.

At any rate, using the sub-documents makes good sense and will probably allow me to easily create the equations "in-line" as I write and, better yet, your suggestion of linking the equation objects is probably going to take care of another worry I hadn't yet resolved--what to do with the practice sets. Those I can link as you suggest.

I'm something of a programmer and I'd intended to write code to generate problem sets and creating files to be linked sounds like a good solution all around.

This thing started as a quick tutorial and got out of hand. <wry grin> I'll end up with a full-blown algebra book. I have no idea what I'll do with it. Texas doesn't buy textbooks from nobodies like me and they definitely don't buy them from authors who think their TEKS are nonsense. Still, if I don't write it, I'll never know.

Thank you, ever so much, for your help. I hope I can pass the favor forward someday.

Take care, Dave

[acknak]

If there's something left unresolved, you can upload your file to one of the free file-sharing sites, e.g. mediafire.com or filecrunch.com.

Unless the crash is reproducible, there isn't much value in filing a bug report. If you upload the file, and it consistently causes crashes, then it wouldn't hurt to file it as a "crash document". If the file works on other systems, then perhaps it can be saved and that file would work for you. Sometimes a successful load/save cycle can clean up problems in a file.