[FX.php List] General Optimization Techniques

[DC]

in addition...

1) there was a report of container fields causing slowdowns. so, 
probably don't use container fields, just reference external files with 
stored paths.

2) learn to use and maintain lookup fields. you have to script them so 
they stay in synch, but your speed will improve immensely.

3) don't run FMP scripts via web calls.

4) here's one that'll give your processor some more time back:
hide filemaker in the finder using command-h. having it sit as an 
unhidden app seems to make it suck more CPU. i run this as a cron job 
every 5 minutes to do this because it gives a few percentage points

(but this script does it only if the screensaver is on):

osascript -e 'tell application "System Events" to set process_flag to 
(exists process "ScreenSaverEngine")' -e 'if process_flag then tell 
application "System Events" to set visible of process "Filemaker Pro" to 
false'

5) finally, make sure your find requests are really finding the smallest 
data subset they can.

HTH,
dc

Michael Layne had written:
> Scott,
> 
> I posted this within the last couple of weeks, but it is universal to FX 
> (I think...)
> 
> When building solutions via XML (FX.php) for the web, I always take the 
> following steps:
> 
> - create a separate layout for anything that is called via XML.
> - only place pertinent, necessary fields in the layout.  related fields 
> are fine, but use only what you need...  you want it practically naked, 
> it's so spartan.
>     (* remember, if you have related fields that are not always a 
> 'valid' relationship, place them in portals)
> - summary fields slow things down, as well as anything that slows down 
> FMP.  It's hard if you have a primarily FMP client based solution, but I 
> usually try to do all logic, calculations, etc within PHP.  When it 
> comes to the web, it helps to think of FMP as a place to store data 
> whenever you can.  I start that way, then add the necessary FMP 
> functionality.
> 
> I have had considerable success sticking to these guidelines.
> 
> HTH,
> 
> Michael
> 
> On Oct 7, 2005, at 9:00 AM, Scott Baetz wrote:
> 
>> All,
>>
>>  
>>
>> I am the webmaster/dba for http://www.bays.org <http://www.bays.org/>. 
>>  We are a non-profit organization within the Boston Massachusetts area 
>> providing scores and standings information to young boys and girls and 
>> their parents.  Ok, enough background.
>>
>>  
>>
>> We migrated from a ColdFusion MS Access solution to FM7 and FX.php 
>> earlier this year.  The product is much more to our liking, since we 
>> can use the FileMaker database internally (the administrative staff 
>> are MAC users and very proficient with MAC and FileMaker) and we 
>> provide a nice interface to our end users through the web.  However, 
>> now that we are within full season and we have over 5,000 hits to the 
>> site per day, and are constantly generating server timeouts.  We are 
>> using a G5 dual processor with 1gig Memory running OSX server…
>>
>>  
>>
>> Given that our database includes a limited number of tables, and in 
>> total we have less than 20,000 records, I suspect that we are in need 
>> of some optimization.  Herein lies our struggle.  While we can easily 
>> create more layouts, and change FX.php queries, I would like some 
>> general “Optimization Techniques” or guidelines to follow.  As an 
>> example is it better to push FX.PHP query data into arrays and loop 
>> through the PHP array, or when is it as easily acceptable to use the 
>> foreach loop through the query results from the FX.php query.
>>
>>  
>>
>> My hope from this message is that someone might provide the “Five 
>> Golden Rules” to FX.php programming or something similar….
>>
>>  
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>>  
>>  
>>  
>>
>> Scott Baetz
>>
>> sbaetz at soscs.net <mailto:sbaetz at soscs.net>
>>
>> (603) 490-9988
>>
>> http://www.soscs.net
>>
>>  
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> 
> 
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