View source for Total text size limit is 2 GB

== Problem ==

Total text size in all SuperMemos from SuperMemo 9 (1998) through [[SuperMemo 18]] is 2 GB.

User S.A. was first to reach that limit and documented the problem by meticulous experimentation.

This is a design problem that is fixable. It will be relatively easy to change the limit to 4 GB and still keep the 32-bit limit on text registry pointer size. However, 4 GB might still be reachable in a hungry application of SuperMemo. Using 64-bit would push the limit beyond a human capacity. However, this would require a major redesign of SuperMemo, which could only be achieved in the next generation of the program.

It is important to note that even switching to 4 GB would instantly halt the development cycle due to the need for comprehensive testing.

== Workaround ==

As 2 GB is well beyond human learning capacity, it should be possible to make major size savings by changes to strategy, e.g. always using '''Done''' on processed articles. Also, reducing the importability threshold, which is pretty natural in prolonged use when it becomes apparent that some text will never be processed or even used in a lifetime.

== Technical ==

If you worry about the limit, check the size of your ''text.rtx'' file, which is usually the largest registry file in SuperMemo [[collection]]s.

In older version that file might be named ''text.reg''.

If you look inside, that file may contain some empty spaces left after deleting texts. The file is compressed during '''Repair collection''' with '''Rebuild registries''' checked.