-=> Quoting mark lewis to Paul Edwards <=-

 ml> the technical limitations of the HMB are

 ml> 1. 200 message areas
 ml> 2. all areas are stored in *one* database fileset
 ml> 3. 16000 messages TOTAL in the base

Huh? That may be a limit of some of the *programs*, but it certainly
isn't one of the *format*! The format places no limit on the number of
messages. Period. 

 ml> 4. 16Meg database textbody file

This limits the number of messages, and is where folks came up with the
non-existent "16,000 message" limit (16k messages at 1k per message is
16 meg). Also the *actual* limit is that the last message in the base
has to start *before* the 16 meg mark. 

 ml> 5. 32000 is the highest message number

Depends on whether you use "integer" (2-byte signed) or "word (2-byte
unsigned) for that field. 

You also missed one... So here's a corrected list:

Hudson
 1. 200 message areas
 2. all areas are stored in *one* database fileset
 3. 16 meg limit on size of individual message
 4. 16 Meg + 1 message database textbody file limit
 5. 65535 is the highest message number
 6. Stores Zone info as a single byte, thus limiting zones to 0-255. 

Goldbase:
 1. 500 message areas (software limit, the format can handle 64k)
 2. all areas are stored in *one* database fileset
 3. 16 meg limit on size of individual message
 4. 2 terabyte + 1 message database textbody file limit
 5. 4 billion is the highest message number
 6. Stores Zone info as a single byte, thus limiting zones to 0-255. 

#1 is a possible problem until folks get the software to handle more
areas (array size problem)

#2 *is* a vulnerability, though we rarely see it happen now that we
have a tape backup. Funny how *having* backups means that you don't
*need* them. :-)

And 6 was an oversight, but isn't likely to change soon. (Pity nobody
noticed *before* it got out of beta)

... Shrink, Implode, Deflate -- how about Prune?  Miniaturize?  Decimate?
--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.21