Microsoft KB Archive/20781

Files Saved in Lotus Format Take More Disk Space PSS ID Number: Q20781 Article last modified on 07-29-1988 PSS database name: D_MPlan

2.x 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.04

MS-DOS

Summary: Multiplan stores only one copy of a formula that is used in multiple cells if the formula was never entered directly, but was instead copied from another cell. Multiplan uses pointers to point back to the original version of the formula. This memory saving algorithm is called “shared expressions.” Lotus 1-2-3 does not use this feature, and instead makes a “carbon copy” of the formula each time it is copied into a new cell. Thus, if you save a Multiplan file that has many “shared expressions” in Lotus file format (saving the file with Transfer Options set to Other), the size of the file on disk can be much bigger than the original Multiplan file on disk.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1988.