BLOB files, Updates, ...

Hello everybody,

There are some things I'm afrait of:

A few days ago I look the first time in my database directory. WOW, 10.000 files...
I was shocked and tried to understand what's going on. Ah, many many of these xin*-files.
I search a moment and... These files are my BLOBS! I have many of them, I know, but most of them are empty.
So, why are there as many files? I search my code and found it: Empty BLOBS in my programm
are filled with one space (" "). Oh oh, I have to avoid this...

I converted the whole table: Load the data from it, delete it, vacuum the database, save
the data in a new table (empty BLOBs as NULL). Good workaround, I think, and look in the
data-directory: SCHOCK, there are the same quantity of files as bevore. Why did the
database machine not delete the empty ones.

1. Anybody how can explain this?

2. How many file are allowed till Linux will crash or the DB will slow down (crash)?

3. What should I do? Is there a powerfull command to clean the database other than VACUUM?

4. Why do your dump utility not save BLOBs?

I read the manual but there is not much about BLOBS and the problems with them.

btw: I'm interesting in developers who use Java and postgres and speak german to exchange expiriences.
(Irgendjemand der DEUTSCH kann dort draußen und sich mit Java und Postgres beschäftigt? Ich bin SO schlecht im Englischen.
Jeder Brief dauert Stunden und keiner der English kann versteht ihn ;))

Hope you can help me...

Greetings
Joerg Sommer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sommer Maschinenbau
Pagenstecherstr. 146
49090 Osnabrück

0049 (0)541 125085
0049 (0)541 129557

Service(at)Sommer-Maschinenbau(dot)de
--------------------------------------------------------------------------