About caps
The maximum number of records allowed in a collection is restricted to a numerical cap. The maximum number of items in drop-down lists is similarly capped. The system default cap on both records and list items is 200.
Caps are designed to maintain the performance of your local system and of the database server. Because data retrieved from the server resides on your local system in a collection, retrieval of a large number of records or list items can put unnecessary demands on the database server and slow system performance.
The default caps are suitable for most data-entry tasks and information-search tasks. Still, you should be aware of options for dealing with the size of collections and lists.
Cap overrides
The system default record cap displays 200 records (or list items) on a form. There are several ways to override this limit:
- : For customers
operating in a cloud-tenant farm, the farm's system administrator can set a record
cap that applies to the entire farm. This setting overrides all other record cap
settings, except for record caps that apply to reports.
There is an exception to this rule: If tenants have their own system-wide record cap set (using the User Preferences Max Record Cap) before a farm-wide cap has been set, the system honors that tenant-level setting. That tenant-level setting is in effect until such time as the tenant might decide to change the User Preferences Max Record Cap setting. At that point, this farm-wide setting takes precedence, and the tenant-level setting cannot be set to exceed the farm-wide setting.
This setting must be made in the Configuration Manager.
- : Local and tenant system administrators can use this process default to override the system default for their own configurations. This setting overrides most other overrides and settings for record caps. The only exceptions to this rule are the Farm-wide record cap setting and record caps set for reports.
- : Individual users can
set their own record cap overrides, in the User Preferences
dialog box. These settings generally override other record cap settings, but they are
subject to the Farm-wide record cap or the
User Preferences Max Record
Cap, if they have been set. If neither of those settings is in effect,
then user-level overrides cannot exceed the system default cap (200). Note: By default, these User Preferences settings carry over from one session to the next. However, if system administrators do not want those settings to persist, they can set the Save record cap override process default. In that case, the User Preference settings last only as long as the user's current session.
- : Developers can specify cap overrides at the IDO collection level for forms. These overrides affect list sources, any included IDO collections (primary, secondary, and subcollection), and tree components. This cap overrides the system default and user-level caps, but cannot exceed the Farm-wide record cap or the User Preferences Max Record Cap, if they have been set.
- : Developers can use application and tree component scripting APIs to specify individual record cap overrides. This cap overrides the system default and user-level caps, but cannot exceed the Farm-wide record cap or the User Preferences Max Record Cap, if they have been set.
- Application Event System overrides: Developers can use the Record Cap parameter in an application event handler to override other record caps, including any system-wide record cap overrides.
- : System
administrators tasked with setting up report outputs can use the Report max record cap process default to override
all other cap settings, including the Farm-wide record
cap or the User
Preferences Max Record Cap, if they have been set.
If neither of the report-specific record cap overrides have been set, then report outputs are subject to the User Preferences Max Record Cap, if it has been set.
The effect of caps when processing records
When the system processes records (for example, during posting) it ignores any cap you have set and processes all records that meet the criteria. However, if the process returns a result set, a record cap override could still affect how many returned records display on the form.
The effect of caps when exporting collections
When you export a collection of records to an external file, you usually want no limit on the number of records. You need not reset the cap on collections in this case. Instead, select the Unlimited query option when you export a collection.