[moreschemata]

As convenient as is the integration of address book with other OS apps, the sluggishness is puzzling. The search feature (dynamic) is handy, too. But with 250 entries in the book, it has slowed WAY down... so that entering a new name (command-N) results in beachball for a couple seconds, etc.

Seems like such a fundamental database-based app should be "snappy". Is it a matter of the bulky XML file structure? Does this mean that I should forgo using it for a small-business database that will probably grow to hundreds more entries?

If so, it seems a shame - I had hoped to be able to keep progress notes in the "Note" field, iSync it to iDisk, and keep people back at home office posted while I'm on the road. But this is really beginning to drag. Key question:

is this REALLy the nature of XML db? (just backed up the address book db and noticed it was 1.7MB - for just 250 entries - and a few small note fields. Explanations, anybody?

[Terri]

You just know too many people. Please reduce the amount of people you know to a more acceptable number for faster address book access.

[eevyl]

Well I have 236 entries in my Address Book and it is fast on my PowerMac G4 400Mhz.

[Terri]

It is really fast on my 17" Powerbook too, 99 entries, but some of my accounts complain about it being slow.

[Love Calm Quiet]

I get a beachball or pauses at least when I enter a new person or click on a new field.
--667Mhz Tibook.

And yes! those XML files are rather large... ever drag one onto TextEdit and see all the duplication of labels that XML necessitates? Is that an efficient way to run a database? Filemaker opens and searches and displays HUGE amount of data with responsiveness that I don't see from a 200-record address book. 'Tis strange indeed.

Terri: What do you mean by "some of my accounts"? When you switch to another user from the same Mac? or when you're using another machine (slower one?)

[Terri]

Originally posted by Love Calm Quiet:
Terri: What do you mean by "some of my accounts"? When you switch to another user from the same Mac? or when you're using another machine (slower one?)

I meant accounts as in my clients, I do Mac consulting.

[eevyl]

I repeat, if it is fast on my 400 mhz setup, it should be fast almost anywhere

You may have something wrong with the AB, try deleting the caches or something like that.

I remember there was a freeware for cleaning up the AB database file.. found it:

MailTuner

[Love Calm Quiet]

Thanks, eevyl...

The MAIL TUNER app (why didn't he call it ADDRESS BOOK TUNER?) does the trick. When I read his explanation in his READ ME file as to why this works, and that Apple documents the problem, I think Apple really needs either to automate this re-indexing or at least put it as a command in the file menu - as it has with DB backup! Check out the MAIL TUNER comments:

"(Mail Tuner will) create 15 "dummy" records in the address book, then delete them & remove the file ~/Library/Application Support/Address Book/ABPerson.index from your computer. Address Book will then launch and you will have to simply enter any text into the search box. This completes the process.

"Why do I have to do a search in the Address Book after MailTuner runs?
First of all, we cannot script that step. This will force the address book to rebuild a file that was deleted in the last step. Please make sure you perform this step!

"Who figured this out?
The article about performing this routine was found at http://boingboing.net/2003_08_01_arc...tml#200443964. It was confirmed by Apple to work."

TERRI: This made huge difference right away in performance. You may want to recommend it to clients.

Final note: I didn't notice the slowdown until I added about a dozen be importing from a vCard - so that process may really need to be followed by the MAIL TUNER.

[thePurpleGiant]

I know I'm on a 1Ghz TiBook, but I have 449 cards and my address book is 100% normal speed. Very snappy, no slowdown at all.

[Millennium]

It's highly unlikely that the database format has anything to do with it, given the symptoms you describe. Sounds more like implementation problems on Apple's side.

[Terri]

Originally posted by Love Calm Quiet:

"(Mail Tuner will) create 15 "dummy" records in the address book, then delete them & remove the file ~/Library/Application Support/Address Book/ABPerson.index from your computer. Address Book will then launch and you will have to simply enter any text into the search box. This completes the process.

"Why do I have to do a search in the Address Book after MailTuner runs?
First of all, we cannot script that step. This will force the address book to rebuild a file that was deleted in the last step. Please make sure you perform this step!

"Who figured this out?
The article about performing this routine was found at http://boingboing.net/2003_08_01_arc...tml#200443964. It was confirmed by Apple to work."

TERRI: This made huge difference right away in performance. You may want to recommend it to clients.

Thanks

Downloaded it and will give it a try next time I'm at an account that is having issues with Address Book.

[SoClose]

Why do you assume that Address Book uses XML as its data store? In fact, Address Book uses a highly optimized and compact database called MetaKit. I have a very large number of addresses and haven't noticed any issues on my 1.25GHz AlBook.

[moreschemata]

SoClose: Thanks for the clarification - My bad! There were some sys data files that I saw were XML but I guess it wasn't Address Book.

And thanks to eevyl - that MailTuner really did the trick.

Come to think of it - I believe my problems did start after importing some addresses from another machine - maybe that's what requires the reindexing that MailTuner achieves.

It does seem like that reindexing ought to be a feature of the app itself!

MacNN forums rule!

[eevyl]

As far as I know, from reading the MailTuner readme, the AB needs to be reindexed by force sometimes when you have more than 200 entries. Definitely a bug thatneeds to be fixed.