4

I went back and read the post you referenced. Posts about speed and optimization usually focus on which way to connect data and related pros/cons. This post however brings up a new angle – how and whether the number of fields in a datatype impacts search and load performance.

Let’s say there are two datatypes – datatype More and datatype Less. Each contains the same number of things. Datatype Less has 5 fields. Datatype More contains 50 fields.

Then you set up searches for Less and More which are executed server side. The searches are exactly the same (the searches for More and Less only use the fields that are common between More and Less). Is the time and utilization on the server side the same for these two searches? Or does More take more time and utilization because it has more fields, even though those extra fields aren’t being searched?

Then you display the search results for each – say it’s around 25 things. You set up the RG so that it only displays the Name field, and nothing else. Is the time and utilization to display the list of names for More greater (because perhaps it is loading all the fields into the page, even though only the name field is being displayed)? If so, is that difference material?

I think the question is not only if there is a difference, but how material that difference may be.