[lmsboy]

Hey,
if I delete an action (backspace) will it definitely deleted or will it be moved into the archive?

Thx!

[whpalmer4]

Deleting the action does not put it in the archive. It is still present in your database until the action removing it is compacted; at that point, there is no further trace of it.

[lmsboy]

what does it mean '..until the action removing it is compacted..'?

[whpalmer4]

The database stores a list of transactions in those zip files, describing changes to the contents of the main database file, named 000000000... and the database compaction process consolidates all of those changes and writes out a new copy of the main file. So, when you delete the action, a new zip file gets created with contents saying that the action id erfkjh234xdfed has been deleted, and when a copy of OmniFocus reads that file during a sync, it knows to update the display to not show you the "deleted" action. However, it is still present until all of the clients of that database consolidate that action into the main file, at which point it is removed. That is why your database does not necessarily immediately shrink when you remove a big attachment.

[lmsboy]

So all I've to do is to sync it with another (of mine) clint and it will shrink?

[whpalmer4]

Everyone has to sync, and sync again at least an hour later. The sync process will not remove any transactions less than an hour old as protection against a client trying to do a sync over a very slow connection.

If you are in a hurry to get that item completely out of your database, you can use Ken's trick of syncing all your devices, going to the Sync preferences in OmniFocus on the Mac, clicking show clients, and then unregistering all of the clients before syncing them again.

[lmsboy]

Ok, so if I don't use this trick it will done automatically when?

[whpalmer4]

If you don't do that, it will go away the first time all of your devices have been synced at least an hour after they have all been synced after you made this change. The first time they are all synced, they will establish a point in the transaction graph that they've all reached. The second time they are all synced, all transactions before that point which are at least an hour old will be consolidated.

[lmsboy]

Ah thank you - so all I've to do is sync as normal all my devices and it goes away from my database!?