changing bitcoin address

[bitminer]

What happens when I change my bitcoin address in the client to a new one before I get some bitcoin sent to my earlier address?
Will I lose the bitcoins sent to my old address or what happens with the transferred bitcoins? 

 

[SmokeTooMuch]

Once created addresses are permanent.
You will receive payments on the old addresses even if you "select" a newer one in the client.

[Tril]

As long as you keep your wallet, you can continue to receive coins to any address that wallet used previously.

[bitminer]

This means that the "wallet.dat" file stores all of my bitcoin addresses?
If I have more bitcoin addresses in my wallet is this file (wallet.dat) bigger?
Is there a theoretical limit of the number of the bitcoin addresses in a wallet?
Is there a theoretical maximum of the number of the bitcoin addresses in the whole bitcoin system?
Is the bitcoin transfer slower to/from a bigger wallet than to/from a smaller?

As long as you keep your wallet, you can continue to receive coins to any address that wallet used previously.

[BitterTea]

This means that the "wallet.dat" file stores all of my bitcoin addresses? yes
If I have more bitcoin addresses in my wallet is this file (wallet.dat) bigger? probably 2^32 or higher
Is there a theoretical limit of the number of the bitcoin addresses in a wallet? essentially, no
Is there a theoretical maximum of the number of the bitcoin addresses in the whole bitcoin system? about 1.46 × 10^48
Is the bitcoin transfer slower to/from a bigger wallet than to/from a smaller? no difference