Opinions wanted re: Database

knickerlas

I'm using templates to generate my pages.

If I have a database with a table for a pages content (text) but I also want to occasionaly show extra HTML or an img, how would I store that info?

Is it best to have a column that can hold either a HTML block or an image file (I'm guessing BLO😎 or a column with the path to an include for the HTML or img?

Or none of the above?

Many thanks

Nick

pentinat

Blob works fine for me, you could also use functions to call the content. Created a library and I store all your functions there...

reagent

I don't know if you have thought about this, but you may want to just store the NAME of the file, rather than its contents in the database, then dynamically include() it whenever the content is requested. You would have to organize the images and such in a way that they would be easily maintainable.

if you have already considered this, i apologize

knickerlas

Yep, thats pretty much where I was headed! I understand how I can organize this for images but do you have any opinion on include files?

For example I may on occasion wish to put an extra table in the content to demon strate an idea in the text.

Would I compromise security in any way by having a directory full of such includes beneath the root of the site? ( I don't have access to the PHP.ini)

Thanks Pepe and Mr Reagan for your help!

Nick

toma42

Are you REALLY using templates or just include files? If you're using templates, standard practice is to have the template files (.ihtml for me) outside of webroot.

knickerlas

Yes I am, I guess I'll have to contact my host and see if they will doctor the php.ini for me.
What about the extra HTML?

Nick

toma42

You shouldn't need to docotor the INI. You should be able to initialize the template root in the constructor of your template class such as (for phplib):

$t = new template('/home/me/ihtml/');

knickerlas

🙂