Calling all PHP Guru's please read

[Anon]

Hi,

I'm trying to get as much feedback and further development on a script and concept I originally came up with. It is basically to create a script which uses html databases. It purpose is essentially store, retreave and filter small amounts of data that you would consider to small for a mySQL type database or for mission critical data - This obviously works when you have problems with a mySQL connection (which always happens occasionally) and is therefore more reliable.

From my original script it has now been developed much further (by sitepoint members) into a fully operational databasing class, with many features you would associate with SQL.

Another benifit of this script is that all the databases are simpley html tables and are therefore very easy to visualise and its a piece of cake to create or edit a database in any WYSIWYG editor such as dreamweaver.

I'm try to get as much feedback on this as possible so we can produce something really usefull - so any script snippets you can add for more functionality would be greatly appreciated.

The fully details are to large to re-post here, but I'd be greatful for any contributions to the below thread.

One thing that would be a great addition would be the functionality to edit database table and entries via the web, so if anyone has any ideas please post.

Hope you all find it of use: -

http://www.sitepointforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30940

[Anon]

HTML. Why not XML?

I think that the major problem with working with files, is the edition. While editing, errors can occur that can send all the data in he file to the garbage.
One would have to make copies, edit, and substitute the original with the copy. All that, after being able to identify the record to be deleted.

I would go for some nice & easy formating of the file. Use XML.

[Anon]

Well, actually it will be xhtml, but it requires only simple modification to use xml or whatever you want.

The script is very 'idiot' proof - which was one of the main reasons I created it. Even if you have several places where you insert 'bad data' the rest of the tables data would still be fine. As database is in a format which can be 'visually' viewed in a WYSIWYG editor its very easy to spot errors, change table, add data etc by hand - or you can get the script to do it. It also automtically backs up the 'database'.

As I said its not designed for 'large' amounts of data - but is best used a a replacement for where you would normally use large switch() statements etc - which are very easy to mess up when editing.

[[deleted]]

A commendable effort, but given the extreme simplicity and relative reliability of MySQL, I'd prefer to spend some time on a good MySQL api layer.

Flat files are small, fast and simple, but like you said, they don't scale, and if you ever want to use them for more than one user, you're in trouble.