Most efficient?

[gecko498]

Which option would use less server resources:

1. Reading a 1 or 0 value from a text file on the server.
2. Reading a 1 or 0 value from a MySQL database on the server.

Cheers.

[trooper]

Interesting question there

Well in todays world of powerful computers doing either approach will not take up hardly any resources whatsoever

Why do you ask?

GM

[blr32]

I would say that if that's the only thing you have to do then go with the 'read file from server' option.

Databases are essentially not more than files on a server, but in order to read from them you have to invoke the whole database system which more than certain will be reading from more than one file.

So go with the file-option I'd say. 🙂

[gecko498]

Originally posted by trooper
Interesting question there

Well in todays world of powerful computers doing either approach will not take up hardly any resources whatsoever

Why do you ask?

GM

Well, I'm not sure if this is the right approach to take, but essentially I want to read a "flag" to determine whether or not I do a larger query.

Simplified:

if($var =1) {
doBigQuery();
} else {
doNothing();
}

Basically, I'm trying to determine if doing a large query is necessary by doing a small one first. Thoughts?

[gecko498]

Originally posted by blr32
I would say that if that's the only thing you have to do then go with the 'read file from server' option.

Databases are essentially not more than files on a server, but in order to read from them you have to invoke the whole database system which more than certain will be reading from more than one file.

So go with the file-option I'd say. 🙂

Good logic, I think you may be right 😉

Thanks

[trooper]

On caveat to remember - files can easily be corrupted / deleted

Be warned ! I've had it happen to me once and its a nightmare!

GM

[gecko498]

Originally posted by trooper
On caveat to remember - files can easily be corrupted / deleted

Be warned ! I've had it happen to me once and its a nightmare!

GM

Thanks for the warning, but it would just be a temp file anyway. 🙂

[trooper]

Well if its going to be temp then why go to all the bother of writing the file and reading it

Stick that value in a session /cookie var?

GM

[gecko498]

Originally posted by trooper
Well if its going to be temp then why go to all the bother of writing the file and reading it

Stick that value in a session /cookie var?

GM

Because it has to be accessible by more than one user. User 1 sets the "flag", User 2 reads it.

[ahundiak]

Hmmm.

Now you have added a different dimension to the problem. What happens if user 2 tries to read the file at the exact same time that user 1 is writing it? You could get corrupted data. (Many caching systems suffer from this same defect).

Best to use a database in this particular instance.

[gecko498]

Originally posted by ahundiak
Hmmm.

Now you have added a different dimension to the problem. What happens if user 2 tries to read the file at the exact same time that user 1 is writing it? You could get corrupted data. (Many caching systems suffer from this same defect).

Best to use a database in this particular instance.

That's a good point. Now, when I say User 1, and User 2, I literally mean there will only ever be 2 users accessing the file. I assume the time it would take to open the file, read/write one character, and close it again would be quite small. But I suppose there is a SLIGHT possibility it could be accessed simutaneously. Anyone's thoughts?

Is it worth switching to the DB option to avoid the possibility of 2 of 2 users accessing the file simutaneously for that one character? I don't know exactly what timeframe we're looking at here, I'm assuming it would be milliseconds, right?

[trooper]

Whatever option you choose you'll need to perform some form of locking

If you got for the file option - you'll need to do a read lock on the file whereas if its the db option you'll need to do a table lock

HTH

GM