Newsletter Tool

[reub77]

I need to create a newsletter tool that will allow someone to create a newsletter, archive a newsletter, and edit newsletters. These newsletters will be made monthly. My knowledge and experience tells me there are two ways to do this.

First, use a database to store the newsletter's text (could it get to large?).

Second would be to actually create a text file with inside php (not 100% sure how to do this but feel it can be done) and name them by date. To edit them you'd display the .txt file inside a php file and then to edit them simply apply the changes and overwrite the file.

I like the first way best because I think I know how to do it. In everyone's oppinion, which way is better? Or does anybody have any other ideas? And lastly how do I do these?

[sfullman]

Hi there,

This is a shameless plug but I'm developing a service called relatebase.com which allows you to do all of these things. It's OK to store the newsletters in a database, but probably a text file emailed to the person will be the best (as an attachment).

However, is the newsletter also going to be achrived as an article somewhere? Will there be hyperlinks on it? If so, then please store it in a database so it can function for articles.

And, are you going to use any mail merge code in it so you get "dear John, dear sally, dear Joe" etc.??? based on their record in the database? My product does this.

Be happy to give you a demonstration of this and set you up as a beta tester. If you like it would could talk further. You can PM me or reply on the post either way.

Sincerely,
Sam Fullman

[reub77]

I'm definitely not going to use a third party to do it for me as all I need to know is which way is better. The newsletters would not be mailed. They would be stored and displayed on the site. Links may be sent out or people may visit to view them from the site as they won't be password blocked. There will be archived newsletters from previous months.

I usually use mySQL for a database and have worked little with Access but when specifying a field in a database is there a limit to the amount of text that can be stored in one entry? Like maybe only 255 characters? Or if I leave that blank will it exceed that limit like I'd want it too for the newsletter?

[sfullman]

well so much for my shameless plug. In mySQL you need to use a text field if it's going to be ascii, or you can use a blob field (Binary Large OBject), which comes in a few flavors.

No problem storing blobs but if it gets really huge doing searches for strings could be slow.

Sam

[reub77]

Thanks

Do you know much about connecting to an Access database?

[sfullman]

In a former life I uses asp to connect to access. totally unfamilar cf PHP on that.

Why use access on the web? It's very slow, doesn't support many users, and you'll get tons of qualified support from this forum using mySQL.

Sam