E-Zines! HTML Vs DATABASE???

Tea_J

Hi guys

Im developing an online E-Magazine.. I got to a point where i have to decide whether to use plain HTML Pages for articles, or Database. I personally prefer the managaebility of databases, however i am concerned ergarding Search engines. Knowing that they are smart and look at the actual content of your pages, how will it see my pages if they are in a database? Can Search engines look into my databses to find relevent articles for the keyword used by the surfer?

What do you guys suggest for a news/article/magazine site with intensive text and image contents?!

I would normaly think that databases are the professional way to drive the site, but i noticed some big websites using plain html for their content. One great example is CNN.com!

Tea

laserlight

Why, use XML, of course! 😃

I would normaly think that databases are the professional way to drive the site, but i noticed some big websites using plain html for their content. One great example is CNN.com!

You dont know that, actually, since a website could use .html pages as .php pages, or with any other web programming language.

Tea_J

Why, use XML, of course!

Seriously yo? I mean, i never really tackled XML before.. and i dont have time for a "Learn as you Develop" type of development. And plus, i (think) databases are built better than XML for this... i could be wrong.

You dont know that, actually, since a website could use .html pages as .php pages, or with any other web programming language.

Oh but I do believe they use plain html. One of thes strong clues to my theory is the way they structure thelocations of their articles..their in folders that are of sections and dates.. i doubt that they would put tonz of php files in different folders PER ARTICLE.. it defeats the purpose of efficient programing.

Tea

laserlight

One of thes strong clues to my theory is the way they structure thelocations of their articles..their in folders that are of sections and dates.. i doubt that they would put tonz of php files in different folders PER ARTICLE

ah, but there are ways of mapping to 'directories' and 'files'.

Tea_J

Oh? could be.. but most probably not
1) Outdated method or rarely used
2) Not really professional or rather ineficient /impractical
3) I checked. 🙂

I believe they chose to use plain HTML pages so that them CNN peoplez can easily add/edit articles.. i dunno..

but besides the point, i believe my questions where not of the previous discussions. So if you dont mind, i kinda realyl need advises regarding this issue. Specially with:

Can Search Engines index dynamically generated pages like they normally do with plain html pages?

Any pointers too?

Thank you all in advance. And thanks too laserlight for beeing so fast to reply. 🙂

Tea

BigD

I suspect they can. Think about it, when you do some searchs in google, sometimes I got results that are from forums (of the php scripted variety like this one) and the link takes you direct to the content. Also, Invision Power Board has a method of identifying the spiders that many search engines use and then you are able to chose a different style sheet to use (so as to avoid using up precious bandwidth) so they must be able to index dynamic database pages.

laserlight

To be honest, I only actually read the XML 1.0 specification for the first time in my life last week, even though I roughly knew the ideas involved.
So I'm pretty new at XML too.

It should be possible to write XML that is parsed by the browser, as well as by a PHP script.
In that case, users can view your content, as can search engines, quite easily.
At the same time, your PHP script can allow you to manage your data easily.

Though the main problem would be with (old/non-standard) browsers being unable to parse the XML properly, methinks.
Then also a database would probably be faster, since there is the use of indices (and keys), which you would have to simulate with the XML.

An alternative might be to use those mapping techniques mentioned earlier.
Effectively, it would appear that your pages arent dynamically generated.
You would then still be able to use databases, while avoiding search engine problems.

Tea_J

hmm.yeah, i did wonder about that..since i too get search results with links that are of dynamic pages.. but i do wana know HOW?! Coz if you think about it,

WHY ARENT THesE Search Engines RETURNING RESULTS FROM OUR PM INBOXES?

I mean, between indexable and NONindexable dynamic pages <-- where is that border at?

Tea

PS
BigD, i saw ur post. I think it's a clever site you're making (PHP Challenge).. I prolly can help .. i do websites and business applications using web technologies. PHP, MySQL, blah blah.. my forte is in Flash design and functionality.
I will post in your board soon.

BigD

Great. 😃

Well, I think it depends on how the spider works. As I understand it, they work by trawling through links etc. and then go to whatever pages they get a link to. Therfore unless they are logged in as you, they cannot see the link to the members area. Like, you rarely see any search results to content that is within the members area of any site and if you do, I suspect that it is because of a set up which recognises the spider and allows it access. I think anyway.

But I can say this for certain (just remembered), the last dynamic website I made was spidered by google and it caught a load of my pages which were all dynamic content from the index.php.

Tea_J

great points there laserlight. thanks.. although, i always believe that there are more efficient ways (im an efficiency freak) to achieve things.. I think with with the millions of database driven websites using regular techniques such as this board, there has got to be a more native way of achieving this... it could be "automatic".. cant find the exact line that draws the differences yet though....

Tea

Tea_J

i see.. well alteast im getting closer to the TRUTH! 🙂

Keep em great points comin guys! 🙂

tea

laserlight

Looked around, found 2 good articles:

http://www.searchengineguide.com/whalen/2003/0811_jw1.html
http://www.webdevelopersjournal.com/articles/spider_dynamic_site.html

Basically, they generally agree with the mapping technique.

But I can say this for certain (just remembered), the last dynamic website I made was spidered by google and it caught a load of my pages which were all dynamic content from the index.php.

Yep, but that could also have been due to google's algorithms these days. Other search engines might be less sophisticated when it comes to dynamic content.

BigD

Nice links there. Something I didnt know before. Guess it makes it a bit harder for the decision.

Tea_J

laserlight, very interesting links.. they do suggest mapping.. darn it. i was hoping to avoid that. 🙁 hmm..

But the articles offered other solutions as well.. may be i'll have a single static webpage on my server that creates a static link to the dynamic content? Not links to all, prolly the 100 latest articles. <-- i blieve it's a viable idea. 🙂 a special doorway for them spiders. 🙂 dumb spiders... puf ... hmm.........

PS
darn it.. i cant get my sites properly linked!! (see my sig) .. 🙁

BigD

You could maybe place an invisibile link (coloured to blend in with the site) somewhere on the site for the spiders? That way your users will continue with the site as you intended, but the spiders will have their special access page?

Tea_J

yeah.. that 'is' my method with my Flash websites.. could be a solution..

Or i could just use plain HTML PAGES!!!!! ArrgG!!! lolz

hmm... but when u tink about it, what are the "manageablility" stuffs I would need with an E-Zine website? Once an article is done it's done.. you rarely need to update the contents.. do you guys think this is a solution??? i could still use a database for my own Search Engine on my website and save the links to the articles in my database with keywords and descriptions..

gosh it seems scary to think about thousands of static html pages....

Tea

BigD

You not have to edit them ever probably but you will have an awful lot of files taking up file space, where as database would probably be smaller.

It's a solution but one that might be hard to keep track of. Also you won't be able as easily to do things like get statistics.

Tea_J

true.. true.. yeah, i guess database is the best solution yet.. file mapping as laserlight suggested is one great option...
but the question that came to mind is, how does a search engine crawl through my database? if i had thousands of articles, and since im using mapping technique, doesnt that mean the searchengines will search every single entry in my database????

TEa