Store configuration items in DB table, or PHP file?

bladx

Hey everyone,

I had a quick question: for something like a CMS, does it matter how you save configuration/preferences?

Currently, I am keeping track of various variables and strings inside of a database table specifically for configure items. Is it better to just save those variables in another php file? And then just include that php file in every other file I need the variables for? Otherwise I am connecting to the database to get those variables for each page I need them.

I have the feeling that it is better overall to keep the variables and settings in a database table, because it can be accessed by more people at more times. It doesn't have as much potential to be corrupted either, or so I think.

Any suggestions? If the database table approach works okay (the CMS is not for a huge site or anything... not tons of traffic, but potential for medium to low traffic.) I'll just keep using it for now.

andy

planetsim

Depends on the configuration settings. I had a CMS which required if the database was done to mail information to a webmaster so i had that configuration information in a php file. Also databases are more prone to becoming corrupt then files, from what I last read that will depend on how many times the file gets accessed as well.

I dont see any trouble with storing the configuration in the database just make sure its not all there. Have something in a file incase the database goes down etc.

bladx

hey planetsim,

thanks for the advide 😃
that's a good point.. databases can go down,
so i'll add a way to export the configuration parts of the database into a php file for a sort of backup.

but then again, i forgot to mention that the server that this CMS will run on will be backed up regularly, daily or weekly (i have to find out from the guy in charge,) so if something bad happens with the database, it can be restored. However, if the database goes down, so will all of the CMS articles anyway, and that's the main purpose of the site 😃 so, um, yeah

all right, thanks for the tip 🙂