best way to detect files via mySQL/PHP

[r_asylum]

Hi, I have a problem, I need to get about 20,000 files ready for a website. I wanted at first to create rows and databases to dynamically call each one with a title, description, and size. After seeing the high amount of files to be uploaded to this site though, I see what a difficult task that would be.

Is there an easier way of doing this? Either by having the database read the directory they are located in or by having an automatic entry added to the database each time a file is uploaded?

Thanks.

[bogu]

Ok,
You could try to upload with ftp all the files, then do a script to read the file properties and put it into you mysql database.

[r_asylum]

I'm not sure if I would even know where to begin with something like that. I know i'm probably not thinking in the right mode with some of this, but how do you get mysql (or would it be on php?) to read files like that straight from the folder?

Mainly though, how do you get file properties for a file?