I realize that it is best to use MySQL as the datasource for PHP code-- if not, then why else would we have functions like mysql_query() or mysql_select_db.. etc. and the list goes on.
however, i have heard rumor from different sources that MS Access is useful in that it will store images (i'm guessing from the looks of it in Access design view, that this is the "OLE object"?). As a matter of fact, i think i even used an Access DB which stored images, and retreived them from that .mdb as part of a beginners guide to ColdFusion on the MM website. it's been a while, so i don't recall exactly how the pictures were pulled into the doc w/ ColdFusion, although i assume it must have been because of Access's ability to store images. maybe so, maybe not. irrelevant, i guess.
what i'm getting at here, is that i wanted to try to build some pages using PHP in which the images would be pulled from an Access DB instead of hard coded into the page-- thinking that this would allow for an easy change of site images by simply either changing the db object reference, or changing the db content.
I tried to load up an .mdb file with some PHP code last night, but i found that it is no simple task. for example, without mysql_select_db, how do we choose the datasource? i found some stuff at php.net but i didn't really undstand how to apply it to my own code, and furthermore didn't really understand it in general.
for one thing, i think i need to have a much better understanding of the very definition of "ODBC", and then to better my understand on how ODBC differs from MySQL, and how it will in turn require different PHP functions, and other aspects of the issue which i would need also to understand better i'm sure.
i would also need to figure out how to get the images into the mdb in the first place. any on-line reference for that knowledge that you know of?
so, can anyone out there speak from experience and give me a testimonial about PHP and ODBC, in particular MS Access .mdb files? Where do you recommend i go to further research this issue? i realize PHP.net is likely the best reference, but i searched around there for a while and came up w/ nothing (albeit, late at night and very sleepy).
anything you might have to help me w/ this issue, i'd very much appreciate you sharing it with me. any horror stories? any stories of triumphant success?
thanks!
