Should I store this in the script or the database?

[joebob]

Hi,

I have a problem. I am writing a web site that has one index file, then based on the "module name" I pass it, it will call a function that will match up the module name and return an array consisting of the page title, description, and filename for the content to be included. My problem is that my "coder conscience" is telling me that I should not store this data in an array, because it's hard coded into the script, and that I should store it in a MySQL table. However, this of course will inevitably use more resources if the database has to be queried every single time a user visits a page to determine this data.

Is either way horribly bad design?

Thanks.

[NogDog]

Sure, databases use resources, but so does everything else you do on a computer. The question is, does it use too many resources? The likely answer for something like that which probably requires one fairly simple query from a fairly small data set, is that you'll barely notice it (if you notice it at all).

After all, I'd guess this site does 4 or 5 DB queries per page load, some of which join multiple tables that have thousands of records each. Every WordPress blog you see on the web is doing multiple database queries per page, etc.

[djjjozsi]

database is a better way to you store data. And the results you need will have unliminited relations.

A user creates a new content page, how you store this in a normal array in a static .php file.? If you need another field to the content, you need to change the structure in all your php files, but if you are using database the alter code which insert a new field will make this movement in one step.

Security tasks, editing,,searching, deleteing, , inserting is faster if you're using a database.

Hello,jozsi.

[shawty]

I would definately go the Database route, the performance is much better.

As an example i recently put together a script which required the CSS style rules to be editable by a system admin.

What i ended up doing was storing the styles in a MySql table which had ID,StyleName,StyleRule columns. I then used a PHP called on every page access which pulled these out and delivered them to the page as a linked style sheet.

An admin page in the background then allowed these to be changed on the fly while the site was being used.

Performance was good and it happily served the 200 or so school children that where using it.

Databases are designed for this kind of high impact use, and with modern versions of MySql you can tune the server so that it keeps frequently accessed data in memory, thus making the delivery even faster.

Another example to consider is the Typo3 Content Managment System (http://www.typo3.org) thats driven entirely off a MySql DB the only thing thats static is your page template, and even then you can get away with designing your page entirely in typo script and using NO static files at all.

Cheers

Shawty

[joebob]

Thanks guys, that was helpful. I think I'll go with the database model.