[thelist] database question

> > If only you have the access to updates, you can download the data file,
> > open it in TextPad, edit it (it's after all a text file) and
> once you're
> > finished, upload it. Works great for global replacements.
> [Burns, Martin]  The qualifying statement there is key. Of course,
> you still don't know which processes are accessing your data.
>
> Templates I'm happy about uploading on the fly. Data? No.

ftp the file to the server with a different name, and rename it once its
there. You can do this automatically with an FTP script, and since the time
taken for a 'rename' command to execute on a half-decent server is waaay
less than a second (and the OS usually locks the files whilst it renames
anyway), the potential, nightmare problems of 'on-the-fly' uploading are
circumvented.

Having said this, I believe that a system such as MySQL is a better solution
for any site with anything over about 3,000 records to deal with.

a Flat-file and perl system, however, is very easy to build quickly, very
easy to maintain, and can handle a considerable site load without causing
any problems (I have proof!). For people in a tight spot who need a
functioning site within a few weeks, and who've never done SQL before, it is
the ideal solution. You should just start learning SQL as soon as you can...

sb

Simon Batistoni
simon@userfrenzy.com