[thelist] DSN/DSN-Less & Cold Fusion/ASP Hosting

jeff jeff at members.evolt.org
Sun Apr 1 13:24:04 CDT 2001


gina,

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: From: Gina K. Anderson
:
: 1. On one particular host I am looking at,
:    they have this in their starter package
:    features:
:
: 	DSN Datasources included : 2
: 	DSN-less connections: Unlimited
:
:    I sorta got the gist of what DNS vs. DSN-less
:    actually is (by looking it up in Google ;),
:    but in Cold Fusion, do DNS connection types
:    matter? I didn't find much about DSNs and CF.
:    As you can see, I'm a *NIX gal and most of this
:    doesn't make sense yet.
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

if you're going to be using a database to store your data (as opposed to
flat files) then datasources are important with coldfusion.  i'm not aware
of any way to connect to a database with coldfusion without one.

however, 2 datasources should be more than enough for anything you want to
do.  just name your tables wisely and put them all in a single database.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
: 2. Also, what database support should I be looking
:    for here? This particular hoster gives MS Access
:    or FoxPro database support included, with MSQL
:    7.0 Database as an option. I have Access on my
:    computer here, is one better than the other?
:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

access should do fine for prototyping, personal, or other small, low traffic
projects.  however, i would recommend against it for any project of size,
traffic, or importance.  it was designed as a desktop (read: single user)
database and doesn't deal well with multiple connections (read: the web).
there are some things you can do to alleviate some of these problems, but
there's a catch-22 with that.  you'll know about these workarounds only
after you've used coldfusion awhile and after you've used it awhile you
won't want to use access anyway.

good luck,

.jeff

name://jeff.howden
game://web.development
http://www.evolt.org/
mailto:jeff at members.evolt.org





More information about the thelist mailing list