Hatrack River Forum: A Technical Database Question

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Posted by WheatPuppet (Member # 5142) on :

I've been lurking for a number of months. I've been up to a bunch of things, and I don't have time for a fast-moving forum.

Anyway, I'm trying to set up a web page, and I want an easy way of storing content independently of design using PHP. The logical thing to do would be to use a database. The problem is, I don't have access to one, and I don't have admin privlages to install my own. Do any of the technical-minded folks here know of a way to have the functionality of a database without the administrative overhead?

I've tried coding my own lightweight flatfile database, and decided that it required far too much mucking around with PHP (an ugly language, IMO) to be worth it.

~Nick

Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :

I would be surprised if your ISP didn't at least have BDB installed and support for it compiled into PHP.

BDB is the Berkely Database, its flatfile based, and only really stores key-value pairs, but it has an ACID compliant version. And heck, its fast enough that even if you have to get a write lock every time you write (multiple readers are fine even on the non-transactional version), you'd prolly still be okay.

Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :

I believe MySQL is free and relatively simple to use.

It's next on my software project list.

-Trevor

Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :

Psst, TM:

quote:
The problem is, I don't have access to one, and I don't have admin privlages to install my own.

And if you're going to learn an open source database, for the sake of the children learn PostgreSQL. For all its improvements in recent years, MySQL is still a database ill-suited to many database tasks, and definitely ill-suited to learning how databases work (as there aren't any other databases that work like it).

PostgreSQL is a much closer experience to working with an industrial DB, because it is an industrial DB.

[ March 09, 2005, 10:35 AM: Message edited by: fugu13 ]

Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :

I blame the cough medicine. [Razz]

-Trevor

Posted by WheatPuppet (Member # 5142) on :

Actually PostgreSQL is my favorite databsae out there. I had to work with Microsoft's attempt at SQL over the summer with Microsoft Access, and that was about as fun as poking myself with a hobby knife.

I'll look into BDB and see if it's supported.

Also, the server does have MySQL installed, but it's use is reserved for more important people than me.

Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :

Wheat,
If that doesn't work, you can use CSV files like a database. There should be plenty of resources out there to do this in PHP.