Why Do I Need A Database?


If you're not familiar with the term as it relates to the web,a database is a ...
... of data.
It can be ... a list of email ...
to a set of names, ... andphone numb If you're not familiar with the term as it relates to the web,a database is a structured collection of data.
It can be anythingfrom a list of email addresses to a set of names, addresses andphone numbers.By far the most popular database management system is mySQL,because it is free, works well, and most web hosts have itinstalled. This can be used in conjunction with a language suchas PHP or Cold Fusion to create a website which interacts withthe database.PHP is probably the most popular of languages for interactingwith mySQL databases.
It can be easily used to create webpagesfor your site dynamically. This means that, rather than a siteconsisting of many static or unchanging webpages, each page isgenerated based on information in your database, at the time thepage is accessed by a user.Creating a web site in a language such as PHP and using adatabase to store the information, or some of it, has manyadvantages over a normal static site.One of the most common and most useful ways to use a databasein your website is in a content management system.What Is It And How Does It Work?--------------------------------A content management system is a set of programs (basically,webpages containing programming code) written in a language suchas PHP.
The content management system displays the content ofyour website to your visitors and allows you to easily add, editor remove content from the site without creating a new webpage.This is accomplished by storing the content of the site in adatabase. Rather than creating a "page1.html" with a layout,title, content, etc.
you would store the title and content inthe database, along with any other information you wanted likethe author name, keywords, etc.Then, rather than having a link to "page1.html" you'd have aURL that looked something like this:http://www.yoursite.com/article.php?id=123Article.php would be a page you've written in PHP which getsinformation from your database. The "?id=123" passes the factthat the user has clicked on a link to article number 123.
Thepage would access your database, find article 123, and send backa webpage to your visitor with that article in the body. But,the difference between this and a static page is that you usethe same webpage to access other information:http://www.yoursite.com/article.php?id=124You're accessing the same article.php, but you've told it youwant article 124, and a new page would be created and sentto you with article 124 in the body.The content management system also would allow you to add, editor remove content from your site without editing many webpages.You'd simply have separate pages setup which allow you to editthe information stored in the database.Why Do I Want To Do This?-------------------------There are many reasons to use a database-driven contentmanagement system as opposed to many static webpages.
Severalare:1. Easier To Change Site DesignWith a database-driven site, there is really only one webpage.The content of the site is inserted into this page dynamicallywhen it is requested based on information passed to the page(such as the article number).This means changing the look of the entire site can be as easyas changing the HTML in that one page.
The page would containboth HTML and programming code for whatever language you chose.2. Easier To Update Your SiteUsing a database-driven content system, you no longer have tocreate a separate webpage for each piece of content you wanton your site.
By setting up a form which submits information toadd to your database, you can update the site just by copying andpasting a piece of content into the form, and adding it to thedatabase. If you write the site to take articles based on date,for example, the new content could appear immediately on yoursite.How Do I Create a Content Management System?--------------------------------------------Here are several places you can learn about building a database-driven website, specifically with PHP and mySQL:1.
http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/programming/php/WebMonkey's PHP Programming section has many well-writtenarticles and tutorials dealing with both PHP programming andinteracting with mySQL. They even have a "PHP/mySQL Tutorial."2.
http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/backend/databases/WebMonkey's Backend Databases section includes information aboutchoosing a database system, an introduction to databases,several tutorials and more.3. http://wdvl.com/Authoring/Languages/PHP/The Web Developer's Virtual Library has several good tutorialsand information about the PHP language and how to use it inconjunction with mySQL databases.There are many uses of databases in websites, and a contentmanagement system is just one of them.
Hopefully this articlehas informed you on exactly what a database is and has providedyou with several links to good starting points for those whoare interested in using a database in their site. Article Tags: Content Management System, Management System, Content Management Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com .

Top blog stories

A review of Idmobile.com

Idmobile.com offers both pay-as-you-go and contract plans. Pay-as-you-go plans are ideal for customers who don't want to be tied down to a long-term contract, and they can purchase bundles of data, minutes, and texts as and when they need them.

see post

A review of Idmobile.com

Idmobile.com offers both pay-as-you-go and contract plans. Pay-as-you-go plans are ideal for customers who don't want to be tied down to a long-term contract, and they can purchase bundles of data, minutes, and texts as and when they need them.

see post

AO.co: Online Shopping Made Simple

AO.co is a trusted expert in TVs, washing machines, clothes dryers and other household appliances. AO.com is one of the largest retailers in the UK and it specializes in electronics, clothes and home furniture.

see post

For our people.

At Three, we believe phones are good. They just make life better. Easier. And more fun. But we all need to find a balance that works for us. Our mission is to help our customers use their phones to live their best lives.

see post

We make your life easier

We make your life easier Since 1992, we’ve been helping customers get the best deal on their dream phone. We firmly believe in giving you the highest quality, for the lowest price. That’s why we work with three of the UK’s leading networks to do all the haggling for you,...

see post

FOUR BRANDS BECOME ONE. CURRYS.

Currys PLC is a leading omnichannel retailer of technology products and services, operating through 800+ stores and 16 websites in seven countries.

see post

Halfords - Quicker, Easier, and Convenient.

At Halfords, we're all about the journey. With more than 700 stores with over 10,000 colleagues, we're the UK's leading retailer of automotive and cycling products. We are also the leading operator in MOT, tyres, car servicing and car repairs - pleasing more than 750,000 customers every year.

see post

FOUR BRANDS BECOME ONE. CURRYS.

Currys PLC is a leading omnichannel retailer of technology products and services, operating through 800+ stores and 16 websites in seven countries.

see post

Sky - Epic. Endless. Entertainment.

It's important to us that everyone gets great customer service and can enjoy our products, no matter their level of sight. So, if you're blind, partially sighted or struggle to see or read the screen, we’ve a range of features to help you get the most from our products and...

see post

Nasty Gal - We exist for the “girl in progress”.

Look iconic, without the hassle— using Nasty Gal discount codes, you can shop your favorite pieces for way less by simply entering one of our promotional codes (of your choice) at the checkout. From delivery offers, to promo deals, we keep ‘em coming, so you always have the offer you...

see post

Digital Publishing From Past to Now

The Covid-19 has caused the school and universities to shut down around the world creating a major issue in Learning and Education. As this virus spreads through the interaction and if social distanci... The Covid-19 has caused the school and universities to shut down around the world creating a major...

see post

Why it’s Important to Manage Your Holiday Calendars?

A printable calendar 2021 is a prominent online platform where you download printable calendars of your choice. These calendars can be customized as per our client requirement with photo, text, logo, or any other image. If you are thinking of planning a dream vacation tour with family and kids but...

see post

A review of Idmobile.com


Idmobile.com offers both pay-as-you-go and contract plans. Pay-as-you-go plans are ideal for customers who don't want to be tied down to a long-term contract, and they can purchase bundles of data, minutes, and texts as and when they need them.

A review of Idmobile.com


Idmobile.com offers both pay-as-you-go and contract plans. Pay-as-you-go plans are ideal for customers who don't want to be tied down to a long-term contract, and they can purchase bundles of data, minutes, and texts as and when they need them.

AO.co: Online Shopping Made Simple


AO.co is a trusted expert in TVs, washing machines, clothes dryers and other household appliances. AO.com is one of the largest retailers in the UK and it specializes in electronics, clothes and home furniture.

For our people.


At Three, we believe phones are good. They just make life better. Easier. And more fun. But we all need to find a balance that works for us. Our mission is to help our customers use their phones to live their best lives.

We make your life easier


We make your life easier Since 1992, we’ve been helping customers get the best deal on their dream phone. We firmly believe in giving you the highest quality, for the lowest price. That’s why we work with three of the UK’s leading networks to do all the haggling for you,...

FOUR BRANDS BECOME ONE. CURRYS.


Currys PLC is a leading omnichannel retailer of technology products and services, operating through 800+ stores and 16 websites in seven countries.

Halfords - Quicker, Easier, and Convenient.


At Halfords, we're all about the journey. With more than 700 stores with over 10,000 colleagues, we're the UK's leading retailer of automotive and cycling products. We are also the leading operator in MOT, tyres, car servicing and car repairs - pleasing more than 750,000 customers every year.

FOUR BRANDS BECOME ONE. CURRYS.


Currys PLC is a leading omnichannel retailer of technology products and services, operating through 800+ stores and 16 websites in seven countries.

Sky - Epic. Endless. Entertainment.


It's important to us that everyone gets great customer service and can enjoy our products, no matter their level of sight. So, if you're blind, partially sighted or struggle to see or read the screen, we’ve a range of features to help you get the most from our products and...

Nasty Gal - We exist for the “girl in progress”.


Look iconic, without the hassle— using Nasty Gal discount codes, you can shop your favorite pieces for way less by simply entering one of our promotional codes (of your choice) at the checkout. From delivery offers, to promo deals, we keep ‘em coming, so you always have the offer you...

Search topic

Nasty Gal - We exist for the “girl in progress”.

Look iconic, without the hassle— using Nasty Gal discount codes, you can shop your favorite pieces for way less by simply entering one of our promotional codes (of your choice) at the checkout. From delivery offers, to promo deals, we keep ‘em coming, so you always have the offer you...

Learn more