Darryl
Case 1: Storing static xxx.html pages in a text field of database as opposed
to storing them as xxx.html pages on the server.
1) User requests a page with:
href=GetPage.cfm?PageName=xxx
2) Your program retrieves page from db and serves with cfcontent tag
+ Some gain in page management of pages with db
+ Can search without need to rebuild index (ala Verity)
- Much additional overhead of CF server and SQL Server
- inefficient use of SQL db
- More complex page creation/maintenance interface than straight html
(copy/paste between html editor and data entry form)
= no real advantage of updating redundant information (same information
appears in multiple pages)
= no real navigational advantage
Case 2: Database-Driven Dynamic Content - The information used to dynamically
generate pages (as opposed to the pages themselves) is stored in the db.
1) User requests information (usually as part of a search and
drill-down), with:
href=GetInfo.cfm?Table=News&Field=any&Action=contains&Value=Fusion
2) Your program:
Analyzes the request and builds a query
Queries the db
formats a list of "candidates" - those records satisfying the
search, from information in the db
presents & re-presents next/previous groups of candidates
formats detail of candidate selected as result of
drill-down.
Combines data from fields in db with markup, headings, etc.
from template
presents detail of selected candidate
+ Large gain in management of information with db
+ Very flexible search/sort capability
+ Easy to impose/change format and presentation standards... they are in
the template not in the data
+ Content can be created/maintained by non-techies
+ Queries can be cached by CF
+ Eliminates redundant information and all the associated problems
+ Simplifies creation/maintenance data
+ Great advantage in efficiency of navigation and drill-down
+ Great improvement in user control and user experience... the site
works the way he wants to work
+ Great flexibility in what information is presented and how it is
presented (as compared to programs like Verity).
For example in a drill-down for suppliers of a certain product
you present a next/prev list of candidates.
When a candidate is selected, you show the detail information and:
other products he sells
news articles where he is mentioned...
+ Easy to enter data in advance of its being made public, then
later, making it available (release date, etc). For example:
10 % price increase in all products.
introducing a new product line
publishing "This Week's" News Articles
+ Easy to maintain statistics/ monitor site activity in real time
+ Ability to create/update content from wherever; whenever!
- Slight additional overhead of CF server and SQL Server
There are probably many other points that could be made.
Case 2, IMHO, is where CF and SQL really shine!
HTH
Dick
At 5:30 PM +1000 6/4/01, Darryl Lyons wrote:
>What are people's opinions on serving a page (i.e. info from a text data
>type) from a database over serving it from a text file.
>
>For instance, we're working on a content management system where the page
>information is being stored in the database rather than a text file. I guess
>the main question is which is quicker and more efficient over which is the
>easiest to search.
>
>-----------------------------------
>Regards,
>
>Darryl Lyons
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