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Text Files as Databases

Vinay noticed my my list of DVDs (still a work in progress as of today) and made the comment:

i learned from erik that he used a text based database. i think that text based databases are out

See, the thing is Vinay, it's not worth the time or effort to maintain a real database. A flat file PHP array is fine. It's easier to back up, it's easier to read, it's easier to edit. If I was doing all the stuff he's doing, yeah, I'd use a "real" database. But I'm storing the DVD's name, a list of the actors, and its year. And that's it. Software development is all about choosing the right tools for the job. For this small task, a text file is fine. This site on a flat file? Hell no. I'm not sure how Jason uses flat files for his blog. Ugh.

One Response to "Text Files as Databases"

  1. Software I love: Readerware

    I?m no programmer. I can sometimes hack someone else?s code to do what I want, but only in extremis. The last time I tried to write a ?Hello World? program, BASIC was being touted as a programming language for non-programmers. Bah.