flat files

Opinion: File Based Applications to replace Database Systems

Submitted by joelhalse on March 31, 2008 - 5:05am
OpenEdit's Joel Halse believes that file based applications and not the database driven systems are the next evolution for information management. The below article is written by Joel Halse and explains his reasons for why he has reached this conclusion.

Lets say you need to organize 2000 people on a football field. A relational database would create 2000 little boxes and make everyone stay in their little box. If someone needed to move around, they would first need to inform the administrator so that the administrator doesn't lose track of everyone. A file based system on the other hand would hand out a cell phone to everyone and tell them to have fun. If someone needs you, we'll give you a call. Just make sure you don't lose your cell phone. Beyond that, have a great day.

A relational database was a good system. It was also created in a time where searching a million files took more than milliseconds. It was a product of limitations. It wasn't necessarily the ideal solution, but it was a good solution given the tools at hand. Those limitations are gone. Those limitations are in the past. New technology and mind boggling search capabilities have opened the door for new options that weren't available 20 years ago.

File based applications are the next evolution for information management. Especially for the web.

Why? Because it's easier understand. It's not that you aren't smart enough to understand a database. It's that you don't have to understand a database. Especially when you already understand how to use a file based system.

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CMS Wire: Do You Believe in a Flat-File Driven Content Management System?

Submitted by Bryan on November 29, 2007 - 5:21pm

"Utilizing a web content management platform that runs off of a flat file structure (e.g. doesn’t require a relational database back-end) is an alluring thought. Mostly to us cheap baskets who would rather not pay premium money to hosting providers for database usage.

However, the consensus seems to be that such structures are inadequate for sites of any great size, and lack inherent stability."

Complete Story

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My first CMS: Simple PHP Blog

Submitted by Bryan on August 9, 2007 - 10:00pm
Simple PHP Blog 0.5.0.1, a maintenance release, went public on Tuesday of this week.  I know I don't talk too much about it here, but I still like to keep at least one eye open on this particular blogging application.  For you see, I consider Simple PHP Blog my very first Web content management system (WCMS).

Three or four years ago was when I began my exploration into the world of Web content management systems for personal use. It was a period of transition for me. My primary Web language was slowly shifting from Perl to PHP. I also had a strong desire to move away from static HTML pages for my "family" site to something a little more dynamic and evolving. However, while I was ready to take on the CMS I wasn't ready to fork over the extra money my host provider was asking for a single MySQL database. Until my hosting contract was up, I only had one choice...install a CMS that stored the data on the drive as "flat files" instead of an online database.

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CMS Made Simple: 1.0.2 Released!

Submitted by Bryan on September 21, 2006 - 2:29am

Various fixes in CMS Made Simple, V1.0.2:

  • Added valid_css tag- Fix default template prev and next links positions
  • Fix the print tag with mod_rewrite
  • Fix undefined index during logout
  • Fix sitename htmlentities in installer
  • Fixes for various issues in the contact form
  • Fixes for issues with search with non-English characters
  • Various other little fixes

Complete Story


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