Chapter 2. Adding a Database to a Content Management System

The simple Content Management System we developed in the last chapter worked, but there were plenty of drawbacks to the system we created. One of the major drawbacks was the use of the file system for storing content. Files can be insecure, text files can be unwieldy in size, and you can hold only text content in one. We could use other file types, maybe save the text as HTML to overcome some issues, but that means our content and our presentation are part of the same file. In a CMS, this is one of the issues we need to avoid.

Imagine something as simple as your boss deciding that headings in the pages will now be formatted as a <h2> heading with a purple font color. If we stored 500 pages as simple files that included the HTML, we would have to edit 500 files to change every heading. And you know that, once we finished that task, the company president would want the headings formatted simply as bold text in green. And we would have to change all 500 files again. Even with a search and replace function that works across files, we would still have to check every page to make sure the changes take place. I don't know about you, but I would either rewrite the application or quit the company. As we both need to pay the rent and buy food, let's change the application to use a database to store our content.

In this chapter, we will cover: