Storing Content in a Database
Information stored in a database is not limited to short strings, like the 32-character item name from Listing 17.3. You can create 64K blobs, which are enough to store a good-sized Web page. The advantage here is that pages exist in a very structured environment. They can be identified by a number, and relationships can be drawn between them using only these numbers. The disadvantage is that, since the information is now in a database, you can't just load the file into your favorite editor. You have to balance the costs and benefits; most Web sites don't need every piece of content stored in a database.
A situation where it makes a lot of sense to put the content in a database is a Bulletin Board System, or BBS. ...
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