Re: FN-FORUM: Strategy for image and data storage

date posted 10th August 2004 21:33

> supposing I store the original file on the server, with both the
> original filename reference in the item record and the random coded
> upload filename (to avoid overwriting by duplication)

yep!

if I was building these bits from scratch, there would be two data
tables...

1. Images
imageID
systemFilename
originalFilename
otherAttributes (mime, size, creationDate etc)

2. Descriptions
descriptionID
imageID
descriptionFields etc

so in the images table, you have a unique filename on the system, but
retain original details in a record, which you can use if doing some
kind of SendBinary response. (rather than attempting to url to an
images folder)

This also facilitates searching for an image on it's original filename,
or indeed on any of the other attributes.

There should only be one copy of an image file (+ thumb), there can be
many description records associated with that image. There should be no
need to duplicate files for different pages of the site - this should
be a logical link in the cms.

Not sure how easy that would be to integrate into your Torbytes cms.

This process is easier to implement if upload is through a form, though
I guess it could be integrated with whatever script is hoovering the
ftp'd files - is there a means of listing images with no descriptions?

But failing getting into code and implementing something like this,
what you suggest - some kind of 'Standard Operating Procedure' to put
the original filename into every description - would solve the problem
- but be prone to user error.

regards

Paul