[Tutor] Re: Databases

[Lee Harr]

>I'm currently experimenting on creating some python generated web pages, =
>and was wondering what databases are used for... (Sorry if it is abit to =
>vague/general)
>

They are used to store data.  If your site is very simple, you could just
use flat files (text files) or if it gets more complex you would want to
use a relational database (postgresql is a very good free one)


>Basically what I have been thinking of doing (without using a database) =
>is having a few articles as text documents (with html code i.e. <p>'s =
>and <a>'s) and importing them into python and displaying the text into =
>an entire page (with tables and pics et al).
>
>Without any prior experince in web programming I was just curious, if =
>this is something that is (normally) done with databases,  or how they =
>are used (in simple terms *grin*) in practise.
>

Depends on how many articles you have, how many people will be working
on them / updating them / adding new articles.

Look at a site like http://slashdot.org/ for a great example of articles 
(and
comments on those articles) stored in a database, then presented to users
through a web interface.


>Also would you recommend me to try and play around with some variant of =
>a database or to just relax and get to understand basic CGI/web =
>programming better before starting with it now? I realize you don't know =
>my current level but as a general pointer, is it best saved for later?
>

If you like python, you may want to try Zope (the 800-pound gorilla of 
python
web programming) or one of the lighter-weight web frameworks. Web
programming is interesting. Web programming backed up by a database
is even more interesting.

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