I'm coming to Zope from PHP where my database is MySQL. However I am wanting to move to Zope and am trying to learn the correct way of working in this platform. I know that I can connect to MySQL from Zope but from what I read it appears that the use of this feature is recommended only if one is wanting to use an existing database. Since I am starting a new Zope application, and will be creating new data files, is it better to use MySQL or ZODB to handle form data?
I would really appreciate hearing from experienced Zope users on this matter.
I'm a bit on the other side of the fence from most of the rest of the folks who have replied. My take on the matter is that unless you have a very compelling reason or need to use an external RDBMS you should keep everything in Zope. For one thing, the fewer different modes of operation you have the better. (I put a lot of value in not having to deal with a separate relational database, from the point of view of complexity, reliability, performance, and administration.) And although the integration of relational data into Zope is very good, it's not quite like having your data available as real live objects in what is, after all, a program. I tend to get a more mileage out of in-Zope data than imported data. But then, I started out with Zope, rather than DB-backed scripting like PHP, and am a programmer first and web developer second. And other people may not be quite as allergic to attaching a database to Zope as I am. In the end, of course, it depends on what you're doing. A real discussion, rather than general hot-air, would depend on the problem domain. --jcc -- "My point and period will be throughly wrought, Or well or ill, as this day's battle's fought."