我应该选择使用MySQL中的哪种数据类型来使用PHP保存javascript代码？

Question

I'm making a website similar to jsfiddle, where the user can save their javascript codes and retrieve it back indented. I don't know which DATA TYPE I should use to save the codes or if I should save them in text files. Also, when the data will be printed using php then how to indent it?

Answer 1

You'd better save it in text files with a randomly chosen name and save the name into the database, or use the saved ID as name. Of course if you delete a row in the database you'll have to delete the file too.

If you just want to save them in the database then choose TEXT or BLOB. VARCHARs are bad for large texts and if you don't know the lenght.

If you display/use content uploaded from users you have to carefully take care of people that try to exploit stuff .

About indentation, if you display them in a textarea you shouldn't have any problems.

Answer 2

You could store the data in a varchar, but you shoulld probably pursue alternate storage possibilities such as storing them in individual *.js files. As for indentation, all characters including indentation characters will be saved with the js.

Answer 3

I would use BLOB it's quicker for retrieving than grabbing a filename out of the db then getting the file. Also, though the chances are slim if you have your site set up right, it's possible to execute the javascript files on the server opening it up to vulnerabilities if you're running node.js or something.

Answer 4

You should use LONGTEXT type. If you can guarantee that your data will be less than about 8KB, you can use VARCHAR or TEXT types ( Relevant MySQL documentation ).

If there is possibility that text may contain some binary data, you may have to resort to BLOB or LONGBLOB types.

Regarding indentation: you can store tabs or spaces as well as newlines in your field and basically treat them as normal text files.