Storing / exchanging URLs without a database ?

[CasualNerd]

I just wrote a simple redirect script so that I could send traffic off-site using the format: domain.com/redirect.php?url=redirecting.com

Initially I just used a switch statement with half a dozen URLs where the '.com' url would be changed for the full url, like 'http://www.redirecting.com/folder/affiliateid' so I'm just simplifying URLs for the sake of keeping things easy while I build pages.

This all works fine but it's quite useful and I'd like to add a heap more links. I'd keep using the same format but I would imagine there's a more efficient way than using a switch ? What's the best way to do it without involving a database (mysql etc) ? I believe I could use a flat file database but I wouldn't know where to start.

[stereofrog]

Make an array like 'url1' => 'redirect1', 'url2' => 'redirect2' etc and pull the addresses out of it: if(isset $array[$param]) redirect($array[$param])

[CasualNerd]

I haven't used arrays, so are they the most efficient way of doing this ?

I want to be able to add maybe a few hundred links and not have anything slow down.

[bluefrogx]

In that case you really should be using a database But like frog said, you could store a serialized array and open and write the file as needed. It would probably work a few hundred links but will not for a few thousand as it'd load of all the links in an array.

[CasualNerd]

In that case you really should be using a database But like frog said, you could store a serialized array and open and write the file as needed. It would probably work a few hundred links but will not for a few thousand as it'd load of all the links in an array.

So is a flat file database possible / suitable ?

If it's not that simple I'll just forget about it, it wouldn't be worth the hassle.

[allspiritseve]

A flat file database is possible, but as bluefrogx recommended, you'd be much better off using a real database. If I may ask, why are you hesitant to use one? It's really not all that complicated.

[CasualNerd]

A flat file database is possible, but as bluefrogx recommended, you'd be much better off using a real database. If I may ask, why are you hesitant to use one? It's really not all that complicated.

This script is more to mask affiliate links so if they change their links I only change it in one place, not dozens of places on dozens of pages. It would also be nice to throw it up on a few different domains.

If I'm going to go for a database there's tons of ad rotation style programs out there I could use.

[allspiritseve]

Then why don't you? If your switch is becoming unwieldy, it might be time to switch to a database solution anyways, whether you write it yourself or not.