Question

I am using uploadify to upload pictures into server . Back end I am using PHP script . In PHP script I am inserting the file location and some other details in database in addition to copying to target location .

Problem :- If I am uploading 20 files , the PHP script is getting called 20 times and the database insert statement are getting called 20 times to insert for different images . Definitely calling database 20 times is inefficient way of doing it . Is there any way I can hold the file names( and location) and call the insert statement (in the end) only once to insert all the 20 records at once ?

Thanks for your help

Regards

Kiran

Answer 1

One approach I recommend for this is the use of a prepared statement through the mysqli extension. To quote on the main advantage:

The actual purpose to use a prepared
statement in sql is to cut the cost of
processing queries; NOT to separate
data from query. That’s how it’s being
used w/ php NOW, not how it was
designed to be used in the first
place. With SQL you cut the cost of
executing multiple similar queries
down by using a prepared statement..
Doing so cuts out the parsing,
validation and most often generates an
execution plan for said query up
front. Which is why they run faster in
a loop, than their IMMEDIATE Query
cousins do.

Source: https://www.php.net/manual/en/mysqli.prepare.php#103730

To give an example on how you can utilize this:

$mysqli = new mysqli("localhost", "my_user", "my_password", "world");

/* check connection */
if (mysqli_connect_errno()) {
    printf("Connect failed: %s\n", mysqli_connect_error());
    exit();
}

if ($stmt = $mysqli->prepare("INSERT INTO `images` (`location`, `size`, `othervalues`) VALUES(?, ?, ?)")) {
  foreach($images as $image) {
    // s = string value
    // i = integer value
    $stmt->bind_param("sis", $image['location'], $image['size'], $image['othervalues']);
    $stmt->execute();
  }
  $stmt->close();
}
// Your prepared statement failed, handle the error
else {
}

$mysqli->close();

I’d recommend reading up on mysqli::prepare and mysqli_stmt::bind_param for more information on how the process works. I also recommend reading up on prepared statements in the MySQL documentation.