A very simple, single-file (.txt or .xml?) 'search engine

[shawn gibson]

On a site I'm building for a client, he wants a 'search engine' of sorts for anyone who has paid to be in it.

My idea, is to make a single file that is updated as required manually, and have that single file search an given any number of criteria as entered by the person making the search request.

I'm guessing .xml might be the way to go, but I'm just learning that. Can anyone make any recommendations to me, as all I've seen are tutorials to search a whole site, or the internet, not just one file. Flash to php to xml...to php to Flash?

If it is helpful, the mockup of the SEARCH interface is at

http://members.rogers.com/shawn.gibson.photography2/rob/flash/search.html

(please ignore the silly little preloaders...good idea gone bad LOL).

Thanks all,
Shawn

[Ronald Wernecke]

Hi Shawn,
as long you have little data, file/XML-File is allright.
XML is nothing else but a structured form of a textfile. If it comes to search, it is not faster than a normal textfile (rather slower because of the overhead).

Depending on the amount of data, you sooner or later need a database.

If you want a automated keyword generater, you cannot without a db.
If you think of amount of data, allways think of the worst case  

[shawn gibson]

Worst case, thousands of entries (best case for the guy I'm making this for, and me if he ever decides to pay me:))

So is it then a case of using one database and php?

Thanks:)

Shawn

[Ronald Wernecke]

Hi Shawn,
definatly a case for a database and a well planned datastructure.
If the data modell is perfect, the rest is (relativly) easy.