Is it recommended to use a MySQL database or text files for storing download information in a PHP script?

Using a MySQL database is recommended for storing download information in a PHP script as it provides better data management, scalability, and security compared to using text files. MySQL allows for efficient querying and indexing of data, making it easier to retrieve and manipulate download information within the script.

// Connect to MySQL database
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "downloads";

$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);

// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}

// Insert download information into MySQL database
$filename = "example.txt";
$downloads = 0;

$sql = "INSERT INTO downloads (filename, downloads) VALUES ('$filename', $downloads)";

if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {
    echo "Download information stored successfully";
} else {
    echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . $conn->error;
}

$conn->close();