What are the advantages and disadvantages of storing images in a separate folder versus a MySQL table for proper image display in a PHP application?

When it comes to storing images for proper display in a PHP application, there are advantages and disadvantages to both storing images in a separate folder and storing them in a MySQL table. Storing images in a separate folder allows for easier management and faster retrieval of images, but it can lead to potential issues with organization and scalability. On the other hand, storing images in a MySQL table can provide better control over access and security, but it may result in slower performance due to the overhead of storing images as binary data in the database. 

// Storing images in a separate folder
$imagePath = 'images/';
$imageName = 'image.jpg';
$imageUrl = $imagePath . $imageName;

echo '<img src="' . $imageUrl . '" alt="Image">';

// Storing images in a MySQL table
// Assuming a table named 'images' with columns 'id', 'name', and 'url'
// Connect to database
$conn = new mysqli('localhost', 'username', 'password', 'database');

// Query to retrieve image URL
$query = "SELECT url FROM images WHERE id = 1";
$result = $conn->query($query);
$imageUrl = $result->fetch_assoc()['url'];

echo '<img src="' . $imageUrl . '" alt="Image">';

Keywords

PHP image storage MySQL file system database.

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