What are the best practices for implementing a photo gallery in PHP using flatfile databases?

When implementing a photo gallery in PHP using flatfile databases, it is important to organize the images in a structured way and ensure efficient retrieval and display of images. One way to achieve this is by creating a directory structure to store the images and using a flatfile database to store metadata such as image names, descriptions, and categories. By properly structuring the data and optimizing the retrieval process, you can create a responsive and user-friendly photo gallery.

<?php
// Function to retrieve image metadata from flatfile database
function getImageMetadata($imageId) {
    // Code to read metadata from flatfile database
}

// Function to display image gallery
function displayImageGallery() {
    // Code to retrieve image metadata and display images in gallery
}

// Example usage
displayImageGallery();
?>