What are the best practices for archiving a large number of images in a web application using PHP and MySQL?

When archiving a large number of images in a web application using PHP and MySQL, it is best practice to store the images in a directory on the server and save the file path in the database. This helps in efficient retrieval and management of images. Additionally, using unique identifiers for each image can prevent naming conflicts and make it easier to reference specific images.

// Save image to server and store file path in database
$image = $_FILES['image'];
$uploadDir = 'uploads/';
$uploadFile = $uploadDir . basename($image['name']);

if (move_uploaded_file($image['tmp_name'], $uploadFile)) {
    $filePath = $uploadFile;

    // Save file path in database
    $query = "INSERT INTO images (file_path) VALUES ('$filePath')";
    // Execute query using MySQL connection
} else {
    echo "Failed to upload image.";
}