Are there any real benefits to using a RDBMS vs. flat files on a simple Web doc system (or basic CMS)?

Question

The Project

I\'ve been asked to work on an interesting project -- what amounts to a basic Web CMS -- that uses HTML/CSS/jQuery with PHP. However, on

Answer 1

While an RDBMS may be necessary for a very large CMS, a small one could run off flat files very well. A lot of CMS products out there fall down in that regard, I think, by throwing an RDBMS into the mix when there's no real need.

However, if you are using flat files, there are security issues which others have highlighted. Another issue I've come across is hosting providers using the disable_functions directive in php.ini to disable file I/O functions like fopen() and friends. If you're hosting your CMS on a box you control, you won't have this problem but if you're using a third-party provider, check first.