Hey everyone! I'm trying to nail down the best practices for storing image file URLs or paths in a database. Here are a few ideas I've considered:
1. **Full URL**: For example, "website.com/images/user/1234.png" - This way, I don't need to prepend anything, but it could be a hassle to update if the domain changes.
2. **Relative Path**: Like "images/user/1234.png" - I would prepend the image server URL stored as an environment variable, which makes updates easier if the server URL changes.
3. **File Name Only**: Just use "123.png" - I would combine this with the server domain and path stored in an env var. This also allows for easier updates, but mass changes to file paths might be tricky, though I hope that's not something that happens often.
What are your thoughts on these options?
5 Answers
There's no one-size-fits-all best practice here. Each approach has its merits depending on the requirements of your project. I’ve handled large data repositories and found that storing paths like "client-name/YYYY-MM-DD/filename" works best for organization and retrieval.
Just go with the file name! The user or owner should be a separate field in your table to maintain clarity and structure.
It really depends on your use case. If you're dealing with various image types across different domains or directories, it might be helpful to store that info. But generally, just storing the filename is more straightforward and offers flexibility down the line if you need to change something.
I've made the switch to the file name-only option before, and let me tell you, it was a game changer. Simplicity is key! If the image host is part of the same site, go for the path relative to the root. Otherwise, the full URL is the way to go.
I'd recommend just storing the unique part of the URL. Like you mentioned, keeping the rest in environment variables is a smart move—it saves space in the database, and you can change the server URL without hassle if needed.
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