Populating cookies from a SQL Query

[ACS LLC]

I have a SQL query that I know for a fact will produce 4 records without fail

What I need to do is to store the data on an individual basis so that I can use each record independantly on the following page allowing me to set up hyperlinks based on each one including it's text description (from the query - cat_tiitle , and it's uid from the query, cat_uid)

I have written some code but it seems a little primative, I am thinking that there might be a better way to do this? I know it's only a small piece of code but it has the potential to be used a LOT so I need to make sure I have this as efficient as possible -->

          <!--- GET THE 4 RECORDS --->

<CFQUERY NAME="GetCategories" DATASOURCE="#datasource#">
    SELECT cat_uid,cat_title
    FROM categories
    WHERE cat_uid IN (#valuelist(Validateinstall.install_preferences)#)
    ORDER by cat_title
</CFQUERY>

          <!--- SET UP 4 INDIVIDUAL COOKIES WHICH HAVE THE UID AND THE TITLE --->

<CFLOOP query="GetCategories">

<CFCOOKIE NAME="pref_uid_#GetCategories.CurrentRow#" value="#GetCategories.cat_uid#">
<CFCOOKIE NAME="pref_title_#GetCategories.CurrentRow#" value="#GetCategories.cat_title#">

</CFLOOP>

          <!--- DISPLAY THE 4 HYPERLINKS --->

<CFOUTPUT>

1. <a href="cat.cfm?cat_uid=#cookie.pref_uid_1#,#URLEncodedFormat(cookie.pref_title_1)#"

class="reg_text">#cookie.pref_title_1#</a>

2. <a href="cat.cfm?cat_uid=#cookie.pref_uid_2#,#URLEncodedFormat(cookie.pref_title_2)#"

class="reg_text">#cookie.pref_title_2#</a>

3. <a href="cat.cfm?cat_uid=#cookie.pref_uid_1#,#URLEncodedFormat(cookie.pref_title_3)#"

class="reg_text">#cookie.pref_title_3#</a>

4. <a href="cat.cfm?cat_uid=#cookie.pref_uid_4#,#URLEncodedFormat(cookie.pref_title_4)#"

class="reg_text">#cookie.pref_title_4#</a>

</CFOUTPUT>

Appreciate any thoughts on making this more efficient

Thanks

Mark

[Dan_Bracuk]

It would be more efficient to forgo the cookies and use the query results in your anchor tags.

[ilssac]

Is there some reason you don't use SESSION variables.  Which are like COOKIES only better!

         <!--- GET THE 4 RECORDS --->
 
<CFQUERY NAME="Session.GetCategories" DATASOURCE="#datasource#">
    SELECT cat_uid,cat_title
    FROM categories
    WHERE cat_uid IN (#valuelist(Validateinstall.install_preferences)#)
    ORDER by cat_title
</CFQUERY>
 
 

          <!--- DISPLAY THE 4 HYPERLINKS --->
<cfoutput query="session.GetCategories">
     <a href="cat.cfm?catuid="#session.GetCategories.cat_uid#",#urlEncodedFormat(session.GetCategories.cat_title)#"
          class="reg_text">#session.GetCategories.cat_title#</a>
</cfoutput>

[ACS LLC]

that's interesting, I did not know you could read the results of a query directly into a session like that.

The issue I have is that we are running this on a shared server, and I know that this page could potentially receive a large amount of hits.

My concern I have is that there could be problems with too many sessions on the server at any time, I have no control over the administrator settings, plus the session could expire.

I figured that a cookie was a safer way to ensure that I did not have to be too concerned about the server settings.

[ilssac]

Sessions do expire.  If you are trying to persist this data for days and days, the first choice would be a database, or other data store, that would store the query recordset tied to a user specific key.  You would then just store the key in a single cookie.

Working out for there, you can store the recordset itself in a cookie as long as it is not too large.  You just have to incode it, <cfwddx....> would be the old school way to encode it, there are others now adays.

Or you can continue your current option.  I would probably use a <cfloop from="1" to="4" index="i"> to consolidate that output code some.

[ACS LLC]

yeah, I did wonder about stuffing that cookie with more data.

You think a CFLOOP over the results is quicker than just hard coding it to display each cookie?

Output -->

<a href="cat.cfm?cat_uid=#cookie.pref_uid_1#,#URLEncodedFormat

(cookie.pref_title_1)#"

class="newhyper_wht_12">#cookie.pref_title_1#</a>

<a href="cat.cfm?cat_uid=#cookie.pref_uid_2#,#URLEncodedFormat

(cookie.pref_title_2)#"

class="newhyper_wht_12">#cookie.pref_title_2#</a>

<a href="cat.cfm?cat_uid=#cookie.pref_uid_3#,#URLEncodedFormat

(cookie.pref_title_3)#"

class="newhyper_wht_12">#cookie.pref_title_3#</a>

<a href="cat.cfm?cat_uid=#cookie.pref_uid_4#,#URLEncodedFormat

(cookie.pref_title_4)#"

class="newhyper_wht_12">#cookie.pref_title_4#</a></CFOUTPUT>

[ilssac]

I don't know about FASTER?

But I would think it would be easier to edit and maintain, which 9 times out of 11 is the more expensive and critical aspect.

[ACS LLC]

True, normall I would use a loop but with it being a page that is going to get a lot of traffic I thought for this particular situation I'd avoid the loop, and try to squeeze as much as possible

sessions were a no go due to the risk of expiring. It looks like I've actually probably got the best solution in place for my situation.

I guess I'll leave it as-is.

Thanks for the input guys, I did learn something regarding the sessions into a query, very nice!

Mark