To Use Database or Files

[qazs]

I'm creating a database web site for the first time so
I need to get some advice from you all.
The situation is like this:
Lets say a user wants to shortlist some people.
So the shortlisted personnels will remain somewhere where
the user can easily look up.
The question now is, should I use a database or files to do this?

I'm just saving some user ids of people, mainly just some
numbers. So I think it's too troublesome to create a database to
store those information. But writing the info to some files also seems a bit awkard.

If i were to use the file method, every users will have their own text file
consisting of the shortlisted personnels' ids.

So, which do you think is the better way? Database or files?
Thanks for any suggestions.

[Kiwi]

If you are already using a database, then you would only need to create a single working table to hold the unique identifiers for the records that you are wanting to mark (or to set a flag in an existing table).

If you don't already have a database, then there are lots of options. Session variables spring to mind pretty quickly. But any other option creates a bunch of security issues that could be contained within your database security model.

[qazs]

If you are already using a database, then you would only need to create a single working table to hold the unique identifiers for the records that you are wanting to mark (or to set a flag in an existing table).


Can u explain this part a bit further?
Do you mean one of the field will contain a table that
has all the records?
If that's what you mean, is it that I just have to save
that particular table's name into that field?
Like 'ShortlistA' 'ShortlistB' etc...