One of the most important innovations that helped mature the Internet was the use of database-driven websites. The concept is rather simple — store data in a database and use this data to build web pages. Changing stored data is quicker than changing and publishing a static web page. Stored data can also be updated through other means, many automated, whereas a web development team would have to manually manage a static site’s changes. On the other end, databases allow users to interact with the site by creating applications that directly interface with the database. E‑commerce sites, discussion forums, and auction sites are just three examples. Database‑driven websites reduce maintenance effort while dramatically increasing what we can do online.
Today, database-driven sites are ubiquitous. Web scripting languages bridged the gap between stored data in a repository and its presentation on the web server. Almost...