Database Question.

I was wondering how enormous sites like Pricerunner.com works? I guess PHP/MySQL is enough for building a site like that, but my question is how do they update the content of the site? I mean there are THOUSANDS of items, how do they update the status of every single item daily?!?!

They automate updates and they don't use static data.

Compromise wrote: They automate updates and they don't use static data.

That much I figured out, but what is the actual method they use for that?

Demons Halo wrote: That much I figured out, but what is the actual method they use for that?

Code interacting with databases, maybe some scripts on a cron-like timer that run every day/week/month/whatever.

Compromise wrote:

Code interacting with databases, maybe some scripts on a cron-like timer that run every day/week/month/whatever.

Well lets say the price in a store for a certain item has changed, how do Pricerunner find out that the price need to be corrected?

MoshBat wrote: It checks the price daily/hourly, and if the one on their databases doesn't match the one it checks against, then it replaces it. Really, could you not work that out?

ofc I could jeez. But that would require Pricerunner to have access to the stores DB, Which I believe no store would allow..

Demons Halo wrote: ofc I could jeez. But that would require Pricerunner to have access to the stores DB, Which I believe no store would allow..

MoshBat wrote: … No it doesn't. There are other ways of getting information from a website/database. Now, if it weren't to pull info from the website, the store would send the information, after all, it is advertisement. Application Programming Interface.

Edit: You're welcome, Mosh. Figured you needed a little push.