Data Data Data

I have muscled through building a MySQL web service and a website to consume it. The site is still pretty bleh-looking, but it functions acceptably. I need to update it to be responsive so it looks good on phones and similar devices. But even more importantly I need to build up the data in the database. The whole idea is to construct an extensive wrist watch library. I want it to allow people to find watches using criteria that typically isn't available.

I'm often looking for things like watches that are time-only (No date, etc), or watches with a specific crystal material, or case thickness. Most sites allow users to filter on a couple of these attributes, but very rarely by all of them. So to make the service - and site - useful, I really need a massive library of watches with ALL their details and attributes.

I haven't yet thought of an automated means of doing this, and so far each watch entry takes a bit of time. I have to do web searches to find out specifications not outlined on the various sites selling them, or even the watch brands' own sites.

I have, however, just moved my insert code into procedures. Now I can call these procedures and keep track of the watch id associated with the watch attributes I'm inserting. So now, at least I don't have to hardcode the watch ids. I increment the watch id variable after calling the watch insert. So as long as I call the attributes inserts right after the watch insert, the ids will be correct.

This solution is still slow, but far easier than what I was doing before - and I can break up my calls to the inserts into any number of sql files.