Solved Database or alternate datastorage?

Hello, I am making a plugin that requires loading and saving lots of data constantly in a database type format. Currently I'm using MySQL but I'm not sure about having to have a separate server host for it is the best solution. So are there any other solutions I can use? Hashmap won't work I think because I'm storing multiple data in a single row, and a multidimensional array might work, but it doesn't seem particularly convenient or applicable in this situation. Thanks for any help.

 

@timtower, isn't there a regional DB system built into Bukkit? I've seen it used before.

 

I'd say use a Map and then load/save to the database on enable/disable

 

@bwfcwalshy, depending on what that data is, Walshy, that might be a RAM killer.

 

@GiantDwarf01

You can make HashMaps of any item, so why don't you make your own class, then make HashMaps of that?

 

@GiantDwarf01 Just adding another alternative, but SQLite is a database and does not need a server to run, it's local, is fast, and considering you're using SQL syntax it should be easier to move to SQLite since you may only have to change a few things here and there.

 

@Konato_K

It's still significantly slower than using FileConfiguration.

 

@mythbusterma If he wants a database I assume he needs thousands or more records, which keeping in a file configuration may not be a good idea.

 

@Konato_K look at essentials. I doubt it will be as big is that, if he was making a large server with 10k people on it every day (Like Hypixel) then, it wouldn't be a good idea to use FileConfiguration

 

@Konato_K

Source?

 

Here's what I do for data storage. With a lot of my newer plugins (not on bukkit dev), I am using a generic system I made this summer. So far it's designed for JSON only (JSON.simple is built into craftbukkit and is significantly faster at parsing vs YAML). As a player logs in, the player's file is loaded into the ram. If a player is offline and their file is requested, it is loaded into the cache for 5 minutes, then if not used again, disposed. Once a player logs off, the changes to the file are flushed and the file is discarded from the ram. Every 10 mins all data is flushed async.

 

@boomboompower Essentials uses a single file for each player, this "fixes" the problem.

@mythbusterma Personal experience, I have seen plugins "reset" all their data once they reach some thousand amount of entries, an example of this has been Pex, which seemed to reset when it had a lot of players in it's configuration file.

 

@Konato_K

That's a programatical error, not an issue with the method of storing itself.

 

Thank you everyone for your help. I'll probably try some of the methods and see which one is best after testing. Thanks!