A client recently asked me what space should reserve to store URLs in their DBMS.
The plurality in the topic title is a hint: different systems have different limits on URL lengths.
But first:
Don’t use long URLs
If you use long URL’s (longer than say a coupe of 100 characters), then usually you have a problem.
First of all: short URL’s are easier to remember, index and search.
Second: long URL’s can pose problems.
It might be that your browser and server support them.
But a user might be behind an intercepting proxy (sometimes invisible to both you and your user) that imposes a URL limit.
In stead of long URLs with a HTTP GET, use shorter URLs with a HTTP POST. Read the rest of this entry »
