saving stocks quotes in mysql database too slow

Question

At the moment i'm trying to save stock data from loading csv files of yahoo. I created a database called stocks with that constitutes the ticker names of NASDAQ/NYSE/AMEX as tables ( about 6,5 K tables). the problem ist the saving of the data i get is taking way too long. I want to load an save the datas in 1 minute ticks. the loading takes me about 30 seconds and the saving about 3 mins. i have to reduce the saving time. here is the script i wrote for geting and saving the data:

 include('mysql_connect.php');

 $ticker=array();
 $db="stocks";
 $res=mysql_query("SHOW TABLES FROM $db");
 while($row=mysql_fetch_array($res,MYSQL_NUM)){
    $ticker[]=$row[0];
 }

 $ticker_length=count($ticker);
 $steps=floor($ticker_length/200);

for($j=0;$j<=$steps;$j++){
    $ticker_url="";
    if($j<$steps){
        for($i=$j*200;$i<($j+1)*200;$i++){
            if($i==(($j+1)*200)-1){
                $ticker_url=$ticker_url.$ticker[$i];
            }else{
                $ticker_url=$ticker_url.$ticker[$i]."+";
            }
        }

    $url="http://finance.yahoo.com/d/quotes.csv?s='$ticker_url'&f=snxab2l1va2p2opm3m4ghd1t1=.csv";
    $filehandle=fopen("$url","r");
    while(!feof($filehandle)){

        $line=fgetcsv($filehandle,1024);
        if( $line[0]=="" || $line[0]==null || !isset($line[0]) ){
            //echo"Leer<br/>";
        }else{
            $Symbol=strtolower($line[0]);
            $Name=$line[1];
            $LastTradePriceOnly=$line[5];
            $Volume=$line[6];


                    $query=mysql_query("INSERT INTO $Symbol(symbol,Name,LastTradePriceOnly,Volume) 
                    VALUES('$Symbol','$Name','$LastTradePriceOnly','$Volume')");
        }

     }
     fclose($filehandle);   

    }else{
        for($i=$j*200;$i<$ticker_length;$i++){
            if($i==$ticker_length-1){
                $ticker_url=$ticker_url.$ticker[$i];
            }else{
                $ticker_url=$ticker_url.$ticker[$i]."+";
            }
        }

    $url="http://finance.yahoo.com/d/quotes.csv?s='$ticker_url'&f=snxab2l1va2p2opm3m4ghd1t1=.csv";
    $filehandle=fopen("$url","r");
    while(!feof($filehandle)){

        $line=fgetcsv($filehandle,1024);
        if( $line[0]=="" || $line[0]==null || !isset($line[0]) ){
            //echo"empty<br/>";
        }else{
            $Symbol=strtolower($line[0]);
            $Name=$line[1];
            $LastTradePriceOnly=$line[5];
            $Volume=$line[6];

                    $query=mysql_query("INSERT INTO $Symbol(symbol,Name,LastTradePriceOnly,Volume) 
                    VALUES('$Symbol','$Name','$LastTradePriceOnly','$Volume')");
        }

     }
     fclose($filehandle);
    }
}

so now i want to know:

1. Is there a way of saving faster by changing the script?
2. I know that there is the possibility of configuring mysql settings like buffer_size etc. How i can do that and what i have got to change?
3. if this the saving time i require i not possible with mysql, what alternatives are out there?

would be pleased by getting some help.

thanks.

Answer 1

i have found the solution. Mysql allows you to save your lines and cols from csv without reading the lines in complex loops:

    $url = "http://finance.yahoo.com/d/quotes.csv?s=AAPL+MSFT+GOOG&f=...the datas you need=.csv";

    $sql = "LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE '" . $url . "' 
    INTO TABLE `" . $data_tablename . "` 
    FIELDS 
    TERMINATED BY ',' 
    OPTIONALLY ENCLOSED BY '\"' 
    LINES 
    TERMINATED BY '\n' 
    (`your_cols`,``,.....)";

     mysql_query($sql)or die(mysql_error());

my script took me 250 sec on the server but now just 45 sec's. Amazing profit of time....