I'm working with a programmer who doesn't want me touching his database...
I would like work with a database instead of hard coding my content but don't want the sites performance to suffer.
Is it bad practice to query two different databases on one page?
If its not a problem is there a limit to how many databases you can query per page?
PS the site is php/mysql
me touching his database
That's probably because there is a layered architecture in place and you're not supposed to be talking to the database directly.
Otherwise, if you've come already to the division - "my" database, "his" markup, it's a recipe for disaster.
Is it bad practice to query two different databases on one page?
No, if there is a real need to do it. Yes, if only because somebody declared the database their property and you've got to have your own.
No its not a problem, in some scenarios it's even a pretty good approach.
i routinely hit a estimate database and a reference database aka customer live in texas, closest office is 150 miles away.
It depends on if the databases are holding related data. If they are related, it makes sense to keep them in once database. The programmer could then give you a user account with limited access so that you can't corrupt other things.
There is some cost to making a new connection, but it will likely be negligible if you are doing a number of queries.
Can you have a separate schema in his DB? If so, then you could save some connection building /destruction time.
Will you be storing data/relational data in the DB? If not, can you get away with include("file.php")
All that being said it's not a bad practice to have multiple DBs on a page you just need a good reason to do it.