How Flat File Database Works?
- Data is stored in plain text format in flat file databases, usually arranged into tables.
- Every table has its own file, and every line in the file corresponds to a record or row in the database.
- A delimiter—a comma or a tab—separates the fields or columns that make up a record. Using common file handling methods, creating, accessing, and manipulating data is made simple by the flat file structure’s simplicity.
- Accessible to users without specialized database administration abilities, flat file databases may be built and changed with a spreadsheet program or text editor.
Flat File Database
A database kept in a file known as a flat file is referred to as a flat-file database. Every entry has the same format, and there are no systems in place for indexing or determining the links between items. The file is simple to read.
A flat file can be a binary file or a plain text file such as CSV, txt, or TSV file. Although connections cannot be explicitly declared in the database format, they can be deduced from the data in the database. While very big databases can also be flat, the phrase has always denoted a tiny database.