Terms
"Flat file database" may be defined very narrowly, or more broadly. The narrower interpretation is correct in database theory; the broader covers the term as generally used.
Strictly, a flat file database should consist of nothing but data and, if records vary in length, delimiters. More broadly, the term refers to any database which exists in a single file in the form of rows and columns, with no relationships or links between records and fields except the table structure.
Terms used to describe different aspects of a database and its tools differ from one implementation to the next, but the concepts remain the same. FileMaker uses the term "Find", while MySQL uses the term "Query"; but the concept is the same. FileMaker "files", in version 7 and above, are equivalent to MySQL "databases", and so forth. To avoid confusing the reader, one consistent set of terms is used throughout this article.
However, the basic terms "record" and "field" are used in nearly every flat file database implementation.
Read more about this topic: Flat File Database
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