Explain what a flat-file database is and what a relational database is. Tell which one you would rather use and why.

Database System Concepts
7th Edition
ISBN:9780078022159
Author:Abraham Silberschatz Professor, Henry F. Korth, S. Sudarshan
Publisher:Abraham Silberschatz Professor, Henry F. Korth, S. Sudarshan
Chapter1: Introduction
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Explain what a flat-file database is and what a relational database is. Tell which one you would rather use and why.

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Flat-File Database

The term "Flat File" refers to databases that can be single-record or multi-record in nature and can be delimited or defined with fixed-length parameters. A regular text file that has just one record definition is the most basic type of flat file.

  • The record, or "row" (as it is popularly known), is repeated one to many times, with each succeeding row serving as an example of a standard definition.
  • Each row in the file is composed of a horizontal list of fields, and each row's definition is applicable to all of the rows in the file.
  • Multiple record definitions are used in more complicated flat file formats, where some records have similar columns to others while some rows have different layouts and contents.
  • Comma-Separated Value files are one of the examples of flat-file databases.
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