What is a "Flat File" in Access?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mike
  • Start date Start date
Mike,

I suppose It depends on who you ask...since most databases are
relational, a flat file would take away this attribute, and resemble a
spreadsheet.

alex
 
"Flat File" is a term many database folks use to refer to things like Excel
Worksheets (.csv format, for example), or text files (.txt format), and so
on. Sometimes it is used to refer to a single "table-like" structure such as
might be created by importing a Worksheet or text file into Access. "Flat"
refers to the fact that it is a nothing more than a single sheet, or table
with no relationships identified or defined.

A quick Bing or Google search should turn up some more detailed discussions
for you.

George
 
Feel free to use the big white space under the subject line to make your
question clear.

A flat file is an unindexed file, usually either outside any database or
used as the (not very efficient) method of implementing a database. There's
no "flat file in Access". You could, if you wished, use an Access table as
though it were a flat file, but that would be neither wise nor efficient.

An Excel worksheet with all the information on the one worksheet (which
normally will lead to a lot of redundant information in the rows) is being
used as a "flat file", but Excel has capabilities that extend beyond the
"flat file" approach.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Office Access MVP
 
Back
Top