Unless you have a very funny shaped disk drive all the files are "Flat" :-)
I tend to agree stating SQLite is a "Flat file" somewhat oversimplifies things to me as my definition of a "flat file" is a simple sequential set of data written in no particular order and retrievable only by opening the file and reading sequentially from start to finish to seek out a particular data item. Fred > -----Original Message----- > From: Griggs, Donald [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, September 25, 2006 3:07 PM > To: sqlite-users@sqlite.org > Subject: [sqlite] The term "flat-file" as applied to sqlite > > > > I've noticed that more than one contributor to this list has > referred to > sqlite as a "flat file database." I had always thought of a > flat file as a > file composed of single table of records, with records > defined either by > fixed-width allocations or by some sort of delimiter (e.g., > comma-separated > files). > > The article below seems to agree, though a more "broad" > definition would > also include simple tables with no relationships. > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat-file > > By either definition, it would seem that an sqlite database > file is far, far > from flat. > > My purpose is not to argue terms for their own sake, but instead: > 1) If I'm correct, then it could really confuse those new > to sqlite into > thinking it very different from the relational, b-tree > indexed database that > it is, or > 2) If instead, I'm unaware of another popular use of the > term "flat file" > -- then I'd be glad to learn this. > > > > [Opinions are my own, not those of my company] > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > --------------- > To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -------------------------------------------------------------- > --------------- > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
