what is a flat file database

A flat file database is a database stored in a file called a flat file, where records follow a uniform format, and there are no structures for indexing or recognizing relationships between records. The file can be a plain text file (e.g. csv, txt or tsv), or a binary file, and relationships can be inferred from the data in the database, but the database format itself does not make those relationships explicit. Flat-file databases are common and ubiquitous because they are easy to write and edit, and suit myriad purposes in an uncomplicated way. Flat files are often used for importing and exporting data because they are a simple and flexible way to transfer data between different software applications or systems. Flat files are typically stored in plain text format, with each line representing a single record, and each record consisting of a set of fields separated by a delimiter such as a comma or a tab. The key difference between flat file and relational databases is that a flat file does not contain any relational data.