application: A simple database that is essentially one table that can't be linked to another. Example: FileMaker.
A database composed of a single, concatenated file, or several such files, without any attendant, application-independent server logic. Flat-file databases can be used by multiple concurrent users if hosted on a shared file server.
a database where all information is stored in a text file, or for larger scripts, a set of text files
an IR database based on the flat-file data model
a simple database that stores all data in a single table
A database that stores its records one after the other, possibly but not necessarily in text files.
A database that is able to use only one file at a time, unlike a relational database. an example is KeyPlus.
A database file in which every record contains all the information required to describe it. Flat-file databases often contain redundant information. For example, every record in a flat-file database of music CDs would require multiple fields to describe the contact information for the artist's fan club. See also relational database.
A relatively simple database system in which each database is contained in a single table (or file). In contrast, relational database systems can use multiple tables to store information, and each table can have a different format.