What is flat file in ETL?

What is a flat file used for?

A flat file consists of a single table of data. It allows the user to specify data attributes, such as columns and data types table by table, and stores those attributes separate from applications. This type of file is commonly used to import data in data warehousing projects.

What is a flat file called?

A flat file, also known as a text database, is a type of database that stores data in a plain text format. Flat file databases were developed and implemented in the early 1970s by IBM. Flat files typically text files that have all word processing and structure markup removed.

What is the meaning of flat file model?

A flat file database is a database that stores data in a plain text file. Each line of the text file holds one record, with fields separated by delimiters, such as commas or tabs. While it uses a simple structure, a flat file database cannot contain multiple tables like a relational database can.

What is a flat file vs CSV?

The difference between a flat file and a CSV file is that a CSV file uses a delimiter to separate data fields (in most instances this is a comma, although enclosing characters can be used, such as double quotes) and delimited files only use a delimiter to structure data.