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      <h1>Database Platforms - Flat Files</h1>
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      <p><a href="#db">Declaring the Database</a></p>
      <p><a href="#tbl">Defining Tables</a></p>
      <p><a href="#col">Defining Columns</a></p>
      <p class="line">&nbsp;</p>
      <p><a href="Flat%20Files.htm">Flat Files</a></p>
      <p>Environment File Declarations</p>
      <p><a href="Tab-Delimited%20Files.htm">Tab-Delimited Files (TDF)</a></p>
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      <h2>Environment File Declaration</h2>
      <p class="line">&nbsp;</p>
      <h3><a name="db"></a>Declaring the Database</h3>
      <p> In flat-file data management systems, DATABASE identifies a logical 
        grouping of related files. Declare a logical name to identify the set 
        of files. You can name the database anything, as long as you don't use 
        SQL reserved words or characters. It is best, however, to name the database 
        something that describes the data it organizes.</p>
      <p class="ex">ENVIRONMENT ORDERS</p>
      <p class="ex">DATABASE &quot;ORDERS&quot;</p>
      <p class="ex">TYPE FLATFILE<br>
        INDEXPREFIX &quot;C:\omnidex\demodata\ordersix&quot;</p>
      <p class="line">&nbsp;</p>
      <h3><a name="tbl"></a>Defining Tables</h3>
      <p>A flat-file database contains no underlying, native indexing system (such 
        as Oracle or SYBASE), and therefore, no structured format. In data management 
        systems that use flat files, the TABLE statement in the environment catalog 
        provides the information that directs OmniAccess routines to physical 
        files.</p>
      <p>In flat-file data management systems, it is best to supply a logical 
        name for the TABLE name and to identify the physical file in a PHYSICAL 
        statement. Although you can declare a physical file specification in the 
        TABLE name, you would have to enter the entire file specification whenever 
        you referenced that table through an OmniAccess application. Assigning 
        a logical name to TABLE and declaring the physical file in a PHYSICAL 
        statement is a more efficient means of accessing data in flat files.</p>
      <p>You can assign any logical name to TABLE, as long as you adhere to the 
        naming rules outlined above. It is best, however, to supply a name that 
        describes the data that is stored in the file. For example, if a file 
        contains information about customers, name it &quot;CUSTOMERS&quot;.</p>
      <p class="ex">TABLE &quot;CUSTOMERS&quot;</p>
      <p class="ex">PHYSICAL &quot;c:\omnidex\demodata\customers.flat&quot;<br>
        PARENT KEY &quot;CUSTOMER_NO&quot;</p>
      <p class="line">&nbsp;</p>
      <h3><a name="col"></a>Defining Columns</h3>
      <p>In data management systems that use flat files, declare a logical name 
        to identify a particular area (field) common to records in the file you 
        declared for TABLE. You can name COLUMN anything, as long as you adhere 
        to the naming rules outlined in Defining TABLEs. It is best, however, 
        to supply a name that describes the data that is stored in that area of 
        the record. For example, if an area of each record in a file (table) is 
        reserved for an order number, you might define the corresponding column 
        as &quot;ORDER_NO&quot;.</p>
      <p class="ex">TABLE &quot;ORDERS&quot;</p>
      <p class="ex">PHYSICAL &quot;C:\omnidex\demodata\orders.flat&quot;</p>
      <p class="ex">CHILD KEY &quot;CUSTOMER_NO&quot; REFERENCES CUSTOMERS(CUSTOMER_NO)</p>
      <p class="ex">CHILD KEY &quot;PRODUCT_NO&quot; REFERENCES PRODUCTS(PRODUCT_NO)</p>
      <p class="ex">COLUMN &quot;CUSTOMER_NO&quot; DATATYPE INTEGER LENGTH 4<br>
        COLUMN &quot;PRODUCT_NO&quot; DATATYPE CHAR LENGTH 12<br>
        COLUMN &quot;ORDER_DATE&quot; DATATYPE CHAR LENGTH 6<br>
        COLUMN &quot;STATUS&quot; DATATYPE CHAR LENGTH 4<br>
        COLUMN &quot;QUANTITY&quot; DATATYPE INTEGER LENGTH 4<br>
        COLUMN &quot;AMOUNT&quot; DATATYPE INTEGER LENGTH 4<br>
        <br>
      </p>
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