It is generally used for stand-alone lists. When files must be related (customers to orders, vendors to purchases, etc.), a relational database manager is used, not a flat file manager.

What does relational database actually mean? Find out inside PCMag's comprehensive tech and computer-related encyclopedia.

Flat file and relational databases The simplest databases store data in a single file, where each record is identified as a new line and each row can be separated by a comma.

Relational database management systems (RDBMS) rely on an optimizer (or relational optimizer) that transforms SQL statements into executable code. Before any SQL statement can be run by the RDBMS, the ...