Re: Flat Query

"Anne & Lynn Wheeler" <lynn_at_garlic.com> wrote in message news:m3vezzopuu.fsf_at_lhwlinux.garlic.com...
> "David Cressey" <david.cressey_at_earthlink.net> writes:
> > Actually if you go back 25 years or more, the term referred to files
> > that not only were processed sequentially, but also that did not
> > contain records within records, or records grouped into record
> > groups.
>
> definitely true of the strong tape heritage enforcing sequential
> access ... however as files from tape started showing up on disks (or
> dasd ... direct access storage device) ... which could be randomly
> accessed .... you did start to see sorted files that were being
> queried using techniques like binary search.
>
Only if the record's addresses could be computed (or pointed to). In general, the only kinds of
unindexed files whose record address was computable were fixed length records. And in general, fixed lentgth records corresponded to flat files.

Sure you can come up with exceptions. But i'm describing the general scenario in which that language gained usage. Received on Fri Oct 14 2005 - 21:45:12 CEST