Flat File Source Patterns

A common way to transfer data between systems is to export the source data to a flat file and then import the contents of this file into the destination database. Flat files come in all shapes, sizes, and types. There are no rowlength limitations. File size is limited by the maximum size allowed by the operating system. When examining flat file types, there are two initial considerations: file format and schema. Common file formats of flat file sources include: Comma-Separated Values (CSV) Tab-Delimited File (TDF) Fixed Width