Textfile Connection Strings
A flat file or textfile database describes any of various means to encode a database model (most commonly a table) as a plain text file. A "flat file" is a plain text or mixed text and binary file which usually contains one record per line or 'physical' record (example on disc or tape). Within such a record, the single fields can be separated by delimiters, e.g. commas, or have a fixed length. In the latter case, padding may be needed to achieve this length. Extra formatting may be needed to avoid delimiter collision. There are no structural relationships between the records.
Common Textfile delimiters:
- Tab
- Commas
- Fixed Length
Variable Legend
| Variable Name | Substitute variable with: |
|---|---|
| Server | Replace with your server host address. |
| DBName | Replace with your database name |
| User | Replace with your database's username |
| Password | Replace with your database's password |
Textfile ODBC connection string
Standard Security:
Driver={Microsoft Text Driver (*.txt; *.csv)};Dbq=c:\;Extensions=asc,csv,tab,txt;
Textfile OLE DB & OleDbConnection (.NET framework) connection string
Microsoft Jet OLE DB 4.0 database:
Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=c:\;Extended Properties="text;HDR=Yes;FMT=Delimited";