A flat file is a file that has no repeating groups. Figure H-1(a) shows a flat file, and Figure H-1(b) shows a
file that is not flat because of the repeating field Item. A flat file can be stored in any common file organization,
such as sequential, indexed sequential, or direct. Flat files have been used for many years in
commercial processing. They are usually processed in some predetermined order—for example, in an
ascending sequence on a key field.