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I have a theoretical question, if both a table and a .csv file store the data in tabular formats, what is the difference between them?

Can I for example access a database table from outside the server as if it were a file?

In what format are the tables of a RBDMS stored? Do they have an extension like .csv or .txt?

I am somewhat new to the subject, so I would greatly appreciate the recommendation of any or bibliography that explains the differences or clarifies concepts, thank you!

marc_s
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marcos espinola
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  • They are nothing alike. – Stu Jul 09 '23 at 08:05
  • 1) The data in CSV is all text, whereas in a database table it can be a mix of data types. 2) The files that store database data are designed to be accessed in a chunks instead of as a whole. This allows you to work with huge amounts of data without loading it all at once. 3) There are embedded databases that are single file, for instance SQLite. – Adrian Klaver Jul 09 '23 at 15:47

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Database table formats are specific to the database vendor, and often change between database versions. You should never access the files directly, as there are often caching mechanisms between the database engine and the disk files. Assuming you are using MySQL, I suggest you google "mysql database file formats" and bone up on indexes and foreign keys as well.

kiwiron
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