Files or databases?

[vbsquare]

Hi all,
I just want to ask what you guys currently use. When writing any kind of system would you normally choose a database product for your backend or a flat file?

It's just my CS course insists on using flat files for my first year project and it's really bugging me because the course is SO far behind what's currently happening and I'm finding it hard to convince them!

Thanks for your views.

[Jerry Grant]

It's a question of scale and application purpose:

• Registry if only local settings are required for a small application.
• INI file for settings in a mutiuser application.
• Flat file for small amounts of data in local application.
• Always use a database for large amounts of data in multi user environments.