Database vs. Binary Text

[ts10]

Someone who is a 20+ year C / C++ veteran is learning PHP and I can't answer this question.

I'm a database guy from the beginning. But he wonders why not just use a binary text file to store data.

Is there a plus or minus to one over the other? What's the REAL difference?

Thanks!!

[thorpe]

you can query a db for the exact data your after aswell as being able to construct data relationships. with text files, your constantly looping through them trying to locate the data you want, and there is no real way of relating data.