Think of the file as a string of record areas, each of which contains a single record. Each record area is identified by a relative record number; the access method stores and retrieves a record, based on its relative record number. For example, the first record area is addressed by relative record number 1, and the 10th is addressed by relative record number 10. The physical sequence in which the records were placed in the file has no bearing on the record area in which they are stored, and thus on each record's relative record number. Relative files must be direct-access files. Records can be fixed-length or variable-length.
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