title: Read from a flat file database with PHP
body: <p>I am looking for the most simple way to pull out a line of data from a flat file database with PHP based on a variable ID number.</p>
  
  <p>For example, if the page is passed the ID of 10001 it grabs the first name, last name, company, address, and other demographic info of the user, etc.</p>
  
  <p>The database is a text file that has field names on the first line and the subsequent lines below contain the data. Its tab delimited and each line is separated by a carriage return.</p>
  
  <p>Any ideas? Thanks in advance.</p>
  
  <p>Edit: The speed concern brought up by Eddie is definitely a valid one. So, to work around the need for PHP flat file database interaction I have instead used WebDNA to pull up the database data on the page prior to my PHP page. I then passed the data from the WebDNA page to the PHP page via form post. So there is 1 extra step in the payment process for the customer but the data is pulled up in a standard and quick way. </p>