The usual way to control access to files is to set the ownership and permissions on the files and the directories that contain them so that only authorized users are able to access them.

There are database systems with well designed and well tested security and access control capabilities, indexes and constraints - all you need to solve the problems you have described. If security were a concern, I would use proven systems rather than design and build my own.

In reply to Re: Flat File Comment by ig
in thread Flat File Comment by PilotinControl

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