flat file db

i am setting up a flat file database. i want to restrict acess so that users cant view it intentionally or accidentally. i am pretty positive this is a job for htaccess but i am pretty clueless in this area(one of many areas i am clueless in) anyone got a suggestion on a tutorial or another way to protect the db other than htaccess? Thank You, Jon Yaggie www.design-monster.com And they were singing . . . '100 little bugs in the code 100 bugs in the code fix one bug, compile it again 101 little bugs in the code 101 little bugs in the code . . .' And it continued until they reached 0