Palm OS Database

File Format
Name	Palm OS Database
Ontology	Electronic File Formats Personal Digital Assistant formats Palm OS Database
Extension(s)	.pdb
MIME Type(s)	application/vnd.palm

A Palm OS Database is the normal format in which data is stored on a Palm OS-based device. These devices lack a normal filesystem, and instead store everything as part of a database. The .pdb extension is what ends up on files containing data exported from a Palm device to another system such as a PC. The one other format used on a Palm device is PRC, or Palm Resource Compiler.

Specific formats

The type of data stored in the file is indicated by a type/creator code: a total of 8 ASCII characters starting at offset 60.

There are separate articles for the following formats:

• GrayPaint
• MOBI (type code "BOOKMOBI")
• Palm Database ImageViewer (type code "vIMGView")
• PalmDOC (type code "TEXtREAd")
• PQA (type code "pqa clpr")
• ScreenShot Hack PDB
• TealPaint PDB (type code "DataTlPt")

If the type code (the first 4 characters) is "appl", then it is a PRC file, not a PDB file.

For a longer list of formats, see the MobileRead Wiki.

Documentation

• PDB (MobileRead Wiki)
• Palm File Format Specs
• Wikipedia: PDB (Palm OS)