.PDB File Extension

A PDB file is a database file used by various applications, including Pegasus, Quicken, Microsoft Visual Studio, and Palm Pilot software. It stores data in a structured format and is typically installed with the corresponding application.

PDB files used by different programs are usually saved in different proprietary formats, meaning they can be opened only by the program they were installed with. For example, Microsoft Visual Studio will not recognize an Intuit Quicken PDB file.

Visual Studio uses PDB files to store debugging information about a program, including symbol information, which is too large to be stored in the program itself. The symbol information consists of a list of all symbols in a program module with addresses, the name of the file, and the line the symbol was declared on.

You can use Microsoft Visual Studio (Windows) to load information from a PDB file created by that program. This allows you to debug the program the file is associated with. You can also use Microsoft's CVDump program (Windows) to read the information a Visual Studio PDB file contains.

Data file created in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) format; stores 3D coordinates specifying the structure of atoms within a protein or other chemical compound; used as a standard format for studying protein structures; also used by the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics (RCSB) for studying biological macromolecules.

Many Protein Data Bank files are made available through the Worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB), an organization that archives macromolecules and freely distributes them.

NOTE: PDB files are often viewed within a Java applet that uses Jmol, an open source molecule visualization package. PDB files are also supported by some molecular viewing browser plugins.

Movie project file created and used by Demo Builder, a program used to create tutorials, presentations, and demonstrations to show how software and systems work; contains recorded screen scenes, along with imported video and images.

A Demo Builder movie project can be exported to a variety of formats depending on how you want to present your tutorial. Supported formats include Flash, HTML, Windows Media Video, MPEG4, and Word Document.

Backup of a PowerDesigner database (.PDM) file; includes data saved in the database as well as references to other files; created as a backup in case the main database file needs to be restored.

Standard data format used by several different programs on Palm-based PDA devices; may store various types of data, such as eBooks, word processing documents, spreadsheets, databases, maps, and image files.

To determine what program created a PDB file, open the file in a text editor. The Type and Creator codes should be located in the header of the file near the top of the document.