These are various tools for manipulating JET / MS Access database (MDB) files: * utils - provides command line utilities to list tables, export schema, and data, show file versions, and other useful stuff. * mdb-sql - a command line SQL tool that allows one to type SQL queries and get results.
mdb-array
Export data in an MDB database table to a C array.
root@kali:~# mdb-array -h
mdb-array is deprecated and will disappear in a future version of mdbtools.
Please drop us a line if you have any use of it.
See https://github.com/mdbtools/mdbtools/issues/197
Usage: mdb-array <file> <table>
mdb-count
Get listing of tables in an MDB database
root@kali:~# mdb-count -h
Usage:
mdb-count [OPTION…] <file> <table> - print the number of records in an Access database
Help Options:
-h, --help Show help options
Application Options:
--version Show mdbtools version and exit
mdb-export
Export data in an MDB database table to CSV format.
root@kali:~# mdb-export -h
Usage:
mdb-export [OPTION…] <file> <table> - export data from MDB file
Help Options:
-h, --help Show help options
Application Options:
-H, --no-header Suppress header row.
-d, --delimiter=char Specify an alternative column delimiter. Default is comma.
-R, --row-delimiter=char Specify a row delimiter
-Q, --no-quote Don't wrap text-like fields in quotes.
-q, --quote=char Use <char> to wrap text-like fields. Default is double quote.
-X, --escape=format Use <char> to escape quoted characters within a field. Default is doubling.
-e, --escape-invisible Use C-style escaping for return (\r), tab (\t), line-feed (\n), and back-slash (\\) characters. Default is to leave as they are.
-I, --insert=backend INSERT statements (instead of CSV)
-N, --namespace=namespace Prefix identifiers with namespace
-S, --batch-size=int Size of insert batches on supported platforms.
-D, --date-format=format Set the date format (see strftime(3) for details)
-T, --datetime-format=format Set the date/time format (see strftime(3) for details)
-0, --null=char Use <char> to represent a NULL value
-b, --bin=strip|raw|octal|hex Binary export mode
-B, --boolean-words Use TRUE/FALSE in Boolean fields (default is 0/1)
--version Show mdbtools version and exit
mdb-hexdump
Hexdump utility from MDB Tools
root@kali:~# man mdb-hexdump
mdb-hexdump(1) Executable programs or shell commands mdb-hexdump(1)
NAME
mdb-hexdump - Hexdump utility from MDB Tools
SYNOPSIS
mdb-hexdump file [pagenumber]
DESCRIPTION
mdb-hexdump is a utility program distributed with MDB Tools.
mdb-hexdump makes a hex dump of a binary file (such as an mdb file).
ENVIRONMENT
MDB_JET3_CHARSET
Defines the charset of the input JET3 (access 97) file. Default is
CP1252. See iconv(1).
MDBICONV
Defines the output charset. Default is UTF-8. mdbtools must have
been compiled with iconv.
MDBOPTS
Colon-separated list of options:
* debug_like
* debug_write
* debug_usage
* debug_ole
* debug_row
* debug_props
* debug_all is a shortcut for all debug_* options
* no_memo (deprecated; has no effect)
* use_index (experimental; requires libmswstr)
SEE ALSO
mdb-array(1) mdb-count(1) mdb-export(1) mdb-header(1) mdb-import(1) mdb-
json(1) mdb-parsecsv(1) mdb-prop(1) mdb-queries(1) mdb-schema(1) mdb-
sql(1) mdb-tables(1) mdb-ver(1)
AUTHORS
The mdb-hexdump utility was written by Brian Bruns.
MDBTools 1.0.1 29 April 2026 mdb-hexdump(1)
mdb-import
Import CSV data into an MDB database.
root@kali:~# man mdb-import
mdb-import(1) Executable programs or shell commands mdb-import(1)
NAME
mdb-import - Import CSV data into an MDB database.
SYNOPSIS
mdb-import [-H lines] [-d char] database table csvfile
mdb-import -h|--help
mdb-import --version
DESCRIPTION
mdb-import is a utility program distributed with MDB Tools.
It reads a CSV (comma separated value) file and add the data into table of
database.
OPTIONS
-H, --header lines
Skip lines of CSV header.
-d, --delimiter char
Specify an alternative column delimiter. Default is , (comma).
--version
Print the mdbtools version and exit
NOTES
ENVIRONMENT
MDB_JET3_CHARSET
Defines the charset of the JET3 (access 97) file. Default is
CP1252. See iconv(1).
MDBICONV
Defines the input charset to use for the SQL file. Default is
UTF-8. mdbtools must have been compiled with iconv.
MDBOPTS
Colon-separated list of options:
* debug_like
* debug_write
* debug_usage
* debug_ole
* debug_row
* debug_props
* debug_all is a shortcut for all debug_* options
* no_memo (deprecated; has no effect)
* use_index (experimental; requires libmswstr)
SEE ALSO
mdb-array(1) mdb-count(1) mdb-export(1) mdb-header(1) mdb-hexdump(1) mdb-
json(1) mdb-parsecsv(1) mdb-prop(1) mdb-queries(1) mdb-schema(1) mdb-
sql(1) mdb-tables(1) mdb-ver(1)
HISTORY
mdb-import first appeared in MDB Tools 0.7.
AUTHORS
The mdb-import utility was written by Brian Bruns.
BUGS
mdb-import does not enforce any kind of checks. You can violate con-
straints.
MDBTools 1.0.1 29 April 2026 mdb-import(1)
mdb-json
Export data in an MDB database table to JSON.
root@kali:~# mdb-json -h
Usage:
mdb-json [OPTION…] <file> <table> - export data from Access file to JSON
Help Options:
-h, --help Show help options
Application Options:
-D, --date-format=format Set the date format (see strftime(3) for details)
-T, --datetime-format=format Set the date/time format (see strftime(3) for details)
-U, --no-unprintable Change unprintable characters to spaces (otherwise escaped as \u00XX)
--version Show mdbtools version and exit
mdb-parsecsv
Convert CSV table dump into C file.
root@kali:~# man mdb-parsecsv
mdb-parsecsv(1) Executable programs or shell commands mdb-parsecsv(1)
NAME
mdb-parsecsv - Convert CSV table dump into C file.
SYNOPSIS
mdb-parsecsv file
DESCRIPTION
mdb-parsecsv is a utility program distributed with MDB Tools.
mdb-parsecsv takes a CSV file representing a database table, and converts
it into a C array.
NOTES
If the first argument does not exist as a file, mdb-parsecsv will look for
the same filename with '.txt' appended.
The file extension is stripped, and the output written to the base name
plus a '.c' extension.
ENVIRONMENT
MDB_JET3_CHARSET
Defines the charset of the input JET3 (access 97) file. Default is
CP1252. See iconv(1).
MDBICONV
Defines the output charset to use for the SQL file. Default is
UTF-8. mdbtools must have been compiled with iconv.
MDBOPTS
Colon-separated list of options:
* debug_like
* debug_write
* debug_usage
* debug_ole
* debug_row
* debug_props
* debug_all is a shortcut for all debug_* options
* no_memo (deprecated; has no effect)
* use_index (experimental; requires libmswstr)
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
mdb-parsecsv is deprecated. Soon, it will no longer be distributed.
It is the feeling of developers that it is not used, as C code generation
is now usually replaced by more generic approaches, including libmdb calls
and odbc.
However, should you find this tool useful, drop us a line at
https://github.com/mdbtools/mdbtools/issues/197 and we'll consider main-
taining it.
SEE ALSO
mdb-array(1) mdb-count(1) mdb-export(1) mdb-header(1) mdb-hexdump(1) mdb-
import(1) mdb-json(1) mdb-prop(1) mdb-queries(1) mdb-schema(1) mdb-sql(1)
mdb-tables(1) mdb-ver(1)
AUTHORS
The mdb-parsecsv utility was written by Brian Bruns.
MDBTools 1.0.1 29 April 2026 mdb-parsecsv(1)
mdb-prop
Get properties list from MDB database
root@kali:~# mdb-prop -h
Usage:
mdb-prop [OPTION…] <file> <object name> [<prop col>] - display properties of an object in an Access database
Help Options:
-h, --help Show help options
Application Options:
--version Show mdbtools version and exit
mdb-queries
Get listing of tables in an MDB database
root@kali:~# mdb-queries -h
Usage:
mdb-queries [OPTION…] <file> <query name> - list or export queries from an Access database
Help Options:
-h, --help Show help options
Application Options:
-L, --list List queries in the database (default if no query name is passed)
-1, --newline Use newline as the delimiter (used in conjunction with listing)
-d, --delimiter=delim Specify delimiter to use
--version Show mdbtools version and exit
mdb-schema
Generate schema creation DDL
root@kali:~# mdb-schema -h
Usage:
mdb-schema [OPTION…] <file> [<backend>] - Dump schema
Help Options:
-h, --help Show help options
Application Options:
-T, --table=table Only create schema for named table
-N, --namespace=namespace Prefix identifiers with namespace
--drop-table Include DROP TABLE statements
--no-drop-table Don't include DROP TABLE statements
--not-null Include NOT NULL constraints
--no-not-null Don't include NOT NULL constraints
--default-values Include default values
--no-default-values Don't include default values
--not-empty Include not empty constraints
--no-not_empty Don't include not empty constraints
--comments Include COMMENT ON statements
--no-comments Don't include COMMENT statements.
--indexes Include indexes
--no-indexes Don't include indexes
--relations Include foreign key constraints
--no-relations Don't include foreign key constraints
--version Show mdbtools version and exit
mdb-sql
SQL interface to MDB Tools
root@kali:~# mdb-sql -h
Usage:
mdb-sql [OPTION…] <file> - Run SQL
Help Options:
-h, --help Show help options
Application Options:
-d, --delim=char Use this delimiter.
-P, --no-pretty-print Don't pretty print
-H, --no-header Don't print header
-F, --no-footer Don't print footer
-i, --input=file Read SQL from specified file
-o, --output=file Write result to specified file
--version Show mdbtools version and exit
mdb-tables
Get listing of tables in an MDB database
root@kali:~# mdb-tables -h
Usage:
mdb-tables [OPTION…] <file> - show MDB files tables/entries
Help Options:
-h, --help Show help options
Application Options:
-S, --system Include system tables
-1, --single-column One table name per line
-d, --delimiter=char Table name delimiter
-t, --type=type Type of entry
-T, --showtype Show type
--version Show mdbtools version and exit
mdb-ver
Return the format of a given MDB database.
root@kali:~# mdb-ver -h
Usage:
mdb-ver [OPTION…] <file> - display MDB file version
Help Options:
-h, --help Show help options
Application Options:
-M, --version Show mdbtools version and exit