What is the DBD file format?
A .dbd file is a Clarion Modula-2 Debug Information File - a binary build artifact generated by the SoftVelocity Clarion compiler alongside the compiled executable. It stores the symbol and type information the Clarion debugger needs to map runtime addresses back to source code: variable names, line-number mappings, type definitions, and source file references.
The format is proprietary and undocumented. Files are little-endian (targeting x86 Windows), typically ranging from 3 KB to 380 KB depending on application complexity, and contain no readable text. No public magic-byte signature has been documented; files are identified by context - their presence in a Clarion project directory alongside a matching .exe or .app. The format version is tied to the Clarion compiler release and is not exposed externally.
Clarion was originally developed by Clarion Software / TopSpeed in the early 1990s, later acquired by SoftVelocity. Despite its age, the toolchain remains active: SoftVelocity released Clarion 12 in May 2025, and .dbd files are still produced by the current compiler.
End users and system administrators should never encounter .dbd files in a deployed application - they are internal development artifacts that should not be distributed with release builds. The sole consumer is the Clarion IDE debugger itself. If a .dbd file appears outside a Clarion development environment, it may belong to a different product: Macrovision DemoShield used a distinct .dbd format that shares only the extension name.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA Clarion .dbd file contains only debug symbol metadata (names, types, line numbers) and poses no security risk. It cannot be executed. Safe to delete if the Clarion project will no longer be debugged; the compiler regenerates it on the next build. For DemoShield .dbd files (discontinued 2007): these are presentation project databases and are similarly non-executable.
Format details
in a nutshell- DemoShield project file (Macrovision) - DemoShield 8.0 (discontinued 2007, last version by Macrovision/Acresso) used .dbd as its project/presentation database file - unrelated to Clarion debug info.
- Oracle record type definition - Some Oracle database tools used .dbd for record/table type definitions; niche and uncommon.
- Business Insight data file - Business Insight reporting tool stored business data in .dbd files; product is largely obsolete.
Programs that open DBD files
Windows1 app
SoftVelocity Clarion IDE
Paid Used automatically by the built-in Clarion debugger - no manual open action needed. Do not open manually. Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | Binary (proprietary, undocumented format) |
| Byte order | Little-endian (x86 Windows target) |
| Typical file size | 3 KB - 380 KB |
| Content | Symbol names, type definitions, line-number-to-address mappings, and source file path references |
| Generated by | SoftVelocity Clarion Modula-2 compiler - produced automatically during debug builds |
| Consumed by | Clarion IDE debugger only - not intended for external tools or end-user distribution |
| File identification | No documented magic bytes; identified by context (Clarion project directory alongside matching `.exe` or `.app`) |
| Format specification | Undocumented and proprietary; format version tied to the Clarion compiler release with no public schema |
| Operating system | Windows only |
| Companion files | Produced alongside `.clw` (Clarion source), `.app` (compiled application), and `.dsp` project files |
| Current toolchain version | Clarion 12 (SoftVelocity, May 2025) - format still active and produced by the current compiler |
| Distribution policy | Build artifact only - should not be included in release packages deployed to end users |
| Released | Early 1990s (Clarion/TopSpeed Modula-2 compiler era) |
| Latest version | Clarion 12 (released May 2025) still produces .dbd files |
DBD conversions
Community Q&A
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