What is the PDM file format?
A .pdm file is a Physical Data Model created by SAP PowerDesigner, formerly known as Sybase PowerDesigner. It describes a database schema at the physical level - tables, columns, data types, indexes, primary keys, and foreign-key relationships - targeting a specific relational database management system such as Oracle, SQL Server, or MySQL.
Internally the file is plain XML, opening with a standard XML declaration followed by PowerDesigner-specific processing instructions that record the target DBMS, model name, locale, and format version. The root <Model> element uses three XML namespaces: a: for attributes, c: for collections, and o: for objects. Cross-references between tables and keys use an Id/Ref scheme throughout the document.
A .pdm is typically generated from a Conceptual Data Model (.cdm) or Logical Data Model (.ldm) by applying a DBMS-specific resource file (.xdb). The same logical model can produce multiple .pdm files targeting different database platforms. PowerDesigner can forward-engineer a .pdm directly to SQL DDL scripts or reverse-engineer an existing database schema into one.
SAP PowerDesigner 16.7 is the current release; SAP has announced end of mainstream maintenance with full end of support planned for December 2027. The .pdm file is readable in any text editor as XML, but meaningful editing or validation requires PowerDesigner itself.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWPlain XML file; no executable code. Safe to open in a text editor. Contains potentially sensitive database schema information (table names, column names, data types) that may reveal application architecture.
Format details
in a nutshell- Pacemaker Device Map (medical device) - Some cardiac rhythm device vendors use .pdm for programmer data maps; niche medical context.
- PreSonus Studio One Performance Data Monitor - .pdm used internally by Studio One DAW for performance monitoring data; not user-facing.
Programs that open PDM files
Windows3 apps
SAP PowerDesigner
Paid File > Open, select the .pdm file. Use Model menu to configure DBMS target and generate DDL.
Notepad++ (view XML only)
Open-source Open the .pdm file; install XML Tools plugin for syntax highlighting and pretty-print.
Microsoft Visual Studio (view XML only)
Freemium Open as XML file for read-only inspection of the schema structure. Technical details
deep spec| File type | XML text document |
| MIME type | application/xml; text/xml (alternate) |
| Encoding | UTF-8 (declared in XML header); older files may use other encodings |
| Compression | None - plain XML with no ZIP wrapper |
| Typical size | 50 KB - 20 MB (scales with model complexity; large enterprise models may exceed this) |
| XML namespaces | Three namespaces: a: (attributes), c: (collections), o: (objects) |
| Cross-reference scheme | Id/Ref attributes link objects (tables, columns, keys, foreign keys) throughout the XML tree |
| DBMS targeting | One .pdm file targets one RDBMS (Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, etc.) defined by a .xdb resource file |
| Model hierarchy | Typically generated from a .cdm (Conceptual) or .ldm (Logical) Data Model |
| Forward engineering | Generates SQL DDL scripts for the target RDBMS directly from the model |
| Reverse engineering | Can be created by reverse-engineering an existing live database schema |
| Software | SAP PowerDesigner 16.7 (current release; Windows only) |
| End of support | Full end of support for SAP PowerDesigner planned December 2027 |
| Version compatibility | Format version encoded in XML processing instruction; newer versions open older files but older versions cannot open newer files |
| Released | 1997 (PowerDesigner 6 introduced PDM as distinct model type) |
| Latest version | PowerDesigner 16.7 SP09 (current as of 2025; EOL planned December 2027) |
| Specification | help.sap.com |
PDM conversions
Community Q&A
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