What is the TPS file format?
A .tps file is a single-file relational database used by applications built with Clarion, a rapid-application-development platform from SoftVelocity (originally Clarion Software / TopSpeed Corporation). The format bundles table data, all key and index B-trees, memo (BLOB) fields, and the table definition into one self-contained file - no separate index files are required.
The format is identified by a tOpS signature (74 4F 70 53) at byte offset 14. Data is organized into 256-byte-aligned pages that interleave record storage, B-tree index pages, and memo data, delivering high performance for single-user and small-network workloads without a separate database server.
Optional built-in encryption can be applied at the table level; encrypted .tps files expose no plain-text internal structure. Transaction safety depends on a companion .tcf (Transaction Control File) that provides journaling - without it, a power loss during a write can corrupt the file.
.tps databases are widely deployed in legacy line-of-business applications from the 1990s-2000s: point-of-sale systems, inventory management, medical records, and accounting software. Third-party tools such as Scalabium Clarion Viewer and TPS Converter can read .tps files without a Clarion installation.
- Modern Clarion applications increasingly migrate to SQL backends (MS SQL Server, SQLite, MySQL) via Clarion's ABC templates.
- The companion
.clwand.dctfiles store Clarion source code and data dictionary definitions. - The format has remained stable across Clarion versions 3 through 11 (2023).
Security & safety
RISK: LOWLegitimate Clarion TPS database files are passive data containers with no executable content. The separate concept of '.tps scam torrent files' (malicious compressed archives masquerading as torrents) is unrelated to Clarion TPS and extremely rare. Do not confuse the two. If you received a TPS file from a torrent context (not a Clarion application), scan with antivirus before opening.
Format details
in a nutshell- Scam Torrent File - An unrelated obscure malware file type mimicking BitTorrent; files contain malicious compressed code. Distinct from and vastly rarer than Clarion TPS.
Programs that open TPS files
Windows3 apps
SoftVelocity Clarion
Paid Open the Clarion IDE, use the Data Dictionary to define and browse the TPS table; or open via File > Open in Clarion's database tools.
Scalabium Clarion Viewer
Freemium Open Clarion Viewer, File > Open, select the TPS file. Browse records, filter, export to CSV/XLS. Technical details
deep spec| Magic bytes | 74 4F 70 53 ("tOpS") at offset 14 (0x0E) |
| Page alignment | 256-byte (0x100) boundaries |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Encoding | Binary (proprietary TopSpeed File System) |
| Encryption | Optional built-in table-level encryption; when applied, no plain-text structure is visible |
| Typical file size | 1 KB - several GB (scales with record count) |
| Internal structure | Page-based: record data, key/index B-trees, memo storage, and table definition in one file |
| Index files | None required - all keys and indexes embedded within the single .tps file |
| Transaction integrity | Companion .tcf (Transaction Control File) provides journaling; absent TCF risks corruption on power loss |
| Version identifier | Header byte at fixed offset identifies Clarion/TopSpeed version; format stable across Clarion 3-11 |
| Associated OS | Windows (primary); DOS (legacy Clarion versions) |
| Third-party tools | Scalabium Clarion Viewer, TPS Converter |
| Migration path | Clarion ABC templates support export to MS SQL Server, SQLite, and MySQL |
| Released | 1990 (Clarion Professional Developer 3.x / TopSpeed era) |
| Latest version | Clarion 11 (2023) |
| Specification | clarion.help |
TPS conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about TPS files.
