PRS-500 eReader/Peanut/PalmReader PDB to RTF

airlik · 01-03-2007, 09:32 AM

I spent some time looking around for something to help me convert (unprotected) PDB files to RTF or something else reader-friendly. I found a tool called PDBSHRED which converted my PDB file to something called a PML file (Peanut Markup Language - good grief). This file was rather annoyingly full of a custom markup which was easy to remove with search/replace, but I wanted to retain the formatting of the file. So... I made a Word macro to convert the text marked with \iItalicize Me\i to italics, replace \aXXX with the proper character, etc, then remove the tags in question.

a) Would anyone else be interested in this? I looked around quite a bit before I finally caved and went home-brew.
b) If the answer to a) is yes, I can post it here after some cleanup and adding support for a few more tags (and removing the ones I can't). Doesn't seem like it would be useful enough to make an input into something like BBeB Binder.

I searched these forums to see if someone had a smoother way to convert PDB to *anything else*, but didn't turn up anything. When it ignores search terms like "PDB" because it's too short (and also the most likely way of referencing such a tool) it makes it harder...

slayda · 01-03-2007, 12:24 PM

Airlik, try the Amber converter at http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html. I've used it very successfully to create RTF files from unencrypted PDB.

airlik · 01-03-2007, 12:59 PM

Thanks - very cool tool, I like the LIT converter that came with it... I had been ConvertLIT to convert to HTML, then converting the HTML to RTF - the Amber converter lets me skip that step.

Unfortunately, the PDB converter doesn't support all PDB types, specifically the type mentioned in the thread title (the format has had its name changed twice now) - the Amber converter displays the PDB type as PNRd, but the output is garbled in any format.

airlik · 01-03-2007, 01:10 PM

Oops, the ABC LIT converter has an amusing issue... I just converted one of the Dr. Who LIT files made available by the BBC a while back - one that ConvertLIT decoded into several HTML files - and the ABC program puts them together in random order (or something)... the output RTF started with chapter 8, went on to the alternate ending, followed by chapter 11

Anyway, guess I'll hold onto my macros for now for the funky PDB files.

badapple · 07-21-2007, 12:00 AM

Browsing around I found your thread about converting pdb -pnrd files I keep having the same troubles you are. The files I have are in pdb -pnrd format that I can not convert with ABC keep getting all mixed up stuff. Is there a way to convert these files so that I can read them either in word or pdf format? My quest is still on I know there has to be a way.

BP2007 · 08-23-2007, 12:27 AM

airlik, I would be interested in your macros. I'm having the same problems you (and badapple) had.

Thanks!

JSWolf · 08-23-2007, 12:28 AM

Try Book Designer. It might be able to read your PDB files. It can definitely output into RTF as long as it can load it properly enough.

01-03-2007, 09:32 AM	#1
airlik Connoisseur Posts: 76 Karma: 15 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: Sony Reader	eReader/Peanut/PalmReader PDB to RTF I spent some time looking around for something to help me convert (unprotected) PDB files to RTF or something else reader-friendly. I found a tool called PDBSHRED which converted my PDB file to something called a PML file (Peanut Markup Language - good grief). This file was rather annoyingly full of a custom markup which was easy to remove with search/replace, but I wanted to retain the formatting of the file. So... I made a Word macro to convert the text marked with \iItalicize Me\i to italics, replace \aXXX with the proper character, etc, then remove the tags in question. a) Would anyone else be interested in this? I looked around quite a bit before I finally caved and went home-brew. b) If the answer to a) is yes, I can post it here after some cleanup and adding support for a few more tags (and removing the ones I can't). Doesn't seem like it would be useful enough to make an input into something like BBeB Binder. I searched these forums to see if someone had a smoother way to convert PDB to anything else, but didn't turn up anything. When it ignores search terms like "PDB" because it's too short (and also the most likely way of referencing such a tool) it makes it harder...

07-21-2007, 12:00 AM	#5
badapple Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Toshiba satellite p105-s6114	pnrd file conversion ?? Help... Browsing around I found your thread about converting pdb -pnrd files I keep having the same troubles you are. The files I have are in pdb -pnrd format that I can not convert with ABC keep getting all mixed up stuff. Is there a way to convert these files so that I can read them either in word or pdf format? My quest is still on I know there has to be a way.

08-23-2007, 12:27 AM	#6
BP2007 Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: ebookwise 1150	airlik, I would be interested in your macros. I'm having the same problems you (and badapple) had. Thanks! Last edited by BP2007; 08-23-2007 at 12:28 AM. Reason: mispelled airlik's name

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01-03-2007, 12:24 PM	#2
slayda Retired & reading more! Posts: 2,764 Karma: 1884247 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: North Alabama, USA Device: Kindle 1, iPad Air 2, iPhone 6S+, Kobo Aura One	Airlik, try the Amber converter at http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html. I've used it very successfully to create RTF files from unencrypted PDB.

01-03-2007, 12:59 PM	#3
airlik Connoisseur Posts: 76 Karma: 15 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: Sony Reader	Thanks - very cool tool, I like the LIT converter that came with it... I had been ConvertLIT to convert to HTML, then converting the HTML to RTF - the Amber converter lets me skip that step. Unfortunately, the PDB converter doesn't support all PDB types, specifically the type mentioned in the thread title (the format has had its name changed twice now) - the Amber converter displays the PDB type as PNRd, but the output is garbled in any format.

01-03-2007, 01:10 PM	#4
airlik Connoisseur Posts: 76 Karma: 15 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: Sony Reader	Oops, the ABC LIT converter has an amusing issue... I just converted one of the Dr. Who LIT files made available by the BBC a while back - one that ConvertLIT decoded into several HTML files - and the ABC program puts them together in random order (or something)... the output RTF started with chapter 8, went on to the alternate ending, followed by chapter 11 Anyway, guess I'll hold onto my macros for now for the funky PDB files.

08-23-2007, 12:28 AM	#7
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,897 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Try Book Designer. It might be able to read your PDB files. It can definitely output into RTF as long as it can load it properly enough.

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