Plucker pdb vs other pdb

rsperberg · 02-01-2006, 03:00 PM

Is there a document somewhere that describes the makeup of a Plucker pdb file?

In what ways is it different from other files with the pdb extension? Are there lots of flavors of pdb or just a handful?

Anything that would help clarify this for me (a non-Palm owner) would be greatly appreciated.

Roger Sperberg

Jaapjan · 02-02-2006, 02:59 AM

Incidentally, I just looked into this. There's a document in the Plucker CVS that describes their file format internally.

http://www.tinbergen.net/DBFormat.html

There's also the PalmDOC format, which I think you want to know which is like

http://homepage.mac.com/pauljlucas/software/txt2pdbdoc/

Then there's also iSilo in pdb format and eReader in Pdb format.

.pdb simply means the Palm DataBase. A lot of applications use this -container- format. Contents, of course, differ.

rsperberg · 02-02-2006, 09:37 AM

Thanks! Just the information I was looking for.

Jaapjan · 02-03-2006, 02:44 AM

You might want to download the DBFormat.html to your local machine, if you haven't yet because I put it online for you as a curtesy. I will remove it soon again. (You can always get it in the cvs)

rsperberg · 02-03-2006, 02:05 PM

Thank you. I have done so.

I appreciate your posting it. I'm not familiar enough with the CVS to have gotten it there.

Laurens · 02-03-2006, 02:20 PM

You don't need to know CVS. You can use the web interface to view the latest copy.

Jaapjan · 02-06-2006, 07:28 AM

I posted the latest version from CVS on my site, Laurens. It is no problem.

But I was unaware of the web client. Nice.

I am curious though, rsperberg, ...what do you need it for?

rsperberg · 02-06-2006, 01:40 PM

Because FBReader had implemented Plucker support and aportis doc support (along with html and FB2 and other file formats), I wondered whether the Plucker pdb is similar to other Palm pdb formats.

And along the way I suggested that uBook e-reader add Plucker support, since there's no e-reader distributed that runs on Windows desktops. I think it would be nice to be able to create a Plucker file and then check it on the machine I'm using to make it.

Jaapjan · 02-07-2006, 02:57 AM

Ah, that explains. Thanks for all the fish.

rsperberg · 02-07-2006, 07:40 AM

It would be nice if there were one e-reader that spanned Palm, Windows and Linux (not to mention Mac OS and WinCE/PPC).

Even though David Rothman at Teleread has gone on for quite a while about "the Tower of eBabel," I think the issue of incompatibility is only going to get worse. We're going to see many handheld-size or "ultra-mobile" computers like the Nokia 770 come out, and the majority of these are likely to run Linux.

Jaapjan · 02-07-2006, 08:57 AM

And I assume you're saying one e-Reader that supports as much formats as possible?

Difficult. pdb's, as you know, have many formats alone. Not to mention the proprietary formats which would be difficult to implement as well. But,...noone is holding you back from making one.

rsperberg · 02-10-2006, 01:02 AM

See the Internet Tablet Users blog for Feb 8:
http://www.internettablettalk.com/blog/?p=237

Jaapjan · 02-14-2006, 04:13 PM

I made the most startling discovery today....

... I never did know you were a member of the openreader group, Roger.

Jaapjan · 02-15-2006, 02:43 AM

On hindsight, I should have known. Hah.

rsperberg · 02-16-2006, 06:53 PM

Well, maybe not. I only joined a week or two ago.

I predicate my involvement on its moving to a formal standards body like OASIS. But that's off-topic here.

As to formats, if you look in the FBReader forum, you will see that I propose expanding beyond the existing formats to allow any arbitrary XML vocabulary.

It's another case of "if browsers can do it, and XML editors can do it, why not our e-readers?"

02-01-2006, 03:00 PM	#1
rsperberg Zealot Posts: 114 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: NJ Device: Kindle Voyage	Plucker pdb vs other pdb Is there a document somewhere that describes the makeup of a Plucker pdb file? In what ways is it different from other files with the pdb extension? Are there lots of flavors of pdb or just a handful? Anything that would help clarify this for me (a non-Palm owner) would be greatly appreciated. Roger Sperberg

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02-02-2006, 02:59 AM	#2
Jaapjan Avid reader Posts: 262 Karma: 132 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The Netherlands Device: HTC Touch Diamond, iLiad Book Edition	Incidentally, I just looked into this. There's a document in the Plucker CVS that describes their file format internally. http://www.tinbergen.net/DBFormat.html There's also the PalmDOC format, which I think you want to know which is like http://homepage.mac.com/pauljlucas/software/txt2pdbdoc/ Then there's also iSilo in pdb format and eReader in Pdb format. .pdb simply means the Palm DataBase. A lot of applications use this -container- format. Contents, of course, differ.

02-02-2006, 09:37 AM	#3
rsperberg Zealot Posts: 114 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: NJ Device: Kindle Voyage	Thanks! Just the information I was looking for.

02-03-2006, 02:44 AM	#4
Jaapjan Avid reader Posts: 262 Karma: 132 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The Netherlands Device: HTC Touch Diamond, iLiad Book Edition	You might want to download the DBFormat.html to your local machine, if you haven't yet because I put it online for you as a curtesy. I will remove it soon again. (You can always get it in the cvs)

02-03-2006, 02:05 PM	#5
rsperberg Zealot Posts: 114 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: NJ Device: Kindle Voyage	Thank you. I have done so. I appreciate your posting it. I'm not familiar enough with the CVS to have gotten it there.

02-03-2006, 02:20 PM	#6
Laurens Jah Blessed Posts: 1,295 Karma: 1373 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The Netherlands Device: iPod Touch	You don't need to know CVS. You can use the web interface to view the latest copy.

02-06-2006, 07:28 AM	#7
Jaapjan Avid reader Posts: 262 Karma: 132 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The Netherlands Device: HTC Touch Diamond, iLiad Book Edition	I posted the latest version from CVS on my site, Laurens. It is no problem. But I was unaware of the web client. Nice. I am curious though, rsperberg, ...what do you need it for?

02-06-2006, 01:40 PM	#8
rsperberg Zealot Posts: 114 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: NJ Device: Kindle Voyage	Because FBReader had implemented Plucker support and aportis doc support (along with html and FB2 and other file formats), I wondered whether the Plucker pdb is similar to other Palm pdb formats. And along the way I suggested that uBook e-reader add Plucker support, since there's no e-reader distributed that runs on Windows desktops. I think it would be nice to be able to create a Plucker file and then check it on the machine I'm using to make it.

02-07-2006, 02:57 AM	#9
Jaapjan Avid reader Posts: 262 Karma: 132 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The Netherlands Device: HTC Touch Diamond, iLiad Book Edition	Ah, that explains. Thanks for all the fish.

02-07-2006, 07:40 AM	#10
rsperberg Zealot Posts: 114 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: NJ Device: Kindle Voyage	It would be nice if there were one e-reader that spanned Palm, Windows and Linux (not to mention Mac OS and WinCE/PPC). Even though David Rothman at Teleread has gone on for quite a while about "the Tower of eBabel," I think the issue of incompatibility is only going to get worse. We're going to see many handheld-size or "ultra-mobile" computers like the Nokia 770 come out, and the majority of these are likely to run Linux.

02-07-2006, 08:57 AM	#11
Jaapjan Avid reader Posts: 262 Karma: 132 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The Netherlands Device: HTC Touch Diamond, iLiad Book Edition	And I assume you're saying one e-Reader that supports as much formats as possible? Difficult. pdb's, as you know, have many formats alone. Not to mention the proprietary formats which would be difficult to implement as well. But,...noone is holding you back from making one.

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02-10-2006, 01:02 AM	#12
rsperberg Zealot Posts: 114 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: NJ Device: Kindle Voyage	See the Internet Tablet Users blog for Feb 8: http://www.internettablettalk.com/blog/?p=237

02-14-2006, 04:13 PM	#13
Jaapjan Avid reader Posts: 262 Karma: 132 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The Netherlands Device: HTC Touch Diamond, iLiad Book Edition	I made the most startling discovery today.... ... I never did know you were a member of the openreader group, Roger.

02-15-2006, 02:43 AM	#14
Jaapjan Avid reader Posts: 262 Karma: 132 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The Netherlands Device: HTC Touch Diamond, iLiad Book Edition	On hindsight, I should have known. Hah.

02-16-2006, 06:53 PM	#15
rsperberg Zealot Posts: 114 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: NJ Device: Kindle Voyage	Well, maybe not. I only joined a week or two ago. I predicate my involvement on its moving to a formal standards body like OASIS. But that's off-topic here. As to formats, if you look in the FBReader forum, you will see that I propose expanding beyond the existing formats to allow any arbitrary XML vocabulary. It's another case of "if browsers can do it, and XML editors can do it, why not our e-readers?"