ARCHITECT File

What are ARCHITECT files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an ARCHITECT file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your ARCHITECT files.

What is an ARCHITECT file?

An .ARCHITECT file is a SQL Power Architect Project file.

SQL Power Architect Project files store the complete design of a database data model as created in the SQL Power Architect tool. They are used to capture all aspects of a relational or logical data model - including tables, columns, keys, and relationships - along with settings for display, printing, project-level metadata, and database connection profiles. Architects create these files when they build or modify schema diagrams, then save them using the "Save Project" or "Save Project As" command so that the project state can be reopened later.

SQL Power Architect is a Java-based application used for designing, analyzing, and documenting data models. It supports forward engineering (generating SQL scripts to build physical databases), profiling data sources, reverse-engineering existing databases, and creating visual diagrams of schemas. Project files are written by this software and read back in to restore the project. Users can export from these files into SQL definition scripts, HTML reports, or use them as working models for further refinement.

The files are structured in XML format. They begin with the standard XML declaration <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>. Inside the XML there are tags and attributes holding elements such as project-name, tables, columns (with properties like column visibility, precision, nullable, default values), relationships (foreign keys, imported/external keys), display settings (paper size, orientation, borders, viewport), database connection and profile data sources, and generator settings for Data Definition Language (DDL).

How to open ARCHITECT files

Important: Different programs may use files with the ARCHITECT file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your ARCHITECT file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested three different ARCHITECT openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 20, 2026

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of ARCHITECT files. Remember, different programs may use ARCHITECT files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

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