DBO File

What are DBO files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a DBO 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 DBO files.

What is a DBO file?

DBO files have multiple uses, and DB/TextWorks Database Directory is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

DB/TextWorks Database Directory

DBO files provide a directory of all the data files in DB/TextWorks, allowing personnel to access and view them easily.

Inmagic, Inc. developed DB/TextWorks to allow users to organize, search, and share information with ease. Conceptually, innovating with this tool enables companies' employees to access data more productively.

How to open DBO files

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

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

Last updated: October 22, 2026

All known file formats using extension .DBO

While DB/TextWorks Database Directory is a popular type of DBO-file, we know of 2 different uses of the .DBO file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

DBASE Compiled Object Program

The DBASE Compiled Object Program format holds compiled command-and-procedure code for the dBASE environment, created when source code (.PRG or .PRS files) is converted into executable object form. Programs and procedures are written in the dBASE programming language, edited as source, and then compiled so that dBASE can execute them more efficiently without re-parsing text every time.

When a source procedure file or program file is compiled, the compiler emits this object format. dBASE uses it to execute the code directly, and to avoid recompiling every time the program is run. Some commands like "DO" invoke the existing compiled object if available, otherwise the source is compiled to an object, then executed.

The compiled object keeps a procedure list at its start, which names the procedures (or the main program if no PROCEDURE/FUNCTION declarations begin the file). Multiple procedures can be inside one object file. dBASE limits, for example, allow up to 963 procedures per object file under certain versions.

The first four bytes are 0x05 0x44 0x42 0x4F representing ".DBO" in ASCII, and the compiled object often contains the string ".PRG" somewhere in its content.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of DBO files. Remember, different programs may use DBO 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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