---
name: "mdb-export"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "mdbtools"
version: "1.0.1-0.1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mdb-export"
---

# mdb-export(1)

Export data in an MDB database table to CSV format.

## NAME

**mdb-export** - Export data in an MDB database table to CSV format.

## SYNOPSIS

```
mdb-export [--no-header] [--delimiter delim] [--row-delimiter delim] [[--no-quote] | [--quote char [--escape char]]] [--escape-invisible] [--date-format fmt] [--datetime-format fmt] [--bin strip|raw|octal|hex] [--boolean-words] database table
mdb-export --insert backend [--namespace prefix] [--batch-size int] database table
mdb-export -h|--help
mdb-export --version
```

## DESCRIPTION

**mdb-export is a utility program distributed with MDB Tools.**

**It produces a CSV (comma separated value) output for the given** *table***. Such output is suitable for importation into databases or spreadsheets.**

**Used with --insert, it outputs SQL specific to** *backend* **dialect, including some constraints like NOT NULL and foreign keys.**

## OPTIONS

- **-H, --no-header**

  **Suppress header row.**

- **-d, --delimiter *delim***

  **Specify an alternative column delimiter. Default is , (comma).**

- **-R, --row-delimiter *delim***

  **Specify a row delimiter. Default is \\n (ASCII value 10).**

- **-Q, --no-quote**

  **Don't wrap text-like fields (text, memo, date) in quotes.  If not specified text fiels will be surrounded by " (double quote) characters.**

- **-q, --quote *char***

  **Use** *char* **to wrap text-like fields. Default is " (double quote).**

- **-X, --escape *char***

  **Use** *char* **to escape quoted characters within a field. Default is doubling.**

- **-e, --escape-invisible**

  **Use C-style escaping for return (\\r), tab (\\t), line-feed (\\n), and back-slash (\\\\) characters. Default is to leave as they are.**

- **-I, --insert *backend***

  **INSERT statements (instead of CSV). You must specify which SQL** *backend* **dialect to use. Allowed values are: access, sybase, oracle, postgres, mysql and sqlite.**

- **-N, --namespace *prefix***

  **Prefix identifiers with** *prefix***.**

- **-S, --batch-size *int***

  **Size of insert batches on supported platforms.**

- **-D, --date-format *fmt***

  **Set the date format (see [strftime(3)](/strftime/3.md) for details.**

- **-T, --datetime-format *fmt***

  **Set the date/time format (see [strftime(3)](/strftime/3.md) for details.**

- **-0, --null *char***

  **Use** *char* **to represent a NULL value.** **-b, --bin strip\|raw\|octal\|hex Binary export mode: strip binaries, export as-is, output \\ooo style octal data or output \\xx style hexadecimal data.**

- **-B, --boolean-words**

  **Use TRUE/FALSE in Boolean fields (default is 0/1).**

- **--version**

  **Print the mdbtools version and exit.**

## NOTES

**Most of the formatting options actually also works with --insert.**

## ENVIRONMENT

- **MDB\_JET3\_CHARSET**

  **Defines the charset of the input JET3 (access 97) file. Default is CP1252. See [iconv(1)](/iconv/1.md).**

- **MDBICONV**

  **Defines the output charset to use for the SQL file. Default is UTF-8. mdbtools must have been compiled with iconv.**

- **MDBOPTS**

  **Colon-separated list of options:**

  - •

    **debug\_like**

  - •

    **debug\_write**

  - •

    **debug\_usage**

  - •

    **debug\_ole**

  - •

    **debug\_row**

  - •

    **debug\_props**

  - •

    **debug\_all is a shortcut for all debug\_\* options**

  - •

    **no\_memo (deprecated; has no effect)**

  - •

    **use\_index (experimental; requires libmswstr)**

## SEE ALSO

**[mdb-array(1)](/mdb-array/1.md) [mdb-count(1)](/mdb-count/1.md) [mdb-header(1)](/mdb-header/1.md) [mdb-hexdump(1)](/mdb-hexdump/1.md)** **[mdb-import(1)](/mdb-import/1.md) [mdb-json(1)](/mdb-json/1.md) [mdb-parsecsv(1)](/mdb-parsecsv/1.md) [mdb-prop(1)](/mdb-prop/1.md) [mdb-queries(1)](/mdb-queries/1.md)** **[mdb-schema(1)](/mdb-schema/1.md) [mdb-sql(1)](/mdb-sql/1.md) [mdb-tables(1)](/mdb-tables/1.md) [mdb-ver(1)](/mdb-ver/1.md)**

## HISTORY

**mdb-export first appeared in MDB Tools 0.1.**

## AUTHORS

**The mdb-export utility was written by Brian Bruns.**

## BUGS

**Memo fields are allowed to contain a newline characters, the current program does nothing about this.**