---
name: "mdbDir"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "m17n-docs"
version: "1.8.4-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/mdbDir"
---

# mdbDir(5)

List of data in a database directory.

## NAME

mdbDir - List of data in a database directory.

## DESCRIPTION

The m17n library loads a list of definitions of data of the m17n database from files of name 'mdb.dir' in each database directory at initialization time. The plist format of this file is as follows:

```
MDB-DIR ::= DEFINITION *
DEFINITION ::= '(' TAG0 [ TAG1 [ TAG2 [ TAG3 ] ] ] FILE [ VERSION ]')'
TAGn ::= SYMBOL
FILE ::= MTEXT
VERSION ::= MTEXT
```

If TAG0 is neither \`charset' nor \`char-table', and TAGn (n \> 0) is a symbol \`\*', FILE can contain a wildcard charater, and all files matching FILE accoding to the rules used by the shell are the target of database files. In that case, each file must contain SELF-DEFINITION which is a plist element providing the actual TAGn values by the form:

```
SELF-DEFINITION ::= '(' TAG0 TAG1 TAG2 TAG3 [ VERSION ] ')'
```

For instance, if a database directory contains these files:

```
zh-py.mim:
(input-method zh py)
ko-han2.mim:
(input-method ko han2)
```

these lines in 'mdb.dir':

```
(input-method zh py "zh-py.mim")
(input-method ko han2 "ko-han2.mim")
```

can be shortened to this single line:

```
(input-method * "*.mim")
```

VERSION is a required version number of the m17n library. The format is 'XX.YY.ZZ' where XX is a major version number, YY is a minor version number, and ZZ is a patch level.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 2001 Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA)\
 Copyright (C) 2001-2011 National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)\
 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License  \<http://www.gnu.org/licenses/fdl.html\>.