---
name: "portabase"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "portabase"
version: "2.1+git20120910-1.1"
release: "Debian 9 (Stretch)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/portabase"
---

# portabase(1)

an easy-to-use personal database application

## NAME

portabase - an easy-to-use personal database application

## SYNOPSIS

**portabase** \[ -h \| --help \| *\<file\>* \]\
 **portabase** command \[ -p password \] \[ options \] *\<fromfile\>* *\<tofile\>*

## DESCRIPTION

*PortaBase* (portable database) is a personal database application that is available for many platforms, including Linux, Mac OS X, Windows, and Maemo.

PortaBase's features include:

\- One data table per file

\- String, Integer, Decimal, Boolean, Note (multi-line text), Date,\
   Time, Calculation, Sequence, Image, and Enum column types

\- Add, edit, and delete rows of data

\- Custom data views (subsets of the columns in any order)

\- Filter the displayed rows using sets of conditions

\- Sort the rows by any combination of columns, each in ascending or\
   descending order

\- Optional page navigation buttons, with a custom number of rows per page

\- Add, delete, rearrange, and rename columns at any time

\- Specify default values for columns

\- View summary statistics for columns (total, average, min, max, etc.)

\- Import data from CSV, XML, and MobileDB files

\- Export data to CSV, HTML, and XML files

\- Command-line format conversions (to and from XML, from MobileDB, to HTML)

\- Print the data grid with view, sorting, and filter applied

\- Fullscreen mode option

\- Optional data file encryption

\- Unicode support

\- Pick any available font to use throughout the application

## COMMANDS

*PortaBase* uses the following commands to indicate a command-line file conversion:

- **fromxml**

  Create a new PortaBase file from the input XML file.

- **frommobiledb**

  Create a new PortaBase file from the input MobileDB file.

- **fromcsv**

  Add rows to an existing PortaBase file from the input CSV file.

- **toxml**

  Create a new XML file from the input PortaBase file.

- **tocsv**

  Create a new CSV file from the input PortaBase file.

- **tohtml**

  Create a new HTML file from the input PortaBase file.

If an encrypted PortaBase file is to be read or created, the following option can be used immediately after the command:

- **-p** *\<password\>*

  Open or create the encrypted PortaBase file using the given password

The toxml, tocsv, and tohtml commands accept the following options:

- **-v** *\<view\>*

  Apply the named view before exporting.

- **-s** *\<sorting\>*

  Apply the named sorting before exporting.

- **-f** *\<filter\>*

  Apply the named filter before exporting.

The fromcsv command supports one option:

- **-e** *\<encoding\>*

  Specifies the text encoding of the imported CSV file; options are UTF-8 (the default) and Latin-1.

## OPTIONS

*PortaBase* accepts the following options:

-

  - **-h**, **--help**

  Display usage instructions.

## FILES

**$HOME**/.qt/portabaserc - user-specific settings.  Stores information on font, checkbox editing, delete confirmations, etc.

## AUTHOR

This manual page was written by Jeremy Bowman \<jmbowman@alum.mit.edu\>, for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by others).