mdb-to-sql

Convert Microsoft Access .mdb files into portable .sql dumps with a single command.

mdb-to-sql is a lightweight CLI for developers migrating legacy Access systems to modern stacks. It runs with pure Node.js and does not require Microsoft Access, ODBC drivers, Java, or OS-level tools.

Quick Start

npx mdb-to-sql ./path/to/database.mdb

This creates ./path/to/database.sql in the same directory as the input file.

Why this tool

• Simple CLI workflow: run one command and generate a .sql dump
• Cross-platform: works on macOS, Linux, and Windows with Node.js
• No system dependencies: no mdb-tools, no Java, no Access installation
• Migration-friendly output: clear progress logging and conversion summary
• Version-control friendly: text-based SQL output is easy to diff and review

Features

• Reads .mdb files (Access 97–2003)
• Exports all tables found in the source file
• Creates output .sql in the same directory with the same base name
• Writes SQL with CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS + batch INSERT INTO
• Maps common Access value types to portable SQL types
• Returns explicit process exit codes for CI/CD and automation

Installation

Run directly with npx (recommended)

npx mdb-to-sql ./path/to/database.mdb

Install globally

npm install -g mdb-to-sql
mdb-to-sql ./path/to/database.mdb

Install as a project dependency

npm install mdb-to-sql
npx mdb-to-sql ./path/to/database.mdb

Requirements

• Node.js >=16

Usage

npx mdb-to-sql <path-to-file.mdb>

Example:

npx mdb-to-sql ./data/database.mdb

Output file:

• Input: ./data/database.mdb
• Output: ./data/database.sql

Example CLI output

──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
🚀 MDB → SQL Converter
   Fast conversion from Microsoft Access (.mdb) to portable SQL
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
📥 Source -> /path/to/database.mdb
📥 Output -> /path/to/database.sql
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
📚 Tables found: 3

✓ "products"  25 rows • 11 columns
✓ "customers" 38 rows • 3 columns
✓ "orders"    14 rows • 9 columns
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✅ Conversion completed successfully

Tables      -> 3 converted
Rows        -> 77
Size        -> 16.0 KB
File        -> /path/to/database.sql
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Example generated SQL

-- Generated by mdb-to-sql v1.0.0
-- Source: /path/to/database.mdb
-- Date  : 2026-05-07T00:00:00.000Z

-- --------------------------------------------------------
-- Table: customers
-- --------------------------------------------------------

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `customers` (
  `id` INTEGER,
  `name` TEXT
);

INSERT INTO `customers` (`id`, `name`) VALUES
  (1, 'Alice'),
  (2, 'Bob');

Exit codes

• 0 - Conversion completed successfully
• 1 - Invalid arguments, file not found, or unsupported extension
• 2 - Error while reading/parsing the .mdb file
• 3 - Error while writing the .sql file

Error messages

No argument:

Usage: mdb-to-sql <path-to-file.mdb>

File not found:

Error: File not found: ./does-not-exist.mdb

Unsupported extension:

Error: Only .mdb files are supported in this version.

Type handling

The converter normalizes common Access values to SQL literals:

• Text/Memo -> TEXT
• Integer/Long Integer/Byte -> INTEGER
• Single/Double/Currency/Numeric -> REAL
• Boolean -> INTEGER (0/1)
• Date/Time -> ISO-8601 TEXT
• null/undefined -> NULL

Known limitations (v1.0)

• .accdb is not supported
• Table filtering is not available (all tables are exported)
• Custom output path is not available
• Dialect-specific output flags are not available yet
• Access queries, forms, and macros are not migrated
• Indexes/foreign keys are not exported in this version

Roadmap

Planned improvements for future versions:

• .accdb support
• --output <path> option
• --tables <t1,t2> table selection
• --dialect <mysql|postgres|sqlite> option
• --dry-run mode
• --verbose detailed logs
• --no-create mode (INSERT-only output)

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. To contribute:

1. Open an issue describing the bug or feature request
2. Fork the repository and create a focused branch
3. Add tests or reproduction steps when possible
4. Open a pull request with a clear description of the change

License

MIT