title: Detecting the database a .DAT file belongs to
body: <p>I have a set of <code>.DAT</code> files present along side a set of <code>.IDX</code> files with the same name.</p>
  
  <p>The goal is to be able to open these files and read its contents, parsing it into a new format. The problem: I have no idea what database the data is being stored in! The files contain no headers or clues, they are binary, and the resource from which I have received these has no idea as to its storage mechanism.</p>
  
  <p>So the question is: What are some common databases which store databases in <code>.DAT</code> files and store their indexes in <code>.IDX</code> files with the same name? Is there an application I can use in Linux or Windows which can detect the database?</p>
  
  <p><strong>EDIT :-</strong></p>
  
  <p>File names:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><p>price.dat</p></li>
  <li><p>price.idx</p></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Here is a hex dump of the beginning of the <code>.DAT</code> file:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>030D04806420500FFE3E0500002078581001C000738054E0C0099804138100402550080442090082403C101F7406010080C0A010201002010C006FC0246C0403FE00B041C051F0091BFE042F812FE054F8177E066F81BFE078F8207E08AF824FE09CF8297E0AEF82DFE0C0F8327E0D2F836FE0E4F83B7E0F6F83FE5FEFF47C06608480FA91F003C0213101F1BFDFE804220100F500D2A00388430801E04028D4390D128B46804024010A067269FCA546003C0844060E11F084B9E1377850</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>Here is a hex dump of the beginning of the <code>.IDX</code> file:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>030D04805820100FFD7E0000397FEB60050410007300246A3060068220009BE0401030088B3903F740E010C80402410281402030094004C708004DC058880FFC052F015EBFE042F812FE054F8177E066F81BFE078F8207E08AF824FE09CF8297E0AEF82DFE0C0F8327E0D2F836FE0E4F83B7E0F6F83FFE108F8447E11AF848FE12CF84D7E13EF851FE150F8567E162F85AFE174F85F7E186F863FE198F8687E1AAF86CFE1BCF8717E1CEF875FE1E0F87A7E1F2F87EF5FEFF005E30901714</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>Both files uniquely start out with <code>030D04806420500FF</code> wonder if this is a good start?<br>
  Did a quick search on Google but it didn't return anything...</p>
  
  <p><strong>END EDIT :-</strong></p>
  
  <p>Any other ideas?</p>
  
  <p>Thanks much in advance!</p>