Extract text from IntelliSense databases (NCB)
To convert NCB databases to another format, you need Microsoft Visual Studio or other Developer software.
To convert other file formats to the "IntelliSense Database File" file type, you need software like Microsoft Visual Studio or a similar tool.
The .ncb file is a Visual C++ IntelliSense Database file (originally standing for "No Compile Browser"). It is automatically generated by older versions of Microsoft Visual Studio when you open a C++ project. Its primary function is to store parsed information about the source code - such as classes, variables, and functions - allowing the IDE to provide auto-completion, code navigation, and syntax highlighting without needing to fully compile the project.
This proprietary binary format comes with significant disadvantages. These files frequently grow to hundreds of megabytes in size, consuming valuable disk space. Worse, they are highly prone to corruption, which often breaks IntelliSense functionality in the middle of a coding session. Because the file contains internal indexing data specific to a single project state, it is virtually useless on its own and requires a heavy, expensive IDE installation to utilize.
Converting a .ncb file to standard formats like TXT or CSV is theoretically possible for extracting raw strings, but generally not useful because it is not a document or media file. Standard online converters fail completely when handling .ncb files because the format is closed, undocumented, and deeply tied to Microsoft's proprietary compiler engine. Often, only the original software can properly read or export the data. However, convert.guru can still identify the file format, inspect the file, and show text or internal content. Just drag and drop your file to see what it is and convert it if supported. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your NCB file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted VBS, DTD and XAML files.
If you want to convert NCB file to JS, TS, PY, JAVA, CPP, C, CS, PHP, RB, GO, RS or SWIFT, you can use Microsoft Visual Studio or similar software from the "IntelliSense Database Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SH, PY, KT, PS1, SWIFT, LUA, PL, JAVA, SCALA, JS, VBS or TS files to NCB, try Microsoft Visual Studio or another comparable tool in the "IntelliSense Database Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our NCB converter.