ODBC

Open Database Connectivity [ODBC] provides a standard software API method for using database management systems [DBMS]. ODBC operates independent of programming languages, database systems, and operating systems.

The ODBC specification offers a procedural API for using SQL queries to access data.

ODBC Implementation

A basic implementation of ODBC on Linux includes:

• An ODBC Compliant Application - an application which uses the ODBC API to talk to a DBMS.
• The ODBC Driver Manager - the independent link between an ODBC application and an ODBC driver. Applications requiring ODBC access link with the driver manager and make ODBC API calls which cause the driver manager to load the appropriate ODBC Driver.
• A ODBC Repository - list of installed ODBC drivers and defined ODBC data sources. The ODBC driver manager normally looks after these definitions and consults them when applications connect to a data source.
• An ODBC Driver - translates ODBC API calls into something the backend DBMS understands.

ODBC also includes:

• A cursor library
• Utilities and APIs to install, remove and query installed drivers.
• APIs for data sources to be configured/created/removed from an application
• Utility APIs an ODBC driver can use to handle the reading and writing of data source definitions
• A GUI and non-GUI ODBC Administrator
• All the header files required to build ODBC applications

Bridges

JDBC-ODBC Bridge

A JDBC-ODBC bridge consists of a JDBC driver which employs the ODBC driver to connect to the database.

This driver translates JDBC method calls into ODBC function calls.

Independent data-access vendors deliver JDBC-ODBC bridges which support current standards for both mechanisms, and which far outperform the JVM built-in.

ODBC-JDBC bridge

An ODBC-JDBC bridge consists of an ODBC driver which uses the services of a JDBC driver to connect to a database.

This driver translates ODBC function calls into JDBC method calls.

Programmers usually use such a bridge when they lack an ODBC driver for a particular database but have access to a JDBC driver.

Next: Java Database Connectivity [JDBC]

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