Overview of Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) technology provides a common interface for accessing heterogeneous SQL databases. ODBC is based on Structured Query Language (SQL) as a standard for accessing data. This interface provides maximum interoperability: a single application can access different SQL Database Management Systems (DBMS) through a common set of code. This enables a developer to build and distribute a client/server application without targeting a specific DBMS. Database drivers are then added to link the application to the user's choice of DBMS.

ODBC's flexibility is illustrated by the following features:

• Applications are not tied to a proprietary vendor API.
• SQL statements can be explicitly included in source code or constructed on the fly at run time.
• An application can ignore the underlying data communications protocols.
• Data can be sent and received in a format that is convenient to the application.
• ODBC is designed in conjunction with the emerging international ISO Call-Level Interface standard.
• There are ODBC database drivers available today for 55 of the most popular databases.