Sun Microsystems eWay JDBC/ODBC Adapter - Manual (Page 7)

JDBC/ODBC eWay Adapter User’s Guide 7 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Chapter 1
Introducing the JDBC/ODBC eWay
Welcome to the Sun SeeBeyond eWay™ JDBC/ODBC Adapter User’s Guide. This document
includes information about installing, configuring, and using the Sun Java Composite
Application Platform Suite JDBC/ODBC eWay™ Adapter, referred to as the JDBC
eWay throughout this guide.
This chapter provides an overview of database connectivity (JDBC) and open database
connectivity (ODBC) APIs. This chapter also introduces the JDBC/ODBC eWay.
What’s In This Chapter
ƒ About Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) on page 7
ƒ About the JDBC/ODBC eWay on page 13
ƒ What’s New in This Release on page 13
ƒ About This Document on page 14
ƒ Related Documents on page 15
ƒ Sun Microsystems, Inc. Web Site on page 15
ƒ Documentation Feedback on page 15
1.1
About Java Database Connectivity (JDBC)
Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) is an implementation of the Java programming
language that dictates how databases communicate with each other. Through a
standardized application programming interface (API), connectivity from database
management systems (DBMS) to a wide range of SQL databases is accomplished. By
deploying database drivers laced with JDBC technology, it is possible to connect to any
database -- even in a heterogeneous environment -- and access tables, tabular data, flat
files and more. When using JDBC, Java programmers have the ability to request
connections to a database, send queries to the database using SQL statements, and
receive results for advanced processing.
1.1.1
JDBC Drivers
To connect with individual databases, JDBC requires drivers for each database. Those
drivers come in four varieties. Driver types 1 and 2 are typically intended for
programmers that write applications. Driver types 3 and 4 are typically used by