Open Database Connectivity

Computers use many tools to find data. One tool is called ODBC. It helps programs talk to data systems. It works like a bridge between them.

This tool uses a driver to help. A driver acts like a translator. It changes a program's request into a language the data system knows. This is like how a printer driver works.

Because of this, one program can work with many systems. It can even find data in a spreadsheet. This makes it easy to move programs to new computers.

It was made by Microsoft and a group called Simba. It helps many different kinds of computers work together.

Computers use many different ways to store data. These systems are called databases. In the past, it was hard for one program to talk to many databases. Each system used its own rules. This made it difficult to move programs to new computers.

To fix this, Microsoft and Simba Technologies made ODBC. ODBC stands for Open Database Connectivity. It is a standard way for programs to ask for data. It works by using a special tool called a driver.

You can think of a driver like a printer driver. The driver acts as a translator. It sits between the program and the database. The program sends a request through the driver. Then, the driver changes that request so the database can understand it.

Because of ODBC, an application can be "ODBC-compliant." This means it can work with many different databases. It can even work with Microsoft Excel or simple text files. This makes it much easier for people to write one program that works everywhere. ODBC became a very important standard for the computing world.

{ "text": "Computers use many different ways to store and organize information. These systems are called database management systems, or DBMS for short. In the early days of computing, it was very hard for one program to talk to many different databases. Each system had its own special rules and ways of working. This meant that if a programmer wrote a tool for one database, it would not work with another. It was a hard job to move software between different types of computers. \n\nTo solve this, designers created Open Database Connectivity, which is known as ODBC. ODBC is a standard way for programs to ask for data. It works by using a special tool called a driver. You can think of a driver like a printer driver on your computer. The driver acts as a translation layer between the application and the database. The application sends a request through a driver manager. Then, the driver passes that request to the DBMS so it can be understood. \n\nThis technology was first developed by Microsoft and Simba Technologies during the early 1990s. Before this, people used things like Embedded SQL to put database commands inside other code. However, Embedded SQL was often static, which meant it was hard to change. There were also other early efforts like Lotus Development's DataLens, also called Blueprint. An industry group called the SQL Access Group also worked on a standard called the Call Level Interface, or CLI. Eventually, ODBC became a very well-known standard that was even better than CLI. \n\nThere are many interesting facts about how ODBC works today. An application that can use ODBC is called \"ODBC-compliant.\" This means the application can access any database as long as a driver is installed. Drivers exist for all major databases and even for things like Microsoft Excel. You can even use ODBC to look at simple text files or comma-separated values, which are called CSV files. Microsoft also used a tool called SIMBA to help their Jet database system use SQL commands. \n\nODBC helps connect many different parts of the digital world. It allows a single program to work on many different platforms and servers. This is helpful because it means programmers do not have to rewrite their code every time they use a new system. It is like having a universal plug that works in every country. Because of this, software can move easily from one computer to another. This makes it much easier for people to share and use data across the whole world. ", "media": [ "File:database_concept.jpg", "File:odbc_driver_diagram.jpg", "File:computing_history_timeline.jpg", "File:software_compatibility_chart.

Open Database Connectivity, or ODBC, is a standard application programming interface (API) for the C language. It allows applications to communicate with various database management systems, often called DBMS. The primary goal of ODBC is to provide independence from specific database systems and operating systems. This means an application can be moved to different platforms with very few changes to its data access code. When an application follows these standards, it is described as being "ODBC-compliant."

ODBC functions through a specific mechanism involving a translation layer. The application uses ODBC functions by communicating through an ODBC driver manager. This manager is linked to the application to coordinate requests. The driver manager then uses an ODBC driver to act as a translator between the application and the DBMS. You can think of an ODBC driver like a printer driver. Just as a printer driver helps a computer talk to different printers, the ODBC driver implements specific functionality for a particular database. The driver takes the query from the application and passes it to the DBMS.

There are many different types of data sources that ODBC can connect to. Drivers exist for all major DBMS platforms. However, the technology is not limited only to large database engines. Drivers can also connect to address book systems or Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Even simple text files, such as comma-separated values (CSV) files, can be accessed through ODBC. This flexibility allows a single application to interact with a wide variety of data formats.

Before ODBC existed, data access was often difficult and rigid. In the 1970s, mainframe relational databases used different methods like IBM's SQL or the Ingres project's QUEL. Many programmers used "Embedded SQL" to put database commands directly into languages like Fortran or C. This was known as static SQL because the code could only be changed by modifying the program's source code. This made even small changes to a query a heavy task for programmers. By the 1980s, the industry began moving toward dynamic SQL, which could be changed at any time.

The development of ODBC was driven by the rise of client-server computing. In the mid-1980s, microcomputers became more powerful and used graphical user interfaces. This created a need for a standard way for microcomputer clients to access data on large mainframes. Early attempts at this included IBM's Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) and Apple's Data Access Language. Lotus Development also created a system called Blueprint, which later became DataLens. Blueprint used "query trees," which were complex data structures, rather than a command language like SQL.

Microsoft and Simba Technologies developed ODBC during the early 1990s. During this era, the SQL Access Group (SAG) was also working on a standard called the Call Level Interface (CLI). The group included members from Microsoft, Tandem Computers, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), and Sybase. While the CLI was a major effort, ODBC eventually became a more widely known de facto standard. Microsoft kept several advanced features in ODBC that were removed from the official CLI version. These features included metadata information queries and scrollable cursors.

Microsoft also integrated these ideas into their Jet database system. Jet used a C-based interface and driver libraries to redirect input and output. To make Jet work with SQL, Microsoft partnered with PageAhead Software. They used a query processor called SIMBA to act as a parser. This parser converted text-based SQL calls into the C-interface used by Jet. This allowed Microsoft to include drivers for Excel, turning spreadsheets into SQL-accessible tables. Today, ODBC remains a vital tool for connecting software to the vast world of data.