Difference Between ODBC and JDBC

Table of Contents

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) and Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) are APIs that let developers and database managers develop database-independent applications. While it isn’t the only way to access databases, it is an example of a good practice to follow. Both are used to access database functionality, but they each work in different ways.

ODBC vs JDBC

The main difference between ODBC and JDBC is that an ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) is a standard used to access any data source. On the other hand, a JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) is a standard used to access a specific database. Both standards are used to make the process of data transfer and data exchange easier and faster.

ODBC stands for Open Database Connectivity. It is a standard that allows programs to access a wide variety of databases. It is used with programming languages such as Java, VB/VBA C/C++, C#, Perl, PHP, etc. By knowing about ODBC, you can create a program to access databases, most of which are Microsoft Access.

JDBC stands for Java Database Connectivity, a Java programming library that enables Java applications to access all types of data sources. It is an API that has a set of classes that are used to create relational database applications. The JDBC API works on top of the Java platform, and any Java platform implementation that implements the JDBC specification should be able to connect to any compatible database.

Comparison Table Between ODBC and JDBC

Parameters of ComparisonODBCJDBC
Full-FormODBC is the abbreviation of Open Database Connectivity.JDBC is the abbreviation of Java Database Connectivity.
Language SupportThis API supports a large no of programming languages.This API supports only Java.
Launched ByODBC was introduced by Microsoft.JDBC was launched by Sun Microsystems.
Launched InIt was launched in the year 1992.It was launched in the year 1997.
DependencyODBC is characterized as platform dependent.JDBC is considered platform-independent.

What is ODBC?

ODBC stands for Open Database Connectivity. It is the industry standard that businesses and programmers use to access databases. There is an open-source tool called UnxUtips, which allows the user to develop an ODBC driver. It is programming that is used to connect a database to other applications like word processors, spreadsheets, and more.

It is essentially A connection from an application to a database. A protocol to allow applications to access databases. This is how SQL statements are executed. When you need to connect to a database from an application, you need ODBC to help with the query processing. ODBC is a way to connect to databases (MySQL, Oracle, etc.) from a program or operating system.

It features a set of system and driver-defined functions that let the programmer interface with the ODBC-compliant database. It’s a library that you load in an application to access databases. You need to have an ODBC driver for the specific database. You can find them for free on the Internet.

The first version of ODBC was released on the 23rd of December 1993 and was updated in 1994, 1996, and 2000. The latest version, ODBC 3.8, was released in 2005 and features an improved design and support for 64 bit operating systems. There are many features that ODBC provides users, making it both a powerful tool and easy to use. Features include an improved design, an enhanced security system, and improved performance.

What is JDBC?

JDBC is an abbreviation for Java Database Connectivity, which is a Java standard that allows Java to communicate with a database via a JDBC driver. This is important because it allows the operations in this driver to communicate with the operations in a database.

JDBC is a very important part of coding and integrating a database. It’s very difficult to use a database without JDBC. Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) is a Java programming language interface standard for accessing databases. JDBC is part of Java Standard Edition (Java SE) and is widely used. It is a higher level of abstraction than a database’s native interface and is independent of any specific database, product, or platform. JDBC was created to minimize the amount of code needed to access a database.

It is a software layer that allows a developer to access nearly any database with a similar set of Java code. JDBC is a standard way of accessing a database regardless of the programming language or application type. It provides a common platform-independent way to access data. The JDBC API is modelled on the Database Access Descriptor (DAD) interface of ODBC.

 It’s a set of classes and interfaces that allows Java programs to access and manipulate data from a variety of data sources, such as relational and non-relational databases. The JDBC API is composed of two layers: the core JDBC layer and the SQL layer. These layers are independent of each other so that the SQL layer can be replaced or extended through the use of a different SQL implementation. This way, if the SQL layer of JDBC is extended by some other non-JDBC API, the JDBC Core API layer can still be used.

Main Differences Between ODBC and JDBC

  • ODBC was launched before JDBC, and hence JDBC incorporates many characteristics of ODBC.
  • ODBC is classified as a procedural application, while JDBC has classified as an object-oriented application.
  • ODBC, as the name suggests, supports C, C++ and other languages, while JDBC supports only Java.
  • ODBC works only with Windows, while JDBC being platform-independent, works with other platforms like MAC, Windows and Linux and so on, making it more versatile.
  • ODBC has very simple, understandable code, while JDBC has complex and high-level code. This is because Open Connectivity makes it easier for ODBC to function.
  • Conclusion

    SQL databases provide a way to store, retrieve, and update data. This means can be used to create databases that are the backbone of any business, enterprise, or organization. However, there are two different methods of creating databases and interacting with them. ODBC stands for Open Database Connectivity.

    This method makes it possible to interact with a database through a variety of applications. JDBC stands for Java Database Connectivity, and this method makes it possible to interact with a database through a Java application. While both of these methods allow for interaction with SQL databases, they are not compatible with one another, and if you are looking to create a database, you will need to choose the one that best fits your needs.

    References

  • https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.5555/207552
  • https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=oPbGi0l0ZHEC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=jdbc&ots=OPRMCCJk_r&sig=KUBSSUBwHoBmGFK50-WdzK6cw8E
  • ncG1vNJzZmiZo6Cur8XDop2fnaKau6SxjZympmeUnrOnsdGepZydXZeytcPEnqVmp5SXsG6tzZ1ko5ySmHw%3D