Open DataBase Connectivity


Open DataBase Connectivity

(standard, database)(ODBC) A standard for accessingdifferent database systems. There are interfaces forVisual Basic, Visual C++, SQL and the ODBC driver packcontains drivers for the Access, Paradox, dBase, Text,Excel and Btrieve databases.

An application can submit statements to ODBC using the ODBCflavor of SQL. ODBC then translates these to whatever flavorthe database understands.

ODBC 1.0 was released in September 1992.

ODBC is based on Call-Level Interface and was defined by theSQL Access Group. Microsoft was one member of the groupand was the first company to release a commercial productbased on its work (under Microsoft Windows) but ODBC is nota Microsoft standard (as many people believe).

ODBC drivers and development tools are available now forMicrosoft Windows, Unix, OS/2, and Macintosh.

["Unix Review", Aug 1995].