Database Management/ODBC

This lesson introduces Open Database Connectivity (ODBC).

Objectives and Skills

Objectives and skills for this lesson include:

• Understand ODBC concepts
• Use ODBC to connect front-end applications to a variety of back-end data sources

Readings

1. Wikipedia: Open Database Connectivity

Multimedia

1. YouTube: Installing a SQL Server ODBC driver

Activities

1. Install the ODBC driver(s) for your selected database management system:
   • MySQL: MySQL: Connector
   • SQL Server: Microsoft: Download ODBC Driver for SQL Server
   • SQLite: Devart: ODBC Driver for SQLite
2. Configure an ODBC data source to connect to the Northwind database on your selected DBMS.
   • Linux: Devart: Installing and Configuring an ODBC Driver on Linux (DEB / RPM)
   • MacOS: Devart: Installing and Configuring an ODBC Driver on macOS
   • Windows: Devart: Installing and Configuring an ODBC Driver in Windows 10 (32 / 64-bit)
3. Select a database application to use for this lesson. LibreOffice Base and Microsoft Access are recommended.
   • LibreOffice Base: Devart: Connecting to MySQL from OpenOffice and LibreOffice using ODBC Driver for MySQL.
   • Microsoft Access: Devart: Connecting Microsoft Access to SQL Server Using an ODBC Driver.
4. Use your selected database application to connect to your DBMS Northwind database. Run queries against the Northwind database to test connectivity.
5. Create forms and reports in your selected database application to interact with the DBMS Northwind database.

Lesson Summary

• Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) is a standard application programming interface (API) for accessing database management systems (DBMS).
• ODBC was originally developed by Microsoft and Simba Technologies during the early 1990s.
• ODBC remains in wide use today, with drivers available for most platforms and most databases. It is not uncommon to find ODBC drivers for database engines that are meant to be embedded, like SQLite, as a way to allow existing tools to act as front-ends to these engines for testing and debugging.

Key Terms

device driver

Provides a software interface to hardware devices, enabling operating systems and other computer programs to access hardware functions without needing to know precise details about the hardware being used.

Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)

A standard application programming interface (API) for accessing database management systems (DBMS).

See Also

• Microsoft - SQL Server: What is ODBC?
• Microsoft: Import or link to data in an SQL Server database

References

← NoSQL

Database Management