ODBCj
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API Documentaion

ODBCj comes with a full set of API documentation that will help you start using the product as quickly as possible. The API Documentation is also available online.

Quick Evaluation with TestODBCj

T o jump start the evaluation process, use our TestODBCj tool that we provide with the product. You should be able to locate TestODBCj.jar file in your ODBCj directory. Double click on it to start the test GUI. If double-clicking does not work, open a command prompt and navigate to the ODBCj directory. Then type:

java -jar TestODBCj.jar

Frequently Asked Questions about ODBCj

Q. When do I need to use ODBCj?

A. There are a lot of applications that can benefit from the functionality provided by ODBCj. A very common one is if you would like to open a DBF, XLS, or any ODBC related data file through the JDBC-ODBC bridge provided by Sun. As most of the programmers know you will need a registered ODBC DataSource Name in order to do that.

Here is what you do:

1. Instead of having the user define one manually for you through the ODBC manager, just let him pick the file and you can register a DataSource Name on the fly.
2. Then using the JDBC-ODBC bridge connect to this DataSource Name and start making your queries.
3. When you are done - use ODBCj to unregister your temporary DataSource Name.

Another example is if you write an application that allows the user to open any registered DataSource Name through the JDBC-ODBC brdge. In this case you can obtain a list of all registered DataSource names and display it to the user.

Q. When creating a DataSource name how do I know what ODBC driver to use?

A. The answer depends on your goal. If you know the type of the file you would like to access (for example DBF) you can use a specific driver name to register appropriate DataSource name (for example "Microsoft dBase Driver (*.dbf)"). Or you can obtain a list of all registered ODBC drivers and display it to the user to make a selection. Then you can use that selection to register a DataSource Name.

Q. How do I know what additional parameters are required to register a DataSource Name for a specific driver?

A. As the parameters are specific for each ODBC driver, please refer to the ODBC documentation to find an answer to this question. Some drivers (like Oracle ODBC) require user name, password, and database name, others (like dBase ODBC) require only a directory name.

Q. How can I test ODBCj?

A. To test ODBCj, double click on the TestODBCj.jar file.