JDBC - Driver

JDBC drivers must implement the Driver interface, and the implementation must contain a static initializer that will be called when the driver is loaded. This initializer registers a new instance of itself with the DriverManager (no more in 4.1)

Example static initializer for a driver implementing java.sql.Driver

public class AcmeJdbcDriver implements java.sql.Driver {
static {
java.sql.DriverManager.registerDriver(new
AcmeJdbcDriver());
}
...
}

When a Driver implementation is loaded, the static initializer will automatically register an instance of the driver.

The client using this driver may assume that the JDBC driver classes are:

• in the current Java - Classpath variable
• or in the JRE extensions directory

You can use JDBC drivers to connect to the following data sources:

• Relational Databases Servers such as Teradata, Oracle, IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase, Informix, MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc
• Desktop Databases including Microsoft Access, Hypersonic SQL, Dbase, FoxPro, Microsoft Excel, etc.
• LDAP directories,
• Non-relational Databases such as IMS, ADABASE, DATACOM, VSAM, etc, by using third-party adapters (iWay, Attunity, Hit Software are examples of solution providers)