Java Database Connectivity

• JDBC allows you to make database calls with SQL.  Aside from simple calculators and applets, most industrial-strength Java programs use database connectivity in some manner.
• Java JDBC Programs are platform independent and database independent.
• But, JDBC isn't the only way to connect to a database.  Later in this course we'll talk about Enterprise JavaBeans, which can use JDBC, or can use Container Managed Persistence.
• Database vendors make their own drivers that plug into your Java program.  
• These are vendor-specific, but the statements you write to communicate with them are vendor-independent.  So, switching databases is as easy as switching the driver.
• Keeping this in mind, you may want to put configuration information in a configuration file, perhaps and XML file, so that you don't have to recompile your program when you switch databases.