11. JDBC Components

11.1. OpenLink Drivers for Java Database Connectivity (JDBC)

11.1.1. New JDBC Driver Packages

OpenLink now has a broader range of JDBC Driver types which also transcend JDBC versions.

The drivers are now categorized as follows:

• Generic Drivers for JDBC 1.1.x (compatible with Java Virtual Machine version 1.1.x)

• Generic Drivers for JDBC 2.0 (compatible with Java Virtual Machine version 1.2 & 1.3)

• Generic Drivers for JDBC 3.0 (compatible with Java Virtual Machine version 1.4)

• Megathin Drivers for JDBC 1.1.x (compatible with Java Virtual Machine version 1.1.x)

• Megathin Drivers for JDBC 2.0 (compatible with Java Virtual Machine version 1.2 & 1.3)

• Megathin Drivers for JDBC 3.0 (compatible with Java Virtual Machine version 1.4)

The following table depicts how each of these drivers is packaged, what JDBC Driver formats are supported, and whether they are certified 100% Pure Java or Not:

11.1.2. New Features & Enhancements

1. Unicode Support

   The OpenLink JDBC client is fully Unicode aware.

2. Enhanced Communications Layer

   Prior to Release 4.1, the JDBC driver sent preformed database metadata calls in a manner considered to be redundant prior to SELECT statements. With this new release, each SELECT statement only sends and receives TCP packets associated with these metadata calls one time prior to execution.

3. Connection Pooling Support

   The JDBC driver now supports connection pooling as defined in the JDBC 3.0 specification.

4. Scrollable Cursors

   A new OpenLink RowSet class enables JDBC applications to take advantage of ODBC-style scrollable cursors functionality, with the ability to: retrieve rowsets, go to any row in the resultset or rowset, add new rows to the database, refresh and update any row with a single method invocation, lock and unlock any row, retrieve the current row number, as well as use ODBC-style bookmarks. This is an OpenLink extension to JDBC.

   The Drivers for JDBC 2.0 implement the Scrollable Cursor Interfaces introduced in JDBC 2.0. They also retain support for the OpenLink Scrollable Cursor extension so as to provide access to those Scrollable Cursor features that exist in ODBC but are missing from the JDBC 2.0 specification.

5. Array Binding

   As part of the new RowSet class. It is now possible to bind data arrays to the columns of the OpenLink RowSet object, and retrieve the data directly into the arrays with a single invocation of the RowSet.next() method. Please see the accompanying demonstration application for an example of its usage.

   This approach enables you to retrieve multiple records with a reduced number of calls to the RowSet.next() method. It basically improves JDBC Application performance.

6. openlink.sql.Statement

   This is a new OpenLink interface that extends java.sql.Statement to provide additional methods for configuring the ODBC-Style Scrollable Cursors functionality.

   You only need this functionality when working with the OpenLink Scrollable Cursor extensions. The Drivers for JDBC 2.0 implement similar features for the JDBC 2.0 Scrollable Cursor specification.

7. Security

   The OpenLink client and server components for JDBC encrypt the data sent across the network between the client and server. This provides for enhanced security, particularly over a WAN. This is transparent to the application, and there are no driver specific properties for the application to set.

8. Version self-checking

   The OpenLink client component for JDBC now cross checks version numbers with the server Agent for JDBC at connect time, this ensures that compatible components always in use. An exception will be thrown when incompatibilities are encountered, this exception will also contain information about the component versions relating to the exception.

9. Easier Client Version checking

   There is now an easier way of checking the OpenLink client for JDBC version. Make sure that the driver is in the classpath and then at your command prompt enter the command:

   java openlink.jdbc.Driver

   (for JDK 1.x Drivers)

   or

   java openlink.jdbc2.Driver

   (for JDK 1.2 or 1.3/2.0 Drivers)

   or

   java openlink.jdbc3.Driver

   (for JDK 1.4/3.0 Drivers)

   or

   java openlink.jdbc.Driver

   (for 100% Pure Java Drivers for JDK 1.x)

   or

   java openlink.jdbc2.Driver

   (for 100% Pure Java Drivers for JDK 1.2 or 1.32.0)

   or

   java openlink.jdbc3.Driver

   (for 100% Pure Java Drivers for JDK 1.4/3.0)

   The driver will respond with appropriate version and release number information.