Type I: JDBC-ODBC Bridge

This combination provides JDBC access via ODBC drivers. ODBC binary code--and in many cases, database client code--must be loaded on each client machine that uses a JDBC-ODBC Bridge. A product called SequeLink from Data Direct Technologies provides a driver that supports some ODBC drivers (for example Microsoft Access).

Type one drivers provide JDBC access via one or more Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) drivers. ODBC, which predates JDBC, is widely used by developers to connect to databases in a non-Java environment.

Pros: A good approach for learning JDBC. May be useful for companies that already have ODBC drivers installed on each client machine— typically the case for Windows-based machines running productivity applications. May be the only way to gain access to some low-end desktop databases.

Cons: Not for large-scale applications. Performance suffers because there’s some overhead associated with the translation work to go from JDBC to ODBC. Doesn’t support all the features of Java. User is limited by the functionality of the underlying ODBC driver.