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JDBC DriverManager Class

In this article, we will learn commonly used methods of DriverManager class with examples.

4. JDBC Driver Types

To use the JDBC API with a particular database management system(MySQL, Oracle, etc), we need a JDBC technology-based driver to mediate between JDBC technology and the database. Depending on various factors, a driver might be written purely in the Java programming language or in a mixture of the Java programming language and Java Native Interface (JNI) native methods.

Install a JDBC driver from the vendor of your database. A JDBC driver is a set of Java classes that implement the JDBC interfaces, targeting a specific database. The JDBC interfaces come with standard Java, but the implementation of these interfaces is specific to the database you need to connect to. Such an implementation is called a JDBC driver.
There are 4 different types of JDBC drivers:

1. 
   Type 1: JDBC-ODBC bridge driver
   
2. 
   Type 2: Java + Native code driver
   
3. 
   Type 3: All Java + Middleware translation driver
   
4. 
   Type 4: All Java driver.
   

If you are using Java DB ( Apache Derby database), it already comes with a JDBC driver. If you are using MySQL, install the latest version of Connector/J.

Type 1: JDBC-ODBC bridge driver

Drivers that implement the JDBC API as a mapping to another data access API, such as ODBC (Open Database Connectivity). Drivers of this type are generally dependent on a native library, which limits their portability.
Note: The JDBC-ODBC Bridge should be considered a transitional solution. It is not supported by Oracle. Consider using this only if your DBMS does not offer a Java-only JDBC driver.

Type 2: Java + Native code driver

Drivers that are written partly in the Java programming language and partly in native code. These drivers use a native client library specific to the data source to which they connect. Again, because of the native code, their portability is limited. Oracle's OCI (Oracle Call Interface) client-side driver is an example of a Type 2 driver.