Difference between OLEDB and ODBC

[msdnexpert]

What is the difference between OLEDB and ODBC?

Erm... one's a Provider, the other's a Driver.

OLEDB is a collection of (drivers...I think) which can access the databses directly...but you need to have an OLEDB driver for the type of database you use installed.

ODBC is a more of a standard...you can use ODBC to access virtually kind of database...ODBC may have it's own provider to do the job or it may just pass it onto an OLEDB driver. ODBC also lets you create "DSN"s which can store the database location, the username & password (and probibly more!) under just one name. (So you only need to remember that name...not the username, password and path).

Don't quote me on that, but I think what I've said is about right. Big cheesy grin... :)

[Edited by matthewralston on 05-30-2000 at 05:19 AM]

What's up? Can't MSDN tell you? :)