Open Data-Base Connectivity
ODBC stands for Open Data-Base Connectivity. This is a method developed for accessing databases, particularly with the intention of making it possible to access the data in them from any application.
What is ODBC?
ODBC stands for Open Data-Base Connectivity. This is a method developed for accessing databases, particularly with the intention of making it possible to access the data in them from any application. Thus, it works independent of the Database Management System (DBMS) that is used to maintain the database. The Data Source information stored in the DSN typically consists of:
the database name, directory, the database driver, a UserID, its password, and any other essential information
DSNs are particularly useful for retrieving data from your databases to display on your website. Once you create a DSN for your database, you can use the DSN in your website to retrieve and display that information on your database. You may connect to a database even without creating a DSN, by using a DSN-less connection. The only change is use of a Connection String in place of a rather easy to remember DSN. Advantages of using a DSN Connection string over a DSN-less connection string
Provides easy to remember data source names. When there are lots of data sources to use and you want a central repository to hold the collection of data sources without having to worry about the actual site and configuration of the data sources.