Bill Parker wrote:
Hi All,
We have a application which communications via java to a .DBF file (using Java and Codebase for Linux). We are working on moving the database over to MS-SQL server (relational). What is the preferred method of communicating with a MS-SQL database using Java (JDBC, etc)? Can someone point me in the right direction?
JDBC yes. I don't know if there are any free JDBC drivers for SQLServer though. Last time I needed to look (around early 1998), the only one available was from BEA and cost *thousands*. However, it did work perfectly. MS of course didn't provide one because they hate Java and want to lock you into ODBC and therefore Windows on the server. This is the choice you make. If there isn't now an affordable JDBC driver for SQLServer, I suggest using another RDBMS as I believe SQLServer is alone among proprietary and free database systems in not including a JDBC implementation. :-) Don't be tempted by the JDBC-ODBC bridge, it doesn't work very well. Oracle if you want to spend money, PostgreSQL if you don't. DB2 also worth a look. Also none of these will lock you to a Windows database server for the forseeable future (which trust me is a bad idea). -- Rachel