What is the unixODBC Project?

The unixODBC Project goals are to develop and promote unixODBC to be the definitive standard for ODBC on non MS Windows platforms. This is to include GUI support for both KDE and GNOME.

What is ODBC?

ODBC is an open specification for providing application developers with a predictable API with which to access Data Sources. Data Sources include SQL Servers and any Data Source with an ODBC Driver.

Why use ODBC?

The two major advantages of choosing to code an application to the ODBC API are;

Portable Data Access Code
The ODBC API, as outlined by X/Open and ISO, is availible on all major platforms. Microsoft platforms include many enhancements to this specification; these enhancements are also supported by unixODBC

Dynamic Data Binding
This allows the user or the system administrator to easily configure an application to use any ODBC compliant data source. This is perhaps the single biggest advantage of coding an application to the ODBC API and to purchase these applications. Dyamic binding allows the end-user to pick a data source, ie an SQL Server, and use it for all data applications without having to worry about recompiling the application.

The unixODBC team has reached this objective by providing the best technical solution to ODBC demands on the Linux platform. Also; ALL unixODBC development is and will be distributed under GPL or LGPL. The LGPL on libs will ensure that commercial solutions will be able to utilize unixODBC.