Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) is a standard API for accessing information from different data storage formats and programming interfaces. Support for ODBC is not limited to Microsoft; it's now an industry standard that nearly all DBMS vendors and major independent software vendors support. Inside ODBC, written by the architect of ODBC, Kyle Geiger, dispels the confusion about this technology by explaining its design, its architecture, and some of its history. Important considerations for the next release of ODBC - version 3.0 - are also covered. This is truly the inside story of ODBC, the key ingredient of next-generation client/server computing. For technical managers in corporate information systems groups, developers of ODBC-enabled drivers and applications, those involved in the process of downsizing from mainframes to distributed client/server computing, and database users who have heard of ODBC but don't really understand it, this book is essential reading.