MDAC 2.5 SDK - OLE DB Programmer's Reference
Chapter 1: Overview of OLE DB

OLE DB Objects

OLE DB defines the following COM objects:

• Enumerator objects
  
  
• Data source objects
  
  
• Session objects
  
  
• Transaction objects
  
  
• Command objects
  
  
• Rowset objects
  
  
• View objects
  
  
• Error objects

For example, a consumer might use the objects shown in the following illustration.

Typical use of OLE DB objects by a consumer

For each of these COM objects, OLE DB defines a cotype. A cotype is a way to define a group of COM objects, such as rowsets or commands, that have similar characteristics. All COM objects that belong to a particular cotype must expose the mandatory interfaces in that cotype. In addition, they can expose the optional interfaces in the cotype and any interfaces not in the cotype.