Database Topics (General)

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MFC supports two different kinds of database access:

• Via Data Access Objects (DAO) and the Microsoft Jet database engine
  
  
• Via Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) and an ODBC driver

Both of these supply abstractions that simplify working with databases, complete with the speed, power, and flexibility of C++. Both integrate your data access work with the MFC application framework.

Frequently Asked Questions About MFC Database Support

• What data sources can I access with DAO and ODBC?
  
  
• Can I call DAO or ODBC APIs directly while using the classes?
  
  
• What ODBC drivers are provided?
  
  
• What ODBC drivers are installed by default?

What do you want to do?

• Learn what DAO and ODBC are.
  
  
• Learn when to use the MFC database classes.
  
  
• Learn about the MFC database programming model.
  
  
• Choose between the MFC DAO classes and the MFC ODBC classes.
  
  
• Learn how to install database support if not already installed.
  
  
• Find out which data sources I can access with DAO or ODBC.
  
  
• Learn how the documentation for database support is organized.
  
  
• Learn how the database classes work with MFC’s document/view architecture
  
  
• Learn what a database record is
  
  
• Learn what a database schema is
  
  
• Learn what database catalog information is