What is a JDBC driver?

The JDBC API defines the Java™ interfaces and classes that programmers use to connect to databases and send queries. A JDBC driver implements these interfaces and classes for a particular DBMS vendor.

Java database connectivity (JDBC) is the Oracle™ specification of a standard application programming interface (API) that allows Java programs to access database management systems. The JDBC API consists of a set of interfaces and classes written in the Java programming language.

Using these standard interfaces and classes, programmers can write applications that connect to databases, send queries written in structured query language (SQL), and process the results.

Since JDBC is a standard specification, one Java program that uses the JDBC API can connect to any database management system (DBMS), as long as a driver exists for that particular DBMS.

A Java program that uses the JDBC API loads the specified driver for a particular DBMS before it actually connects to a database. The JDBC DriverManager class then sends all JDBC API calls to the loaded driver.

There are four types of JDBC drivers. Of the four, OneDB JDBC driver is a Type 4 driver

Native-protocol, pure-Java driver, also called Type 4 driver: Converts JDBC API calls directly into the DBMS-specific network protocol without a middle tier
This driver allows the client applications to connect directly to the database server.