JDBC and Database

Programming in Java

Version 1.1, 14 Feb 98

 JDBC Goals
 SQL-Level
 100% Pure Java
 Keep it simple
 High-performance
 Leverage existing database technology
 why reinvent the wheel?
 Use strong, static typing wherever possible
 Use multiple methods to express multiple
functionality
 JDBC Architecture
Application JDBC Driver

 Java code calls JDBC library

 JDBC loads a driver
 Driver talks to a particular database
 Can have more than one driver -> more than one
database
 Ideal: can change database engines without
changing any application code
 JDBC Drivers
 Type I: “Bridge”
 Type II: “Native”
 Type III: “Middleware”
 Type IV: “Pure”
 JDBC Drivers (Fig.)
Type I ODBC
ODBC
“Bridge” Driver

Type II
JDBC CLI (.lib)
“Native”

Type III Middleware

“Middleware” Server

Type IV
“Pure”
 Type I Drivers
 Use bridging technology
 Requires installation/configuration on client
machines
 Not good for Web
 e.g. ODBC Bridge
 Type II Drivers
 Native API drivers
 Requires installation/configuration on client
machines
 Used to leverage existing CLI libraries
 Usually not thread-safe
 Mostly obsolete now
 e.g. Intersolv Oracle Driver, WebLogic
drivers
 Type III Drivers
 Calls middleware server, usually on
database host
 Very flexible -- allows access to multiple
databases using one driver
 Only need to download one driver
 But it’s another server application to install
and maintain
 e.g. Symantec DBAnywhere
 Type IV Drivers
 100% Pure Java -- the Holy Grail
 Use Java networking libraries to talk
directly to database engines
 Only disadvantage: need to download a new
driver for each database engine
 e.g. Oracle, mSQL
Part III: JDBC APIs
 java.sql
 JDBC is implemented via classes in the
java.sql package
 Loading a Driver Directly
Driver d = new
foo.bar.MyDriver();
Connection c = d.connect(...);
 Not recommended, use DriverManager
instead
 Useful if you know you want a particular
driver
 DriverManager
 DriverManager tries all the drivers
 Uses the first one that works
 When a driver class is first loaded, it
registers itself with the DriverManager
 Therefore, to register a driver, just load it!
 Registering a Driver
 statically load driver
Class.forName(“foo.bar.MyDriver”);
Connection c =
DriverManager.getConnection(...);
 or use the jdbc.drivers system
property
 JDBC Object Classes
 DriverManager
 Loads, chooses drivers
 Driver
 connects to actual database
 Connection
 a series of SQL statements to and from the DB
 Statement
 a single SQL statement
 ResultSet
 the records returned from a Statement
 JDBC Class Usage
DriverManager

Driver

Connection

Statement

ResultSet
 JDBC URLs
jdbc:subprotocol:source
 each driver has its own subprotocol
 each subprotocol has its own syntax for the
source
jdbc:odbc:DataSource
 e.g. jdbc:odbc:Northwind
jdbc:msql://host[:port]/database
 e.g.
jdbc:msql://foo.nowhere.com:4333/accounting
 DriverManager
Connection getConnection
(String url, String user,
String password)
 Connects to given JDBC URL with given
user name and password
 Throws java.sql.SQLException
 returns a Connection object
 Connection
 A Connection represents a session with a specific
database.
 Within the context of a Connection, SQL statements are
executed and results are returned.
 Can have multiple connections to a database
 NB: Some drivers don’t support serialized connections
 Fortunately, most do (now)
 Also provides “metadata” -- information about the
database, tables, and fields
 Also methods to deal with transactions
 Obtaining a Connection
String url = "jdbc:odbc:Northwind";
try {
Class.forName ("sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver");
Connection con = DriverManager.getConnection(url);
}
catch (ClassNotFoundException e)
{ e.printStackTrace(); }
catch (SQLException e)
{ e.printStackTrace(); }
 Connection Methods
Statement createStatement()
 returns a new Statement object
PreparedStatement prepareStatement(String
sql)
 returns a new PreparedStatement object
CallableStatement prepareCall(String sql)
 returns a new CallableStatement object
 Why all these different kinds of statements?
Optimization.
 Statement
 A Statement object is used for executing a
static SQL statement and obtaining the
results produced by it.
 Statement Methods
ResultSet executeQuery(String)
 Execute a SQL statement that returns a single
ResultSet.
int executeUpdate(String)
 Execute a SQL INSERT, UPDATE or DELETE
statement. Returns the number of rows changed.
boolean execute(String)
 Execute a SQL statement that may return multiple
results.
 Why all these different kinds of queries?
Optimization.
 ResultSet
 A ResultSet provides access to a table of data
generated by executing a Statement.
 Only one ResultSet per Statement can be open at
once.
 The table rows are retrieved in sequence.
 A ResultSet maintains a cursor pointing to its
current row of data.
 The 'next' method moves the cursor to the next
row.
 you can’t rewind
 ResultSet Methods
 boolean next()
 activates the next row
 the first call to next() activates the first row
 returns false if there are no more rows
 void close()
 disposes of the ResultSet
 allows you to re-use the Statement that created
it
 automatically called by most Statement
methods
 ResultSet Methods
 Type getType(int columnIndex)
 returns the given field as the given type
 fields indexed starting at 1 (not 0)
 Type getType(String columnName)
 same, but uses name of field
 less efficient
 int findColumn(String columnName)
 looks up column index given column name
 ResultSet Methods
 String getString(int columnIndex)
 boolean getBoolean(int columnIndex)
 byte getByte(int columnIndex)
 short getShort(int columnIndex)
 int getInt(int columnIndex)
 long getLong(int columnIndex)
 float getFloat(int columnIndex)
 double getDouble(int columnIndex)
 Date getDate(int columnIndex)
 Time getTime(int columnIndex)
 Timestamp getTimestamp(int columnIndex)
 ResultSet Methods
 String getString(String columnName)
 boolean getBoolean(String columnName)
 byte getByte(String columnName)
 short getShort(String columnName)
 int getInt(String columnName)
 long getLong(String columnName)
 float getFloat(String columnName)
 double getDouble(String columnName)
 Date getDate(String columnName)
 Time getTime(String columnName)
 Timestamp getTimestamp(String columnName)
 isNull
 In SQL, NULL means the field is empty
 Not the same as 0 or “”
 In JDBC, you must explicitly ask if a field
is null by calling ResultSet.isNull(column)
 Sample Database
Employee ID Last Name First Name
1 Davolio Nancy
2 Fuller Andrew
3 Leverling Janet
4 Peacock Margaret
5 Buchanan Steven
 SELECT Example
Connection con =
DriverManager.getConnection(url,
"alex", "8675309");
Statement st = con.createStatement();
ResultSet results =
st.executeQuery("SELECT EmployeeID,
LastName, FirstName FROM Employees");
 SELECT Example (Cont.)
while (results.next()) {
int id = results.getInt(1);
String last = results.getString(2);
String first = results.getString(3);
System.out.println("" + id + ": " +
first + " " + last);
}
st.close();
con.close();
 Mapping Java Types to SQL
Types
SQL type Java Type
CHAR, VARCHAR, LONGVARCHAR String
NUMERIC, DECIMAL java.math.BigDecimal
BIT boolean
TINYINT byte
SMALLINT short
INTEGER int
BIGINT long
REAL float
FLOAT, DOUBLE double
BINARY, VARBINARY, LONGVARBINARY byte[]
DATE java.sql.Date
TIME java.sql.Time
TIMESTAMP java.sql.Timestamp
 Database Time
 Times in SQL are notoriously unstandard
 Java defines three classes to help
 java.sql.Date
 year, month, day
 java.sql.Time
 hours, minutes, seconds
 java.sql.Timestamp
 year, month, day, hours, minutes, seconds, nanoseconds
 usually use this one
 Modifying the Database
 use executeUpdate if the SQL contains
“INSERT” or “UPDATE”
 Why isn’t it smart enough to parse the SQL?
Optimization.
 executeUpdate returns the number of rows
modified
 executeUpdate also used for “CREATE
TABLE” etc. (DDL)
INSERT example
 Optimized Statements
 Prepared Statements
 SQL calls you make again and again
 allows driver to optimize (compile) queries
 created with Connection.prepareStatement()
 Stored Procedures
 written in DB-specific language
 stored inside database
 accesed with Connection.prepareCall()
JDBC Class Diagram

Whoa!
 Metadata
 Connection:
 DatabaseMetaData getMetaData()
 ResultSet:
 ResultSetMetaData getMetaData()
 ResultSetMetaData
 What's the number of columns in the ResultSet?
 What's a column's name?
 What's a column's SQL type?
 What's the column's normal max width in chars?
 What's the suggested column title for use in printouts and displays?
 What's a column's number of decimal digits?
 Does a column's case matter?
 Is the column a cash value?
 Will a write on the column definitely succeed?
 Can you put a NULL in this column?
 Is a column definitely not writable?
 Can the column be used in a where clause?
 Is the column a signed number?
 Is it possible for a write on the column to succeed?
 and so on...
 DatabaseMetaData
 What tables are available?
 What's our user name as known to the
database?
 Is the database in read-only mode?
 If table correlation names are supported, are
they restricted to be different from the
names of the tables?
 and so on…