About ASP database connections

An ASP application must connect to a database through an open database connectivity (ODBC) driver or an object linking and embedding database (OLE DB) provider. The driver or provider acts as an interpreter that lets the web application communicate with the database. The following table shows some drivers you can use with Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, and Oracle databases:

You can use a data source name (DSN) or a connection string to connect to the database. You must use a connection string if you’re connecting through an OLE DB provider or an ODBC driver not installed on a Windows system.

A DSN is a one-word identifier, such as myConnection, that points to the database and contains all the information needed to connect to it. You define a DSN in Windows. You can use a DSN if you’re connecting through an ODBC driver installed on a Windows system.

A connection string is a hand-coded expression that identifies the database and lists the information needed to connect to it, as shown in the following example:

Driver={SQL Server};Server=Socrates;Database=AcmeMktg; 
UID=wiley;PWD=roadrunner

• Note: You can also use a connection string if you’re connecting through an ODBC driver installed on a Windows system, but using a DSN is easier.

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