What is JDBC?

JDBC is Java application programming interface that allows the Java programmers to access database management system from Java code. It was developed by JavaSoft, a subsidiary of Sun Microsystems.

Definition
Java Database Connectivity in short called as JDBC. It is a java API which enables the java programs to execute SQL statements. It is an application programming interface that defines how a java programmer can access the   database in tabular format from Java code using a set of  standard interfaces and classes written in the Java programming language.

JDBC has been developed under the Java Community Process that allows multiple implementations to exist and be used by the 
same application. JDBC provides methods for querying and  updating the data in Relational Database Management system  such as SQL, Oracle etc. 

The Java application programming interface provides a mechanism for dynamically loading the correct Java packages and drivers and registering them with  the JDBC Driver Manager that is used as a connection factory for creating JDBC connections which supports creating and executing statements such as SQL INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE. Driver Manager is the backbone of the jdbc architecture.

Generally all Relational Database Management System supports SQL and we all know that Java is platform independent, so JDBC  makes it possible to write a single database application that can run on different platforms and interact with different Database Management Systems. 

Java Database Connectivity is similar to Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) which is used for accessing and managing database, but the difference is that JDBC is designed specifically for Java programs, whereas ODBC is not depended upon any language. 

In short JDBC helps the programmers to write java applications that manage these three programming activities:

1. It helps us to connect to a data source, like a database.
2. It helps us in sending queries and updating statements to the database and 
3. Retrieving and processing  the results received from the database in terms of answering to your query.