An OLE DB Based Web Interface to Databases

While almost each DBMS vendor offer an adequate tool to connect its proprietary database to the Internet, such approaches regularly happen to be inappropriate for almost all other vendors' DBMSs. Such policy in the same time compels the designer to be an expert for practically only one or anyway a few DBMSs as well as makes difficult the migration of Web applications from one DBMS to another. This paper presents a practical experience on insuring a universal way for developing Web applications that interact with databases, which is based on the OLE DB technology. A sample bookstore Web application is developed and used for illustrating the approach, and tested against the most promising/commercial DBMSs presently known, here including: DB2, Oracle, SQL Server, Access, Sybase, Informix and NCR Teradata.