Overview of New Features
Result set enhancements
The JDBC 1.0 API provided result sets that had the ability to scroll in a forward direction only. Scrollable result sets allow for more flexibility in the processing of results by providing both forward and backward movement through their contents. In addition, scrollable result sets allow for relative and absolute positioning. For example, it’s possible to move to the fourth row in a scrollable result set directly, or to move directly to the third row following the current row, provided the row exists. The JDBC API allows result sets to be directly updatable, as well.
Batch updates
The batch update feature allows an application to submit multiple update statements insert/update/delete) in a single request to the database. This can provide a dramatic increase in performance when a large number of update statements need to be executed.
Advanced data types
Increased support for storing persistent Java programming language objects (Java objects) and a mapping for SQL99 data types such as binary large objects, and structured types, have been added to the JDBC API. An application may also customize the mapping of SQL99 structured types into Java programming language classes.
Row sets
As its name implies, a row set encapsulates a set of rows. A row set may or may not maintain an open database connection. When a row set is ‘disconnected’ from its data source, updates performed on the row set are propagated to the underlying database using an optimistic concurrency control algorithm. Row sets add support to the JDBC API for the JavaBeans component model. A row set object is a bean. A row set implementation may be serializable. Row sets can be created at design time and used in conjunction with other JavaBeans components in a visual builder tool to construct an application.
