ActiveX Data Objects

In <a href="/facts/Computing/Kghtm9fX">computing</a>, <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a>'s ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) comprises a set of <a href="/facts/Component_Object_Model/2DtIAufW">Component Object Model</a> (COM) <a href="/facts/Object_(computing)/eX99dtAw">objects</a> for accessing data sources. A part of <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Data_Access_Components/eehu36jY">MDAC</a> (Microsoft Data Access Components), it provides a <a href="/facts/Middleware/HobNosz9">middleware</a> layer between <a href="/facts/Programming_language/cWTYbgWa">programming languages</a> and <a href="/facts/OLE_DB/YjelpY3o">OLE DB</a> (a means of accessing data stores, whether <a href="/facts/Database/VYcpkevb">databases</a> or not, in a uniform manner). ADO allows a <a href="/facts/Software_developer/WGTS1Jv9">developer</a> to write programs that access data without knowing how the database is implemented; developers must be aware of the database for connection only. No knowledge of <a href="/facts/SQL/UjQLJcYm">SQL</a> is required to access a database when using ADO, although one can use ADO to execute SQL commands directly (with the disadvantage of introducing a dependency upon the type of database used).
Microsoft introduced ADO in October 1996, positioning the software as a successor to Microsoft's earlier object layers for accessing data sources, including <a href="/facts/Remote_Data_Objects/Veoj9y2p">RDO</a> (Remote Data Objects) and <a href="/facts/Jet_Data_Access_Objects/7IbR8YY0">DAO</a> (Data Access Objects).
ADO is made up of four collections and twelve objects.

ActiveX Data Objects open-in-new

ActiveX Data Objects