Once you have configured your databases, you can access their data from the program,
even if you do not have the database system that created the data installed on your
system. You can access data from the following applications:

• Microsoft Access
• dBase
• Microsoft Excel
• Oracle
• Paradox
• Microsoft Visual FoxPro ^آ®
• SQL Server

Once you have successfully configured a database to use with the program, a configuration
file with the extension UDL is created. This configuration file contains the information
the program needs to access the configured database. By default, UDL files are stored
in the Data Links folder. You can specify a different location for UDL files from the Options dialog
box.

The following topics demonstrate how to set up a data source using ODBC, and how to
configure data sources so that you can use them with the program. For detailed information
about ODBC and OLE DB, refer to the following online Microsoft resources:

• OLE DB Help
• ODBC Help
• ODBC Microsoft Desktop Database Drivers

Bypass ODBC Using an OLE DB Direct Driver

Several database management systems supported, have direct drivers available for
OLE DB. If you use these direct drivers, you do not need to set up configuration files
from within both ODBC and OLE DB; you only need a single OLE DB configuration file.

Direct database drivers are available for the following database systems:

• Microsoft Access
• Oracle
• Microsoft SQL Server

Use ODBC to Create a Configuration File

ODBC is an intermediary program that makes data from one application available to
other applications.

Configure a Data Source with OLE DB

You can use OLE DB to establish a UDL configuration file that points to an external
database table.

Substituting SQL Server for OLE DB

If you are using the 64-bit release of the product and DbConnect with a connection
that accesses a Microsoft Access database or a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet using one
of the two following methods, you need to change your connections to use Microsoft
SQL Server. Microsoft does not support a 64-bit version of these technologies.

• Microsoft Jet 4.0 OLE DB Provider (for MDB connectivity)
• Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers (for XLS connectivity)

Microsoft SQL Server comes in three different editions. If you are accessing data
from an MDB or XLS file today, you might find that using Microsoft SQL Server Express
Edition is adequate for your needs. Microsoft also offers Standard and Enterprise
editions of SQL Server.