ADO (ActiveX Data Objects) is a Microsoft technology that provides a set of COM (Component Object Model) objects for accessing, editing, and updating data from a variety of sources through a single interface. It is part of the Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) framework, designed to facilitate universal data access across the Microsoft platform. ADO allows developers to write applications that interact with data sources, including relational databases, non-relational databases, and other types of data stores, through a consistent set of interfaces.
ADO is built upon a lightweight, flexible architecture that enables it to operate efficiently with a wide range of data sources. It simplifies the process of data manipulation, offering an easy-to-use set of objects for opening connections to data sources, executing commands, and managing recordsets. ADO supports a variety of features for data access and manipulation, including support for transactions, the ability to call stored procedures, and the management of cursors for navigating data.
One of the key benefits of ADO is its integration with various Microsoft technologies, such as SQL Server and Access, as well as its ability to work with any OLE DB provider. This versatility makes it a popular choice for developers building database-driven applications on the Windows platform. Despite the emergence of newer technologies like ADO.NET for data access in the .NET framework, ADO remains relevant for legacy applications and for scenarios where direct COM-based data access is required. Its simplicity and ease of use have made it a staple in the toolkit of developers working with data on Windows for many years.
