Writing an OLE DB Provider: An Introduction

The purpose of this section is to offer some general guidelines on how to construct an OLE DB data provider, using the OLE DB sample provider as an example.

Information Needed to Write an OLE DB Provider

OLE DB is based on the Component Object Model (COM). Developers must be familiar with this model as well as with basic object-oriented coding practices to create an OLE DB provider. Although many different implementations are possible, the sample provider implements the TDataSource, TDBSession, and TRowset CoTypes. The sample provider uses the IOpenRowset interface, which is a required interface on the session for all providers. IOpenRowset is used by consumers that need access to the full data set and do not need to specify selection criteria.

Developers should become familiar with data source objects, sessions, and rowsets, as well as general conventions and design considerations, by reading the OLE DB Programmer's Guide.

This section contains the following topics:

• Objects and Interfaces Implemented by the Sample Provider

• Setting and Getting Provider Properties

• Initializing and Uninitializing the Data Source Object

• Getting the Class ID of the Data Source Object

• Creating a Session

• Creating a Rowset

• Using the Rowset

• Exposing Metadata

• Returning Column Ordinals

• Creating and Using Accessors

• Exposing Rowset Information

• Managing Rowsets

• Populating the Data Cache

• Retrieving Data from the Data Cache

• Decrementing the Reference Count on Row Handles

• Returning to the First Row of the Rowset

• Updating Rows

• Deleting Rows

See Also

Tasks

OLE DB sample provider