17.4. Database programming with Database Interface (DBI)
17.4.1. What is DBI?
Compared to ODBC, DBI is a relatively new technology to handle platform-independent database applications. To understand DBI, let’s quote a statement from its founder:
DBI is a database access Application Programming Interface (API) for the Perl Language. The DBI API Specification defines a set of functions, variables and conventions that provide a consistent database interface independent of the actual database being used.
—Tim Bunce, www.perl.com
From functional and structural points of view, DBI is similar to ODBC. It is also a database interface allowing users to access multiple database types transparently. Whether you are using Oracle, Informix, Sybase, MySQL, ...
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