iODBC

iODBC is an open-source ODBC driver manager that provides the runtime support required by ODBC applications to interact with database drivers. It implements the ODBC API at runtime, locating and loading database-specific ODBC drivers and managing data source connections through configuration files.

The project was developed to offer a portable, open alternative to proprietary ODBC managers, with emphasis on cross-platform compatibility across Unix-like systems and macOS, and ports to other environments where possible. The iODBC project is maintained by the community and distributes a library (libiodbc) along with a set of utilities used for testing, configuration, and deployment.

Key components of iODBC include the Driver Manager library, a collection of command-line tools (such as isql for interactive SQL testing), and configuration files such as odbc.ini for data source names (DSNs) and odbcinst.ini for driver installation and metadata. Applications link against the iODBC library and invoke the ODBC API; the driver manager then loads the appropriate driver, handles data source resolution, and mediates SQL communication between the application and the database.

iODBC supports multi-architecture environments, including 32-bit and 64-bit setups, and strives for compatibility with the ODBC specification and drivers designed for other ODBC managers. It provides a platform-neutral approach that can facilitate driver development and testing across different Unix-like systems.

In practice, iODBC is one of the competing ODBC manager options on many systems, alongside projects like unixODBC. Users choose based on platform support, driver availability, and particular configuration or testing needs, using tools such as odbc.ini, odbcinst.ini, and isql to configure and verify connections.