Relational database management systems (RDBMS) such as Oracle, Informix, Sybase, PostgreSQL, etc., provide powerful means to store, access, and change large amounts of data via the structured query language (SQL). However, applications created to access this information often have to be rewritten for each different client architecture (Mac, PC, Sun, etc.) and then have to be significantly modified or rewritten again if the RDBMS changes from one vendor to another.

Java and JDBC overcome much of the obstacles involved in creating applications for various clients and various RDBMS vendors. Because Java is platform independent, developers can write one "front-end" application that will run on different machine architectures. If in addition JDBC is used to couple the Java application to the SQL server, developers need only write one "back-end" application as well.

At the January 10th UUASC Orange County meeting, Robert Citek will present how to get Java talking to an SQL server via JDBC. In particular, he will share the joys and frustrations he and Mike Elliott have had working with PostgreSQL, JDBC, and Java on Linux machines. This meeting is geared to those who are new to SQL, JDBC, Java, UNIX, or any combination, so bring your questions.