Difference between java.sql and mysql.jdbc

Question

I've only learned Java last quarter of 2010. I can say the knowledge I gained as of now are not enough and there's a lot of improvement. I still do studying while developing but most of my code is snippet from other current working application. I guess my way of studying the language affect the way I know it. Instead of learning the basic first, I jump up to advanced features that affect how I understand it. (I did advanced to fulfill my previous project tasks.)

I often connect to my MySql database using import java.sql.connection etc. I'm using Eclipse IDE then when I create an instance of Connection/PreparedStatement and I haven't imported the packages. Eclipse will show related Packages that's where mysql.jdbc.* I've encountered.

All though I did some research about it still its not too clear for me. The difference of those to packages.

• Does it have pros and cons?
• Does it have a big significance difference with performance and security?
• Does it use in different way?
• Is there more things to know?

I know someone here can enlighten me more about this.

Answer 1

To quote from the javadoc for com.mysql.jdbc.Connection:

This interface contains methods that are considered the "vendor extension" to the JDBC API for MySQL's implementation of java.sql.Connection.

So, that class at least builds on top of JDBC to add more features. But it's still JDBC at heart - you're using this class when you use pure JDBC, you just don't see it.

I would say that if you can build your app using only the standard JDBC interfaces, do so. If you absolutely need MySQL-specific API features, then use the MySQL interfaces. I work with Oracle mostly, and in all the years i've been doing it, i've never had to fall back to any Oracle-specific interfaces; there's a huge amount you can do with JDBC.

To address your points:

• The pro is more features; the con is less standardisation
• I would not expect any difference with performance and security, since the two packages use the same classes under the hood (AIUI)
• The usage should not be fundamentally different; the MySQL package should add on to the JDBC package
• There is more to know in the MySQL package, because you need to know about JDBC to use it anyway

Answer 2

To put it simply: Java (J2SE/J2EE) provides java.sql.* as the standard way to connect to a database. The issue is that these classes do not know really know how to connect to each specific database in the model, they are oriented to the programmer.

To connecto to each database, you need to put in its Driver. The Oracle driver will know how to connect to the Oracle database, the mysql driver will know how to connect to MySQL. java.sql. will know how to use each Driver, so by just using it you do not need to know the internals of each Driver.