As shown in the DataExpress diagram in the beginning of this chapter, JBuilder makes it easy to write a custom provider for your data when you are accessing data from a custom data source, such as SAP, BAAN, IMS, OS/390, CICS, VSAM, DB2, etc.
The retrieval and update of data from a data source, such as an Oracle or Sybase server, is isolated to two key interfaces: provider/resolver. Providers populate a data set from a data source. Resolvers save changes back to a data source. By cleanly isolating the retrieval and updating of data to two interfaces, it is easy to create new provider/resolver components for new data sources. There are two provider/resolver implementations for standard JDBC drivers that provide access to popular databases such as support for Oracle, Sybase, Informix, InterBase, DB2, MS SQL Server, Paradox, dBASE, FoxPro, Access, and other popular databases. In the future, Borland and third parties can create custom provider/resolver component implementations for EJB, application servers, SAP, BAAN, IMS, CICS, etc.
Please see the JBuilder documentation Web site at http://www.borland.com/techpubs for more information on this topic and possibly a tutorial. An example project with a custom provider/resolver may be available in the jbuilder/samples/borland/samples/tutorial/dataset/providers directory.