ODAC works directly through Oracle Call Interface. It allows to avoid using BDE and SQL Links:
[Oracle RDBMS] <> [SQL*Net] <> [OCI] <> [Application]
ODAC Net provides optimal transfer way:
[Oracle RDBMS] <> [TCP/IP] <> [Application]
DOA [Oracle RDBMS] <> [SQL*Net] <> [OCI] <> [Application] only
Хотя бы это.
[more=А здесь больше]
ODAC Features
--------
Following list describes the main features of Oracle Data Access Components:
- Direct access to Oracle data. No distributing, installing and
configuring the BDE and ODBC;
- Doesn't require Oracle's software on client side with Net option and
works directly through TCP/IP;
- Extended Oracle data types support including XML types, LOB's, objects,
nested tables, references, timestamps and intervals;
- High performance controlled fetch of large data blocks;
- Optimized string and raw data storing;
- Easy work with Unicode data;
- Automatic data updating with TSmartQuery and TOraTable components;
- Automatic record locking and refreshing;
- NonBlocking mode allows to run long lasting background queries in
separate threads;
- Oracle 9i scrollable cursors support;
- Transparent Application Failover support;
- Supports many Oracle specific features such as alerts, pipes and
Direct Path interface;
- Separated run-time and GUI specific parts allow to create pure console
applications such as CGI;
- SmartRefresh option allows two or more datasets to be synchronized
automatically;
-
Advanced design-time editors;
- OraTools Add-in extending design-time capabilities by set of tools to
build and check queries, design and debug PL/SQL blocks and explore
database schemas;
- Extended SQL tracing capabilities provided by TOraSQLMonitor component
and DBMonitor application;
- Wide data-aware and reporting components support;
-
Easy migration from BDE; - Allows to use Professional Edition of Delphi, C++ Builder or Kylix to
develop client/server applications.
Compatibility
-------------
ODAC supports Oracle 10g including Express Edition, 9i, 8i, 8.0 and 7.3
including Personal and Lite.
Following IDE are supported by ODAC: Borland Delphi 2006, 2005, 8, 7, 6 and 5,
C++ Builder 6 and 5, Kylix 3 and 2. Architect, Professional and Enterprise
editions are supported. ODAC does not support Kylix Open Edition.
DOA Component overview
Direct Oracle Access consists of the following components:
You use the TOracleSession component to connect to an Oracle database and to control
transactions. You can use many sessions simultaneously, accessing different databases.
The TOracleLogon component allows you to let a user specify a username, password and
database for a TOracleSession through a standard logon dialog.
You can use a TOracleQuery to execute any SQL statement or PL/SQL block in a session.
This is a very low-level component that works directly on top of SQL*Net without any
overhead. It should therefore always be used when you don't need data-aware
components on the results of a query.
The TOraclePackage provides a convenient interface to functions, procedures, variables
and constants in a stored package.
The TOracleEvent component allows your application to react to dbms_alert signals and
dbms_pipe messages in a background execution thread.
6 Direct Oracle Access 4.0 - User's Guide
The TOracleDataSet is the source for all your data-aware components. It internally uses a
TOracleQuery to retrieve and update the database.
The TOracleDirectPathLoader allows you to load data at the highest possible speed by
using the Oracle Direct Load Engine.
The TOracleQueue allows you to easily enqueue and dequeue messages through an
Oracle Advanced Queue .
The TOracleSessionPool provides a session pooling mechanism for server applications.
The TOracleScript component provides a convenient way to run SQL scripts.
The TOracleNavigator is a component very similar to the standard TDBNavigator. It
provides additional buttons to support the QBE mode (Query By Example) and record-level
refreshing of a TOracleDataSet.
The TOracleProvider is a component similar to the standard TProvider and can be used to
create multi-tiered applications that use the Direct Oracle Access components. This
component is obsolete for Delphi & C++Builder 5 and later.
To support Oracle8 and Oracle9 complex data types, Direct Oracle Access provides objects to
encapsulate the LOB Locator (TLOBLocator), Timestamp (TOracleTimestamp), Object
(TOracleObject), Reference (TOracleReference) and XMLType (TXMLType). The last three
objects are only available in the Object version of Direct Oracle Access.
[/more] Думаю факты довольно голые