JDBC is a Java API for executing SQL statements. JDBC provides a standard API for database developers and makes it possible to write database applications using a pure Java API. Using JDBC, it is easy to send SQL statements to any relational databases so it is not necessary to write one program to access Sybase and another that access Oracle.
Microsoft's ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) is the most widely used programming interface for accessing databases. It offers the ability to connect to almost all databases on all platforms. Java programmers cannot directly use ODBC from Java. ODBC uses a C interface. Calls from Java to native C code have some drawbacks in security, implementation, and automatic portability of applications. ODBC makes copious use of pointers including the infamous void * that Java programmers want to avoid.
JDBC and ODBC both build on the X/Open SQL CLI (Call Level Interface). The difference is that JDBC builds on and reinforces the style and virtues of Java.
JDBC-ODBC Bridge is a JavaSoft product that provide JDBC acess via ODBC drivers. ODBC is binary code, and in many cases database client code. ODBC must be loaded on each client machine that uses this driver.
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