What is ActiveX Data Objects?

Understanding ActiveX Data Objects

A Microsoft high-level interface for all kinds of data. ADO is a set of Component Object Model objects for accessing data sources, providing a programming interface to connect applications to databases regardless of how the database is implemented. Developed by Microsoft, ADO remains relevant in legacy systems but has largely been replaced by newer technologies like ADO.NET for modern applications. Organizations using Microsoft technologies may still implement ADO in applications requiring database access across multiple platforms. For example, a legacy financial system might use ADO to interact with various database systems through a consistent programming interface. Related terms: ODBC, JDBC, COM, OLE DB, ADO.NET, Data access layer.