a simplified programming interface to OLE DB. Both ADO and OLE DB have been developed by Microsoft.
Components that enable client applications to access and manipulate data in a file or server-based database through a provider.
A high level object-oriented database API built on OLE DB. Microsoft's automation server exposes a high-level set of database programming objects to the Visual Basic, Java, or C++ programmer on top of an OLE DB data source. ADO can be used to create business applications that access OLE DB data sources.
A data access interface that communicates with OLE DB-compliant data sources to connect to, retrieve, manipulate, and update data.
A high-level data access programming interface to an underlying data access technology (such as OLE DB), implemented by using the Component Object Model (COM).
An object model--including data connection, data manipulation, and recordset objects--used for data access. ADO is an OLE DB consumer.