Book excerpt: This essential guide offers serious Java developers a focused resource on using JDBC 3 to build robust, enterprise-class applications for the Internet or intranet. This title provides a step-by-step tutorial on the JDBC 3 API, as well as many examples and discussions about advanced techniques. It also provides a complete reference of the API's packages and extensions. Powerful and enhanced new features are covered: Batch updates, DataSource object, transaction savepoints, connection pooling, distributed transaction support, XA compatibility, types of ResultSets, holdable cursors, SQL99 types, scalar functions, CLOB, array, reference and datalink objects, customized type mapping, transform groups, ParameterMetaData API, auto generated keys, and more.