ODBC Connection Strings
This section describes the ODBC connection strings supported by PSQL. This information is provided for advanced users using a database access tool that allows connection strings to be specified and for developers writing ODBC or OLE DB applications to access PSQL.
ODBC Driver Parameter
You must specify the PSQL ODBC driver to use to connect to the PSQL database engine. See PSQL ODBC Driver Names for a description of the available drivers.
Use the ODBC Driver parameter to specify the appropriate driver. For example:
Driver={Pervasive ODBC Unicode Interface}
Driver={Pervasive ODBC Interface}
Driver={Pervasive ODBC Client Interface}
Driver={Pervasive ODBC Engine Interface}
Driver Parameters
The specific driver specified by the Driver parameter has additional attribute parameters for naming the server, port, database, etc. In addition to these common parameters, each driver has parameters specific to it. The tables below show, for the different drivers, the driver parameters that may be used. The attributes can be included with the ODBC function SQLDriverConnect or with SQLConnect.
Table 14
Unicode Driver Connection String Parameters
Connection String Parameters
Description
ServerName=server[.port]
Specify the machine name or IP address of the computer to which you wish to connect. Required. Port is provided from backwards compatibility and allows you to specify the port number to use if you are not using the default port. When using IPv6 addresses and appending a port number in ODBC connections, use an IPv6-literal.net name or UNC-safe name. See Drive-based Formats in Getting Started With PSQL.
TransportHint=<TCP | SPX>[:SPX | TCP]
Specify the transport protocol to use, or which to try first. Default is TCP:SPX. Optional.

For example, a value of “TCP” forces the client to try a TCP/IP connection only. A value of “SPX:TCP” forces the client to try an SPX connection first, and if that fails, to try a TCP/IP connection.
DBQ=[@]db_name
Specify the internal database name (not DSN) to which you wish to connect. Required.
The @ character is optional. It has no particular effect and is supported only for backward compatibility.
TCPPort=port
Specify the TCP/IP port on which to find the server. Optional. See also Changing the Default Communication Ports in Getting Started With PSQL (Server Edition).
ArrayFetchOn=1 | 0
Specify whether to cache result sets on the client. Default is 1, “On.” Optional.
ArrayBufferSize=size
Specify the size of the client cache, in KB. Default is 8 KB. Optional.
PvTranslate=auto
Specify how to handle the data encoding when the client connects to the database engine. (See Encoding Translation for more information.)
PvTranslate defaults to “auto” for the Unicode driver. This allows you to use NCHAR columns and NCHAR literals with wide character data without having to explicitly set PvTranslate to “auto.”
With the attribute is set to “auto,” the client and server automatically establish compatible encoding. Data translation, if required, occurs on the client.
UID=user_name
If security is enabled for the given database, specify the user name. Optional, depending on security. See PSQL Security in Advanced Operations Guide.
PWD=password
If security is enabled for the given database, specify the password. Optional, depending on security. See PSQL Security in Advanced Operations Guide.
•
Example A
Connect to a database named “SOMEDATA” that contains wide character data on a remote server named “ServerMain” using TCP/IP port 1590, trying TCP/IP first then SPX:
Driver={Pervasive ODBC Unicode Interface}; ServerName=ServerMain.1590;DBQ=SOMEDATA; TransportHint=TCP:SPX;
•
Example B
Connect to a database named “EuropeRegion4” that contains wide character data on a local server named with database security turned on:
Driver={Pervasive ODBC Unicode Interface}; DBQ=EuropeRegion4;UID=tonyawu7;PWD=HR19lb8w;
 
Table 15
64-bit Driver Connection String Parameters
Connection String Parameters
Description
ServerName=server[.port]
Specify the machine name or IP address of the computer to which you wish to connect. Required. Port is provided from backwards compatibility and allows you to specify the port number to use if you are not using the default port. When using IPv6 addresses and appending a port number in ODBC connections, use an IPv6-literal.net name or UNC-safe name. See Drive-based Formats in Getting Started With PSQL.
TransportHint=<TCP | SPX>[:SPX | TCP]
Specify the transport protocol to use, or which to try first. Default is TCP:SPX. Optional.

For example, a value of “TCP” forces the client to try a TCP/IP connection only. A value of “SPX:TCP” forces the client to try an SPX connection first, and if that fails, to try a TCP/IP connection.
DBQ=[@]db_name
Specify the internal database name (not DSN) to which you wish to connect. Required.
The @ character is optional. It has no particular effect and is supported only for backward compatibility.
TCPPort=port
Specify the TCP/IP port on which to find the server. Optional. See also Changing the Default Communication Ports in Getting Started With PSQL (Server Edition).
ArrayFetchOn=1 | 0
Specify whether to cache result sets on the client. Default is 1, “On.” Optional.
ArrayBufferSize=size
Specify the size of the client cache, in KB. Default is 8 KB. Optional.
PvTranslate=auto
Specify how to handle the data encoding when the client connects to the database engine. The attribute can either be absent, or have a value set to “auto” to indicate automatic translation. (See Encoding Translation for more information.)
With the attribute is set to “auto,” the client and server automatically establish compatible encoding. Data translation, if required, occurs on the client. Note that “auto” overrides the “OEM/ANSI” setting for a DSN.
If the attribute is absent, ODBC does not translate any character data. This is the default behavior. The “OEM/ANSI” setting may still apply. See OEM/ANSI Conversion.
UID=user_name
If security is enabled for the given database, specify the user name. Optional, depending on security. See PSQL Security in Advanced Operations Guide.
PWD=password
If security is enabled for the given database, specify the password. Optional, depending on security. See PSQL Security in Advanced Operations Guide.
Example
Connect to a local named database “acctdomestic” with a 64-bit application:
Driver={Pervasive ODBC Interface};DBQ=acctdomestic;
Table 16
32-bit Client Driver Connection String Parameters
Connection String
Description
ServerName=server[.port]
Specify the machine name or IP address of the computer to which you wish to connect. Required. Port is provided from backwards compatibility and allows you to specify the port number to use if you are not using the default port. When using IPv6 addresses and appending a port number in ODBC connections, use an IPv6-literal.net name or UNC-safe name. See Drive-based Formats in Getting Started With PSQL.
ServerDSN=dsn_name
Specify the Engine DSN to which you wish to connect. Required, unless DBQ is specified.
TransportHint=<TCP | SPX>[:SPX | TCP]
Specify the transport protocol to use, or which to try first. Default is TCP:SPX. Optional.

For example, a value of “TCP” forces the client to try a TCP/IP connection only. A value of “SPX:TCP” forces the client to try an SPX connection first, and if that fails, to try a TCP/IP connection.
DBQ=[@]db_name
Specify the internal database name (not DSN) to which you wish to connect. Required.
The @ character is optional. It has no particular effect and is supported only for backward compatibility.
TCPPort=port
Specify the TCP/IP port on which to find the server. Optional. See also Changing the Default Communication Ports in Getting Started With PSQL (Server Edition).
ArrayFetchOn=1 | 0
Specify whether to cache result sets on the client. Default is 1, “On.” Optional.
ArrayBufferSize=size
Specify the size of the client cache, in KB. Default is 8 KB. Optional.
PvTranslate=auto
Specify how to handle the data encoding when the client connects to the database engine. The attribute can either be absent, or have a value set to “auto” to indicate automatic translation. (See Encoding Translation for more information.)
With the attribute is set to “auto,” the client and server automatically establish compatible encoding. Data translation, if required, occurs on the client. Note that “auto” overrides the “OEM/ANSI” setting for a DSN.
If the attribute is absent, ODBC does not translate any character data. This is the default behavior. The “OEM/ANSI” setting may still apply. See OEM/ANSI Conversion.
UID=user_name
If security is enabled for the given database, specify the user name. Optional, depending on security. See PSQL Security in Advanced Operations Guide.
PWD=password
If security is enabled for the given database, specify the password. Optional, depending on security. See PSQL Security in Advanced Operations Guide.
•
Example A
Connect to a database named “Atlantis” on a remote server named “AncientLore” using TCP/IP port 1585:
Driver={Pervasive ODBC Client Interface}; ServerName=AncientLore.1585;DBQ=Atlantis;
•
Example B
Connect to a database named “DomSales” on a remote server named “SalesSvr” with database security turned on:
Driver={Pervasive ODBC Client Interface}; ServerName=SalesSvr;DBQ=DomSales;UID=alexjame;PWD=k7Jb9xRR;
•
Example C
Connect to an Engine DSN named “mydata” on a remote server named “MyServer” and establish automatic encoding support:
Driver={Pervasive ODBC Client Interface}; ServerName=MyServer;ServerDSN=mydata;PvTranslate=auto;
Table 17
32-bit Engine Driver Connection Strings
Connection String
Description
DBQ=[@]db_name
Specify the internal database name (not DSN) to which you wish to connect. Required.
The @ character is optional. It has no particular effect and is supported only for backward compatibility.
UID=user_name
If security is enabled for the given database, specify the user name. Optional, depending on security. See PSQL Security in Advanced Operations Guide.
PWD=password
If security is enabled for the given database, specify the password. Optional, depending on security. See PSQL Security in Advanced Operations Guide.
OPENMODE=-4 | -1 | 0 | 1
Specify the default file open mode for files opened with the current connection. Default is 0, “Normal.” Can be used only with local connections, not remote client connections. Optional.
For more information on file open modes, see DSN Open Mode.
TRANSLATIONDLL=path_and_DLL_name
Specify the full path name of the DLL to use for OEM/ANSI translation. For more information, see OEM/ANSI Conversion.
•
Example
Connect to a local database named “DATA5”:
Driver={Pervasive ODBC Engine Interface};DBQ=DATA5;
*Note: Engine DSNs are deprecated. New or updated applications should use Client DSNs in local or remote connection mode.