What is the purpose of the DriverManager class in JDBC?

a) To manage database drivers

b) To manage database connections

c) To manage database queries

d) To manage database transactions

Answer:

b) To manage database connections

Explanation:

The DriverManager class in JDBC is responsible for managing a list of database drivers and establishing a connection between the Java application and the database. When a connection is requested through the DriverManager.getConnection() method, DriverManager selects the appropriate driver from its list and uses it to establish a connection to the specified database.

DriverManager serves as the backbone of JDBC connections, ensuring that the correct driver is loaded and that the connection parameters (such as database URL, username, and password) are correctly handled. This centralized management of database drivers simplifies the process of connecting to different databases, as developers do not need to interact with drivers directly.

In addition to managing connections, DriverManager provides logging and tracing capabilities that help developers debug connection issues. By setting the logging level, developers can obtain detailed information about the connection process, making it easier to diagnose and fix problems in their database interactions.