What this means for you developers out there is that you can use the power of SQL to query, insert, and update data residing in a Domino database. It's like opening up another door on how you can access and use the data you already have. You can find out more information about the LDDJ driver and download it at http://lotus.com/jdbc.

LDDJ supports both Notes 5 and 6 as well as IBM WebSphere Application Server. So, if you're already running R5 you don't have to upgrade to Notes 6 just to use it. And it has a very slick install tool that even inserts the path to the JdbcDomino.jar file needed to use the driver.

There are a few key things to keep in mind when you're working with the LDDJ driver:

• The LDDJ driver uses the same security as the Notes client, so when you test LDDJ locally it will use the active Notes User ID on your system. If the database you are trying to access is protected and your Notes User ID has a password associated with it, you will be prompted for your password. The only way to eliminate the prompt is to either modify the ACL to allow default reader access to the database or to clear your password. See the LDDJ driver FAQ and help files for more information.

• You can run an application using the LDDJ driver on a non-Domino server, but you will still need to install and configure a Notes client that the driver will use to access the database(s). Note that the Notes User ID and password requirements listed above apply here as well, and that the server needs to be running Windows.

• The LDDJ driver is a Type 2 driver, which means that it combines Java and native (C-API) methods to access a Notes database. Therefore, Windows is required in order to use the LDDJ driver.

• The LDDJ install includes six sample programs, so make sure you take a look at them to get some ideas. The samples I tried worked right away, and I was able to quickly modify them to access another Notes database using LDDJ.