What is the Purpose of 'Class.forName("org.sqlite.JDBC")' in Java?

What is the purpose of the statement 'Class.forName("org.sqlite.JDBC")' in Java?

Class.forName("org.sqlite.JDBC");

The statement 'Class.forName("org.sqlite.JDBC")' is a Java command used to load the SQLite JDBC driver dynamically at runtime. This action initializes the JDBC driver for use in your Java application, enabling database connectivity and operations with an SQLite database.

// Load the SQLite JDBC driver class
Class.forName("org.sqlite.JDBC");
// Establish a connection to the database
Connection connection = DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:sqlite:mydatabase.db");

Causes

• The need to load JDBC drivers dynamically during runtime if they're not already loaded.
• To initialize the database connection for SQLite using the JDBC driver implementation.

Solutions

• Ensure that the SQLite JDBC driver is included in your project's classpath.
• Call 'Class.forName("org.sqlite.JDBC")' before establishing a connection to ensure the driver is loaded.

Mistake: Not including the SQLite JDBC driver in the classpath before loading it with Class.forName().

Solution: Ensure that the SQLite JDBC dependency is added to your project, e.g., in Maven, add the dependency to your pom.xml.

Mistake: Attempting to call DriverManager.getConnection() before 'Class.forName("org.sqlite.JDBC")'.

Solution: Always load the driver with Class.forName() first to avoid any ClassNotFoundException.