Trace File

An application specifies the trace file either by setting the TraceFile keyword in the ODBC.INI registry entry, or by calling SQLSetConnectAttr with the SQL_ATTR_TRACEFILE connection attribute. If the file does not exist when tracing is enabled, the Driver Manager will create the file. Each application should have its own dedicated trace file to avoid contention. An application can use more than one trace file; an application’s setup program can provide the user with a choice of trace files. If tracing is enabled dynamically, an application can also display trace results, rather than logging to the trace file.

The trace file provides a log of each ODBC function call with the data types and values of all arguments. It logs all input functions, and all returned functions with return codes and error states.

Caution User names and passwords are logged in ODBC 3.0 tracing. ODBC tracing does not ensure secured access to user names and passwords.