# Connectors
+ Database Connector:
  + Is basically any connector compatible with the MySQL protocol
  + Is a standard-based driver and library that allows you to access TiDB through program code
  + Provides API-level access to the database:
    + Implements one or more standards in the appropriate programming language
    + Provides additional functionality to communicate with the TiDB database
+ Common Connectors can be downloaded from the following URL:
[http://www.mysql.com/products/connector](http://www.mysql.com/products/connector) 

------------------------------------------------------
TiDB can use several application programming interfaces (APIs) for accessing the TiDB server. Some of these APIs are for writing programs, while others are simply drivers. TiDB can use several drivers that act as bridges to the TiDB server for client programs that communicate using a particular protocol. These drivers make up the family of TiDB Connectors, which are available as separate packages.

To use a Connector, you need to install it on the client host rather than on the server. The server does not need to be running on the same machine or even on the same operating system as the client. This means that TiDB Connectors are very useful for providing TiDB connectivity in heterogeneous environments.