pyodbc: Python ODBC Bridge
raw JSON → 5.3.0 verified Tue May 12 auth: no python install: stale quickstart: stale
pyodbc is an open-source Python module that provides a simple and consistent interface for connecting to various databases via ODBC (Open Database Connectivity), implementing the DB API 2.0 specification. It allows for executing SQL queries, retrieving results, and managing database operations efficiently. As of version 5.3.0, it supports Python 3.9 through 3.14 and is actively maintained with frequent releases.
pip install pyodbc Common errors
error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pyodbc' ↓
cause The pyodbc library is not installed or is not available in the current Python environment.
fix
pip install pyodbc
error pyodbc.OperationalError: ('IM002', '[IM002] [Microsoft][ODBC Driver Manager] Data source name not found and no default driver specified (0) (SQLDriverConnect)') ↓
cause The specified ODBC driver is not installed on the system, is incorrectly named, or is not correctly configured.
fix
Install the appropriate ODBC driver for your database (e.g., ODBC Driver 17/18 for SQL Server) and ensure its name in the connection string is correct.
error pyodbc.OperationalError: ('28000', '[28000] [Microsoft][ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server][SQL Server]Login failed for user \'your_username\'. (18456) (SQLDriverConnect)') ↓
cause The provided username or password in the connection string is incorrect, or the user lacks the necessary database permissions.
fix
Verify that the username and password in your connection string are correct and that the user has appropriate database access permissions.
error AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'cursor' ↓
cause The database connection failed to establish, resulting in a `None` connection object, and you are attempting to call the `.cursor()` method on it.
fix
Ensure the
pyodbc.connect() call succeeds by handling potential exceptions or verifying the connection object is not None before creating a cursor. Warnings
breaking pyodbc 5.x dropped support for Python 2.x. If you are on an older Python 2 environment, you must use pyodbc 4.x or migrate to Python 3. ↓
fix Upgrade to Python 3.x and pyodbc 5.x, or stay on pyodbc 4.x for Python 2.7.
breaking pyodbc 5.3.0 dropped support for Python 3.8, requiring Python 3.9 or newer. ↓
fix Upgrade your Python environment to 3.9 or later, or use pyodbc < 5.3.0 for Python 3.8.
gotcha pyodbc is a bridge to ODBC drivers. You *must* install an appropriate ODBC driver manager (e.g., unixODBC on Linux/macOS) and specific database ODBC drivers (e.g., SQL Server ODBC Driver) on your system for pyodbc to function. This is an external, operating-system-level dependency, not a Python package dependency. ↓
fix Refer to `pyodbc` documentation or your database vendor's documentation for installing the necessary ODBC drivers and driver manager for your operating system.
gotcha Transactions are not automatically committed by default. You must explicitly call `connection.commit()` after `INSERT`, `UPDATE`, or `DELETE` operations, or pass `autocommit=True` to `pyodbc.connect()` if you want each statement to commit immediately. ↓
fix Call `cnxn.commit()` after data modification statements or initialize connection with `pyodbc.connect(..., autocommit=True)`.
gotcha Version 5.0.0 introduced a bug preventing `bytes` objects from being passed in the `attrs_before` parameter of `pyodbc.connect()`, commonly used for Azure authentication tokens. This was fixed in 5.0.1. ↓
fix Upgrade to pyodbc 5.0.1 or later.
gotcha macOS ARM (Apple Silicon M1/M2) users experienced issues with precompiled binaries in early 5.x releases. Dedicated Mac ARM wheels were introduced and stabilized in 5.1.0. ↓
fix Upgrade to pyodbc 5.1.0 or later for stable macOS ARM support.
Install compatibility stale last tested: 2026-05-12
python os / libc status wheel install import disk
3.10 alpine (musl) wheel - - 22.1M
3.10 alpine (musl) - - - -
3.10 slim (glibc) wheel 1.6s - 19M
3.10 slim (glibc) - - - -
3.11 alpine (musl) wheel - - 23.9M
3.11 alpine (musl) - - - -
3.11 slim (glibc) wheel 1.6s - 21M
3.11 slim (glibc) - - - -
3.12 alpine (musl) wheel - - 15.8M
3.12 alpine (musl) - - - -
3.12 slim (glibc) wheel 1.5s - 13M
3.12 slim (glibc) - - - -
3.13 alpine (musl) wheel - - 15.6M
3.13 alpine (musl) - - - -
3.13 slim (glibc) wheel 1.5s - 13M
3.13 slim (glibc) - - - -
3.9 alpine (musl) wheel - - 21.6M
3.9 alpine (musl) - - - -
3.9 slim (glibc) wheel 1.8s - 19M
3.9 slim (glibc) - - - -
Imports
- pyodbc
import pyodbc - connect
cnxn = pyodbc.connect('DSN=your_dsn;UID=user;PWD=pass')
Quickstart stale last tested: 2026-04-24
import pyodbc
import os
# NOTE: This example requires an ODBC driver and DSN to be configured on your system.
# For Windows, common drivers like 'SQL Server' might be available.
# For Linux/macOS, you might need to install unixODBC and specific database drivers.
# Example DSN-less connection string (replace with your actual details):
DB_DRIVER = os.environ.get('PYODBC_DRIVER', '{ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server}')
DB_SERVER = os.environ.get('PYODBC_SERVER', 'your_server.database.windows.net')
DB_DATABASE = os.environ.get('PYODBC_DATABASE', 'your_database_name')
DB_UID = os.environ.get('PYODBC_UID', 'your_username')
DB_PWD = os.environ.get('PYODBC_PWD', 'your_password')
connection_string = (
f"DRIVER={DB_DRIVER};"
f"SERVER={DB_SERVER};"
f"DATABASE={DB_DATABASE};"
f"UID={DB_UID};"
f"PWD={DB_PWD};"
)
try:
cnxn = pyodbc.connect(connection_string)
cursor = cnxn.cursor()
# Example: Create a table (if it doesn't exist)
try:
cursor.execute("CREATE TABLE #TestTable (id INT, name VARCHAR(50))")
print("Table #TestTable created.")
except pyodbc.ProgrammingError as e:
if 'There is already an object named' in str(e): # For SQL Server temp table
print("Table #TestTable already exists, skipping creation.")
else:
raise
# Example: Insert data
cursor.execute("INSERT INTO #TestTable (id, name) VALUES (?, ?)", 1, 'Alice')
cursor.execute("INSERT INTO #TestTable (id, name) VALUES (?, ?)", 2, 'Bob')
cnxn.commit() # Commit changes if autocommit is not enabled
print("Data inserted.")
# Example: Select data
cursor.execute("SELECT id, name FROM #TestTable")
rows = cursor.fetchall()
print("\nFetched Data:")
for row in rows:
print(f"ID: {row.id}, Name: {row.name}")
except pyodbc.Error as ex:
sqlstate = ex.args[0]
print(f"Database Error (SQLSTATE: {sqlstate}): {ex}")
finally:
if 'cnxn' in locals() and cnxn:
cnxn.close()
print("\nConnection closed.")