## Methods - connection management

### open_connection() - mandatory

This method actually opens a connection to the database.

Any data specific to the connection (such as a database handle created by the database API when opening the connection) must be stored in a private structure (which should be defined in the `gda-<providername>.h` file as a `<Providername>ConnectionData`); this private structure's adress should be "attached" to the GdaConnection object using the gda_connection_internal_set_provider_data().

### close_connection() - mandatory

This method actually closes a connection previously opened by the open_connection() virtual method. This method is not mandatory for virtual providers.

The connection specific data for the database API can be retrieved using the gda_connection_internal_get_provider_data() method.

### get_database()

This method returns the name of the database to which a connection is opened.