In computing, adapter is a hardware device or software component that converts transmitted data from one presentation form to another. The data presentation can be, for example, a message sent between objects in an application or a packet sent through a network.
In modern personal computer, almost every peripheral device uses an adapter to communicate with system bus, for example:
- Display adapter used to transmit signal to monitor.
- Universal Serial Bus (USB) adapters for printers, keyboards and mice, among others.
- Network adapter required to attach to any network.
- Host bus adapter to connect hard disks or other storage.
A concept of adapter should not be confused with an expansion card. Although every expansion card typically implements some kind of adapter, many other adapters in a modern PC are built into the motherboard itself.
A software component adapter is a type of software that is logically located between two software components and reconciles the differences between them.
In computer programming, the adapter design pattern (often referred to as the wrapper pattern or simply a wrapper) is a design pattern for adapting one interface of a class into another interface that a client expects.
Resource adapters
Resource adapters are used to retrieve and route data. They provide access to databases, files, messaging systems, enterprise applications and other data sources and targets. Each adapter includes a set of adapter commands that can be used to customize its operation. Adapter commands specify different queues and queue managers, specific messages by message ID, specific sets of messages with the same message ID, message descriptors in the data, and more.
Resource adapters answer the question "Where should have the data come from?" and "Where should the data go?".
The resource adapters provided with many integration products enable data transformation and adapter-specific behavior recognition on different systems and data structures.
See also
- Computer port (hardware)
- Controller (computing)
- Electrical connector