# Introduction to Using PxPlus

Data Integration |

As previously mentioned in File Handling, PxPlus supports several options for storing and retrieving data. PxPlus data can be utilized in different ways with a wide variety of third-party technologies, depending on your system design and how it fits with your overall system design and user requirements.

This section covers PxPlus data integration from different sides of the processing equation: facilities that enable external applications to access and read PxPlus-based data — facilities that enable PxPlus applications to store and use data maintained in an external format.

While most aspects of a business application can be served within the PxPlus family of products, today's end users are often required to work with data that resides in completely different software worlds. Businesses may need to integrate popular "off-the-shelf" software with their legacy systems, applications and databases. PxPlus adheres to all the generally accepted software standards, and this level of adaptability allows for the integration of PxPlus applications into several non-PxPlus environments.

PxPlus components are highly optimized to work together, and developers have the tools necessary to build a sizable database entirely within PxPlus itself. However, if there is a need, PxPlus data can be made readable to external applications via ODBC or using PVKIO. Conversely, PxPlus applications can be designed to work directly with data that is stored and maintained in a number of External Databases, over networks and on completely different operating systems.

In any case, PxPlus has many solutions to help businesses integrate their data, regardless of the software or platforms involved.