Need advise on live connection with the Database

Hello all,
im a newbie on using JDBC, im trying to create a simple java -GUI database program, i would to ask suggestion if im going to keep the connection alive while the program is running to my database, im using JDBC-ODBC bridge.
i wish to create a program that has record manipulations such as add,edit,delete,search a record on the the current database.
i wish for advice on how the program could be design, especially on manipulating the database and ofcourse the connection.
i can use AWT and a bit of swing, but i know AWT is sufficient.

Here is my idea of that program
first im going to create a main class that extends a Frame Class, there will be buttons incorporated that will serve as the record manipulation commands and i will try to include record navigation(using the result set's next and previous method). Please correct meon these, in manipulating the add,edit,delete - for every button i will make a connection to the database,select the appropriate table, then perform a SQL DDL statement such INSERT,DELETE,UPDATE, then close the connection..
Please guide me on these design.
Thank you all...

Cyrus

Your approach is right. When the button is clicked open the connection, perform the apropriate action(INSERT,DELETE etc) and close the connection. Do not keep the connection open.

As a beginner the above design is good.
I suggest you should go a little bit forward and use independent classes to handle database operations.
One possible solution is as follows.
Encapsulate the tables into a class. And create some manager class to manage it.
1. So design a class which creates and returns database connections.
2. Create table encapsuation classes for e.g. Employee.java
3. Create a class which uses Employee.java and database connection class to manage all database manipualations INSERT/DELETE?UPDATE and VIew..
Here we can use Collection class to get a list of records and display on the UI.
4. Use the Manager class in UI to receive User Inputs and respond accrodingly.
I hope this is not complicated for you. The advantage is UI is seperated from the business logic. You can concentrate UI and logic seperately.