yes, you may use "database view with file support " or other styles. But no matter what you use, you should create a CDatabase object before you use your database file. If you have registered a database source file in ODBC Data Source Administrator, you may open the database as below:

CString szConnect = _T("DSN=MyDataSource");
if(!m_dbCD.OpenEx(szConnect), CDatabase::noOdbcDialog)
return FALSE;

but you can also manage your database file without a data source file. an example has been in my last thread.