Test Automation Framework: What is Data Driven testing (definition and more) ..

In the previous posts, we have been talking about different testing automation frameworks. In the current post, we talk about another test automation framework, called 'Data Driven Testing', including definition and some details.
In this framework, the variables are used for testing of both the output verification values and input values. These values are read from data files (different kind of data objects such as datapools, ODBC sources, csv files, Excel files, DAO objects, ADO objects, and such), and are then loaded into variables (and these variables could be used in scripts that are either manually written or recorded). The test script in turn is supposed to take care of all the process of moving through the application, opening and reading of the data files, and logging of test results.
This may sound similar to the table driven testing (and it is similar in the sense that the test case is contained not in the test script, but in a data file), with the script just being used for moving through the workflow (navigating through the application). The difference is that in this case the data is stored in data objects, not in tables (and the navigation is not stored in the data).
What are some of the advantages of using this automation framework ? There is a reduction in the number of scripts you need for your overall test cases, and if you have a need to accommodate bugs in your workflow, then this framework is the one to use. It is also very handy in terms of effort required for maintenance.