ODBC and JDBC Guide

Chapter 6
Using JDBC to share FileMaker data
If you’re a Java programmer, you can use the JDBC client driver with any Rapid Application
Development (RAD) tool to visually create a Java application or applet that connects to a
FileMaker data source. The Java application or applet that uses the JDBC client driver can directly
access the data in a FileMaker database file.
About JDBC
JDBC is a Java API for executing SQL statements, the standard language for accessing relational
databases. JDBC is a name and not an acronym — although it is thought of as standing for “Java
Database Connectivity” because it is the Java equivalent for ODBC. JDBC is a low-level interface,
which means that it is used to call SQL commands directly. It is also designed to be used as a
base for higher level interfaces and tools.
Your Java applet or application can talk directly to a FileMaker database file by using the JDBC
client driver. Your SQL statements are delivered to the FileMaker host of the database file and the
results of those statements are sent back to you. If you use FileMaker
Server to host, the
FileMaker database file you’re using as a data source can be located on another machine (the
server machine) connected to the network, while your Java applet or client application is located
on your machine (the client machine). This is referred to as a client/server configuration.
Using the JDBC client driver
You can use the JDBC client driver with a Java compiler or RAD tool to connect with your database
while you build the code for your Java application or applet. After the Java application or applet
has been created, the JDBC client driver must be present with the files or included within the code
in order for the application or applet to communicate with the database.
To use the JDBC client driver, your Java application or applet must register the driver with the
JDBC driver manager and you must specify the correct JDBC URL from within the application or
applet. You need the JDBC URL to make the connection to the database.
About the JDBC client driver
The JDBC client driver provides partial support for the JDBC 3.0 specification. The following
features are not supported by FileMaker:
1 Savepoint support
1 Retrieval of auto-generated keys
1 Passing parameters to a callable statement object by name
1 Holdable cursor support
FileMaker
JDBC driver
Java application
Client machine Database server