Help

Using ODBC and JDBC with FileMaker Pro
F
ILEMAKER PRO HELP 544
Using ODBC and JDBC with FileMaker Pro
You can use FileMaker Pro as:
• a data source, sharing your database files with other applications on the same computer
using ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) and JDBC (Java Database Connectivity). For
example, you can create charts, analyze numbers, and generate reports using
FileMaker
Pro data in other applications. See “FileMaker Pro as a data source,” below.
• an ODBC client application, interacting with data sources on the same computer or over a
network. For example, you can import data from an Oracle data source into FileMaker Pro,
or you can work with an Oracle data source interactively in the relationships graph and in
layouts. See “FileMaker
Pro as an ODBC client application,” below.
FileMaker Pro as a data source
FileMaker Pro includes all the software you need to share your database as a data source via
ODBC and JDBC, including the client
drivers you use to access your database from other
applications. To share your FileMaker database file as a data source over a network, use
FileMaker
Server.
See Sharing FileMaker Pro data via ODBC or JDBC for information about enabling a database file
for sharing.
For details about supported SQL statements, expressions, Catalog functions, and client drivers, see
F
ILEMAKER ODBC AND JDBC GUIDE and FILEMAKER SQL REFERENCE.
FileMaker Pro as an ODBC client application
When you use FileMaker Pro as a client application, you must install and configure drivers for the
ODBC data source you’re accessing. For example, to access data from an Oracle database using
ODBC, you must install and configure an Oracle ODBC client driver. Third-party drivers are
available from a number of vendors. For more information, see
Configuring an ODBC client driver.
Note ODBC data sources are also referred to as external SQL sources (ESS).
See Accessing external data sources for information about:
• working with ODBC data sources interactively, in real time, in the relationships graph and in
layouts. See
Connecting to data sources.
• importing ODBC data in batch operations by writing SQL queries. See Querying an ODBC
data source from FileMaker Pro.
See the next section for an overview of using FileMaker Pro as a data source or as a client.
Deciding how to work with ODBC in FileMaker
What do you want to
do?
How do you do it? See Products
Use FileMaker Pro as
a data source/share
FileMaker
Pro data
1. SQL queries
2. JDBC
FILEMAKER ODBC AND
JDBC G
UIDE and
F
ILEMAKER SQL
R
EFERENCE
FileMaker Pro/
Pro
Advanced and
FileMaker
Server only