ODBC and JDBC Guide

Chapter 4
Using ODBC to share FileMaker data
Use the ODBC client driver to connect to a FileMaker data source from another application. The
application that uses the ODBC client driver can directly access the data in a FileMaker database file.
The FileMaker ODBC client driver is FileMaker ODBC.
Note You can also use FileMaker Pro as an ODBC client application, interacting with records
from another data source via ODBC using SQL. See
chapter 2, “Accessing external SQL data
sources,” for details about accessing an external SQL data source via ODBC.
About ODBC
ODBC is an API that enables applications to access data from many database management
systems. ODBC gives client applications a common language for interacting with data sources
and database services.
All applications that support ODBC recognize a basic subset of SQL (Structured Query Language)
statements. SQL lets you use other applications (such as spreadsheets, word processors, and
reporting tools) to view, analyze, and modify FileMaker data. See FileMaker SQL Reference for the
SQL statements, functions, and expressions that the ODBC client driver supports.
Your application can talk directly to a FileMaker database file by using the ODBC 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 a FileMaker database file as
a data source, the database file can be located on another machine (the server machine)
connected to the network, while your client application is located on your machine (the client
machine). This is referred to as a client/server configuration.
Driver
Manager
Client
Application
Oracle
ODBC Driver
FileMaker
ODBC Client
Driver
SQL Server
ODBC Driver
Microsoft
SQL Server
FileMakerOracle