ODBC and JDBC Developer’s Guide

Chapter 2
Using ODBC to share FileMaker data
Use the ODBC client driver, DataDirect 32-BIT SequeLink 5.4, 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.
You can also use FileMaker Pro as a client application, interacting with records from another data source via
ODBC using SQL. See FileMaker
Pro Help for details about the drivers supplied by FileMaker and how to
access a data source through the drivers.
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 common subset of statements. SQL lets you use other
applications (like spreadsheets, word processors, and reporting tools) to view, analyze, and modify FileMaker
data. See
chapter 4, “Supported standards,” 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.
Client
Application
Oracle
Driver
Manager
SQL Server
ODBC Driver
ODBC Client
Driver
Oracle
ODBC Driver
FileMaker
Microsoft
SQL Server
O
DB
C
components