ODBC and JDBC Guide

Chapter 1
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Introduction 9
Using a FileMaker database as a data source
As a data source, FileMaker data is shared with ODBC- and JDBC-compliant applications. The application
connects to the FileMaker data source using the FileMaker client driver, constructs and executes the SQL
queries using ODBC or JDBC, and processes the data retrieved from the FileMaker database solution.
Accessing a hosted FileMaker Pro database
With either FileMaker Server Advanced or FileMaker Pro, you can host a FileMaker database file as a data
source, sharing your data with other applications using ODBC and JDBC. The following table describes
what each FileMaker product allows.
If your FileMaker database solution uses more than one FileMaker database file, all of the database files
must be on the same computer.
The ODBC and JDBC plug-in components you need for sharing your data with other applications are
installed with FileMaker
Server Advanced and FileMaker Pro.
To access a hosted FileMaker database file, you need to install the corresponding ODBC or JDBC client
driver. Install the client driver on the machine where the third-party application is installed.
This guide documents how the ODBC and JDBC client drivers, when used with FileMaker Pro and
FileMaker
Server Advanced, support the industry standards for ODBC (Open Database Connectivity),
JDBC (Java Database Connectivity), and SQL (Structured Query Language).
1 Chapter 3, “Installing FileMaker ODBC client drivers,” explains how to install the driver files needed for
accessing a FileMaker data source using ODBC.
1 Chapter 4, “Using ODBC to share FileMaker data,” describes how to use the FileMaker ODBC client
driver to connect to a FileMaker data source from another application.
1 Chapter 5, “Installing FileMaker JDBC client drivers,” explains how to install the driver files needed for
accessing a FileMaker data source using JDBC.
1 Chapter 6, “Using JDBC to share FileMaker data,” describes how to use the FileMaker JDBC client
driver with a Java application or applet that connects to a FileMaker data source.
1 Chapter 7, “Supported standards,” describes the SQL statements that the ODBC and JDBC client drivers
support when used with FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Server Advanced.
Important If you disable ODBC/JDBC sharing after it has already been on, a data source hosted by
FileMaker
Server Advanced or FileMaker Pro immediately becomes unavailable. The database
administrator doesn’t have the capability to alert ODBC and JDBC client applications about the data
source’s availability (the administrator can communicate only with FileMaker database file clients). No
errors are reported, and the client application should notify users that the data source is not available and
transactions cannot be completed. If a client application attempts to connect to an unavailable FileMaker
database file, a message explains that the connection failed.
This FileMaker product Allows
FileMaker Server Advanced Up to 50 connections and supports local access (same computer) and remote access (both for
middleware such as web servers, and for remote client access from desktop productivity applications).
FileMaker Pro Up to nine connections and supports local access (same computer) only.