user manual

Chapter 1
Introduction
This guide explains concepts and details to help you share FileMaker
®
data with other applications using
ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) and JDBC (Java Database Connectivity). This guide also documents
how the ODBC and JDBC client drivers, when used with FileMaker
Pro and FileMaker Server Advanced,
support the industry standards for ODBC, JDBC, and SQL (Structured Query Language).
You can use FileMaker Pro, FileMaker Pro Advanced, or FileMaker Server Advanced to create and test your
database solution. You can then share your FileMaker database solution as a data source with ODBC- and
JDBC-compliant applications. You must install the FileMaker ODBC and JDBC drivers on the machine
where your third-party application is installed.
Important This guide describes using FileMaker software as a data source. For step-by-step information on
using FileMaker
Pro as an ODBC client application, see FileMaker Pro Help.
The following table gives an overview of how to use ODBC and JDBC with FileMaker software.
About this guide
1 For information on using ODBC and JDBC with previous versions of FileMaker Pro, see
www.filemaker.com/downloads.
1 This guide assumes that you are familiar with the basics of using ODBC and JDBC, and constructing
SQL queries. Refer to a third-party book for more information on these topics.
1 This guide uses “FileMaker Pro” to refer to both FileMaker Pro and FileMaker Pro Advanced, unless
describing specific FileMaker Pro Advanced features.
Note You can download PDFs of FileMaker documentation from www.filemaker.com/downloads. Any
updates to this document are also available from the website.
Using a FileMaker database as a data source
ODBC and JDBC are application programming interfaces (APIs). These APIs give client applications a
common language for interacting with a variety of data sources and database services, including
FileMaker
Pro and FileMaker Server Advanced.
All applications that support ODBC and JDBC recognize a basic subset of SQL statements. Working with
SQL, you can use other applications (like spreadsheets, word processors, and reporting tools) to view,
analyze, and modify FileMaker data.
What do you want to do? How do you do it? See
Use FileMaker Pro as a data source/share
FileMaker Pro data
1. SQL queries
2. JDBC
This guide
Use FileMaker Pro as an ODBC client/
access ODBC data
1. Interactively via the relationships graph
2. One-time, static via ODBC import or File
menu > Open. Also, the Import Records script
step and the Execute SQL script step
FileMaker Pro Help