In general, committing data in
ODBC data sources works the same as committing FileMaker data. For example, FileMaker saves changes to external data when you exit a field or move to another record. For more information, see
Committing data in records. However, because external data is controlled by different software and can be used interactively by users working outside of FileMaker software, there are certain actions you can take to assure you have the latest record data and table
schema.
For ODBC tables, FileMaker uses “optimistic locking” to control data entry. FileMaker does not automatically refresh data when you begin entering data in an external record or when you do a Find on ODBC data.
FileMaker updates the schema between the ODBC source and the “shadow” table. You have not changed the field schema in the data source, only updated FileMaker’s table schema for any new or missing fields. For example, if you delete a field from an ODBC table in the relationships graph, when you click
Sync again, the field from the external data source will reappear.
Note After you synchronize, any field options you set in FileMaker Pro might be reset if the ODBC data source doesn’t force that option. For example, if you selected the
Not empty validation option, after synchronizing, you might have to reset that option.