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Sharing FileMaker Pro data via ODBC or JDBC

FileMaker Pro can serve as a data source for sharing your database files with ODBC- and JDBC-compliant applications.

Important  Prevent data from being inadvertently modified or deleted: other applications can update and delete unprotected, shared data. Review the privilege sets you’ve assigned to accounts that will access shared database files. As a minimum level of protection, specify database file accounts and passwords.

To share databases using ODBC or JDBC:

1.	Open the database files.

To enable or change a file’s sharing status, you must open it with an account that has Manage extended privileges access privileges. See About accounts, privilege sets, and extended privileges for more information.

2.	Choose File menu > Sharing > Enable ODBC/JDBC.

The ODBC/JDBC Sharing Settings dialog box appears.

3.	For ODBC/JDBC Sharing, click On.

4.	Select the filename(s) to share from the list of open files.

Each FileMaker Pro database file can have one or more tables. FileMaker Pro fields are represented as columns. The complete field name, including any non-alphanumeric characters, displays as the column name.

Avoid using spaces in the field names of database files you intend to share via ODBC and JDBC, because some SQL query tools don’t allow spaces in column names.

5.	Choose which users can access the file:

 

Choose	To
All users	Provide access to users from any account.
Specify users by privilege set	Provide access to users with accounts assigned one of the selected privilege sets. Click Specify to select the privileges that accounts must have to access the shared database file. Accounts that need access to the database file require the fmxdbc extended privilege Access via ODBC/JDBC. Users may need to enter their account name and password, defined in the Manage Security dialog box, depending on the setting in the File Options dialog box (see Setting file options).
No users (the default setting)	Prevent any user from accessing the database using ODBC/JDBC.

6.	Repeat steps 3 - 5 for each database you want to publish.

7.	Click OK or choose additional settings.

Each FileMaker Pro database file that is open and set up for access is a separate data source (create a DSN for each individual FileMaker database file you want to access).

For details about supported SQL statements, expressions, Catalog functions, and client drivers, see FileMaker ODBC and JDBC Guide and FileMaker SQL Reference.

Note  In Windows, Microsoft Access can import only 32 or fewer fields at one time via ODBC from a FileMaker Pro database file.

Important  If you disable ODBC/JDBC sharing after it's already been on, FileMaker Pro stops serving data immediately. No errors are reported, and the client application must notify users that data is no longer available and transactions cannot be completed.

Related topics 

Using ODBC and JDBC with FileMaker Pro

Protecting databases