TMS Softare, LLC, d/b/a Taylor Made Services This is the Home page for the OData Scripting FileMaker Solution. Visit our Business home page at www.tms.us Download the latest version from TMS Templates.

TMS Software, LLC, developed this app for the Claris Community. It is a FileMaker solution using scripts that interact with a FileMaker Server with OData API to run FileMaker scripts.

OData is short for "Open Data Protocol", which is an open standard method of querying data developed by Microsoft. FileMaker supports retrieving OData as well as FileMaker Server serving up OData. OData is is similar to FileMaker's RESTful Data API, but slightly different. There are no tokens in OData and OData handles larger data sets better that the Data API. You can access not only other databases, you can access OData databases on the same FileMaker Server as well as even the same database you are using. FileMaker Pro can retrieve OData information, but only FileMaker Server can serve up OData information.

Why did I make this template? I had a lot of Data API experience. At the [Full Access] summer conference, Claris staff recommended focusing future development on OData. OData is a Microsoft API standard that has been gaining in popularity. It seems to be a more common connectivity between databases, which falls into some of the needs that I have. Among other things, FileMaker Servers cannot connect and see other FileMaker servers over it's standard FMP protocols. However, they can exchange information using OData. Lastly, OData also can be used to run scripts with parameters and script results.

While there are numerous examples and good documentation about FileMaker and OData, it is unusual for them to show how to interact with a FileMaker script. The main purpose for this template was to give an example of how to call, run and return data via a FileMaker script. As a FileMaker developer, there are many more things I can do with a script than basic API "CRUD" calls, and this was important to for various reasons. For example, allowing an external call to a script that runs in [Full Access] and for which I control with in a script while not necessarily giving the same credentials access to all of the same tables that a [Full Access] script can.

As of 2026, it appears that Claris is focusing more future software development on OData than the RESTful Data API. The Data API is most commonly used with web sites and is generally optimized for small traffic. The Data API also requires token management where you use credentials to get a token and then use the token until it expires, having to code for token failure, and the refresh new tokens. OData includes the credentials each time, but also removes token management. Another apparent advantage of OData is that it manages larger data sets better than the Data API.

The included Scripts are:

• Run a Script
• Get Everything
• Get Specific Fields
• Query
• Create Record
• Delete Record
• Update Record

We hope this solution can assist you in your business process needs!

The solution was prepared as freeware released to the FileMaker community. TMS Software, LLC retains the rights to the code, but asks that if you make use of it, you give us appropriate credit. And if you need assistance in implementing this solution, our consulting services are available and you can contact us at www.tms.us or 877-709-7072.

This software was developed by Taylor Sharpe, FMCD, the President and owner of TMS Software, LLC, a Claris Partner and certified developer. He is also the Co-Chapter Coordinator of the FileMaker Pro Users Group of Dallas. You can contact Mr. Sharpe at Taylor@tms.us