I'm trying to decide if using ODBC will be helpful for a small project I just got. What I've been doing up to now is programmatically creating CSV files and importing those. Using this roundabout technique, I get the level of control I need in Filemaker.
However, using ODBC, what I think is correct is that I have two choices:
ODBC import or
Doing some kind of SQL that would update MySQL (in this case).
So, what I want to do is run a query and get the value of that SELECT statement and use that (say, from a SET VARIABLE statement) to update a field. I don't have any MySQL tables in the relationship graph.
Note: Trying to add a table to the RG doesn't work either since at least the Actual driver expects you to have a primary key before you can add a table to the RG (MySQL doesn't impose this restriction). Thus, this table (which I cannot modify as it's client data) can not, as I see it, be added to the RG.
Am I confused or is ODBC too limited for what I'm trying to do?
You're right, you have the Import script step for get data into filemaker and the Execute SQL script step for pushing data to the sql-db if you don't add it as external source.
If your query just returns a single value, use a global field as import target and then post process the field value.
For multiple values (rows, columns) you'd need a table to import to, or create a stored procedure on the sql-db, that returns the result as a text/json object, call it with the Import step into a global and post process the result.
I do quite a bit this way with mssql-dbs, works rock solid.
I use also the sp/import construct to create/sync records to the sql-db, getting the primary keys of the sql-tables back for later updates/deletes.
Yeah, I'll stick with my current approach since it's free and really doesn't take very much time -- just an intermediate CSV creation. I was just hoping ODBC work for my case.
The drivers get installed in /Library/ODBC, there are also two config files odbc.ini and odbcinst.ini at the same location, just remove the actual parts from them.
I'm worried that if I go removing items from /Library/ODBC that the machine might have a problem. Are you sure this will work? Have you done it yourself? Thanks.
I haven't done it, but don't see any danger for the machine. Just zip the ODBC content before so you can go back. As long you don't use a odbc connection, those drivers do nothing.
The Actual drivers come with an installer/ configuration tool. All you need to do is complete the fields. The installer includes connectivity tests. No headache, It just works.
I didn't see that. I was just install. No options. Could you be referring to a previous version?
I tried unchecking all the drivers and running the installer, but that didn't do anything - all the drivers were still in /Library/ODBC.
Thanks
