Navigation Properties and $expand in FileMaker OData

Beginner

Use OData navigation properties to traverse FileMaker relationships and fetch related data in a single request.

What you'll learn

  • What OData navigation properties are in FileMaker context
  • How to use $expand to include related records
  • Filtering and selecting within expanded navigation properties
  • Limitations of $expand with complex FileMaker relationships

OData supports navigation properties -- links between entity types that correspond to FileMaker relationships. With $expand, you can include related records in a single OData response instead of making separate requests for each related table. Understanding how FileMaker relationships appear as OData navigation properties is key to writing efficient queries.

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Navigation properties in $metadata

Navigation properties appear in the $metadata document as NavigationProperty elements. They correspond to FileMaker relationships. Not all relationships are exposed -- FileMaker OData exposes direct table relationships that have a corresponding relationship in the relationship graph.

JSON
// In $metadata:
<NavigationProperty Name="Orders"
  Type="Collection(MyDB.Orders)"
  Nullable="false">
  <ReferentialConstraint Property="ContactID"
    ReferencedProperty="ContactID"/>
</NavigationProperty>
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