OData Services

OData | HTTP | ORM
OData (Open Data Protocol) is a standard for building APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that enable the creation and use of queryable and interoperable RESTful (Representational State Transfer) APIs in a simple and standardized way. It provides a unified way to deliver data from a variety of sources, such as databases, file systems, and cloud-based services, and allows clients to access that data using a consistent set of methods and conventions.

OData services can be used to provide and access data from a variety of sources such as relational databases, file systems, and cloud-based services. They can be used by a variety of clients, including web and mobile applications, and support a wide range of programming languages and platforms.

OData services are built on HTTP and can use a variety of formats such as Atom, JSON, and XML to represent data. They use a range of standardized query options, such as filtering, sorting, and paging, to enable clients to retrieve and manipulate data in a flexible and powerful way.

OData services are commonly used in the context of enterprise applications, where they provide a unified method for accessing and manipulating data from a variety of sources. They can also be used in developing custom APIs for specific purposes, such as disclosing data from a legacy system or integrating third-party services.

Some related technologies and tools commonly used with OData are:

Entity Framework: An object-relational mapping (ORM) framework for .NET that can be used to create OData services from a database.

Web API: A framework for creating HTTP services in .NET that can be used to create OData services.

Visual Studio: A development environment for building .NET applications that includes tools for creating OData services.

OData clients: libraries and tools for using OData services, such as the ODataClient for .NET or the odata-client library for JavaScript.

BITS experts have used OData Services in a variety of projects. A selection of case studies and references can be found below.