What is the OData Protocol?

With the rise in the availability of data, it is extremely important that we keep our data in a structured format as much as possible. Whether we choose to work on a mainframe, a mini, a server farm or a PC, a standardized API to deal with the data in a structured format is needed. If the data is relational, SQL provides a set of operations to query and also update it. However, not all data is relational. Further, not all relational data is exposed for use in processing SQL statements or on a wider perspective over the world-wide Internet.

OData is an open protocol for sharing data and exposing data as a web-friendly data feed. It provides you with a uniform way of representing structured data in Atom and JSON formats and a uniform URL for navigation, sorting, filtering, and paging data retrieved from a Data Service.

The official website for OData states:

"The Open Data Protocol (OData) is a Web protocol for querying and updating data that provides a way to unlock...