OData (Open Data Protocol)
OData is the OASIS-standard REST protocol for queryable data APIs — URL conventions like $select, $filter, $expand, $orderby, $top, $skip that let clients shape responses server-side. SAP Gateway uses it across the enterprise landscape.
The query options
OData turns a REST resource into a queryable collection: $filter=Price gt 100 narrows rows, $select picks fields, $expand pulls related entities inline, $orderby sorts, and $top/$skip paginate. The server answers with JSON (V4) or JSON/XML (V2) plus an entity model described by the service’s $metadata document.
Version differences matter in the field: SAP’s installed base largely runs OData V2, where some operators differ (substringof instead of contains) and payload defaults lean XML — one of the reasons a builder that emits the right syntax for your version saves real debugging time.
Why SAP shops care
SAP Gateway exposes business objects — orders, materials, business partners — as OData services, making the protocol the de-facto integration language of the SAP estate. Our URL builder constructs queries interactively, and the two articles cover the query options and 40+ copy-paste $filter examples.
Related Standards
- •OASIS OData V4 — also ISO/IEC 20802
- •OData V2 — SAP Gateway prevalent version
Free Tools & Resources
Further Reading
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