OData is a Web-based data access protocol for requesting and updating data. OData applies and builds upon Web technologies such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Atom Publishing Protocol (AtomPub), and JavaScript® Object Notation (JSON) to provide access to information from a variety of applications, services, and data stores. OData may be used to expose and access information from a variety of sources including, but not limited to, relational databases, file systems, content management systems and traditional Web sites.
Software applications can be written to support OData access. However, doing so often requires a native programming solution that is specific to a particular mobile platform such as Android or iOS. To implement OData functionality, platform specific code must be written for each platform on which an application is to be deployed. One alternative is to write the application as a Web application, using a common JavaScript library that provides cross-platform OData access. However, such Web applications may not perform as well as native software applications and can sometimes have compatibility problems. Therefore, a need exists for a way to enable applications to be created in a platform-independent manner while also providing OData functionality.