OData is a protocol for exchanging data over the Internet that was developed specifically for use in APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). Through its support for CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations, it enables developers to easily and efficiently provide and manage data through an API. The oData protocol facilitates interaction with databases and other data sources by providing a unified and standardized interface.
The OData model represented consists of logically related components that represent business data. This data can be queried via HTTP requests. The latest version of the OData Model, V4, was released in 2014 and has been continuously improved in the following years.
OData V2 and V4 – What are the differences?
OData V2 is an older but well-established standard used in many projects and provides a variety of features for basic operations. These include CRUD operations that refer to entities or groups of entities, batch requests for processing large amounts of data simultaneously, client-side filtering and sorting, caching for fast access, automatic message handling, and data output in JSON or XML format.
OData V4 offers improved performance and functionality as a newer version of the standard protocol. It has a more powerful query language, an optimized JSON protocol, and a modified metadata concept to reduce data volume. Many features that were available in V2 have been replaced with newer features or marked as deprecated.