The most likely reason for attending a MapInfo training course is that you want to visualise and analyse your geographic data. Most people hold this sort of data on a database of some type and so here we'll walk you through the process of accessing your data held on a database.
1. Open the 'File' menu and choose the 'Open DBMS Connection' option from the menu.
2. The 'Select Data Source' dialogue box will open with 2 tabs. 'File Data Source', which will be open and 'Machine Data Source'. Choose the 'Machine Data Source' tab and then click the 'New' button.
3. The 'Create New Data Source' dialogue box will open ask you to choose either 'User Data Source' or 'System Data Source' - select 'User Data Source'. The 'Create New Data Source' dialogue box will open. Choose the driver for the type of database that you are connecting to - for this example Microsoft Access - and then click the 'Next' button and then the 'Finish' button.
4. The 'ODBC Microsoft Access Setup' dialogue box will appear. In this the 'Data Source Name' box allows you to explain which table the data has come from and the 'Description' box allows you to add further information regarding this data. Once you have completed those, click select and it will open the 'Select Database' dialogue box which will allow you to navigate to the folder which holds the database. If you have lots of database information remember to use the 'List Files of Type' drop down menu to make it simpler to find the information you are looking for. Click OK when you have selected the data, click OK again on the 'ODBC Microsoft Access Setup' dialogue box. Click OK again to close the 'Create New Data Source' dialogue box.
Your new data source is now available to you and so can be accessed as follows:
1. Open the 'File' menu and choose 'Open'. The quickest way to find you file is now to go to 'File of Type' and choose your file from the drop down menu. This will now connect you to the database. From the main area of the dialogue box highlight the table that you would like to work with and click the 'Open' button.
2. The 'Open DBMS Table Options' dialogue box will open. At this point if you click OK that table will be opened in the main MapInfo window. However this dialogue box offers a number of quick options so that you only import the data that you need into MapInfo.
3. The 'Column Filter' button will give you the option to choose only those columns that you want to use, and so not open all of the data in the table. The 'Row Filter' button gives you the option of filtering the data within those columns so that only rows with certain entries are opened - for example all records relating to one specific street, or city or named geographic area. If you are happy with writing SQL you can also click the 'SQL View' button and carry out your data sort there. Click 'OK' and your data will now show in the main MapInfo window.
This relatively simple process allows you to quickly open you data in MapInfo and start using all of the tools available to you.
Click here for further details of Acuity Training's MapInfo training courses.
1. Open the 'File' menu and choose the 'Open DBMS Connection' option from the menu.
2. The 'Select Data Source' dialogue box will open with 2 tabs. 'File Data Source', which will be open and 'Machine Data Source'. Choose the 'Machine Data Source' tab and then click the 'New' button.
3. The 'Create New Data Source' dialogue box will open ask you to choose either 'User Data Source' or 'System Data Source' - select 'User Data Source'. The 'Create New Data Source' dialogue box will open. Choose the driver for the type of database that you are connecting to - for this example Microsoft Access - and then click the 'Next' button and then the 'Finish' button.
4. The 'ODBC Microsoft Access Setup' dialogue box will appear. In this the 'Data Source Name' box allows you to explain which table the data has come from and the 'Description' box allows you to add further information regarding this data. Once you have completed those, click select and it will open the 'Select Database' dialogue box which will allow you to navigate to the folder which holds the database. If you have lots of database information remember to use the 'List Files of Type' drop down menu to make it simpler to find the information you are looking for. Click OK when you have selected the data, click OK again on the 'ODBC Microsoft Access Setup' dialogue box. Click OK again to close the 'Create New Data Source' dialogue box.
Your new data source is now available to you and so can be accessed as follows:
1. Open the 'File' menu and choose 'Open'. The quickest way to find you file is now to go to 'File of Type' and choose your file from the drop down menu. This will now connect you to the database. From the main area of the dialogue box highlight the table that you would like to work with and click the 'Open' button.
2. The 'Open DBMS Table Options' dialogue box will open. At this point if you click OK that table will be opened in the main MapInfo window. However this dialogue box offers a number of quick options so that you only import the data that you need into MapInfo.
3. The 'Column Filter' button will give you the option to choose only those columns that you want to use, and so not open all of the data in the table. The 'Row Filter' button gives you the option of filtering the data within those columns so that only rows with certain entries are opened - for example all records relating to one specific street, or city or named geographic area. If you are happy with writing SQL you can also click the 'SQL View' button and carry out your data sort there. Click 'OK' and your data will now show in the main MapInfo window.
This relatively simple process allows you to quickly open you data in MapInfo and start using all of the tools available to you.
Click here for further details of Acuity Training's MapInfo training courses.