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  • 1.  Table catalogue or directory

    Posted 02-22-2024 09:30

    We have several teams that use MapInfo. On a day to day basis they each have their own workspace that contains their own data. From time to time they will need to access another team's data or some other reference layer or base map.

    If we add every possible table they might ever need to their workspace it makes it unwieldly and slow to open as it seems it has to scan every table even if not visible.

    The tables are located within a file system that is not currently very user friendly to navigate.

    Does anyone have a solution as to how to sign post where these tables are located? Some kind of catalogue or directory that doesn't rely on the file dialog?

    I have looked at the FavoriteMaps addon, but I'm not sure that is suited to list a large number of tables. A CSW server is probably overkill and I haven't managed to find a working one to see if it would do the job.

    Many thanks!



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    Tom Parker
    GIS Officer
    Cambridgeshire County Council
    Huntingdon
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  • 2.  RE: Table catalogue or directory

    Employee
    Posted 03-05-2024 01:57

    I agree, Tom, the FavoriteMaps add-in is probably mostly useful for a smaller handful of tables, say the base maps.

    I know we have partners who have built custom add-ins for MapInfo for this exact purpose: to make it easy for users to add layers to their maps. This would typically be in the form of a dialog where the layers/tables are grouped into categories allowing the user to either go through the categories or even search for a specific table.

    With a single click, the layer would be added to the map, even with some default layer settings too.



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    Peter Horsbøll Møller
    Principal Presales Consultant | Distinguished Engineer
    Precisely | Trust in Data
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  • 3.  RE: Table catalogue or directory

    Posted 05-03-2024 10:05

    Hallo, Tom,

    yes, we do something like Peter suggests, whereby we have some dropdown menus created in MapBasic that directly open Workspaces, Tables, or directories from which the user can open a chosen table.  The user does not need to know any directory information as the program takes care of that.  Of course, someone has had to code in all the relevant Workspaces, Tables, and directories in the first place, but at least you have a central "pointer" so if file locations change, you can redirect to them in the program.

    Alan.



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    A Oliver
    Geospatial Anayst
    West Midland Police
    BIRMINGHAM
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  • 4.  RE: Table catalogue or directory

    Employee
    Posted 05-07-2024 04:05

    This looks quite comprehensive, Alan.

    Is this a tool you have developed and maintain in-house?



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    Peter Horsbøll Møller
    Principal Presales Consultant | Distinguished Engineer
    Precisely | Trust in Data
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Table catalogue or directory

    Posted 05-07-2024 10:22

    Yes, developed and maintained in house.  I can't really take any credit, though, as it's mainly my manager's work.  We have a set of menus to make it easier to access maps and data, and a set that do "spatial" and computational things.  For a user who may use MapInfo only once a week, or less, as just one of the many tools they use,and so are not familiar with what may seem simple techniques, if we can assist them with tools that guide them through a process, such as a points in polygons search, then that makes their day that bit better.

    What we haven't been able to work out yet is how to get the menus looking nice on a Ribbon.  They still appear under Legacy, but they are available, and that's the important bit.

    Our team creates and administers the data, and the user doesn't need to know where it resides, but just where to go to in the menus.

    Here's one of our Tools menus.

    Alan.



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    A Oliver
    Geospatial Anayst
    West Midland Police
    BIRMINGHAM
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Table catalogue or directory

    Posted 05-08-2024 01:34

    Very nice, but you are missing an l in Wolverhampton !



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    Uffe Kousgaard
    CEO
    ROUTEWARE
    Roskilde
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    Original Message