1 Topic by DBRC

  • DBRC
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  • Registered: 05-12-2008
  • Posts: 14

Topic: MapInfo question

I have records of many different species in separate GIS layers. I usually have to open 30 layers to see them all, though potentially I could need to open up to 200 Tab files. I'm told there's no easy way to select ALL the point data in a given area from ALL the layers at once and export ALL the underlying record data to a single file.

But is that right? Life's to short to do it one layer at a time.

I'm using MapInfo 11.5 and wonder if later version can do stuff that earlier versions couldn't.

Nick Moyes
Lowland Derbyshire Biodiversity Projects Officer (p/t)

2 Reply by ser

  • ser
  • ser
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  • From: Staffordshire Ecological Recor
  • Registered: 24-09-2008
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Re: MapInfo question

Nick,

MI 11.5 is near enough the latest version (actually 11.5.3). I don't know of a way within MapInfo to do what you need, however, I think it would be relatively simple to write a MapBasic routine to automate the process of opening up all the layers and exporting their data, it would only need a list of the tables to open and a simple loop to open the file and export the data (I think, not actually done it myself)

Craig

Craig Slawson
Staffordshire Ecological Record

ser's Website

3 Reply by Gordon Barker

  • Gordon Barker
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  • Registered: 15-05-2006
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Re: MapInfo question

I would combine all the tab files into one and write a simple query that extracted the data you needed. provided you include an attribute for species name, this should be very easy

Gordon Barker
Biological Survey Data Manager
National Trust

4 Reply by RobLarge

  • RobLarge
  • RobLarge
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  • From: Wiltshire
  • Registered: 15-07-2008
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Re: MapInfo question

Don't know whether you have any programming experience, or if you have access to anyone who has, but MapBasic is pretty easy to learn and use. It is freely downloadable from the MapInfo website and someone with an understanding of BASIC-type programming languages should be able to get working with it pretty quickly.

Then in MapInfo, if you open the MapBasic Window (from the Options menu) and then open all the layers you need & carry out the sequence of actions you require. The instructions needed to make it happen will be displayed in the mapbasic window & you can copy these to form the basis of the Mapbasic programme.

If you don't have access to a prgrammer, try googling MapBasic Tools. There are a number of websites with lists of programmes people have written and there may be one which does what you ned.

Rob Large
Wildlife Sites Officer
Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre

RobLarge's Website

5 Reply by AndyFoy

  • AndyFoy
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  • Registered: 09-08-2006
  • Posts: 219

Re: MapInfo question

Hi Nick

If you would like any help let me know as I am a MapBasic developer and can sort this for you fairly quickly (I am now a freelancer so I do have to charge).

Regards
Andy

Andy Foy
Systems Manager
Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL) CIC
www.gigl.org.uk