MapInfo Fundamentals

Beginner Learning for

Evercore Partners
Presentation Center Staff

Presented by PresGuru Training

Copyright 2010, Presentation Guru, All Rights Reserved

MapInfo Fundamentals

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
1. What is MapInfo? Not The Average Application
2. Core Components
a. What is a Table? Overview of a Tables Files .Tab, .Dat, .Map, .Id and .Ind
b. What is a Workspace?
c. File Organization Using Template Folders
3. Creating Points Maps
a. Methodology for Creating a Map: 8 Steps to Remember When Mapping
b. Geocode
c. Create Points
d. Thematic Mapping
e. Cleaning up Data for Thematic Mapping
f. Labeling Points
4. Creating Regions Maps
a. What is SQL?
b. Creating Simple QueriesFiltering US State Regions

c. Creating Two Part QueriesFiltering US County Regions

5. Additional Practice Exercises
Workbook Exercises List:
Number

Description

Page(s)

Working with Various Windows (Views)

Creating a Point Map Using Geocode, Part 1

1418

Manually Plot a Point, Part 2

1920

Creating a Point Map Using Geocode

2124

Creating a Thematic Map Using Create Points

2629

Creating a Thematic Map Using Create Points

3032

Adding Labels to Points on an Existing Map

Creating a Region MapUS States

3740

Creating a Region MapUS Counties

4140

PresGuru Training

Evercore Partners

33

MapInfo Fundamentals

Section 1

What is MapInfo
In this section, you will learn to:
Describe how the MapInfo application works
Identify the differences between MapInfo and other software
Recognize and apply basic MapInfo terminology
What MapInfo Is
MapInfo is a GIS (Geographic Information System) desktop mapping software that can
create a wide range of maps, from state shading maps to point maps, to customized
region and line maps (such as counties), statistical market areas, telecom network lines
and more.
MapInfo can use imported information (or data) from various sources, as long as it is in
database (dB) form. Maps are created from the most common types of databases, such
as a client address database. Maps can be created using a client's street address, city and
state or zip code.
There are two ways to visualize GIS dataraster maps and vector maps. For the most
part, raster maps usually fuse satellite photos or aerial pictures with spatial data. Vector
maps, on the other hand, are derived entirely from spatial data that are represented by
points, polygons and lines.

Raster Map Example

Vector Map Example

GIS mapping is widely used by several industries including Security, Law Enforcement
agencies, Telecom, Retail companies, the Federal Government and Environmental
agencies, just to name a few.
What MapInfo is Not
Most new MapInfo users have been known to say, MapInfo isn't user-friendly or
MapInfo isn't an intuitive application. In the beginning, this is undoubtedly true, given
the years that an operator may have been using insightful software such as Word or
PowerPoint which are world-renowned applications known for ease of use, detailed help
files, and a vast pool of internet resources including video tutorials and books. They are
PresGuru Training

Evercore Partners

MapInfo Fundamentals

Section 1

user-reliant, requiring user input for an immediate effect such as entering a sentence,
bolding a word, drawing a box or diagram.
On the other hand, MapInfo (MI) is a method-based software that requires a user to
build or arrive at a solution(s) using one or more databases of geographic and statistical
data. While it has been slated a desktop application, most of MapInfo's primary and most
powerful features are analytical in nature. From this perspective, it is very similar to
Excel and dBase, which are also database-driven applications.
MI's inclusion of the geographic aspect is what differentiates it. With Excel, for instance,
when you need to create a chart, you must answer these basic questions:
1) What type of chart is being created?
2) What data is used to create the chart?
However, when you are given a submission to create a map, you are given basic
information such as the region of the map, the type of map to be created and a
submission of data. Before you can create the map, you answer one or all of these basis
questions:
1) Can I create the map with the data available?
2) If unavailable, can the data be bought, found or created?
3) What region template is required?
4) Based on the type of data submitted, what MapInfo function must be used to create
the map, and
5) What reference data must be used?
Overall, the creation of a map is more involved and requires a meticulous processing
methodology. Initially, it may seem profound, but over time and with practice, it will be a
piece of cake.
Most Common Types of MapInfo Maps
MapInfo can create a variety of maps and can be used to perform a wide range of data
analyses. The most of the vector maps created by MapInfo are:

Point Map Example

PresGuru Training

Line Map Example

Evercore Partners

Region Map Example

MapInfo Fundamentals

Section 1

Basic Glossary of Terms: How MapInfo Interprets Data

Browser Window

A tabular view of a table. Similar to a spreadsheet, it contains rows

and columns of information.

Layout Window

Use to arrange one or more windows on one pagesimilar to laying

out a page in PowerPoint. A layout window can be exported as an
.emf for insertion into other applications.

Map Window

A visual view of a table's geographic and graphic information.

Another name for a map window is mapper or view. If a table does
not have geographic information, this option will not be available.

Mapper

Another MapInfo term for a map window or map view, the visual
view of a table's geographic and graphic information.

Table

A set of data that contains geographic and non-geographic

information. If a table does not have geographic information, it can
not be opened as a map window.

View

One of MapInfos terms for a tables window.

layout are all types of views.

Workspace

A feature that saves the table information and formatting of map and
layout window arrangements used during a mapping session.

Browser, map and

Browser Window Example

Map Window Example

Layout Window Example

Window | New Browser Window

or (F2)

Window | New Map Window

or (F3)

Window | New Layout Window

or (F5)

PresGuru Training

Evercore Partners

MapInfo Fundamentals

Section 2

Core Components
In this section, you will learn to:
Identify and explain the associated files of a table
Open and close tables
Open and close views
Identify the properties of a workspace
Identify the components of standalone template folder
Identify the components of a linked template folder
What is a MapInfo Table?
Tables are the core source of information for all of MapInfos functions. Fully functioning
MapInfo tables will consist of at least 2, but not more than 5 files. If there is a .tab, but
no .dat file, the .tab file is linked to a Excel file. The five file extensions are .tab, .dat,
.map, .id and .ind. The diagram below further explains the function of each.

.IND
This file is created when
a field/column of a table
is selected to be
searchable

.TAB
This file is an ID file which
holds the application information
specific to MapInfo

.MAP

.DAT

This file is created when

there are map window(s)
saved within the
workspace

This file contains the

data of a table

.ID
This file is created when
there are both .DAT and
.MAP files saved within the
workspace file

MapInfo tables can be exported and used in other database applications such as Excel and
dBase.

PresGuru Training

Evercore Partners

MapInfo Fundamentals

Section 2

Opening a MapInfo Table

File | Open is used to open existing tables. On the Open Table dialog box, the Preferred
View option determines how the table information is displayed. The options are:
Automatic

Automatic will open the table as a map window, if there is no window

open. If there is a map window(s) open, it will open the table into the
current/active map window. If there is no geographic information, the
table will automatically open in browser view.

Browser

Displays a table in a spreadsheet-like view.

Current Map

Adds the geographic information contained in the table into the current
map window.

New Mapper

Creates a new map window for the geographic information contained in a

table. The newly opened window will be independent from any other map
window.

No View

Opens the table, but does not create a view

Note:

Closing a browser window for a table using the windows close button does not
close the table within the workspace. A table remains open and available for use
until it is closed using File | Close Table

Exercise 1 provides hands-on practice for working with tables and their associated
views.

PresGuru Training

Evercore Partners

MapInfo Fundamentals

Section 2

Exercise 1: Working with Various Windows (Views)

1

Launch MapInfo: (Start > Programs > MapInfo) When MapInfo is first opened a
Quick Start box with four options appears Select Open a Table, the Open dialog
box opens. [If MapInfo is already open, and the Quick Start box has been closed,
Select File | Open (CTRL+O)]

Opening a Browser view: On the Open dialog box, select the Preferred View drop
down list Select Browser (Files of Type should be MapInfo.tab) Open the
US48.TAB

Open a Map View: Select Window | New Map Window (F3). It is a visual view
of the geographic data.

View the Entire Map Layer: Select Map | View Entire Layer. The View Entire
Layer dialog box opens with the default selection, All Layers, active Click Ok
View Entire Layer will show all the geographic and graphic information attached to a
table in the active map window.

Opening Additional Views: Select Window | New Browser Window (F2) to

open a new browser window Select Window | New Map Window (F3) to open a
new map window

Closing the Map View: Select one of your map windows to make it the active
window Click the windows close button. Repeat this step for the other map
window
Note:

Closing the Browser View: Now that all your map windows are closed, one of the
browser windows will be active Close both of the browser windows. Use the
windows close button

Note:

When a map window is closed, all formatting will be lost. You cannot
restore a map window to a specific condition; a new map window must be
opened and the formatting reapplied.

Closing a browser or map window using the windows close

button does not close the table from the current session. A
table is open and available for use until it is closed using
File | Close Table

Closing A Table: Select File | Close Table.

listing the open tables Click Close

PresGuru Training

The Close Table dialog box appears

Evercore Partners