Questions about opening SQL Server tables

[Hank Finley]

Hi there,

just wondering if it is possible to open SQL Server tables in MapInfo or MapBasic without the creation of a *.tab file.

If so, how?

If not, is there a suggested path to save these files to (client or server-side) and do most people clean up after the table is closed?

Kind regards

Hank

[Hayden Fisher]

Been having some trouble posting stuff, can anyone see this?

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[Peter Horsbøll Møller]

Hi Hayden

 

We see you 😊

 

Let me start with a simple answer: No, you will need a tab file when opening up data from SQL Server into MapInfo Pro.

A tab file has always been the placeholder that MapInfo Pro uses when referring data, any data.

 

I think organization do this in different ways.

 

1. Some use linked tables to get a good performance from the dataset in MapInfo Pro.

That is useful when data changes rarely (daily, weekly, monthly) or it’s not that crucial if you have to latest data.

Some organization have centralized scripts that refresh these linked tables over night when the data in the database has been updated.

 

2. For more dynamically changing datasets, you can use a live table which will fetch the data from the database when you open the data.

This will often be slower than a linked table as data is being fetched from the database and then stored in a temporary cache file locally.

If you run queries on your data, I will not recommend this approach.

 

The benefit of a tab file, is that you can reference this in a workspace and so store your project with a reference to data from a database.

 

If you are building a tool through MapBasic, as an example, you can help your users manage the data access and help them query out the data they need for a specific project.

In these cases, I’d save the tab file(s) in the temp folder

 

Not sure if I did answer your question the way you wanted

 

Peter

 

—

Peter Horsbøll Møller

Principal Sales Engineer - Distinguished Engineer

Precisely.com

 

From: mapi...@googlegroups.com <mapi...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Hayden Fisher
Sent: Friday, 19 August 2022 07.19
To: MapInfo-l <mapi...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [MI-L] Questions about opening SQL Server tables

 

This message originated Externally. Use proper judgement and caution with attachments, links, or responses.

 

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[Hayden Fisher]

Thanks Peter, 

Heh heh 😅 

that helps a lot. Yes using MapBasic to extend MIPro for some infrastructure management tools.

What methods are others doing to handle concurrency with multiple users?

Using the same tables at the same time and using some locking mechanism or creating two separate folders for seperate tab files and then upon commiting having some sort of conflict resolution?

Does the web client work in the same fashion, as far as tab files? Not sure what it is called... MapX.

Lastly is the web client just a viewer or can you add and edit geometries much the same as in Pro?

Kind regards Hayden

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[Peter Horsbøll Møller]

Hi

 

I would really urge you to use a local storage for the files that your users need to edit.

In this way, each user will have her own local table and MapInfo Pro will not lock a common table for all users but the first.

 

When the user is ready to save, MapInfo Pro will use the built-in synchronization to check if the record being sent to the database for update, has been edited on the database side.

If so, another user will have edited the exact same record, and the user will be asked to decide what to do.

This Conflict Resolution will even allow the user to only update parts of the edits, say values in a single column for the record

 

For a web client I would recommend having a look at the more modern Spectrum Spatial platform.

It comes with an out of the box webGIS-application called Spectrum Spatial Analyst.

 

Here the data access to database is handled through connection in the repository and tab files are not needed

 

You can also use MapXtreme, a .NET based SDK. This might also be an option if you want to avoid having local tab files.

MapXtreme can be deployed as a desktop application or via the web.

But it’s an SDK where you will have to build the interface yourself

 

You can edit data through Spectrum Spatial Analyst and through a MapXtreme application too

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[Hayden Fisher]

Hi Peter,

I know it was a lot. Thank you for all that!

Kind regards H

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