Digitizing set up for multiple users?

[mark909]

Is it possible to set up a workspace that multiple users could open
from different desktops and digitize data onto the same .tab files?

I'm envisioning saving the .tab files as microsoft access .tab files
so theres the possibility that the same files could be opened and used
in microsoft access at the same time. I know you can set up microsoft
access in different ways to handle multiple users but I'm not sure
what the options available are with mapinfo.

Thanks for your help if anyone has experience doing this.

Cheers,

Mark

[Bill Thoen]

On 9/5/2011 1:13 PM, mark909 wrote:

Is it possible to set up a workspace that multiple users could open
from different desktops and digitize data onto the same .tab files?

I'm envisioning saving the .tab files as microsoft access .tab files
so theres the possibility that the same files could be opened and used
in microsoft access at the same time. I know you can set up microsoft
access in different ways to handle multiple users but I'm not sure
what the options available are with mapinfo.

From what I understand, the first MapInfo session that access the table locks the tab file and no other session  can write to it until the first one releases it.  There have been some pretty clever workarounds, I haven't heard much on the topic for over a couple of years now.

- Bill  Thoen

[Mats Elfström]

Hi Mark!
As a consultant, and faced with a request I know will be hard to fulfil, I like to ask: What do you want this for? What do you want to accomplish?
Because there may be another way of doing what meets the requirement.

If your goal is to digitize a lot of data by many people simultaneously, I'd definitely recommend dividing it into into workloads, and storing data from each workload to separate files. The tab files must of course be equivalent in terms of data fields and projection, in order to ultimately be able to merge them.
Another advantage of doing like this is that you have every chance to check each data set for errors and consistency before adding it to the whole.

I have also considered the possibility that you want to connect objects from adjacent map sheets or drawings during the digitizing process. I'm not quite sure off the top of my head, but I think MI Pro should be able to open adjacent sheets read-only, but not dynamically updated. That means you would be able to at least visually connect objects, but not be able to pick up and continue a line from one sheet to the other.
Unless someone can show how to work on the same tab file simultaneously, and resolve conflicts and so on, I'd say dividing the task and merging the data would be much easier.

Many assumptions here, but unless you have a requirement that explicitly demands simultaneous work on the same data set, I'd investigate the suggestion above.

Regards, Mats.E

2011/9/5 Bill Thoen <bth...@gisnet.com>

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[Peter Horsbøll Møller]

If you only are digitizing points you could setup MS Access to hold the entire table (attributes and spatial data) and create a table for each user connecting to the MS Access database using ODBC.

In this way multiple users can access and edit the data at the same time.

If your spatial data isn't limited to points I would recommend using a true spatial database, like SQL Server, PostgreSQL/PostGIS or Oracle. They all come in a free version.

However to use MS SQL Server and PostgreSQL/PostGIS you will need MI Pro 10.0 or newer.

Again you will have to connect to these databases thru ODBC (or OCI for Oracle) and create a table for each user.

Peter Horsbøll Møller
Pitney Bowes Business Insight - MapInfo

2011/9/6 Mats Elfström <mats.e...@gmail.com>

[mark909]

Thanks Mats thats one way i was thinking of acheiving it.

I'd have working .tab files and then would add the digitized
information to a master .tab file after each session.

[mark909]

Hello Peter,

This sounds very interesting but I only have prior experience with MS
Access.

My data consists of a combination of points, polylines and polygons so
this is a route i think would warrent further investigation.

I was wondering if what you describe is possible with SQL Server
express?

Also would i run into the same issue with the table being locked for
editing by one user?

Thanks for you help and advice.



On Sep 6, 6:57 am, Peter Horsbøll Møller <mapinf...@horsboll-

moller.dk> wrote:
> If you only are digitizing points you could setup MS Access to hold the
> entire table (attributes and spatial data) and create a table for each user
> connecting to the MS Access database using ODBC.
> In this way multiple users can access and edit the data at the same time.
>
> If your spatial data isn't limited to points I would recommend using a true
> spatial database, like SQL Server, PostgreSQL/PostGIS or Oracle. They all
> come in a free version.
> However to use MS SQL Server and PostgreSQL/PostGIS you will need MI Pro
> 10.0 or newer.
>
> Again you will have to connect to these databases thru ODBC (or OCI for
> Oracle) and create a table for each user.
>
> Peter Horsbøll Møller
> Pitney Bowes Business Insight - MapInfo
>

> 2011/9/6 Mats Elfström <mats.elfst...@gmail.com>

> > alt e-mail: mats.elfst...@telia.com

[Bo Victor Thomsen]

Hello Mark -

Actually, it is possible to arrange multi-user editing with MapInfo:

• Use a newish database system to store data, i.e. SQLServer 2008 r2 Express, PostGis/Postgres or Oracle
• Create a spatial enabled table in the database system
• Create a tab-file to access your database based table.
• And the final point: Each of your MapInfo users must use their own copy of the above mentioned tab file when editing the table.
  

Why it works:

• The database system has the necessary functions to control multi-user editing (if it's ACID compliant) . That includes spatial data.
• When a user opens a table for editing, MapInfo creates a number of intermediate files in the same directory where your tab file resides. It's the existence of these files that limits other users to read-only access to the table.
• A tab file for a database based table is just a "front-end" for the database table. And it's a single file. Once created, the tab file can be copied to another location or to another computer and still open the same database table.
  
• If a second (third..) user start editing the database table using his own copy of the tab file, the different users won't block each other, because the intermediate files is placed in different directories or under different names. 

Regards

Bo Victor Thomsen
Aestas
Denmark

[mark909]

Thanks Bo Ill look into it!

On Sep 6, 1:50 pm, Bo Victor Thomsen <bo.victor.thom...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hello Mark -
>
> Actually, it is possible to arrange multi-user editing with MapInfo:
>

>   * Use a newish database system to store data, i.e. SQLServer 2008 r2
>     Express, PostGis/Postgres or Oracle
>   * Create a spatial enabled table in the database system
>   * Create a tab-file to access your database based table.
>   * And the final point: Each of your MapInfo users must use their own

>     copy of the above mentioned tab file when editing the table.
>
> Why it works:
>

>   * The database system has the necessary functions to control

>     multi-user editing (if it's ACID compliant) . That includes spatial
>     data.

>   * When a user opens a table for editing, MapInfo creates a number of

>     intermediate files in the same directory where your tab file
>     resides. It's the existence of these files that limits other users
>     to read-only access to the table.

>   * A tab file for a database based table is just a "front-end" for the

>     database table. And it's a single file. Once created, the tab file
>     can be copied to another location or to another computer and still
>     open the same database table.

>   * If a second (third..) user start editing the database table using

>     his own copy of the tab file, the different users won't block each
>     other, because the intermediate files is placed in different
>     directories or under different names.
>
> Regards
>
> Bo Victor Thomsen
> Aestas
> Denmark
>
> Den 06-09-2011 14:03, mark909 skrev:
>
>
>
> > Hello Peter,
>
> > This sounds very interesting but I only have prior experience with MS
> > Access.
>
> > My data consists of a combination of points, polylines and polygons so
> > this is a route i think would warrent further investigation.
>
> > I was wondering if what you describe is possible with SQL Server
> > express?
>
> > Also would i run into the same issue with the table being locked for
> > editing by one user?
>
> > Thanks for you help and advice.
>

> > On Sep 6, 6:57 am, Peter Horsb�ll M�ller<mapinf...@horsboll-

> > moller.dk>  wrote:
> >> If you only are digitizing points you could setup MS Access to hold the
> >> entire table (attributes and spatial data) and create a table for each user
> >> connecting to the MS Access database using ODBC.
> >> In this way multiple users can access and edit the data at the same time.
>
> >> If your spatial data isn't limited to points I would recommend using a true
> >> spatial database, like SQL Server, PostgreSQL/PostGIS or Oracle. They all
> >> come in a free version.
> >> However to use MS SQL Server and PostgreSQL/PostGIS you will need MI Pro
> >> 10.0 or newer.
>
> >> Again you will have to connect to these databases thru ODBC (or OCI for
> >> Oracle) and create a table for each user.
>

> >> Peter Horsb�ll M�ller

> >> Pitney Bowes Business Insight - MapInfo
>

> >> 2011/9/6 Mats Elfstr�m<mats.elfst...@gmail.com>

> >>> Mats Elfstr�m, V�pplingv�gen 21, SE-227 38 LUND, Sweden

> >>> tel: +46 46 145959 / mob: +46 70 595 39 35
> >>> alt e-mail: mats.elfst...@telia.com
> >>>   --
> >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the
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> >>> To unsubscribe from this group, go to:
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> >>> archives, feature requests, to visit our Wiki, visit the Welcome page at

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> - Show quoted text -

[Søren Breddam]

Hi Mark,

I've got three users editing one table simultaneously with this little program: http://widepond.dk/Programmer/MultibrugerEdit/MultibrugerEdit.zip
The core functionality is to check out one or more records and then manipulate data or add records. The user then checks in the updated or created records when finished.
Please alter code if you need to translate or anything else. You can use the ini-file to specify path and table name.

Venligst/regards
Søren Breddam

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Emne: [MI-L] Re: Digitizing set up for multiple users?