jps services
  • Home Page
  • GIS Training Courses
    • QGIS Training Courses
    • ArcGIS Training Courses
    • MapInfo Pro Training Courses >
      • MapBasic Training Course
  • About
  • Blog

Customising MapInfo with the MapBasic programming language

16/4/2015

0 Comments

 
MapInfo offers several ways of customisation either through the application of Workspaces or through using the MapBasic programming language. Whilst both ArcGIS and QGIS favour Python for customisation of their respective systems MapInfo has always supplied MapBasic for this purpose. With MapBasic the creation of turn-key applications, utilities and extensions can add new functionality to MapInfo software.
MapInfo can be enhanced by developing programs to resolve problems such as repetitive tasks by using MapBasic. Until recently, MapInfo supplied MapBasic at an additional cost. However, recently a change of policy means you can now download the software without charge. The MapBasic development environment consists of a text editor, compiler and linker. If you decide to download MapBasic you can also access User and Reference guides to help with developing your own programs. If you have had some VisualBasic experience then MapBasic code will probably be fairly easy to understand. However, unlike VisualBasic, MapBasic does not have an IDE (integrated development environment). This means that creating dialogue boxes, buttons and other visual tools can involve additional work as thereis no way of knowing if you have correctly positioned them. This can often result in a trial and error approach to creating an interface. MapBasic can create dialogue boxes, drop down menus but only through code which also includes the necessary positional information. Having coded the interface you may have to readjust the position of the various elements several times to meet your requirements. This sometimes means compiling and then recompiling until you achieve your objective.
You can use MapInfo with VisualBasic and other programming languages which have an IDE. This would be an effective way to get round the problems of positioning controls when creating your dialogue boxes. Additionally, you could go onto the Pitney Bowes website and download an IDE which has been developed by a third party developer which has been specifically written as a MapBasic IDE. You can create your dialogue boxes in this IDE and then create the appropriate MapBasic dialogue code automatically. There are also many other features including colour coding within this IDE which makes coding MapBasic an easier proposition than the standard interface.

The availability of MapBasic as a free download together with the recent addition of a MapBasic IDE should encourage more MapInfo users to consider learning how to program in MapBasic and improve their experience of MapInfo software.







0 Comments

    Author

    Joe Short BSc has been involved with various mapping solutions for over twenty years.  If you are considering implementing a GIS  or have ArcGIS Pro, MapInfo Pro or QGIS training requirements, jps services would be happy to be of assistance to your organisation. 

    Archives

    April 2020
    March 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    March 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012

    Categories

    All
    Arc Gis
    Arcview
    Autodesk
    Cad
    Gis Training
    Local Government
    Mapbasic
    Mapinfo
    Quantum Gis
    Relational Databases
    Saga Gis

    RSS Feed