Exel to Mapinfo Section13

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N. Importing data into MapInfo, prior to creating athematic map

Earlier sections of this course manual have shown you how to open raster and vector map

boundary files within MapInfo map windows. This section describes how to create a

thematic map.

As discussed, MapInfo initially arrives as an empty package all boundary files and data

sets have to be imported into the GIS package and linked to each other.

A thematic map may

portray data that has been

aggregated to a set

geographical level, for

example ward, PCT orLocal Authority.

For example, a thematic

map using Index of

Multiple deprivation

quintile rankings is shown

to the right. To build this

map, IMD 2000 data has

been imported into

MapInfo from excel, and

linked to geographical wards contained within a MapInfo boundary file.

Building such a map is thus a two stage process the following section demonstrates how

to first import aggregated data files into MapInfo, and then to build a thematic map

picture.

Importing tables of information into MapInfo from Excel

Excel tables of aggregated or point data - for example, showing ward level SMRs or the

point location of GP Practices - can be imported straight into MapInfo

These excel spreadsheets need to include a field or column of data which contains a

geographical code (eg a ward), which matches/links to the code used within a boundary

map file. Point data files need to contain two columns of 6 figure x and y grid reference

co-ordinate data. MapInfo recognises 6 digit x and y co-ordinate parts as referring to a 1

metre point location using the British National Grid.

Note : Having created your excel spreadsheet, with all required columns of data, and

rows of information filled in, save it as an excel version 4 worksheet (not 3D workbook).

Earlier versions of MapInfo have problems understanding 3D worksheets.

The following section describes how both data types are imported into MapInfo.

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Importing aggregated spreadsheet data into MapInfo

Within MapInfo, choose the main menu

option File open table, go to the

subdirectory containing your data,

and choose the excel (or otherspreadsheet etc choice) file type option.

click on the individual file you want to

import, and click OK.

Choose the named range other option

now presented, and manually change the A1

reference to A2. This assumes that the top

row of your spreadsheet contains your table

column header information.

Finally, tickthe box saying 'use row above

selected range'

Note : it is always best to have only one

header row in your imported excel

spreadsheet (otherwise you will have to

adapt the import range accordingly.

Your aggregated data file will now open as a new data window in MapInfo. It should

look something like the following (ie very similar to the excel spreadsheet it came from):

In this example, the ward code which links excel data to a boundary file map is in the

leftmost column. Other columns present description data, or data for thematic mapping.

Alternatively, point data can be imported into MapInfo

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Importing individual point data into MapInfo

Again, within MapInfo, choose the

main menu option File open table,

go to the subdirectory containing your

data, and choose the excel (or otherspreadsheet etc choice) option

click on the file you want to import,

and click OK.

Choose the other range option now

presented, and manually change the A1 cell

to A2. This assumes that the top row of

your spreadsheet contains your table

column header information.

Finally, tickthe box saying 'use

row above selected range'

Note : it is always best to have only one

header row in your imported excel

spreadsheet (otherwise you will have to

adapt the import range accordingly).

Your table now opens as a new browser

window. Whilst the MapInfo browser data table looks similar to that of an aggregate

data file, your point data file requires to be additionally linked to a co-ordinate system,namely the British National Grid.

Use the main menu option table

create points to link the

x and y column co-

ordinates of your

imported file to MapInfo.

Select the projection,

British co-ordinate

system, British national grid. Yourtable should now automatically appear

in a new map window, or, can be added to any

open map window, using the layer control

menu.

Using this example, your data file already has x and y co-ordinates provided. As long as

your x and y co-ordinate columns each contain six digits - which informs MapInfo that a

1 metre co-ordinate grid reference has been chosen - your point maps should open

automatically in MapInfo. Linking postcodes to co-ordinates in Access is detailed later.

Adapting data tables within MapInfo

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The tables that you have imported

into, or created within MapInfo, can

be adapted as required.

To add new columns to a table, youneed to modify the table structure.

To do this use the main menu

option

table maintenance

table structure.

From the listing offered, choose the maplayer you want to add data to. This brings

up a further menu on the screen, which

offers you several choices regarding how to

change the table layout.

The modify table structure menu,

Enables you to add ordelete/remove

"fields" (or columns) of information,

and to reorder them. From the field

information section, you can tell

MapInfo whether a column is a text

field, an integer, how long it should

be, give it a name, and so on.

For example, within a finalised,

modified or extended table structure you might wish to change ward codes or PCG/PCT

names linking to each ward, once administrative boundaries have changed.

Viewing the contents of a table

By clicking on the new browser button on the main MapInfo menu,

your spreadsheet like table appears on the screen, which details all the

column and row information linked to the map layers you are working with.

The contents of this map table may either be :

viewed on the PC screen as a spreadsheet like table

analysed within MapInfo

presented on a map as a thematic or point theme

analysed and downloaded to a spreadsheet for use in a separate software package.

Exporting files from MapInfo to Excel or Access

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Tables adapted or created within MapInfo can readily be used within other software

packages. For example, as shown in the final course session, where a set of data is

selected using buffers within MapInfo for example highlighting patients living within 2

miles of a GP practice this new table of information may be exported into excel or a

database.

Using the main menu structure,

file save copy as, your table

can be saved as a database .DBF

file extension. This will open

immediately within an excel

spreadsheet, or in Access.

O. Creating a thematic map within MapInfo

A number of types of thematic map can be produced within MapInfo. Typically used

health GIS thematic maps include range maps, individual area maps, pie chartsand bar

charts. Examples of each are shown within the appendices.

The following diagrams show how to create a range map you can try the other options

in your working examples sessions. A typical example of a range map is to look at

variations in age standardised mortality ratios across say a Health Authority. Using such

ratios, for example taken from the NHSE NW Small Area database tables, the average

score across a geographical area is 100. The range map is used to highlight (or visualise)geographical variations in ratios around this average. For example, ranges could be pre

set to highlight wards whose scores were under 75, 76-100, 101-125, above 125, etc.

There are several stages to go through in creating a thematic range map.

Firstly, within a new MapInfo session, as previously shown, first open the vector map file

(a boundary map) and data file (data relating to map) you want to work with. In this

case, file open table has been used to open

a ward boundary file and an excel data

table containing IMD2000 data values.

The thematic map procedure will link thetwo files together and build a map on

screen within MapInfo.

Your PC MapInfo screen should show the

chosen vector boundary layer within a new

map window, such as shown on the right.

Now commence the map-data linkage

process.

Within the main menu options click on map create thematic map

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The following screen will appear.

This screen presents you with the options of selecting a range map, or any of the other

types listed. In this case, range has been chosen.

A variety of colour

options are now

presented.

You can experiment

with a wide variety of

thematic colour, shade

and style options. It

is best to stick to one

standard grouping,

and to chose a visually

appealing colour

scheme.

Click on next, to go to the second step of the process.

From the table option, select the

map boundary file you want to link

data to. If you have a number of map

files open, all will be presented within

the pull down arrow box.

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Next, using the field option menu bar,

you need to select the column of data

you want to map, from the table this

data is contained within (again, several

tables may be open at once).

To do this procedure, you need to

undertake a thematic join.

As shown in the right side example,

scroll down to thejoin option.

This option automatically now brings up the following screen.

Click on thejoinbutton next to get

value from table.

This command

opens an additional

menu box, which

allows you to link

the columns to be

joined between the

map and data tables.

MapInfo may state

that it cannot

automatically calculate a table join. If so, click OK. Choose the identical column or

field of data from each of your two tables where ward codes are identical. The relevant

field or column of data has been selected from each table. Select the correct columns and

click on OK.

The thematic menu box now

allows you to select the

column you want to analyseand display thematically.

In this example, a table

column summarising

IMD2000 scores has been

selected. The ward code

within the IMD2000 table

links to ward codes on the

chosen map.

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The final step of the thematic join

enables you to customise how data is

presented on your final map. Final

data ranges, colour and shade styles

and legends can all be adapted, as

required.

Each of the range, style and legend

button menus offer further map

refinements. They present option

menu boxes as shown below.

The range box has chosen the custom

data option. This enables, for

example, equal range groupings to be

set.

Colours can be varied by clicking on

the colour option sub boxes.

Legends can be changed as required.

Try experimenting with

different options.

Click on OKfor each separate sub menu option.

MapInfo now takes you back to the final stage main menu bar, as follows. Finally, click

OKto complete your thematic map options.

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Your completed thematic map will now appear

on screen. This map can be saved as a workspace,

resized, and laid out on a layout map page for

printing as shown earlier in this course guide.

Remember, that in order to save your completed map, you need to do the following.

From the main menu, click on file save workspace.

P. Labels and legends

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Labelling your map

Once your new thematic map layers have been built on screen within MapInfo, you can

label your window maps with textual, and/or numeric information. Text labels willautomatically appear on both the screen map and the final printed map.

For example, whilst the above map shows coloured ward areas describing a particular

theme, it does not give you any information about, for example, the ward names or codes,

or the data values for each ward.

Click on either the map layer control menu option, or the

layer control short cut mini icon button, to adapt your

main map view.

Within the layer control menu

box, first highlight the layer of

information you want to present

information for (in this example

adding ward names), then tick

the labelbox.

Now click on the label button.

Choose which column of

information you want each label

to be identified with from the

labeloptions box.

For example, in this example,

the ward name column has been

selected. This adds a ward name

to each area ward shown on your

output map.

The font style and position of a

label can be altered using the

options presented within the style

box.

For your map label to appear,

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do not forget to click the label button on your layer control menu. Now press

OKand your map boundaries will be labelled.

You can also use the label button to point

to an area on your map on your screen,

click on it, and bring up an individual area

map label.

Information button

The information button can be used to view data that is linked to a map

layer. Within layer control, click on the 'pointer box' for a given,

highlighted, layer. Now click on the main menu information button,

point your arrow over the area or point you want to find out about, and

then click on a map feature. Its associated data will appear in a screen box.

Legends

Having created a theme range for your

thematic map, you are able to view the

legend for the map by clicking on the

show/hide legend icon button.

You can also create an embedded legend within your map window (you may

need to first load the legend tool - note, MapInfo includes a number of useful tools

which are not open as a

default).

Use the main menu bar

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Tools

legend manager

create embedded legend

command

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Exel to Mapinfo Section13

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