MapBasic

MapInfo MapBasic Application Development Environment

The MapBasic Development Environment includes:

 

  • A text editor for creating and editing programs
  • The MapBasic compiler to create an executable from a program
  • The MapBasic linker used to link separately written modules of programs when creating large or complex applications
  • MapBasic on-line help provides reference information for each statement and function in the MapBasic language

 

Custom Applications

Desktop mapping is widely used across many vertical industries such as telecommunications, transportation, banking, healthcare, insurance, real estate and government; and across functional activities like sales, marketing, operations and customer service. Use MapBasic to create specific applications for any of these categories.

 

A custom application can be as simple as adding a menu item to MapInfo Professional or as sophisticated as completely re-designing the user interface and extending the functionality of MapInfo Professional.

 

You can modify the MapInfo Professional user interface by adding customized toolbars, menus and dialog boxes to suit the specific needs and technical sophistication of the end user. Unneeded functionality can be hidden. Wording can be changed to reflect the terminology appropriate to a specific application. Complex database queries can be reduced to a single MapBasic statement, and repetitive operations can be automated.

 

For example, you can add a button allowing the end user to create, in one step, a thematic map of monthly inventory, distribution patterns or infrastructure changes. Or, you can automate the redistricting feature to optimize territory alignments as data on customer prospects, sales calls, market penetration and other information is updated quarterly. A tedious operation, such as creating a graticule (a grid of horizontal and vertical longitude and latitude lines), can be made easy through MapBasic.

 

Application Integration

You can use MapBasic to integrate MapInfo Professional with other applications and to communicate with other applications. The Integrated Mapping feature lets you control MapInfo Professional through popular development tools such as Visual Basic, PowerBuilder, Delphi and C++.

 

Integrated Mapping gives you the ability to:

 

  • Control MapInfo Professional through OLE Automation
  • Add mapping to your Visual Basic application with as little as five lines of code
  • Create MapInfo windows inside other custom programs For instance, you can create a MapInfo Professional window inside your Visual Basic form. Integrated Mapping allows you to "reparent" MapInfo Professional windows so they look and act like part of your Visual Basic (or other language) interface. If you've been wanting to add "a little bit of mapping" to your custom applications, this is the tool for the job
  • Program in development environments of your choice. If you're a C++ programmer, you can do all of your coding in C++

 

You can also use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) to communicate with other software packages. Additionally, MapBasic applications can call routines in Windows Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL) files.

 

The advantage of the Integrated Mapping feature is that even though MapInfo Professional is running in the background, it remains as a hidden server to the application you developed in another programming language. The end user sees only one application interface and does not have to juggle two applications. You can work in programming languages you are most familiar with, and can integrate the optimal amount of mapping functionality into applications.

 

System Requirements

Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000 Professional SP 3, Windows NT 4.0 SP 6a, minimum of a Pentium PC, 32 MB RAM,  MI Pro 103 MB disk space, Data 450 MB disk space, SVGA monitor.

 

Windows XP Professional SP 1, Windows XP Home, minimum of a Pentium PC, 64 MB RAM, MI Pro 103 MB disk space, Data 450 MB disk space, SVGA monitor

 

 

Pricing

 

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