MapBasic

Version 12.0

Reference

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Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to MapBasic......................................................................23
Type Conventions..............................................................................................................24
Language Overview...........................................................................................................24
MapBasic Fundamentals..................................................................................................25
Variables........................................................................................................................25
Looping and Branching..................................................................................................25
Output and Printing........................................................................................................25
Procedures (Main and Subs).........................................................................................25
Error Handling................................................................................................................26
Functions...........................................................................................................................26
Custom Functions..........................................................................................................26
Data-Conversion Functions...........................................................................................26
Date and Time Functions...............................................................................................27
Math Functions...............................................................................................................27
String Functions.............................................................................................................27
Working With Tables.........................................................................................................28
Creating and Modifying Tables.......................................................................................28
Querying Tables.............................................................................................................29
Working With Remote Data............................................................................................29
Working With Files (Other Than Tables) ........................................................................30
File Input/Output.............................................................................................................30
File and Directory Names..............................................................................................30
Working With Maps and Graphical Objects....................................................................31
Creating Map Objects....................................................................................................31
Modifying Map Objects...................................................................................................31
Querying Map Objects...................................................................................................32
Working With Object Styles............................................................................................32
Working With Map Windows..........................................................................................33
Working With Legend Designer Windows......................................................................33

Working With Cartographic Legend Windows...............................................................33

Creating the User Interface...............................................................................................34
ButtonPads (ToolBars)...................................................................................................34
Dialog Boxes..................................................................................................................34
Menus............................................................................................................................34
Windows.........................................................................................................................35
System Event Handlers..................................................................................................35
Communicating With Other Applications ......................................................................36
DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange; Windows Only) ..........................................................36
Integrated Mapping .......................................................................................................36
Special Statements and Functions..................................................................................36
Getting Technical Support................................................................................................37
Contacting Technical Support .......................................................................................37
Software Defects............................................................................................................38
Other Resources............................................................................................................38

Chapter 2: New and Enhanced MapBasic Statements and Functions.................39

New MapBasic Functions and Statements.....................................................................40
Additions to Existing Functions and Statements..........................................................40

Chapter 3: A to Z MapBasic Language Reference.................................................47

Function and Statement Conventions.............................................................................48
Function and Statement Descriptions.............................................................................48
Abs( ) function ...............................................................................................................48
Acos( ) function .............................................................................................................49
Add Cartographic Frame statement...............................................................................50
Add Column statement...................................................................................................52
Add Designer Frame statement.....................................................................................57
Add Designer Text statement.........................................................................................60
Add Map statement........................................................................................................61
AdornmentInfo( ) function..............................................................................................63
Alter Button statement....................................................................................................65
Alter ButtonPad statement.............................................................................................66
Alter Cartographic Frame statement..............................................................................71
Alter Control statement..................................................................................................72
Alter Designer Frame statement....................................................................................74
Alter Designer Text statement........................................................................................78
Alter MapInfoDialog statement.......................................................................................79

MapBasic 12.0

Alter Menu statement.....................................................................................................81

Alter Menu Bar statement..............................................................................................85
Alter Menu Item statement.............................................................................................87
Alter Object statement....................................................................................................88
Alter Table statement.....................................................................................................93
ApplicationDirectory$( ) function....................................................................................95
ApplicationName$( ) function.........................................................................................96
Area( ) function...............................................................................................................96
AreaOverlap( ) function..................................................................................................97
Asc( ) function................................................................................................................98
Asin( ) function...............................................................................................................99
Ask( ) function..............................................................................................................100
Atn( ) function...............................................................................................................101
AutoLabel statement....................................................................................................101
Beep statement............................................................................................................102
Browse statement........................................................................................................103
BrowserInfo( ) function.................................................................................................104
Brush clause................................................................................................................105
Buffer( ) function...........................................................................................................107
ButtonPadInfo( ) function.............................................................................................108
Call statement..............................................................................................................110
CartesianArea( ) function.............................................................................................111
CartesianBuffer( ) function...........................................................................................112
CartesianConnectObjects( ) function...........................................................................113
CartesianDistance( ) function.......................................................................................114
CartesianObjectDistance( ) function............................................................................115
CartesianObjectLen( ) function....................................................................................115
CartesianOffset( ) function...........................................................................................116
CartesianOffsetXY( ) function......................................................................................117
CartesianPerimeter( ) function.....................................................................................118
Centroid( ) function.......................................................................................................119
CentroidX( ) function....................................................................................................120
CentroidY( ) function....................................................................................................121
CharSet clause.............................................................................................................122
ChooseProjection$( ) function......................................................................................124
Chr$( ) function............................................................................................................125
Close All statement......................................................................................................126
Close Connection statement........................................................................................126

Reference

Close File statement....................................................................................................127

Close Table statement.................................................................................................127
Close Window statement.............................................................................................128
ColumnInfo( ) function..................................................................................................130
Combine( ) function......................................................................................................132
CommandInfo( ) function.............................................................................................133
Commit Table statement .............................................................................................137
ConnectObjects( ) function..........................................................................................142
Continue statement .....................................................................................................143
Control Button / OKButton / CancelButton clause ......................................................143
Control CheckBox clause.............................................................................................144
Control DocumentWindow clause................................................................................145
Control EditText clause................................................................................................146
Control GroupBox clause.............................................................................................147
Control ListBox / MultiListBox clause...........................................................................148
Control PenPicker/BrushPicker/SymbolPicker/FontPicker clause...............................150
ControlPointInfo( ) function..........................................................................................151
Control PopupMenu clause..........................................................................................152
Control RadioGroup clause..........................................................................................154
Control StaticText clause.............................................................................................155
ConvertToPline( ) function............................................................................................156
ConvertToRegion( ) function........................................................................................156
ConvexHull( ) function..................................................................................................157
CoordSys clause..........................................................................................................158
CoordSysName$( ) function ........................................................................................161
CoordSysStringToEPSG( ) function.............................................................................162
CoordSysStringToPRJ$( ) function .............................................................................163
CoordSysStringToWKT$( ) function.............................................................................163
Cos( ) function .............................................................................................................164
Create Adornment statement.......................................................................................165
Create Arc statement...................................................................................................168
Create ButtonPad statement........................................................................................169
Create ButtonPad As Default statement......................................................................174
Create ButtonPads As Default statement....................................................................174
Create Cartographic Legend statement.......................................................................175
CreateCircle( ) function................................................................................................178
Create Collection statement.........................................................................................180
Create Cutter statement...............................................................................................181

MapBasic 12.0

Create Designer Legend statement.............................................................................182

Create Ellipse statement..............................................................................................188
Create Frame statement..............................................................................................189
Create Grid statement..................................................................................................191
Create Index statement................................................................................................198
Create Legend statement............................................................................................199
CreateLine( ) function..................................................................................................200
Create Line statement..................................................................................................201
Create Map statement.................................................................................................202
Create Map3D statement.............................................................................................203
Create Menu statement...............................................................................................204
Create Menu Bar statement.........................................................................................210
Create MultiPoint statement.........................................................................................211
Create Object statement..............................................................................................213
Create Pline statement................................................................................................218
CreatePoint( ) function.................................................................................................219
Create Point statement................................................................................................220
Create PrismMap statement........................................................................................221
Create Query statement...............................................................................................223
Create Ranges statement............................................................................................223
Create Rect statement.................................................................................................226
Create Redistricter statement......................................................................................227
Create Region statement.............................................................................................228
Create Report From Table statement...........................................................................230
Create RoundRect statement......................................................................................230
Create Styles statement...............................................................................................231
Create Table statement................................................................................................233
CreateText( ) function...................................................................................................238
Create Text statement..................................................................................................239
CurDate( ) function.......................................................................................................240
CurDateTime( ) function...............................................................................................241
CurrentBorderPen( ) function ......................................................................................242
CurrentBrush( ) function...............................................................................................242
CurrentFont( ) function.................................................................................................243
CurrentLinePen( ) function...........................................................................................244
CurrentPen( ) function..................................................................................................244
CurrentSymbol( ) function ...........................................................................................245
CurTime( ) function .....................................................................................................246

Reference

DateWindow( ) function................................................................................................246
Day( ) function .............................................................................................................247
DDEExecute statement................................................................................................248
DDEInitiate( ) function..................................................................................................248
DDEPoke statement.....................................................................................................252
DDERequest$( ) function.............................................................................................253
DDETerminate statement.............................................................................................254
DDETerminateAll statement.........................................................................................255
Declare Function statement.........................................................................................256
Declare Method statement...........................................................................................258
Declare Sub statement................................................................................................260
Define statement..........................................................................................................261
DeformatNumber$( ) function......................................................................................262
Delete statement..........................................................................................................263
Dialog statement..........................................................................................................264
Dialog Preserve statement...........................................................................................270
Dialog Remove statement............................................................................................271
Dim statement..............................................................................................................272
Distance( ) function......................................................................................................276
Do Case...End Case statement...................................................................................277
Do...Loop statement.....................................................................................................279
Drop Index statement...................................................................................................280
Drop Map statement.....................................................................................................281
Drop Table statement...................................................................................................282
End MapInfo statement................................................................................................283
End Program statement...............................................................................................283
EndHandler procedure.................................................................................................284
EOF( ) function.............................................................................................................284
EOT( ) function.............................................................................................................285
EPSGToCoordSysString$( ) function...........................................................................286
Erase( ) function...........................................................................................................287
Err( ) function...............................................................................................................287
Error statement............................................................................................................289
Error$( ) function..........................................................................................................289
Exit Do statement.........................................................................................................290
Exit For statement........................................................................................................290
Exit Function statement................................................................................................291
Exit Sub statement.......................................................................................................292

10

MapBasic 12.0

Exp( ) function..............................................................................................................292
Export statement..........................................................................................................293
ExtractNodes( ) function..............................................................................................296
Farthest statement.......................................................................................................297
Fetch statement...........................................................................................................299
FileAttr( ) function.........................................................................................................301
FileExists( ) function.....................................................................................................302
FileOpenDlg( ) function................................................................................................302
FileSaveAsDlg( ) function............................................................................................304
Find statement.............................................................................................................305
Find Using statement...................................................................................................309
Fix( ) function...............................................................................................................310
Font clause...................................................................................................................311
For...Next statement.....................................................................................................313
ForegroundTaskSwitchHandler procedure...................................................................314
Format$( ) function.......................................................................................................315
FormatDate$( ) function...............................................................................................317
FormatNumber$( ) function..........................................................................................318
FormatTime$( ) function...............................................................................................319
FME Refresh Table statement.....................................................................................321
FrontWindow( ) function...............................................................................................321
Function...End Function statement..............................................................................322
Geocode statement......................................................................................................324
GeocodeInfo( ) function...............................................................................................328
Get statement...............................................................................................................331
GetCurrentPath$( ) function.........................................................................................332
GetDate( ) function ......................................................................................................333
GetFolderPath$( ) function ..........................................................................................334
GetGridCellValue( ) function........................................................................................335
GetMetadata$( ) function.............................................................................................336
GetPreferencePath$( ) function ..................................................................................336
GetSeamlessSheet( ) function ....................................................................................337
GetTime() function ......................................................................................................338
Global statement..........................................................................................................339
Goto statement.............................................................................................................340
Graph statement..........................................................................................................340
GridTableInfo( ) function...............................................................................................342
GroupLayerInfo function..............................................................................................342

Reference

11

HomeDirectory$( ) function .........................................................................................344

HotlinkInfo( ) function ..................................................................................................344
Hour( ) function............................................................................................................345
If...Then statement.......................................................................................................346
Import statement..........................................................................................................347
Include statement.........................................................................................................352
Input # statement.........................................................................................................353
Insert statement...........................................................................................................354
InStr( ) function.............................................................................................................355
Int( ) function................................................................................................................356
IntersectNodes( ) function............................................................................................357
IsGridCellNull( ) function..............................................................................................357
IsogramInfo( ) function.................................................................................................358
IsPenWidthPixels( ) function........................................................................................360
Kill statement................................................................................................................361
LabelFindByID( ) function............................................................................................362
LabelFindFirst( ) function.............................................................................................363
LabelFindNext( ) function.............................................................................................364
LabelInfo( ) function.....................................................................................................364
LabelOverrideInfo( ) function.......................................................................................367
LayerControlInfo( ) function.........................................................................................371
LayerControlSelectionInfo( ) function...........................................................................371
LayerInfo( ) function.....................................................................................................372
LayerListInfo( ) function...............................................................................................380
LayerStyleInfo( ) function.............................................................................................381
Layout statement..........................................................................................................382
LCase$( ) function........................................................................................................383
Left$( ) function............................................................................................................384
LegendFrameInfo( ) function........................................................................................385
LegendInfo( ) function..................................................................................................386
LegendStyleInfo( ) function..........................................................................................388
LegendTextFrameInfo( ) function.................................................................................390
Len( ) function..............................................................................................................390
LibraryServiceInfo( ) function.......................................................................................391
Like( ) function..............................................................................................................392
Line Input statement.....................................................................................................393
LocateFile$( ) function.................................................................................................394
LOF( ) function.............................................................................................................395

12

MapBasic 12.0

Log( ) function..............................................................................................................396
LTrim$( ) function.........................................................................................................397
Main procedure............................................................................................................398
MakeBrush( ) function..................................................................................................399
MakeCustomSymbol( ) function...................................................................................400
MakeDateTime( ) function............................................................................................401
MakeFont( ) function ...................................................................................................401
MakeFontSymbol( ) function........................................................................................402
MakePen( ) function.....................................................................................................403
MakeSymbol( ) function...............................................................................................404
Map statement.............................................................................................................405
Map3DInfo( ) function...................................................................................................408
MapperInfo( ) function..................................................................................................410
Maximum( ) function.....................................................................................................415
MBR( ) function............................................................................................................416
Menu Bar statement.....................................................................................................416
MenuItemInfoByHandler( ) function.............................................................................417
MenuItemInfoByID( ) function......................................................................................418
Metadata statement.....................................................................................................419
MGRSToPoint( ) function.............................................................................................421
Mid$( ) function............................................................................................................423
MidByte$( ) function.....................................................................................................423
Minimum( ) function......................................................................................................424
Minute( ) function ........................................................................................................425
Month( ) function .........................................................................................................425
Nearest statement........................................................................................................426
Note statement.............................................................................................................429
NumAllWindows( ) function..........................................................................................430
NumberToDate( ) function ...........................................................................................430
NumberToDateTime( ) function ...................................................................................431
NumberToTime( ) function............................................................................................431
NumCols( ) function.....................................................................................................432
NumTables( ) function..................................................................................................433
NumWindows( ) function..............................................................................................434
ObjectDistance( ) function ...........................................................................................434
ObjectGeography( ) function........................................................................................435
ObjectInfo( ) function....................................................................................................437
ObjectLen( ) function....................................................................................................441

Reference

13

ObjectNodeHasM( ) function........................................................................................442
ObjectNodeHasZ( ) function........................................................................................443
ObjectNodeM( ) function..............................................................................................444
ObjectNodeX( ) function...............................................................................................445
ObjectNodeY( ) function...............................................................................................446
ObjectNodeZ( ) function...............................................................................................447
Objects Check statement.............................................................................................448
Objects Clean statement..............................................................................................450
Objects Combine statement.........................................................................................451
Objects Disaggregate statement..................................................................................452
Objects Enclose statement..........................................................................................454
Objects Erase statement..............................................................................................455
Objects Intersect statement.........................................................................................457
Objects Move statement..............................................................................................458
Objects Offset statement..............................................................................................459
Objects Overlay statement...........................................................................................461
Objects Pline statement...............................................................................................461
Objects Snap statement...............................................................................................462
Objects Split statement................................................................................................464
Offset( ) function...........................................................................................................466
OffsetXY( ) function......................................................................................................467
OnError statement........................................................................................................468
Open Connection statement........................................................................................469
Open File statement.....................................................................................................471
Open Report statement................................................................................................473
Open Table statement..................................................................................................473
Open Window statement..............................................................................................475
Overlap( ) function........................................................................................................476
OverlayNodes( ) function.............................................................................................477
Pack Table statement...................................................................................................478
PathToDirectory$( ) function........................................................................................479
PathToFileName$( ) function.......................................................................................479
PathToTableName$( ) function.....................................................................................480
Pen clause...................................................................................................................481
PenWidthToPoints( ) function.......................................................................................484
Perimeter( ) function.....................................................................................................484
PointsToPenWidth( ) function.......................................................................................486
PointToMGRS$( ) function...........................................................................................486

14

MapBasic 12.0

PointToUSNG$( ) function............................................................................................488
Print statement.............................................................................................................489
Print # statement..........................................................................................................490
PrintWin statement.......................................................................................................491
PrismMapInfo( ) function..............................................................................................492
ProgramDirectory$( ) function......................................................................................494
ProgressBar statement................................................................................................495
Proper$( ) function.......................................................................................................497
ProportionOverlap( ) function.......................................................................................498
Put statement...............................................................................................................498
Randomize statement..................................................................................................499
RasterTableInfo( ) function...........................................................................................500
RegionInfo( ) function...................................................................................................502
ReadControlValue( ) function.......................................................................................502
ReDim statement.........................................................................................................505
Register Table statement.............................................................................................506
Relief Shade statement................................................................................................513
Reload Symbols statement..........................................................................................513
RemoteMapGenHandler procedure.............................................................................514
RemoteMsgHandler procedure....................................................................................514
RemoteQueryHandler( ) function.................................................................................515
Remove Cartographic Frame statement......................................................................517
Remove Designer Frame statement............................................................................517
Remove Designer Text statement................................................................................517
Remove Map statement...............................................................................................518
Rename File statement................................................................................................519
Rename Table statement.............................................................................................520
Reproject statement.....................................................................................................521
Resume statement.......................................................................................................521
RGB( ) function............................................................................................................522
Right$( ) function..........................................................................................................523
Rnd( ) function..............................................................................................................524
Rollback statement.......................................................................................................524
Rotate( ) function..........................................................................................................525
RotateAtPoint( ) function..............................................................................................526
Round( ) function..........................................................................................................527
RTrim$( ) function.........................................................................................................528
Run Application statement...........................................................................................528

Reference

15

Run Command statement............................................................................................529

Run Menu Command statement..................................................................................531
Run Program statement...............................................................................................533
Save File statement.....................................................................................................534
Save MWS statement..................................................................................................535
Save Window statement..............................................................................................537
Save Workspace statement.........................................................................................539
SearchInfo( ) function...................................................................................................539
SearchPoint( ) function................................................................................................542
SearchRect( ) function ................................................................................................543
Second( ) function .......................................................................................................544
Seek( ) function............................................................................................................544
Seek statement............................................................................................................545
SelChangedHandler procedure...................................................................................545
Select statement..........................................................................................................546
SelectionInfo( ) function...............................................................................................555
Server Begin Transaction statement............................................................................556
Server Bind Column statement....................................................................................557
Server Close statement...............................................................................................558
Server_ColumnInfo( ) function.....................................................................................559
Server Commit statement............................................................................................561
Server_Connect( ) function..........................................................................................561
Server_ConnectInfo( ) function....................................................................................568
Server Create Map statement......................................................................................569
Server Create Table statement....................................................................................572
Server Create Workspace statement...........................................................................574
Server Disconnect statement.......................................................................................575
Server_DriverInfo( ) function........................................................................................576
Server_EOT( ) function................................................................................................577
Server_Execute( ) function..........................................................................................577
Server Fetch statement................................................................................................579
Server_GetODBCHConn( ) function............................................................................580
Server_GetODBCHStmt( ) function.............................................................................581
Server Link Table statement........................................................................................582
Server_NumCols( ) function.........................................................................................584
Server_NumDrivers( ) function....................................................................................585
Server Refresh statement............................................................................................585
Server Remove Workspace statement........................................................................586

16

MapBasic 12.0

Server Rollback statement...........................................................................................587

Server Set Map statement...........................................................................................587
Server Versioning statement........................................................................................588
Server Workspace Merge statement............................................................................590
Server Workspace Refresh statement.........................................................................591
SessionInfo( ) function.................................................................................................593
Set Adornment statement............................................................................................594
Set Application Window statement..............................................................................597
Set Area Units statement.............................................................................................598
Set Browse statement..................................................................................................599
Set Buffer Version statement.......................................................................................601
Set Cartographic Legend statement............................................................................602
Set Combine Version statement..................................................................................603
Set Command Info statement......................................................................................604
Set Connection Geocode statement............................................................................605
Set Connection Isogram statement..............................................................................607
Set CoordSys statement..............................................................................................609
Set Date Window( ) statement.....................................................................................610
Set Datum Transform Version statement ....................................................................611
Set Designer Legend statement..................................................................................612
Set Digitizer statement.................................................................................................613
Set Distance Units statement.......................................................................................615
Set Drag Threshold statement.....................................................................................616
Set Event Processing statement..................................................................................616
Set File Timeout statement..........................................................................................617
Set Format statement...................................................................................................618
Set Graph statement....................................................................................................619
Set Handler statement.................................................................................................623
Set Layout statement...................................................................................................624
Set Legend statement..................................................................................................626
Set LibraryServiceInfo statement.................................................................................629
Set Map statement.......................................................................................................630
Set Map3D statement..................................................................................................668
Set Next Document statement.....................................................................................669
Set Paper Units statement...........................................................................................671
Set Path statement.......................................................................................................672
Set PrismMap statement..............................................................................................673
Set ProgressBars statement........................................................................................674

Reference

17

Set Redistricter statement............................................................................................675

Set Resolution statement.............................................................................................677
Set Shade statement....................................................................................................678
Set Style statement......................................................................................................679
Set Table statement.....................................................................................................680
Set Target statement....................................................................................................682
Set Window statement.................................................................................................683
Sgn( ) function..............................................................................................................692
Shade statement..........................................................................................................692
Sin( ) function...............................................................................................................704
Space$( ) function........................................................................................................705
SphericalArea( ) function.............................................................................................705
SphericalConnectObjects( ) function...........................................................................706
SphericalDistance( ) function.......................................................................................707
SphericalObjectDistance( ) function.............................................................................708
SphericalObjectLen( ) function.....................................................................................709
SphericalOffset( ) function............................................................................................709
SphericalOffsetXY( ) function.......................................................................................710
SphericalPerimeter( ) function.....................................................................................711
Sqr( ) function...............................................................................................................712
StatusBar statement.....................................................................................................713
Stop statement.............................................................................................................714
Str$( ) function..............................................................................................................715
String$( ) function.........................................................................................................716
StringCompare( ) function............................................................................................717
StringCompareIntl( ) function.......................................................................................717
StringToDate( ) function...............................................................................................718
StringToDateTime( ) function ......................................................................................719
StringToTime( ) function ..............................................................................................720
StyleAttr( ) function ......................................................................................................721
StyleOverrideInfo( ) function........................................................................................723
Sub...End Sub statement.............................................................................................725
Symbol clause..............................................................................................................727
SystemInfo( ) function..................................................................................................730
TableInfo( ) function......................................................................................................732
TableListInfo( ) function................................................................................................737
TableListSelectionInfo( ) function.................................................................................738
Tan( ) function..............................................................................................................739

18

MapBasic 12.0

TempFileName$( ) function..........................................................................................739
Terminate Application statement..................................................................................740
TextSize( ) function.......................................................................................................741
Time( ) function............................................................................................................741
Timer( ) function...........................................................................................................742
ToolHandler procedure.................................................................................................743
TriggerControl( ) function.............................................................................................744
TrueFileName$( ) function...........................................................................................745
Type statement.............................................................................................................746
UBound( ) function.......................................................................................................747
UCase$( ) function.......................................................................................................747
UnDim statement.........................................................................................................748
UnitAbbr$( ) function....................................................................................................749
UnitName$( ) function..................................................................................................750
Unlink statement..........................................................................................................750
Update statement.........................................................................................................751
Update Window statement...........................................................................................752
URL clause...................................................................................................................753
USNGToPoint( ) function..............................................................................................753
Val( ) function...............................................................................................................754
Weekday( ) function.....................................................................................................755
WFS Refresh Table statement.....................................................................................756
WKTToCoordSysString$( ) function.............................................................................757
While...Wend statement...............................................................................................758
WinChangedHandler procedure..................................................................................759
WinClosedHandler procedure......................................................................................760
WindowID( ) function....................................................................................................760
WindowInfo( ) function.................................................................................................762
WinFocusChangedHandler procedure.........................................................................767
Write # statement.........................................................................................................768
Year( ) function.............................................................................................................769

Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries...................................................................771

MICloseContent( ) procedure.........................................................................................773
MICloseFtpConnection( ) procedure.............................................................................773
MICloseFtpFileFind( ) procedure...................................................................................774
MICloseHttpConnection( ) procedure............................................................................774
MICloseHttpFile( ) procedure.........................................................................................775

Reference

19

MICloseSession( ) procedure.........................................................................................775
MICreateSession( ) function...........................................................................................776
MICreateSessionFull( ) function.....................................................................................776
MIErrorDlg( ) function.....................................................................................................778
MIFindFtpFile( ) function.................................................................................................779
MIFindNextFtpFile( ) function.........................................................................................780
MIGetContent( ) function................................................................................................781
MIGetContentBuffer( ) function......................................................................................781
MIGetContentLen( ) function..........................................................................................782
MIGetContentString( ) function......................................................................................782
MIGetContentToFile( ) function......................................................................................783
MIGetContentType( ) function........................................................................................784
MIGetCurrentFtpDirectory( ) function...........................................................................784
MIGetErrorCode( ) function............................................................................................785
MIGetErrorMessage( ) function......................................................................................786
MIGetFileURL( ) function................................................................................................786
MIGetFtpConnection( ) function.....................................................................................787
MIGetFtpFile( ) function..................................................................................................788
MIGetFtpFileFind( ) function...........................................................................................789
MIGetFtpFileName( ) procedure.....................................................................................790
MIGetHttpConnection( ) function...................................................................................791
MIIsFtpDirectory( ) function............................................................................................791
MIIsFtpDots( ) function...................................................................................................792
MIOpenRequest( ) function.............................................................................................793
MIOpenRequestFull( ) function......................................................................................794
MIParseURL( ) function...................................................................................................795
MIPutFtpFile( ) function..................................................................................................796
MIQueryInfo( ) function...................................................................................................797
MIQueryInfoStatusCode( ) function...............................................................................798
MISaveContent( ) function..............................................................................................799
MISendRequest( ) function.............................................................................................800
MISendSimpleRequest( ) function.................................................................................801
MISetCurrentFtpDirectory( ) function............................................................................801
MISetSessionTimeout( ) function...................................................................................802

Appendix B: XML Library.......................................................................................805

MIXmlAttributeListDestroy( ) procedure.......................................................................807
MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) function................................................................................807

20

MapBasic 12.0

MIXmlDocumentDestroy( ) procedure...........................................................................808
MIXmlDocumentGetNamespaces( ) function................................................................808
MIXmlDocumentGetRootNode( ) function....................................................................809
MIXmlDocumentLoad( ) function...................................................................................809
MIXmlDocumentLoadXML( ) function...........................................................................810
MIXmlDocumentLoadXMLString( ) function.................................................................811
MIXmlDocumentSetProperty( ) function.......................................................................812
MIXmlGetAttributeList( ) function..................................................................................813
MIXmlGetChildList( ) function........................................................................................814
MIXmlGetNextAttribute( ) function................................................................................814
MIXmlGetNextNode( ) function.......................................................................................815
MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure...................................................................................816
MIXmlNodeGetAttributeValue( ) function......................................................................816
MIXmlNodeGetFirstChild( ) function..............................................................................817
MIXmlNodeGetName( ) function....................................................................................817
MIXmlNodeGetParent( ) function...................................................................................818
MIXmlNodeGetText( ) function.......................................................................................819
MIXmlNodeGetValue( ) function.....................................................................................819
MIXmlNodeListDestroy( ) procedure.............................................................................820
MIXmlSCDestroy( ) procedure.......................................................................................821
MIXmlSCGetLength( ) function......................................................................................821
MIXmlSCGetNamespace( ) function..............................................................................822
MIXmlSelectNodes( ) function........................................................................................822
MIXmlSelectSingleNode( ) function...............................................................................823

Appendix C: Character Code Table.......................................................................825

Character Code Table Definitions..................................................................................826

Appendix D: Summary of Operators.....................................................................827

Numeric Operators..........................................................................................................828
Comparison Operators...................................................................................................828
Logical Operators............................................................................................................829
Geographical Operators.................................................................................................829
Precedence .................................................................................................................830
Automatic Type Conversions.........................................................................................831
Wildcards.........................................................................................................................832

Reference

21

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File.................................................................833

The MAPBASIC.DEF File.................................................................................................834

22

MapBasic 12.0

Introduction to MapBasic

This manual describes every statement and function in the MapBasic Development
Environment programming language. To learn about the concepts behind MapBasic programming, or to learn about using the MapBasic development environment, see the MapBasic User Guide.

In this section:

Type Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Language Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
MapBasic Fundamentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Working With Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Working With Files (Other Than Tables) . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Working With Maps and Graphical Objects . . . . . . . . . . .31
Creating the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Communicating With Other Applications . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Special Statements and Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Getting Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Type Conventions

Type Conventions
This manual uses the following conventions to designate specific items in the text:
Convention
If, Call, Map, Browse, Area

Meaning
Bold words with the first letter capitalized are
MapBasic keywords.
Within this manual, the first letter of each keyword
is capitalized; however, when you write MapBasic
programs, you may enter keywords in upper-,
lower-, or mixed-case.

Main, Pen, Object

Non-bold words with the first letter capitalized are

usually special procedure names or variable types.

table, handler, window_id

Italicized words represent parameters to MapBasic

statements. When you construct a MapBasic
statement, you must supply an appropriate expression for each parameter.

[ window_id ], [ Interactive ]

Keywords or parameters which appear inside

square brackets are optional.

{ On | Off }

When a syntax expression appears inside braces,

the braces contain a list of keywords or parameters,
separated by the vertical bar character ( | ). You
must choose one of the options listed. For example,
in the sample shown on the left ({ On | Off }), you
should choose either On or Off.

"Note "Hello,world!"

Actual program samples are shown in Courier font.

Language Overview
The following pages provide an overview of the MapBasic language. Task descriptions appear on the
left; corresponding statement names and function names appear on the right, in bold. Function names
are followed by parentheses ( ).

24

MapBasic 12.0

Chapter 1: Introduction to MapBasic

MapBasic Fundamentals
Variables
Declare local or global variables:

Dim,Global

Resize array variables:

ReDim, UBound( ), UnDim

Declare custom data structure:

Type

Looping and Branching

Looping:

For...Next, Exit For, Do...Loop, Exit Do,

While...Wend

Branching:

If...Then, Do Case, GoTo

Other flow control:

End Program, Terminate Application, End

MapInfo

Output and Printing

Print a window's contents:

PrintWin

Print text to message window:

Print

Set up a Layout window:

Layout, Create Frame, Set Window

Export a window to a file:

Save Window

Controlling the Printer:

Set Window, Window Info( )

Procedures (Main and Subs)

Define a procedure:

Declare Sub, Sub...End Sub

Call a procedure:

Call

Exit a procedure:

Exit Sub

Main procedure:

Main

Reference

25

Error Handling

Error Handling
Set up an error handler:

OnError

Return current error information:

Err( ), Error$( )

Return from error handler:

Resume

Simulate an error:

Error

Functions
Custom Functions
Define a custom function:

Declare Function, Function...End Function

Exit a function:

Exit Function

Data-Conversion Functions

26

Convert strings to codes:

Asc( )

Convert codes to strings:

Chr$( )

Convert strings to numbers:

Val( )

Convert numbers to strings:

Str$( ), Format$( )

Convert a number or a string to a date:

NumberToDate( ), StringToDate( )

Converting to a 2-Digit Year:

Set Date Window, DateWindow( )

Convert object types:

ConvertToRegion( ), ConvertToPline( )

Convert labels to text:

LabelInfo( )

Convert a point object to a MGRS coordinate:

PointToMGRS$( )

Convert a MGRS coordinate to a point object:

MGRSToPoint( )

Convert a point object to a USNG coordinate:

PointToUSNG$(obj, datumid)

Convert a USNG coordinate to a point object:

USNGToPoint(string)

MapBasic 12.0

Chapter 1: Introduction to MapBasic

Date and Time Functions

Obtain the current date

CurDate( )

Extract parts of a date value:

Day( ), Month( ), Weekday( ), Year( )

Obtains the current time as a formatted string:

Time( )

Creates a date from a number or a string:

NumberToDate( ), StringToDate( )

Obtain the current Time or DateTime:

CurTime( ), CurDateTime( )

Obtain the Date or Time from a DateTime value:

GetDate( ), GetTime( )

Create a DateTime or Time value from a number: NumberToDateTime( ), NumberToTime( )

Create a DateTime value from two individual Date MakeDateTime( )
and Time values:
Create a DateTime or Time value from a string:

StringToDateTime( ), StringToTime( )

Creates a string representation of a Date or Time FormatDate$( ), FormatTime$( )

value:
Extract parts of a Time value:

Hour( ), Minute( ), Second( )

Sets and gets the rule for two-digit year input:

Set Date Window( ), DateWindow( )

Math Functions
Trigonometric functions:

Cos( ), Sin( ), Tan( ), Acos( ), Asin( ), Atn( )

Geographic functions:

Area( ), Perimeter( ), Distance( ), ObjectLen( ),

CartesianArea( ), CartesianPerimeter( ),
CartesianDistance( ), CartesianObjectLen( ),
SphericalArea( ), SphericalPerimeter( ), SphericalDistance( ), SphericalObjectLen( )

Random numbers:

Randomize, Rnd( )

Sign-related functions:

Abs( ), Sgn( )

Truncating fractions:

Fix( ), Int( ), Round( )

Other math functions:

Exp( ), Log( ), Minimum( ), Maximum( ), Sqr( )

String Functions
Upper / lower case:

UCase$( ), LCase$( ), Proper$( )

Find a sub-string:

InStr( )

Reference

27

Working With Tables

Extract part of a string:

Left$( ), Right$( ), Mid$( ), MidByte$( )

Trim blanks from a string:

LTrim$( ), RTrim$( )

Format numbers as strings:

Format$( ), Str$( ), Set Format, FormatNumber$(

), DeformatNumber$( )

Determine string length:

Len( )

Convert character codes:

Chr$( ), Asc( )

Compare strings:

Like( ), StringCompare( ), StringCompareIntl( )

Repeat a string sequence:

Space$( ), String$( )

Return unit name:

UnitAbbr$( ), UnitName$( )

Convert a point object to a MGRS coordinate:

PointToMGRS$( )

Convert a MGRS coordinate to a point object:

MGRSToPoint( )

Convert an EPSG string to a CoordSys clause:

EPSGToCoordSysString$( )

Convert a point object to a USNG coordinate:

PointToUSNG$(obj, datumid)

Convert a USNG coordinate to a point object:

USNGToPoint(string)

Working With Tables

Creating and Modifying Tables

28

Open an existing table:

Open Table

Close one or more tables:

Close Table, Close All

Create a new, empty table:

Create Table

Turn a file into a table:

Register Table

Import/export tables/files:

Import, Export

Modify a table's structure:

Alter Table, Add Column, Create Index, Drop

Index, Create Map, Drop Map

Create a Crystal Reports file:

Create Report From Table

Load a Crystal Report:

Open Report

Add, edit, delete rows:

Insert, Update, Delete

Pack a table:

Pack Table

Control table settings:

Set Table

MapBasic 12.0

Chapter 1: Introduction to MapBasic

Save recent edits:

Commit Table

Discard recent edits:

Rollback

Rename a table:

Rename Table

Delete a table:

Drop Table

Querying Tables
Position the row cursor:

Fetch, EOT( )

Select data, work with Selection:

Select, SelectionInfo( )

Find map objects by address:

Find, Find Using, CommandInfo( )

Find map objects at location:

SearchPoint( ), SearchRect( ), SearchInfo( )

Obtain table information:

NumTables( ), TableInfo( )

Obtain column information:

NumCols( ), ColumnInfo( )

Create a query table from Browser window:

Create Query

Query a table's metadata:

GetMetadata$( ), Metadata

Query seamless tables:

TableInfo( ), GetSeamlessSheet( )

Query raster or grid tables:

RasterTableInfo( ) function, GridTableInfo( ),

GetGridCellValue( ) function, IsGridCellNull( )
function, getcurrentpathfunction( ) function

Working With Remote Data

Create a new table:

Server Create Table

Communicate with data server:

Server_Connect( ), Server_ConnectInfo( )

Begin work with remote server:

Server Begin Transaction

Assign local storage:

Server Bind Column

Obtain column information:

Server_ColumnInfo( ), Server_NumCols( )

Send an SQL statement:

Server_Execute( )

Position the row cursor:

Server Fetch, Server_EOT( )

Save changes:

Server

Discard changes:

Server Rollback

Free remote resources:

Server Close

Reference

29

Working With Files (Other Than Tables)

Make remote data mappable:

Server Create Map

Change object styles:

Server Set Map

Synchronize a linked table:

Server Refresh

Create a linked table:

Server Link Table

Unlink a linked table:

Unlink

Disconnect from server:

Server Disconnect

Retrieve driver information:

Server_DriverInfo( ), Server_NumDrivers( )

Get ODBC connection handle:

Server_GetODBCHConn( )

Get ODBC statement handle:

Server_GetODBCHStmt( )

Set Object styles:

Server Create Style

Working With Files (Other Than Tables)

File Input/Output
Open or create a file:

Open File

Close a file:

Close File

Delete a file:

Kill

Rename a file:

Rename File

Copy a file:

Save File

Read from a file:

Get, Seek, Input #, Line Input

Write to a file:

Put, Print #, Write #

Determine file's status:

EOF( ), LOF( ), Seek( ), FileAttr( ), FileExists( )

Turn a file into a table:

Register Table

Retry on sharing error:

Set File Timeout

File and Directory Names

Return system directories:

30

ProgramDirectory$( ), HomeDirectory$( ), ApplicationDirectory$( )

MapBasic 12.0

Chapter 1: Introduction to MapBasic

Extract part of a filename:

PathToTableName$( ), PathToDirectory$( ),
PathToFileName$( )

Return a full filename:

TrueFileName$( )

Let user choose a file:

FileOpenDlg( ), FileSaveAsDlg( )

Return temporary filename:

TempFileName$( )

Locate files:

LocateFile$( ), GetFolderPath$( )

Working With Maps and Graphical Objects

Creating Map Objects
Creation statements:

Create Arc, Create Ellipse, Create Frame, Create

Line, Create Object, Create PLine, Create Point,
Create Rect, Create Region, Create RoundRect,
Create Text, AutoLabel, Create Multipoint, Create Collection

Creation functions:

CreateCircle( ), CreateLine( ), CreatePoint( ),

CreateText( )

Advanced operations:

Create Object, Buffer( ), CartesianBuffer( ),

CartesianOffset( ), CartesianOffsetXY( ), ConvexHull( ), Offset( ), OffsetXY( ), SphericalOffset(
), SphericalOffsetXY( )

Store object in table:

Insert, Update

Create regions:

Objects Enclose

Modifying Map Objects

Modify object attribute:

Alter Object

Change object type:

ConvertToRegion( ), ConvertToPLine( )

Offset objects:

Objects Offset, Objects Move

Set the editing target:

Set Target

Erase part of an object:

CreateCutter, Objects Erase, Erase( ), Objects

Intersect, Overlap( )

Merge objects:

Objects Combine, Combine( ), Create Object

Reference

31

Querying Map Objects

Rotate objects:

Rotate( ), RotateAtPoint( )

Split objects:

Objects Pline, Objects Split

Add nodes at intersections:

Objects Overlay, OverlayNodes( )

Control object resolution:

Set Resolution

Store an object in a table:

Insert, Update

Check Objects for bad data:

Objects Check

Object processing:

Objects Disaggregate, Objects Snap, Objects

Clean

Querying Map Objects

Return calculated values:

Area( ), Perimeter( ), Distance( ), ObjectLen( ),

Overlap( ), AreaOverlap( ), ProportionOverlap(
)

Return coordinate values:

ObjectGeography( ), MBR( ), ObjectNodeX( ),

ObjectNodeY( ), ObjectNodeZ( ), Centroid( ),
CentroidX( ), CentroidY( ), ExtractNodes( ), IntersectNodes( )

Return settings for coordinates, distance, area and SessionInfo( )

paper units:
Configure units of measure:

Set Area Units, Set Distance Units, Set Paper

Units, UnitAbbr$( ), UnitName$( )

Configure coordinate system:

Set CoordSys

Return style settings:

ObjectInfo( )

Query a map layer's labels:

LabelFindByID( ), LabelFindFirst( ), LabelFindNext( ), Labelinfo( )

Working With Object Styles

32

Return current styles:

CurrentPen( ), CurrentBorderPen( ), CurrentBrush( ), CurrentFont( ), CurrentLinePen( ),

CurrentSymbol( ), Set Style, TextSize( )

Return part of a style:

LayerStyleInfo( ) function, StyleAttr( )

Create style values:

MakePen( ), MakeBrush( ), MakeFont( ),

MakeSymbol( ), MakeCustomSymbol( ), MakeFontSymbol( ), Set Style, RGB( )

MapBasic 12.0

Chapter 1: Introduction to MapBasic

Query object's style:

ObjectInfo( )

Modify object's style:

Alter Object

Reload symbol styles:

Reload Symbols

Style clauses:

Pen clause, Brush clause, Symbol clause, Font

clause

Working With Map Windows

Open a map window:

Map

Create/edit 3DMaps:

Create Map3D, Set Map3D, Map3DInfo( ), Create

PrismMap, Set PrismMap, PrismMapInfo( )

Add a layer to a map:

Add Map

Remove a map layer:

Remove Map

Label objects in a layer:

AutoLabel

Query a map's settings:

MapperInfo( ), LabelOverrideInfo( ) function,

LayerInfo( ), StyleOverrideInfo( ) function

Change a map's settings:

Set Map

Create or modify thematic layers:

Shade, Set Shade, Create Ranges, Create

Styles, Create Grid, Relief Shade

Query a map layer's labels:

LabelFindByID( ), LabelFindFirst( ), LabelFindNext( ), Labelinfo( ), LabelOverrideInfo( )

Working With Legend Designer Windows

Create map legend:

Create Designer Legend

Refresh and set orientation of window:

Set Designer Legend

Create, modify, and remove a legend frame:

Add Designer Frame, Alter Designer Frame,

Remove Designer Frame

Working With Cartographic Legend Windows

The Cartographic Legend window predates the Legend Designer window, which was introduced in version
11.5. The Cartographic Legend window is for users who have created maps and legends in pre-version
11.5 MapInfo Professional and who want to maintain the look and feel of those legends. For new projects,
we strongly recommend using the Legend Designer to ensure that your map legends are forwards
compatible with future releases of MapInfo Professional.

Reference

33

Creating the User Interface

Create map legend and thematic map legend:

Create Cartographic Legend, Create Legend

Refresh and set properties of window:

Set Cartographic Legend

Create, modify, and remove a legend frame:

Add Cartographic Frame, Alter Cartographic

Frame, Remove Cartographic Frame

Creating the User Interface

ButtonPads (ToolBars)
Create a new ButtonPad:

Create ButtonPad

Modify a ButtonPad:

Alter ButtonPad

Modify a button:

Alter Button

Query the status of a pad:

ButtonPadInfo( )

Respond to button use:

CommandInfo( )

Restore standard pads:

Create ButtonPad As Default, Create ButtonPads As Default

Dialog Boxes
Display a standard dialog box:

Ask( ), Note, ProgressBar, FileOpenDlg( ),

FileSaveAsDlg( ), GetSeamlessSheet( )

Display a custom dialog box:

Dialog

Dialog handler operations:

Alter Control, TriggerControl( ), ReadControlValue( ), Dialog Preserve, Dialog Remove

Determine whether user clicked OK:

CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_DLG_OK)

Disable progress bars:

Set ProgressBars

Modify a standard MapInfo Professional dialog box: Alter MapInfoDialog

Menus

34

Define a new menu:

Create Menu

Redefine the menu bar:

Create Menu Bar

MapBasic 12.0

Chapter 1: Introduction to MapBasic

Modify a menu:

Alter Menu, Alter Menu Item

Modify the menu bar:

Alter Menu Bar, Menu Bar

Invoke a menu command:

Run Menu Command

Query a menu item's status:

MenuItemInfoByHandler( ), MenuItemInfoByID(
)

Windows
Show or hide a window:

Open Window, Close Window, Set Window

Open a new window:

Map, Browse, Graph, Layout, Create Redistricter, Create Legend, Create Cartographic Legend, LegendFrameInfo

Determine a window's ID:

FrontWindow( ), WindowID( )

Modify an existing window:

Set Map, Shade, Add Map, Remove Map, Set

Browse, Set Graph, Set Layout, Create Frame,
Set Legend, Set Cartographic Legend, Set Redistricter, StatusBar, Alter Cartographic Frame,
Add Cartographic Frame, Remove Cartographic
Frame

Return a window's settings:

WindowInfo( ), MapperInfo( ), LayerInfo( )

Print a window:

PrintWin

Control window redrawing:

Set Event Processing, Update Window, Control

DocumentWindow clause

Count number of windows:

NumWindows( ), NumAllWindows( )

System Event Handlers

React to selection:

SelChangedHandler

React to window closing:

WinClosedHandler

React to map changes:

WinChangedHandler

React to window focus:

WinFocusChangedHandler

React to DDE request:

RemoteMsgHandler, RemoteQueryHandler( )

React to OLE Automation method:

RemoteMapGenHandler

Provide custom tool:

ToolHandler

React to termination of application:

EndHandler

Reference

35

Communicating With Other Applications

React to MapInfo Professional getting or losing fo- ForegroundTaskSwitchHandler
cus:
Disable event handlers:

Set Handler

Communicating With Other Applications

DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange; Windows Only)
Start a DDE conversation:

DDEInitiate( )

Send a DDE command:

DDEExecute

Send a value via DDE:

DDEPoke

Retrieve a value via DDE:

DDERequest$( )

Close a DDE conversation:

DDETerminate, DDETerminateAll

Respond to a request:

RemoteMsgHandler, RemoteQueryHandler( ),
CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_MSG)

Integrated Mapping
Set MapInfo Professional 's parent window:

Set Application Window

Set a Map window's parent:

Set Next Document

Create a Legend window:

Create Legend

Special Statements and Functions

36

Defines the name and argument list of a method/function in a .Net assembly

Declare Method( )

Launch another program:

Run Program

Return information about the system:

SystemInfo( )

Run a string as an interpreted command:

Run Command

Save a workspace file:

Save Workspace

Load a workspace file or an MBX:

Run Application

MapBasic 12.0

Chapter 1: Introduction to MapBasic

Configure a digitizing tablet:

Set Digitizer

Send a sound to the speaker:

Beep

Set data to be read by CommandInfo:

Set Command Info

Set duration of the drag-object delay:

Set Drag Threshold

Getting Technical Support

Pitney Bowes Software Inc. offers a free support period on all new software purchases and upgrades,
so you can be productive from the start. Once the free period ends, Pitney Bowes Software Inc. offers
a broad selection of extended support services for individual, business, and corporate users.
Technical Support is here to help you, and your call is important. This section lists the information you
need to provide when you call your local support center. It also explains some of the technical support
procedures so that you will know what to expect about the handling and resolution of your particular issue.
Please remember to include your serial number, partner number or contract number when contacting
Technical Support.

Contacting Technical Support

To use Technical Support, you must register your product. This can be done very easily during installation
or anytime during normal business hours by contacting Customer Service directly.
Full technical support for MapBasic is provided for the currently shipping version plus the two previous
versions.
Technical Support Contact Information
Extended support options are available at each of our technical support centers in the Americas,
Europe/Middle East/Africa, and Asia-Pacific regions. To contact the office nearest you, refer to the
Contact Support section on our website:
www.mapinfo.com/support
Technical Support Online Case Management System
The Technical Support Online Case Management system is another way to log and manage cases with
our Technical Support center. You must register yourself the first time you access this site if you do not
already have a user ID.
http://go.pbinsight.com/online-case-management
Before You Call
Please have the following information ready when contacting us for assistance.
1. Serial Number. You must have a registered serial number to receive Technical Support.

Reference

37

Software Defects
2. Your name and organization. The person calling must be the contact person listed on the support
agreement.
3. Version of the product you are calling about.
4. The operating system name and version.
5. A brief explanation of the problem. Some details that can be helpful in this context are:
Error messages
Context in which the problem occurs
Consistency - is the problem reoccurring or occurring erratically?

Expected Response Time

Most issues can be resolved during your initial call. If this is not possible, Technical Support will issue a
response before the end of the business day. A representative will provide a status each business day
until the issue is resolved.
Support requests submitted by e-mail or through the online tracking system are handled using the same
guidelines as telephone support requests; however, there is an unavoidable delay of up to several hours
for message transmission and recognition.

Software Defects
If the issue is deemed to be a bug in the software, the representative will log the issue in Pitney Bowes
Software Inc. bug database and provide you with an incident number that you can use to track the bug.
Future upgrades and patches have fixes for many of the bugs logged against the product.

Other Resources
MapInfo-L Archive Database
Pitney Bowes Software Inc. Corporation, in conjunction with Bill Thoen, provides a web-based, searchable
archive database of MapInfo-L postings. The postings are currently organized by Discussion Threads
and Postings by Date.
Disclaimer: While Pitney Bowes Software Inc. Corporation provides this database as a service to its user
community, administration of the MapInfo-L mailing list is still provided by Bill Thoen. More information
on MapInfo-L can be obtained at the MapInfo-L web page located at http://groups.google.com/group/mapinfo-l?hl=en.

38

MapBasic 12.0

New and Enhanced

MapBasic Statements and
Functions

These are several new statements and functions added to the MapBasic API that
assist you in working with positioning labels and with the scale bar adornment.

In this section:
New MapBasic Functions and Statements . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Additions to Existing Functions and Statements . . . . . .40

New MapBasic Functions and Statements

New MapBasic Functions and Statements

The following is a new function in this release:
Add Designer Text statement - Adds text frames to an existing Legend Designer window
AdornmentInfo( ) function - Returns information about adornments like scale bars.
Alter Designer Text statement - Changes the text in a text frame and the text frame positon in a
Legend Designer window.
LegendTextFrameInfo( ) function - Returns information about a text frame within a a Legend Designer
window.
Remove Designer Text statement - Removes text frames from a Legend Designer window.

Additions to Existing Functions and Statements

This version of MapBasic adds functionality to the following functions and statements:
Create Adornment statement and Set Adornment statement
Both the Create Adornment statement and Set Adornment statement have two new clauses, Background Brush and Background Pen, that denote the fill pattern and border for the background when
creating or modifying a scale bar.
[ Background [ Brush ... ] [Pen ... ] ]
Also, the scale bar clause has a new, optional token to control automatic scaling:
[ Auto [ { On | Off } ] ]
Create Designer Legend statement
The Create Designer Legend statement has a new clause, Legend Text Frame, that creates a text
frame in the Legend Designer window. You would create a text frame to add a legend title, subtitle, or
descriptive text (such as copyright information for example).
[ Legend Text Frame [ Text { frame_text [ Font... ] }
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ] ] ]
LabelInfo( ) function
The LabelInfo( ) function has an updated attribute code.

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attribute code

ID

Labelinfo( ) Return Value

LABEL_INFO_POSITION

Integer value between 0 and 8, indicating the label's position relative to its anchor location. The return value will
match one of these codes:

LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_AUTO (-1),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CC (0),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TL (1),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TC (2),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TR (3),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CL (4),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CR (5),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BL (6),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BC (7),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BR (8).

For example, if the label is Below and to the Right of the

anchor, its position is 8; if the label is Centered horizontally
and vertically over its anchor, its position is zero. If the
label is being auto positioned, its position is -1.

LabelOverrideInfo( ) function
The LabelOverrideInfo( ) function now includes new attribute codes.
Attribute Code

ID

LabelOverrideInfo( ) Return Value

LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTO_POSITION 21

Logical value: TRUE if the advanced region labeling option

for the label override is on or off.

LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTO_SIZES

22

Integer value, indicates the number of font sizes that can

be used when attempting to fit labels within regions for
the label override. The number of fonts can range from 1
to 10. A 0 (zero) value indicates that Default is chosen,
so that MapInfo Professional defines the number of fonts
to use.

LBL_OVR_INFO_SUPPRESS_IF_NO_FIT

23

Logical value: TRUE if this labeling option is On. If after

applying the optional font size step-downs the label still
does not fit in the region, then the label is not drawn.

LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTO_SIZE_STEP 24

Reference

Integer value, defines the overall percentage font size

step used for automatically resizing the label font to make
a label fit for label override. If the original font size is 24
pt and the size step is defined as 66, then the smallest
font will be 66% smaller than 24 pt (the smallest font will
be 8pt).

41

Additions to Existing Functions and Statements

Attribute Code

ID

LabelOverrideInfo( ) Return Value

LBL_OVR_INFO_CURVED_BEST_PO- 25
SITION

Logical value, indicates if the auto positioning for curved

labels is on or off.

LBL_OVR_INFO_CURVED_FALLBACK

26

Logical value, indicates if the option to fallback to create

a rotated label is on or off.

LBL_OVR_INFO_USE_ABBREVIATION

27

Logical value, indicates if use of abbreviations is on or off.

LBL_OVR_INFO_ABBREVIATION_EXPR

28

Returns the field expression used for abbreviated labels.

LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTO_CALLOUT

29

Logical value, TRUE if the advanced region labeling option

of rendering a callout for the label override is on.

LayerInfo( ) function
The LayerInfo( ) function now includes new attribute codes.

42

Attribute Code

ID

LayerInfo( ) Return Value

LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTO_POSITION

54

Logical value, indicates if the advanced region labeling

option for the layer is on or off.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTO_SIZES

55

Logical value, defines the number of font sizes that can

be used when attempting to fit labels within regions. The
number of fonts can range from 1 to 10. A 0 (zero) value
indicates that Default is chosen, so that MapInfo Professional defines the number of fonts to use.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_SUPPRESS_IF_NO_FIT

56

Logical value, indicates if this labeling option is On or Off.

If after applying the optional font size step-downs the label
still does not fit in the region, then the label is not drawn.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTO_SIZE_STEP

57

Smallint value, defines the overall percentage font size

step used for automatically resizing the label font to make
a label fit. If the original font size is 24pt and the size step
is defined as 66, then the smallest font will be 66% smaller
than 24pt (the smallest font will be 8pt).

LAY58
ER_INFO_LBL_CURVED_BEST_POSITION

Logical value, indicates if auto positioning for curved labels

is on or off.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_CURVED_FALL- 59
BACK

Logical value, indicates if the option to fallback to create

a rotated label is on or off.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_USE_ABBREVI- 60
ATION

Logical value, indicates if use of abbreviations is on or off.

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Attribute Code

ID

LayerInfo( ) Return Value

LAYER_INFO_ABBREVIATION_EX- 61
PR

Returns the field expression used for abbreviated labels.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTO_CALLOUT 62

Logical value, indicates if the advanced region labeling

option of rendering a callout for the layer is on or off.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_ORDER

Smallint value, a layer's labeling order.

63

LegendFrameInfo( ) function
The LegendFrameInfo( ) function now includes new attribute codes.
attribute code

ID

LegendFrameInfo( ) Return Value

FRAME_INFO_LINE_SAMPLE_WIDTH 19

Returns line sample width in MapBasic paper units. Returns -1 for Cartographic Legend window.

FRAME_INFO_REGION_SAMPLE_WIDTH

20

Returns region sample width in MapBasic paper units.

Returns -1 for Cartographic Legend window. For details
about paper units, see Set Paper Units statement.

FRAME_INFO_REGION_SAMPLE_HEIGHT

21

Returns region sample height in MapBasic paper units.

Returns -1 for Cartographic Legend window. For details
about paper units, see Set Paper Units statement.

LegendInfo( ) function
The LegendInfo( ) function now includes a new attribute code.
attribute code

ID

LEGEND_INFO_NUM_TEXTFRAMES 8

LegendInfo( ) Return Value

Returns the number of Text Frames in the current Legend
Designer.

MapperInfo( ) function
The MapperInfo( ) function now includes new attrbute and codes.
attribute setting

ID

MapperInfo( ) Return Value

MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY

15

Small integer, indicating what aspect of the map is displayed on the status bar. Corresponds to Set Map Display. Return value will be one of these:

Reference

MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_SCALE (0)
MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_ZOOM (1)
MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_POSITION (2)
MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_CARTOGRAPHIC_SCALE
(3)

43

Additions to Existing Functions and Statements

attribute setting

ID

MAPPER_INFO_LABELS_SELECT- 30
ABLE

MapperInfo( ) Return Value

Logical value indicating whether labels can be selected
in the Map window.

Run Menu Command statement

The Run Menu Command statement now includes new syntax to launch a web page with a repository
of MapBasic applications written by people in the MapInfo Professional community.
RUN MENU COMMAND M_MBTOOL_GET_MB_UTILITIES
Or
RUN MENU COMMAND 1811
' if running from MapBasic window
Set Map statement
The Set Map statement now includes new syntax to support enhancements made for curved labels,
which is described under Managing Individual Label Properties and under Adding Overrides for
Layer Labels.
Set Map
[ Layer layer_id
[ Label
. . .
[ AutoPosition { On | Off } ]
[ AutoSizes { number_font_sizes | Default } ]
[ AutoSizeStep percentage_value ]
[ SuppressIfNoFit { On | Off } ]
[ AutoCallout { On | Off } ]
] ]
The Follow Path and Percent Over clauses were introduced in version 11.5.3 to give more control over
curved labels. Added in this release is the Fallback clause, which creates a straight label that can be
rotated when a curved label cannot be created. For details, see the sections Managing Individual Label
Properties, Adding Overrides for Layer Labels, and Modifying Layer Label Overrides.
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[Layer layer_id
[ Label
[ Follow Path [ BestPosition { On | Off } ]
[Percent Over percent ] [ Fallback { On | Off } ] ]
] ]
You can select to use an alternate abbreviation field expression for labels that cannot be drawn, because
they overlap other labels or do not fit within a region. Your data table must have a column of abbreviations
to use this feature. For details, see the sections Managing Individual Label Properties, Adding
Overrides for Layer Labels, and Modifying Layer Label Overrides..
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[Layer layer_id
[ Label
[ Abbreviation { On | Off } Abbreviate with { field_expression } ]
]

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There is a new Label clause in the Set Map statement to specify that a layer have a high priority when
displaying its labels on the map. You can include a Selection key that turns on or off label selection for
entire map. For details, see Managing the Behavior of Labels.
Set Map
[ Label [ Selection { On | Off } ] [ Priority layer_id [, layer_id2... ]
] ]
There is a new Cartographic clause in the Set Map statement to display the map scale. For details,
see Changing the Behavior of the Entire Map.
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Display { [ Cartographic ] | Position | Zoom } ]
Modify Swatch Sizes
You can now modify swatch sizes after the a legend has been created using the Alter Designer Frame
statement, Set Legend statement, and Create Designer Legend statement. Each frame can have
its own swatch size settings.
The following new clauses control swatch sizing:
[ Region [ Height region_height [ Units paper_units ] ] ]
[ Region [ Width region_width [ Units paper_units ] ] ]
[ Line [ Width line_width [ Units paper_units ] ] ]
The following new clauses enable or disable auto resizing of the legend swatch based on the font size:
[ Auto Font Size { On | Off } ]

Reference

45

A to Z MapBasic Language
Reference

This section describes the MapBasic language in detail. You will find both statements and function descriptions arranged alphabetically.

In this section:
Function and Statement Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Function and Statement Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Function and Statement Conventions

Function and Statement Conventions

Each function and statement is described in the following format:
Purpose
Brief description of the function, clause, or statement.
Restrictions
Information about limitations (for example, "The DDEInitiate function is only available under Microsoft
Windows," "You cannot issue a ForNext statement through the MapBasic window").
Syntax
The format in which you should use the function or statement and explanation of argument(s).
Return Value
The type of value returned by the function.
Description
Thorough explanation of the function or statement's role and any other pertinent information.
Example
A brief example.
A description ends with a list of links to related functions and statements.
Most MapBasic statements can be typed directly into MapInfo Professional through the MapBasic window.
If a statement may not be entered through the MapBasic window, then the Restrictions section identifies
the limitation. Generally, flow-control statements (such as looping and branching statements) cannot be
entered through the MapBasic window.

Function and Statement Descriptions

The following topics describe functions, statements, and clauses. Some topics provide more details on
how to apply a function or statement.

Abs( ) function
Purpose
Returns the absolute value of a number. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Abs ( num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression.

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Return Value
Float
Description
The Abs( ) function returns the absolute value of the expression specified by num_expr.
If num_expr has a value greater than or equal to zero, Abs( ) returns a value equal to num_expr. If
num_expr has a negative value, Abs( ) returns a value equal to the value of num_expr multiplied by
negative one (-1).
Example
Dim f_x, f_y As Float
f_x = -2.5
f_y = Abs(f_x)
' f_y now equals 2.5
See Also:
Sgn( ) function

Acos( ) function
Purpose
Returns the arc-cosine value of a number. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Acos ( num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression between one and negative one, inclusive.
Return Value
Float
Description
The Acos( ) function returns the arc-cosine of the numeric num_expr value. In other words, Acos( ) returns
the angle whose cosine is equal to num_expr.
The result returned from Acos( ) represents an angle, expressed in radians. This angle will be somewhere
between zero and Pi radians (given that Pi is equal to approximately 3.141593, and given that Pi/2 radians
represents 90 degrees).
To convert a degree value to radians, multiply that value by DEG_2_RAD. To convert a radian value
into degrees, multiply that value by RAD_2_DEG. Your program must Include MAPBASIC.DEF in order
to reference DEG_2_RAD or RAD_2_DEG.

Reference

49

Add Cartographic Frame statement

Since cosine values range between one and negative one, the expression num_expr should represent
a value no larger than one and no smaller than negative one.
Example
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Dim x, y As Float
x = 0.5
y = Acos(x) * RAD_2_DEG
' y will now be equal to 60,
' since the cosine of 60 degrees is 0.5
See Also:
Asin( ) function, Atn( ) function, Cos( ) function, Sin( ) function, Tan( ) function

Add Cartographic Frame statement

The Add Cartographic Frame statement allows you to add cartographic frames to an existing cartographic legend created with the Create Cartographic Legend statement. You can issue this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Add Cartographic Frame
[ Window legend_window_id ]
[ Custom ]
[ Default Frame Title { def_frame_title } [ Font... ] ]
[ Default Frame Subtitle { def_frame_subtitle } [ Font... ] ]
[ Default Frame Style { def_frame_style } [ Font... ] ]
[ Default Frame Border Pen... pen_expr ]
Frame From Layer { map_layer_id | map_layer_name }
[ Position ( x , y ) [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Using
[ Column { column | object [ FromMapCatalog { On | Off }]} ]
[ Label { expression | default } ]
[ Title [ frame_title ] [ Font... ] ]
[ SubTitle [ frame_subtitle ] [ Font... ] ]
[ Border Pen... ]
[ Style [Font...] [ NoRefresh ]
[ Text { style_name } { Line Pen...
| Region Pen... Brush...
| Symbol Symbol... } ]
[ , ... ]
]
[ , ... ]
legend_window_id is an integer window identifier that you can obtain by calling the FrontWindow( )
function and WindowID( ) function.
def_frame_title is a string which defines a default frame title. It can include the special character "#"
which will be replaced by the current layer name.
def_frame_subtitle is a string which defines a default frame subtitle. It can include the special character
"#" which will be replaced by the current layer name.

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def_frame_style is a string that displays next to each symbol in each frame. The "#" character will be
replaced with the layer name. The "%" character will be replaced by the text "Line", "Point, "Region", as
appropriate for the symbol. For example, "% of #" will expand to "Region of States" for the STATES.TAB
layer.
pen_expr is a Pen expression, for example, MakePen( width, pattern, color ). If a default border pen is
defined, then it will be become the default for the frame. If a border pen clause exists at the frame level,
then it is used instead of the default.
map_layer_id or map_layer_name identifies a map layer; can be a SmallInt (e.g., use 1 to specify the
top map layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
For a theme layer you must specify the map_layer_id.
paper_units is a string representing a paper unit name (for example, "cm" for centimeters).
frame_title is a string which defines a frame title. If a Title clause is defined here for a frame, then it will
be used instead of the def_frame_title.
frame_subtitle is a string which defines a frame subtitle. If a SubTitle clause is defined here for a frame,
then it will be used instead of the def_frame_subtitle.
column is an attribute column name from the frame layer's table, or the object column (meaning that legend
styles are based on the unique styles in the mapfile). The default is 'object'.
style_name is a string which displays next to a symbol, line, or region in a custom frame.
Description
If the Custom keyword is included, then each frame section must include a Position clause. If Custom
is omitted and the legend is laid out in portrait or landscape, then the frames will be added to the end.
The Position clause controls the frame's position on the legend window. The upper left corner of the
legend window has the position 0, 0. Position values use paper unit settings, such as "in" (inches) or
"cm" (centimeters) (see Set Paper Units statement). MapBasic has a current paper units setting, which
defaults to inches; a MapBasic program can change this setting through the Set Paper Units statement.You can override the current paper units by including the optional Units subclause within the Position clause.
The defaults in this statement apply only to the frames being created in this statement. They have no
affect on existing frames. Frame defaults used in the Create Cartographic Legend statement have no
affect on frames created in this statement.
When you save to a workspace, the FromMapCatalog OFF clause is written to the workspace when
specified. This requires the workspace version increasing to 800. If the FromMapCatalog ON clause is
specified, we do not write it to the workspace since it is default behavior. This lets us avoid increasing
the workspace version.
FromMapCatalog ON retrieves styles from the MapCatalog for a live access table. If the table is not a
live access table, MapBasic reverts to the default behavior for a non-live access table instead of throwing
an error. The default behavior for a non-access table is FromMapCatalog Off (for example, map styles).
FromMapCatalog OFF retrieves the unique map styles for the live table from the server. This table must
be a live access table that supports per record styles for this to occur. If the live table does not support
per record styles than the behavior is to revert to the default behavior for live tables, which is to get the
default styles from the MapCatalog (FromMapCatalog ON).

Reference

51

Add Column statement

Label is a valid expression or default (meaning that the default frame style pattern is used when creating
each style's text, unless the style clause contains text). The default is default.
The Style clause and the NoRefresh keyword allow you to create a custom frame that will not be overwritten when the legend is refreshed. If the NoRefresh keyword is used in the Style clause, then the
table is not scanned for styles. Instead, the Style clause must contain your custom list of definitions for
the styles displayed in the frame. This is done with the Text and appropriate Line, Region, or Symbol
clause.
See Also:
Create Cartographic Legend statement, Set Cartographic Legend statement, Alter Cartographic
Frame statement, Remove Cartographic Frame statement

Add Column statement

Purpose
Adds a new, temporary column to an open table, or updates an existing column with data from another
table. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Add Column table ( column [ datatype ] )
{ Values const [ , const ... ] |
From source_table
Set To expression
[ Where { dest_column = source_column |
Within | Contains | Intersects } ]
[ Dynamic ] }
table is the name of the table to which a column will be added.
column is the name of a new column to add to that table.
datatype is the data type of the column, defined as Char(width), Float, Integer, SmallInt, Decimal(width,
decimal_places), Date or Logical, DateTime; if not specified, type defaults to Float. A DateTime is an
integer value stored in nine bytes: 4 bytes for date, 5 bytes for time. Five bytes for time include: 2 for
millisec, 1 for sec, 1 for min, 1 for hour.
source_table is the name of a second open table.
expression is the expression used to calculate values to store in the new column; this expression usually
extracts data from the source_table, and it can include aggregate functions.
dest_column is the name of a column from the destination table (table).
source_column is the name of a column from the source_table.
Dynamic specifies a dynamic (hot) computed column that can be automatically update: if you include
this keyword, then subsequent changes made to the source table are automatically applied to the destination table.

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Description
The Add Column statement creates a temporary new column for an existing MapInfo Professional table.
The new column will not be permanently saved to disk. However, if the temporary column is based on
base tables, and if you save a workspace while the temporary column is in use, the workspace will include
information about the temporary column, so that the temporary column will be rebuilt if the workspace
is reloaded. To add a permanent column to a table, use the Alter Table statement and Update statement.
See Also:
Alter Table statement, Update statement

Filling the New Column with Explicit Values

Using the Values clause, you can specify a comma-separated list of explicit values to store in the new
column.
The following example adds a temporary column to a table of "ward" regions. The values for the new
column are explicitly specified, through the Value clause.
Open Table "wards"
Add Column wards(percent_dem)
Values 31,17,22,24,47,41,66,35,32,88

Filling the New Column with Values from Another Table

If you specify a From clause instead of a Values clause, MapBasic derives the values for the new column
from a separate table (source_table). Both tables must already be open.
When you use a From clause, MapInfo Professional joins the two tables. To specify how the two tables
are joined, include the optional Where clause. If you omit the Where clause, MapInfo Professional
automatically tries to join the two tables using the most suitable method.
A Where clause of the form Where column = column joins the two tables by matching column values
from the two tables. This method is appropriate if a column from one of your tables has values matching
a column from the other table (e.g., you are adding a column to the States table, and your other table
also has a column containing state names).
If both tables contain map objects, the Where clause can specify a geographic join. For example, if you
specify the clause Where Contains, MapInfo Professional constructs a join by testing whether objects
from the source_table contain objects from the table that is being modified.
The following example adds a "County" column to a "Stores" table. The new column will contain county
names, which are extracted from a separate table of county regions:
Add Column
stores(county char(20)
'add "county" column
From counties
'derive data from counties table...
Set to cname
'using the counties table's "cname" column
Where Contains
'join: where a county contains a store site
The Where Contains method is appropriate when you add a column to a table of point objects, and the
secondary table represents objects that contain the points.

Reference

53

Add Column statement

The following example adds a temporary column to the States table. The new column values are derived
from a second table (City_1K, a table of major U.S. cities). After the completion of the Add Column
statement, each row in the States table will contain a count of how many major cities are in that state.
Open Table "states" Interactive
Open Table "city_1k" Interactive
Add Column states(num_cities)
From city_1k
'derive values from other table
Set To Count(*) 'count cities in each state
Where Within
'join: where cities fall within state
The Set To clause in this example specifies an aggregate function, Count(*). Aggregate functions are
described below.

Filling an Existing Column with Values from Another Table

To update an existing column instead of adding a new column, omit the datatype parameter and specify
a From clause instead of a Values clause. When updating an existing column, MapBasic ignores the
Dynamic clause.

Filling the New Column with Aggregate Data

If you specify a From clause, you can calculate values for the new column by aggregating data from the
second table. To perform data aggregation, specify a Set To clause that includes an aggregate function.
The following table lists the available aggregate functions.

54

Function

Value Stored In The New Column

Avg( col )

Average of values from rows in the source table.

Count( * )

Number of rows in the source table that correspond

to the row in the table being updated.

Max( col )

Largest of the values from rows in the source table.

Min( col )

Smallest of the values from rows in the source

table.

Sum( col )

Sum of the values from rows in the source table.

WtAvg( col, weight_col )

Weighted average of the values from the source

table; the averaging is weighted so that rows having
a large weight_col value have more of an impact
than rows having a small weight_col value.

Proportion Avg( col )

Average calculation that makes adjustments based

on how much of an object is within another object.

Proportion Sum( col )

Sum calculation that makes adjustments based on

how much of an object is within another object.

Proportion WtAvg( col , weight_col )

Weighted average calculation that makes adjustments based on how much of an object is within
another object.

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Note: Count returns an integer value. All other functions return a float value. (No MapBasic function,
aggregate or otherwise, returns a decimal value. A decimal field is only a way of storing the data.
The arithmetic is done with floating point numbers.)
Most of the aggregate functions operate on data values only. The last three functions (Proportion Sum,
Proportion Avg, Proportion WtAvg) perform calculations that take geographic relationships into account.
This is best illustrated by example.
Suppose you have a Counties table, containing county boundary regions and demographic information
(such as population) about each county. You also have a Risk table, which contains a region object. The
object in the Risk table represents some sort of area that is at risk; perhaps the region object represents
an area in danger of flooding due to proximity to a river.

1 County Boundaries 2 Risk Buffer Region

Given these two tables, you might want to calculate the population that lives within the risk region. If half
of a county's area falls within the risk region, you will consider half of that county's population to be at
risk; if a third of a county's area falls within the risk region, you will consider a third of that county's population to be at risk; etc.
The following example calculates the population at risk by using the Proportion Sum aggregate function,
then stores the calculation in a new column (population_at_risk):
Add Column Risk(population_at_risk Integer)
From counties
Set To Proportion Sum(county_pop)
Where Intersects

Reference

55

Add Column statement

For each county that is at least partly within the risk region, MapInfo Professional adds some or all of
the counties county_pop value to a running total.
The Proportion Sum function produces results based on an assumptionthe assumption that the
number being totalled is distributed evenly throughout the region. If you use Proportion Sum to process
population statistics, and half of a region falls within another region, MapInfo Professional adds half of
the region's population to the total. In reality, however, an area representing half of a region does not
necessarily contain half of the region's population. For example, the population of New York State is not
evenly distributed, because a large percentage of the population lives in New York City.
If you use Proportion Sum in cases where the data values are not evenly distributed, the results may
not be realistic. To ensure accurate results, work with smaller region objects (for example, operate on
county regions instead of state regions).
The Proportion Avg aggregate function performs an average calculation which takes into account the
percentage of an object that is covered by another object. Continuing the previous example, suppose
the County table contains a column, median_age, that indicates the median age in each county.
The following statement calculates the median age within the risk zone:
Add Column Risk(age Float)
From Counties
Set To Proportion Avg(median_age)
Where Intersects
For each row in the County table, MapInfo Professional calculates the percentage of the risk region that
is covered by the county; that calculation produces a number between zero and one, inclusive. MapInfo
Professional multiplies that number by the county's median_age value, and adds the result to a running
total. Thus, if a county has a median_age value of 50, and if the county region covers 10% of the risk
region, MapInfo Professional adds 5 (five) to the running total, because 10% of 50 is 5.
Both Proportion Sum and Proportion Avg keep running totals. For example:
If half the county falls in the risk area, then you take half the value and add it to the running total. If it is
10%, then you add 10% of the value to the running total. However, Proportion Avg should be an average,
so if 4 counties intersect the risk area, then you take the running total and divide by 4.
If county1 intersects the risk region, and 50% of county1 intersects the risk region, and the population
of county1 is 66, then you add 33 to the running total.
If 30% of county2's area intersects the risk area and the population is 100, then add 30 to the running
total.
If county3 has 20% overlap with the risk area and has a population of 50, then add 10 to the running
total.
If county4 has 10% overlap with the risk area and has a population of 60, then add 6 to the running total.
Then the Proportion Sum is 33+30+10+6 = 82
Then the Proportion Avg is (33+30+10+6)/4 = 20 (or 21 depending on round off, but I think 20).
Proportion WtAvg is similar to Proportion Avg, but it also lets you specify a data column for weighting
the average calculation; the weighting is also proportionate. For example:
Weighted Average should take a weighted value from another column; for the previous example there
is another column called RuralPercent in the County table. If the risk is for flood and the rural areas are
where it floods, then for risk you only want the population from the rural area.

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If county1 has 50% overlap with the risk region, a population of 66, and a RuralPercent of 0.8, then add
(0.5 * 66 * 0.8) = 26.
If county3, 4, and 5 are all 50% rural, then:
county3 0.3 * 100 * 0.5 = 15
county4 0.2 * 50 * 0.5 = 5
county5 0.1 * 60 * 0.5 = 3
Then the proportion weighted Avg is: (26 + 15 + 5 + 3)/4 = 12

Using Proportion... Functions with Non-Region Objects

When you use Proportion functions and the source table contains region objects, MapInfo Professional
calculates percentages based on the overlap of regions. However, when the source table contains nonregion objects, MapInfo Professional treats each object as if it were completely inside or completely
outside of the destination region (depending on whether the non-region object's centroid is inside or
outside of the destination region).

Dynamic Columns
If you include the optional Dynamic keyword, the new column becomes a dynamic computed column,
meaning that subsequent changes made to the source table are automatically applied to the destination
table.
If you create a dynamic column, and then close the source table used to calculate the dynamic column,
the column values are frozen (the column is no longer updated dynamically).
Similarly, if a geographic join is used in the creation of a dynamic column, and you close either of the
maps used for the geographic join, the column values are frozen.

Add Designer Frame statement

TheAdd Designer Frame statement adds legend frames to an existing Legend Designer window created
with the Create Designer Legend statement. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Add Designer Frame
[ Window legend_window_id ]
[ Custom ]
Frame From Layer { map_layer_id | map_layer_name }
[ Position ( x , y ) [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Using
[ Column { column | object [ FromMapCatalog { On | Off } ] } ]
[ Label { expression | default } ]
[ Title [ frame_title ] ]
[ SubTitle [ frame_subtitle ] ]
[ Columns number_of_columns ] |
[ Height frame_height [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Style [ NoRefresh ]
[ Text { style_name } { Line Pen...
| Region Pen... Brush...

Reference

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Add Designer Frame statement

| Symbol Symbol... } ]
[ , ... ] ] ]
legend_window_id is an integer window identifier that you can obtain by calling the FrontWindow( )
function and WindowID( ) function.
map_layer_id or map_layer_name identifies a map layer; can be a SmallInt (e.g., use 1 to specify the
top map layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
For a theme layer you must specify the map_layer_id.
paper_units is a string representing a paper unit name: cm (centimeters), mm (millimeters), in (inches),
pt (points), and pica.
win_height is a string specifying the legned frame height in paper units. For details about paper units,
see Set Paper Units statement.
frame_title is a string which defines a frame title. If a Title clause is defined here for a frame, then it will
be used instead of the def_frame_title.
frame_subtitle is a string which defines a frame subtitle. If a SubTitle clause is defined here for a frame,
then it will be used instead of the def_frame_subtitle.
column is an attribute column name from the frame layer's table, or the object column (meaning that legend
styles are based on the unique styles in the mapfile). The default is 'object'.
number_of_columns is the number of columns to show in a frame.
frame_height this is used in place of the column clause when the user resizes a legend frame. The height
of the frame in paper units. Written to the WOR when the frame has been manually resized.
style_name is a string which displays next to a symbol, line, or region in a custom frame.
Description
The default properties set in the Create Designer Legend statement are used when adding new frames.
You override these default properties when you explicitly set properties for the frames that you are
adding. Unlike the Add Cartographic Frame statement, the Add Designer Frame statement supports
a Columns clause that lets you specify how many columns to use in a legend frame.
If the Custom keyword is included, then each frame section must include a Position clause. If Custom
is omitted and the legend is laid out in portrait or landscape, then the frames will be added to the end.
The Frame From Layer may be a (SmallInt) value, such as 1 to specify the top map layer other than
the Cosmetic layer, or a string representing the layer name in an existing map. For a theme layer you
must specify the map_layer_id.
The Position clause controls the frame's position on the Legend Designer window. The upper left corner
of the Legend Designer window has the position 0, 0. Position values use paper units settings, such as
"in" (inches) or "cm" (centimeters). MapBasic has a current paper units setting, which defaults to inches;
a MapBasic program can change this setting through the Set Paper Units statement.You can override
the current paper units by including the optional Units subclause within the Position clause.
The defaults in this statement apply only to the frames being created in this statement. They have no
affect on existing frames. Frame defaults used in the Create Cartographic Legend statement have no
affect on frames created in this statement.

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The Column clause is an attribute column name from the frame layer's table, or the object column (legend
styles are based on the unique styles in the .map file). The default is object.
When you save to a workspace, the FromMapCatalog OFF clause is written to the workspace when
specified. This requires the workspace to bumped up to 800. If the FromMapCatalog ON clause is
specified, we do not write it to the workspace since it is default behavior. This lets us avoid bumping up
the workspace version in this case.
FromMapCatalog ON retrieves styles from the MapCatalog for a live access table. If the table is not a
live access table, MapBasic reverts to the default behavior for a non-live access table instead of throwing
an error. The default behavior for a non-access table is FromMapCatalog Off (for example, map styles).
FromMapCatalog OFF retrieves the unique map styles for the live table from the server. This table must
be a live access table that supports per record styles for this to occur. If the live table does not support
per record styles than the behavior is to revert to the default behavior for live tables, which is to get the
default styles from the MapCatalog (FromMapCatalog ON).
Label is a valid expression or default (the default frame style pattern is used when creating each style's
text, unless the style clause contains text). The default is default.
The Title clause is a string that defines a frame title. If a Title clause is defined for a frame, then it will
be used instead of def_frame_title.
The SubTitle clause is a string that defines a frame subtitle. If a SubTitle clause is defined for a frame,
then it will be used instead of def_frame_subtitle.
The Columns clause is the number of columns to show within a frame.
paper_units is a string representing a paper unit name. For details about paper units, see Set Paper
Units statement.
The Style clause and the NoRefresh keyword allow you to create a custom frame that will not be overwritten when the legend is refreshed. If the NoRefresh keyword is used in the Style clause, then the
table is not scanned for styles. Instead, the Style clause must contain your custom list of definitions for
the styles displayed in the frame. This is done with the Text and appropriate Line, Region, or Symbol
clause.
Example
You can get an count of open document windows using NumAllWindows( ) function, then loop through
them using WindowID( ) function or WindowInfo( ) function to find the legend window by type and its
window ID to use with the Add Legend Designer statement.
Dim i, wndLegend as integer
for i = 1 to NumWindows()
If WindowInfo(WindowID(i), WIN_INFO_TYPE) = WIN_LEGEND_DESIGNER then
wndLegend = WindowInfo(WindowID(i), WIN_INFO_WINDOWID)
end if
next
This example adds frames.
Add Designer Frame Window wndLegend Frame From Layer 2 Columns 2
See Also:
Create Designer Legend statement, Set Designer Legend statement, Alter Designer Frame
statement, Remove Designer Frame statement

Reference

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Add Designer Text statement

Add Designer Text statement

TheAdd Designer Text statement adds text frames to an existing Legend Designer window created
with the Create Designer Legend statement. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Add Designer Text
[ Window legend_window_id ]
[ Legend Text Frame [ Text { frame_text [ Font... ] }
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ] ] ]
legend_window_id is an integer window identifier that you can obtain by calling the FrontWindow( )
function and WindowID( ) function.
frame_text is text for a legend title, subtitle, or descriptive text (such as copyright information for example).
x states the desired distance from the top of the workspace to the top edge of the window.
y states the desired distance from the left of the workspace to the left edge of the window.
Note: Here workspace means the client area (which excludes the title bar, tool bar, and the status bar).
paper_units is a string representing a paper unit name: cm (centimeters), mm (millimeters), in (inches),
pt (points), and pica.

1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters , 254 millimeters, 6 picas, 72 points

1 point (pt) = 0.01389 inches, 0.03528 centimeters, 0.35278 millimeters, 0.08333 picas
1pica = 0.16667 inches, 0.42333 centimeters, 4.23333 millimeters, 12 points
1 centimeter (cm) = 0.39370 inches, 10 millimeters, 2.36220 picas, 28.34646 points
1 millimeter (mm) = 0.1 centimeters, 0.03937 inches, 0.23622 picas, 2.83465 points

Description
Legend Text Frame creates a text frame in the Legend Designer window.
If Text does not specify the Font clause, then the default font is used.
The Position clause controls the frame's position on the Legend Designer window. The upper left corner
of the Legend Designer window has the position 0, 0. Position values use paper units settings, such as
"in" (inches) or "cm" (centimeters) (see Set Paper Units statement). MapBasic has a current paper
units setting, which defaults to inches; a MapBasic program can change this setting through the Set
Paper Units statement. You can override the current paper units by including the optional Units subclause within the Position clause.
Example
Add Designer Text Window frontwindow()
Legend Text Frame
Text "This is My title" Font("Batang", 3, 12, 16711680)
See Also:

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Create Designer Legend statement, Alter Designer Text statement, Remove Designer Text statement

Add Map statement

Purpose
Adds one or more graphic layers, or a group layer, to a Map window. You can also select a destination
group layer and/or position to insert the new layers.
Syntax 1
Add Map
[ Window window_id ] [ Auto ]
Layer table [ , table [ Animate ] ... ]
[ [ DestGroupLayer group_id ] Position position ]
window_id is the window identifier of a Map window.
table is the name of a mappable open table to add to a Map window.
group_id is the identification for a group layer, either as a integer value (the group number) or as a string
value (the group name).
position is the 1-based index within the destination group where to insert the new list of layers.
Syntax 2
Add Map
[ Window window_id ] [ Auto ]
GroupLayer ( "friendly_name" [ , item ... ] )
[ [ DestGroupLayer group_id ] Position position ]
where:
item = table | [ GroupLayer ( "friendly_name" [ , item ... ])
Description
The Add Map statement adds one or more open tables, or a group layer, to a Map window, but not both
within the same statement. The group layer may contain any number of nested group layers. MapInfo
Professional then automatically redraws the Map window, unless you have suppressed redraws through
a Set Event Processing statement Off statement or Set Map statement Redraw Off statement.
The window_id parameter is an integer window identifier representing an open Map window; you can
obtain a window identifier by calling the FrontWindow( ) function and WindowID( ) function. If the
Add Map statement does not specify a window_id value, the statement affects the topmost Map window.
If you include the optional Auto keyword, MapInfo Professional tries to automatically position the map
layer, or group layers at an appropriate place in the set of layers. A raster table or a map of region objects
would be placed closer to the bottom of the map, while a map of point objects would be placed on top.
If you omit the Auto keyword, the specified table becomes the topmost layer in the window; in other
words, when the map is redrawn, the new layer, or group layers will be drawn last. You can then use
the Set Map statement to alter the order of layers in the Map window.

Reference

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Add Map statement

If a DestGroupLayer is specified the Auto keyword will be ignored and the list of layers, or the group
layer will be inserted into the layer list, in the group specified, at the position specified. A group id of 0
is the top level list. If the DestGroupLayer is omitted the group ID defaults to 0.
The position is the 1-based index within the destination group of where to insert the new list of layers. If
the position is omitted it is assumed to be the first position in the group (position = 1). If the position
given exceeds the number of items in the destination group, the new layers and/or groups will be inserted
at the end of the destination group.
Layer and group IDs may be the numeric ID or name. Group IDs range from 0 to the total number of
groups in the list.
Note: You cannot insert into the middle of a set of thematic layers. Thematic layers are inserted in a
certain order as they are created and this order is maintained. If the destination position would
cause the new layers to be inserted within a set of thematic layers, the final position will be adjusted to avoid that.

Adding Layers of Different Projections

If the layer added is a raster table, and the map does not already contain any raster map layers, the map
adopts the coordinate system and projection of the raster image. If a Map window contains two or more
raster layers, the window dynamically changes its projection, depending on which image occupies more
of the window at the time.
If raster re-projection is turned on, then MapInfo Professional retains the coordinate system of the map
even if you add a raster table to the map.
If the layer added is not a raster table, MapInfo Professional continues to display the Map window using
whatever coordinate system and projection were used before the Add Map statement, even if the table
specified is stored with a different native projection or coordinate system. When a table's native projection
differs from the projection of the Map window, MapInfo Professional converts the table coordinates "on
the fly" so that the entire Map window appears in the same projection.
Note: When MapInfo Professional converts map layers in this fashion, map redraws take longer, since
MapInfo Professional must perform mathematical transformations while drawing the map.

Using Animation Layers to Speed Up Map Redraws

If the Add Map statement includes the Animate keyword, the added layer becomes a special layer known
as the animation layer. When an object in the animation layer is moved, the Map window redraws very
quickly, because MapInfo Professional only redraws the one animation layer.
For an example of animation layers, see the sample program ANIMATOR.MB.
The animation layer is useful in real-time applications, where map features are updated frequently. For
example, you can develop a fleet-management application that represents each vehicle as a point object.
You can receive current vehicle coordinates by using GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) technology, and
then update the point objects to show the current vehicle locations on the map. In this type of application,
where map objects are constantly changing, the map redraws much more quickly if the objects being
updated are stored in the animation layer instead of a conventional layer.

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The following example opens a table (Vehicles) and makes the table an animation layer:
Open Table "vehicles" Interactive
Add Map Layer vehicles Animate
In general, the last table to be followed by the Animate keyword will be the animation layer. Only one
layer at a time can be the Animation layer.
To terminate the animation layer processing, issue a Remove Map statement Layer Animate statement.
Animation layers have special restrictions. For example, users cannot use the Info tool to click on objects
in an animation layer. Also, each Map window can have only one animation layer. For more information
about animation layers, see the MapBasic User's Guide.
Example
Open Table "world"
Map From world
Open Table "cust1992" As customers
Open Table "lead1992" As leads
Add Map Auto Layer customers, leads
Add a group layer example:
Open Table world
Open Table worldcap
Add Map Auto GroupLayer("new group", worldcap, world)
Open Table ocean
Add Map Layer ocean DestGrouplayer "new group" position 3
See Also:
Map statement, Remove Map statement, Set Map statement

AdornmentInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about adornments like scale bars. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
AdornmentInfo( window_id, attribute )
window_id is an integer window identifier. The window needs to be an adornment.
attribute is an integer code indicating what type of information to return. For values, see the table below:
Return Value
Float, smallint, integer, logical, pen, brush, font, or string, depending on the attribute parameter.
Description
There are several attributes that AdornmentInfo( ) can return. Codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.

Reference

63

AdornmentInfo( ) function
Attribute setting

ID

AdornmentInfo( ) Return Value

ADORNMENT_INFO_TYPE

Integer.
Type of adornment: 0 (zero) for scale bar.

64

ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_WINDOW- 2
ID

Integer. WindowID of the parent map window.

ADORNMENT_INFO_IS_FIXED_PO- 3
SITION

Logical. True for fixed position, false for docked position.

ADORNMENT_INFO_FIXED_POSI- 4
TION_X

Float. X value of the fixed position.

ADORNMENT_INFO_FIXED_POSI- 5
TION_Y

Float. Y value of the fixed position.

ADORNMENT_INFO_FIXED_POSI- 6
TION_UNITS

Char. Units of the X and Y offsets for the docked position.

ADORNMENT_INFO_DOCKED_PO- 7
SITION

SmallInt. Returns the docked position.

ADORNMENT_INFO_DOCKED_OFF- 8
SET_X

Float. X value of the offset relative to the docked position.

ADORNMENT_INFO_DOCKED_OFF- 9
SET_Y

Float. Y value of the offset relative to the docked position.

ADORNMENT_INFO_DOCKED_OFF- 10
SET_UNITS

Char. Units of the X and Y offsets for the docked position.

ADORNMENT_INFO_BACKGROUND_PEN

11

Pen. The style of the adornment background border pen.

ADORNMENT_INFO_BACKGROUND_BRUSH

12

Brush. The style of the adornment background fill brush.

ADORNMENT_INFO_SCALEBAR_TYPE

20

SmallInt. Type of scale bar.

ADORNMENT_INFO_SCALEBAR_MAP_UNITS

21

Char. Units of the map distance on the scale bar.

ADORNMENT_INFO_SCALEBAR_PA- 22
PER_UNITS

Char. Paper units in the scale bar. For details about paper
units, see Set Paper Units statement.

ADORNMENT_INFO_SCALEBAR_BAR_LENGTH

23

Float. Original size of the scale bar.

ADORNMENT_INFO_SCALEBAR_BAR_DISPLAY_LENGTH

24

Float. Size the scale bar is drawn at.

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Attribute setting

ID

AdornmentInfo( ) Return Value

ADORNMENT_INFO_SCALEBAR_BAR_HEIGHT

25

Float. Height of the scale bar.

ADORNMENT_INFO_SCALEBAR_AUTO_SCALING

26

Logical. To mark auto scaling on or off.

ADORNMENT_INFO_SCALEBAR_SHOW_CARTO_SCALE

27

Logical. To display the cartographic scale in the toolbar.

ADORNMENT_INFO_SCALEBAR_BAR_PEN

28

Pen. The pen style used to draw the scale bar.

ADORNMENT_INFO_SCALEBAR_BAR_BRUSH

29

Brush. The brush, fill style used to draw the scale bar.

ADORNMENT_INFO_SCALEBAR_BAR_FONT

30

Font. The font used to render text in the scale bar.

ADORNMENT_INFO_SCALEBAR_BAR_DISPLAY_SCALE

31

Float. The numeric value of the scale that will be shown

in the scale bar.

ADORN32
MENT_INFO_SB_AUTOOFF_SCALE

Float. The unrounded scale value that is used if auto

scaling is off.

ADORN33
MENT_INFO_SB_AUTOON_SCALE

Float. The rounded scale value that is used if auto scaling

is on.

ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_SCALE_STRING

34

Char. The scale value that is being displayed but as a

formatted string (such as decimal points, thousands separators).

ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_CARTO_VALUE

35

Float. The cartographics scale value as a numeric value,

without any rounding.

ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_CARTO_STRING

36

Char. The cartographic scale as a formatted string.

Example
print AdornmentInfo(MapperInfo(FrontWindow(), 201), 1)

Alter Button statement

Purpose
Enables, disables, selects, or deselects a button from a ButtonPad (toolbar).

Reference

65

Alter ButtonPad statement

Syntax
Alter Button { handler | ID button_id }
[ { Enable | Disable } ]
[ { Check | Uncheck } ]
handler is the handler that is already assigned to an existing button. The handler can be the name of a
MapBasic procedure, or a standard command code (e.g., M_TOOLS_RULER or M_WINDOW_LEGEND)
from MENU.DEF.
button_id is a unique integer button identification number.
Description
If the Alter Button statement specifies a handler (e.g., a procedure name), MapInfo Professional modifies
all buttons that call that handler. If the statement specifies a button_id number, MapInfo Professional
modifies only the button that has that ID.
The Disable keyword changes the button to a grayed-out state, so that the user cannot select the button.
The Enable keyword enables a button that was previously disabled.
The Check and Uncheck keywords select and deselect ToggleButton type buttons, such as the Show
Statistics Window button. The Check keyword has the effect of "pushing in" a ToggleButton control, and
the Uncheck keyword has the effect of releasing the button. For example, the following statement selects
the Show Statistics Window button:
Alter Button M_WINDOW_STATISTICS Check
Note: Checking or unchecking a standard MapInfo Professional button does not automatically invoke
that button's action; thus, checking the Show/Hide Statistics button does not actually show the
Statistics window-it only affects the appearance of the button. To invoke an action as if the user
had checked or unchecked the button, issue the appropriate statement; in this example, the appropriate statement is the Open Window statement Statistics.
Similarly, you can use the Check keyword to change the appearance of a ToolButton. However,
checking a ToolButton does not actually select that tool, it only changes the appearance of the button.
To make a standard tool the active tool, issue a Run Menu Command statement, such as the following:
Run Menu Command M_TOOLS_RULER
To make a custom tool the active tool, use the syntax Run Menu Command ID IDnum.
See Also:
Alter ButtonPad statement, Create ButtonPad statement, Run Menu Command statement

Alter ButtonPad statement

Purpose
Displays / hides a ButtonPad (toolbar), or adds / removes buttons.

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Syntax
Alter ButtonPad { current_title | ID pad_num }
[ Add button_definition [ button_definition ... ] ]
[ Remove { handler_num | ID button_id } [ , ... ] ]
[ Title new_title ]
[ Width width ]
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units unit_name ] ]
[ ToolbarPosition ( row, column ) ]
[ { Show | Hide } ]
[ { Fixed | Float | Top | Left | Right | Bottom } ]
[ Destroy ]
current_title is the toolbar's title string (e.g., "Main").
pad_num is the ID number for a standard toolbar:

1 for Main
2 for Drawing
3 for Tools
4 for Standard
5 for Database Management System (DBMS)
6 Web Services
7 Reserved

handler_num is an integer handler code, such as M_TOOLS_RULER (1710), from MENU.DEF.

button_id is a custom button's unique identification number.
new_title is a string that becomes the toolbar's new title; visible when toolbar is floating.
width is the pad width, in terms of the number of buttons across.
x, y specify the toolbar's position when floating; specified in paper units. For details about paper units,
see Set Paper Units statement.
unit_name is a string paper unit name (e.g., "in" for inches, "cm" for centimeters).
row, column specify the toolbar's position when docked (e.g., 0, 0 places the pad at the left edge of the
top row of toolbars, and 0, 1 represents the second toolbar on the top row).
row position starts at the top and increases in value going to the bottom. It is a relative value to the
rows existing in the same position (top or bottom). When there is a menu bar in the same position,
then the numbers become relative to the menu bar. When a toolbar is just below the menu bar, its row
value is 0. If it is directly above the menu bar, then its row value is -1.
column position starts at the left and increases in value going to the right. It is a relative value to the
columns existing in the same position (left or right). For example, if a toolbar is docked to the left and
the menu bar is docked to the left position, then the column number for the column left of the menu
bar is -1. The column number for the column to the right of the menu bar is 0.
Each button_definition clause can consist of the keyword Separator, or it can have the following syntax:
{ PushButton | ToggleButton | ToolButton }
Calling { procedure | menu_code | OLE methodname | DDE server, topic }
[ ID button_id ]
[ Icon icon_code [ File file_spec ] ]
[ Cursor cursor_code [ File file_spec ] ]

Reference

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Alter ButtonPad statement

[
[
[
[
[

DrawMode dm_code ]
HelpMsg msg ]
ModifierKeys { On | Off } ]
{ Enable | Disable } ]
{ Check | Uncheck } ]

procedure is the handler procedure to call when a button is used.

menu_code is a standard MapInfo Professional menu code from MENU.DEF, such as M_FILE_OPEN
(102); MapInfo Professional runs the menu command when the user uses the button.
methodname is a string specifying an OLE method name. For details on the Calling OLE clause syntax,
see Create ButtonPad statement.
server and topic are strings specifying a DDE server and topic name. For details on the Calling DDE
clause syntax, see Create ButtonPad statement.
button_id specifies the unique button number. This number can be used: as a tag in help; as a parameter
to allow the handler to determine which button is in use (in situations where different buttons call the
same handler); or as a parameter to be used with the Alter Button statement.
Icon icon_code specifies the icon to appear on the button; icon_code can be one of the standard MapInfo
icon codes listed in ICONS.DEF, such as MI_ICON_RULER (11). If the File sub-clause specifies the
name of a file containing icon resources, icon_code is an integer resource ID identifying a resource in
the file. The size of the button can be defined with resource file id of icon_code for small and icon_code+1
for large sized buttons, with resource file ids of icon_code and icon_code+1 respectively.
Cursor cursor_code specifies the shape the mouse cursor should adopt whenever the user chooses a
ToolButton tool; cursor_code is a code, such as MI_CURSOR_ARROW (0), from ICONS.DEF. This
clause applies only to ToolButtons. If the File sub-clause specifies the name of a file containing icon
resources, cursor_code is an integer resource ID identifying a resource in the file.
dm_code specifies whether the user can click and drag, or only click with the tool; dm_code is a code,
such as DM_CUSTOM_LINE (33), from ICONS.DEF. Applies only to ToolButtons.
msg is a string that specifies the button's status bar help and, optionally, ToolTip help. The first part of
msg is the status bar help message. If the msg string includes the letters \n then the text following the
\n is used as the button's ToolTip help.
The ModifierKeys clause applies only to ToolButtons; it controls whether the shift and control keys affect
"rubber-band" drawing if the user drags the mouse while using a ToolButton. Default is Off (modifier
keys have no effect).
Description
Use the Alter ButtonPad statement to show, hide, modify, or destroy an existing ButtonPad. For an introduction to ButtonPads, see the MapBasic User Guide.
To show or hide a ButtonPad, include the Show or Hide keyword; see example below. The user also
can show or hide ButtonPads by choosing the Options > Toolbars command.
To set whether the pad is fixed to the top of the screen ("docked") or floating like a window, include the
Fixed or the Float keyword. The user can also control whether the pad is docked or not by dragging the
pad to or from the top of the screen. For more control over the location on the screen that the pad is
docked to, use the Top (which is the same as using Fixed), Left, Right, or Bottom keywords.

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When a pad is floating, its position is controlled by the Position clause; when a pad is docked, its position
is controlled by the ToolbarPosition clause.
To destroy a ButtonPad, include the Destroy keyword. Once a ButtonPad is destroyed, it no longer appears in the Options > Toolbars dialog box.
The Alter ButtonPad statement can add buttons to existing ButtonPads, such as Main and Drawing.
There are three types of button controls you can add: PushButton controls (which the user can click and
release-for example, to display a dialog box); ToggleButton controls (which the user can select by
clicking, then deselect by clicking again); and ToolButton controls (which the user can select, and then
use for clicking on a Map or Layout window).
If you include the optional Disable keyword when adding a button, the button is disabled (grayed out)
when it appears. Subsequent Alter Button statements can enable the button. However, if the button's
handler is a standard MapInfo Professional command, MapInfo Professional automatically enables or
disables the button depending on whether the command is currently enabled.
If you include the optional Check keyword when adding a ToggleButton or a ToolButton, the button is
automatically selected ("checked") when it first appears.
If the user clicks while using a custom ToolButton tool, MapInfo Professional automatically calls the tool's
handler, unless the user cancels (e.g., by pressing the Esc key while dragging the mouse). A handler
procedure can call CommandInfo( ) to determine where the user clicked. If two or more tools call the
same handler procedure, the procedure can call CommandInfo( ) to determine the ID of the button
currently in use.
Custom Icons and Cursors
The Icon clause specifies the icon that appears on the button. If you omit the File clause, then the
parameter n must refer to one of the icon codes listed in ICONS.DEF, such as MI_ICON_RULER (11).
Note: MapInfo Professional has many built-in icons that are not part of the normal user interface. To
see a demonstration of these icons, run the sample program ICONDEMO.MBX. This sample program displays icons, and also lets you copy any icon's define code to the clipboard (so that you
can then paste the code into your program).
The File file_spec sub-clause refers to a DLL file that contains bitmap resources; the n parameter refers
to the ID of a bitmap resource. For more information on creating Windows icons, see the MapBasic User
Guide.
A ToolButton definition also can include a Cursor clause, which controls the appearance of the mouse
cursor while the user is using the custom tool. Available cursor codes are listed in ICONS.DEF, such as
MI_CURSOR_CROSSHAIR (138) or MI_CURSOR_ARROW (0). The procedure for specifying a custom
cursor is similar to the procedure for specifying a custom icon.
For custom icon size requirements for different MapInfo Professional versions, see Create ButtonPad
statement About Icon Size.
Custom Drawing Modes
A ToolButton definition can include a DrawMode clause, which controls whether the user can drag with
the tool (e.g., to draw a line) or only click (e.g., to draw a point). The following table lists the available
drawing modes. Codes in the left column are defined in ICONS.DEF.

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DrawMode parameter

ID

Description

DM_CUSTOM_POINT

34

The user cannot drag while using the custom tool.

DM_CUSTOM_LINE

33

As the user drags, a line connects the cursor with the

location where the user clicked.

DM_CUSTOM_RECT

32

As the user drags, a rectangular marquee appears.

DM_CUSTOM_CIRCLE

30

As the user drags, a circular marquee appears.

DM_CUSTOM_ELLIPSE

31

As the user drags, an elliptical marquee appears; if you

include the ModifierKeys clause, the user can force the
marquee to a circular shape by holding down the Shift
key.

DM_CUSTOM_POLYGON

35

The user may draw a polygon. To retrieve the object drawn

by the user, use the function call: CommandInfo( ) function (CMD_INFO_CUSTOM_OBJ).

DM_CUSTOM_POLYLINE

36

The user may draw a polyline. To retrieve the object drawn

by the user, use the function call: CommandInfo( ) function (CMD_INFO_CUSTOM_OBJ).

All of the draw modes except for DM_CUSTOM_POINT (34) support the Autoscroll feature, which allows
the user to scroll a Map or Layout by clicking and dragging to the edge of the window. To disable autoscroll, see Set Window statement.
Note: MapBasic supports an additional draw mode that is not available to MapInfo Professional users.
If a custom ToolButton has the following Calling clause Calling M_TOOLS_SEARCH_POLYGON
(1733) then the tool allows the user to draw a polygon. When the user double-clicks to close the
polygon, MapInfo Professional selects all objects (from selectable map layers) within the polygon.
The polygon is not saved.

Examples
The following example shows the Main ButtonPad and hides the Drawing ButtonPad:
Alter ButtonPad "Main" Show
Alter ButtonPad "Drawing" Hide
The next example docks the Main ButtonPad and sets its docked position to 0,0 (upper left):
Alter ButtonPad "Main" Fixed ToolbarPosition(0,0)
The next example moves the Main ButtonPad so that it is floating instead of docked, and sets its floating
position to half an inch inside the upper-left corner of the screen.
Alter ButtonPad "Main" Float Position(0.5,0.5) Units "in"
The sample program, ScaleBar, contains the following Alter ButtonPad statement, which adds a custom
ToolButton to the Tools ButtonPad. (Note that "ID 3" identifies the Tools ButtonPad.)
Alter ButtonPad ID 3
Add
Separator
ToolButton

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Icon MI_ICON_CROSSHAIR
HelpMsg "Draw a distance scale on a map\nScale Bar"
Cursor MI_CURSOR_CROSSHAIR
DrawMode DM_CUSTOM_POINT
Calling custom_tool_routine
Show
Note: The Separator keyword inserts space between the last button on the Tools ButtonPad and the
new MI_CURSOR_CROSSHAIR (138) button.
See Also:
Alter Button statement, ButtonPadInfo( ) function, Create ButtonPad statement, Set Window
statement

Alter Cartographic Frame statement

Purpose
The Alter Cartographic Frame statement changes a frame(s) position, title, subtitle, border and style
of an existing cartographic legend created with the Create Cartographic Legend statement. (To change
the size, position or title of the legend window, use the Set Window statement.) You can issue this
statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
This statement cannot alter the Title, Subtitle, or Fonts for a thematic frame in the Legend Designer
window. To make these changes, use the Set Legend statement.
Syntax
Alter Cartographic Frame
[ Window legend_window_id ]
Id { frame_id }
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Title [ frame_title ] [ Font... ] ]
[ SubTitle [ frame_subtitle ] [ Font... ] ]
[ Border Pen... ]
[ Style [ Font... ]
[ ID { id } Text { style_name } ]
[Line Pen... | Region Pen... Brush... | Symbol Symbol... ] ]
[ , ... ]
legend_window_id is an integer window identifier that you can obtain by calling the FrontWindow( )
function and WindowID( ) function.
frame_id is the ID of the frame on the legend. You cannot use a layer name. For example, three frames
on a legend would have the successive ID's 1, 2, and 3.
frame_title is a string which defines a frame title.
frame_subtitle is a string which defines a frame subtitle.
id is the position within the style list for that frame. To get information about the number of styles in a
frame, use the LegendFrameInfo( ) function with attribute FRAME_NUM_STYLES (13).
style_name is a string that displays next to each symbol for the frame specified in ID. The "#" character
will be replaced with the layer name. The "%" character will be replaced by the text "Line", "Point, "Region",

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as appropriate for the symbol. For example, "% of #" will expand to "Region of States" for the frame
corresponding to the STATES.TAB layer.
Description
If a Window clause is not specified MapInfo Professional will use the topmost legend window.
The Position clause controls the frame's position on the legend window. The upper left corner of the
legend window has the position 0, 0. Position values use paper units settings, such as "in" (inches) or
"cm" (centimeters) (see Set Paper Units statement). MapBasic has a current paper units setting, which
defaults to inches; a MapBasic program can change this setting through the Set Paper Units statement.
An Alter Cartographic Frame statement can override the current paper units by including the optional
Units subclause within the Position clause.
The Title and SubTitle clauses accept new text, new font or both.
The Style clause must contain a list of definitions for the styles displayed in frame. You can only update
the Style type for a custom style. You can update the Text of any style. There is no way to add or remove
styles from any type of frame.
See Also:
Create Cartographic Legend statement, Set Cartographic Legend statement, Add Cartographic
Frame statement, Remove Cartographic Frame statement

Alter Control statement

Purpose
Changes the status of a control in the active custom dialog box.
Syntax
Alter Control id_num
[ Title { title | From Variable array_name } ]
[ Value value ]
[ { Enable | Disable } ]
[ { Show | Hide } ]
[ Active ]
id_num is an integer identifying one of the controls in the active dialog box.
title is a string representing the new title to assign to the control.
array_name is the name of an array variable; used to reset the contents of ListBox, MultiListBox, and
PopupMenu controls.
value is the new value to associate with the specified control.
Restrictions
You cannot issue this statement through the MapBasic window.

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Description
The Alter Control statement modifies one or more attributes of a control in the active dialog box; accordingly, the Alter Control statement should only be issued while a dialog box is active (for example, from
within a handler procedure that is called by one of the dialog box controls). If there are two or more
nested dialog boxes on the screen, the Alter Control statement only affects controls within the topmost
dialog box.
The id_num specifies which dialog box control should be modified; this corresponds to the id_num
parameter specified within the ID clause of the Dialog statement.
Each of the optional clauses (Title, Value, Enable/Disable, Hide/Show, Active) modifies a different
attribute of a dialog box control. Note that all of these clauses can be included in a single statement;
thus, a single Alter Control statement could change the name, the value, and the enabled/disabled
status of a dialog box control.
Some attributes do not apply to all types of controls. For example, a Button control may be enabled or
disabled, but has no value attribute.
The Title clause resets the text that appears on most controls (except for Picker controls and EditText
controls; to reset the contents of an EditText control, set its Value). If the control is a ListBox, MultiListBox,
or PopupMenu control, the Title clause can read the control's new contents from an array of string variables, by specifying a From Variable clause.
The Active keyword applies only to EditText controls. An Alter Control...Active statement puts the
keyboard focus on the specified EditText control.
Use the Hide and Show keywords to make controls disappear or reappear.
To de-select all items in a MultiListBox control, use a value setting of zero. To add a list item to the set
of selected MultiListBox items, issue an Alter Control statement with a positive integer value corresponding to the number of the list item.
Note: In this case, do not issue the Alter Control statement from within the MultiListBox control's
handler.
You can use an Alter Control statement to modify the text that appears in a StaticText control. However,
MapInfo Professional cannot increase the size of the StaticText control after it is created. Therefore, if
you plan to alter the length of a StaticText control, you may want to pad it with spaces when you first
define it. For example, your Dialog statement could include the following clause:
Control StaticText ID 1 Title "Message goes here" + Space$(30)
Example
The following example creates a dialog box containing two check boxes, an OK button, and a Cancel
button. Initially, the OK button is disabled (grayed out). The OK button is only enabled if the user selects
one or both of the check boxes.
Include "mapbasic.def"
Declare Sub Main
Declare Sub checker
Sub Main
Dim browse_it, map_it As Logical
Dialog
Title "Display a file"
Control CheckBox

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Title "Display in a Browse window"
Value 0
Calling checker
ID 1
Into browse_it
Control CheckBox
Title "Display in a Map window"
Value 0
Calling checker
ID 2
Into map_it
Control CancelButton
Control OKButton
ID 3
Disable
If CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_DLG_OK) Then
' ... then the user clicked OK...
End If
End Sub
Sub checker
' If either check box is checked,
' enable the OK button; otherwise, Disable it.
If ReadControlValue(1) Or ReadControlValue(2) Then
Alter Control 3 Enable
Else
Alter Control 3 Disable
End If
End Sub

Alter Designer Frame statement

Purpose
The Alter Designer Frame statement changes a frame(s) position, title, subtitle, and style of an existing
legend created with the Create Designer Legend statement. (To change the size, position or title of
the Legend window, use the Set Window statement.) You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
This statement cannot alter the Title, Subtitle, or Fonts for a thematic frame in the Legend Designer
window. To make these changes, use the Set Legend statement.
Syntax
Alter Designer Frame
[ Window legend_window_id ]
Id { frame_id }
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Title [ frame_title ] [ Font... ] ]
[ SubTitle [ frame_subtitle ] [ Font... ] ]
[ Columns number_of_columns ] |
[ Height frame_height [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Region [ Height region_height [ Units paper_units ] ] ]
[ Region [ Width region_width [ Units paper_units ] ] ]
[ Line [ Width line_width [ Units paper_units ] ] ]
[ Auto Font Size { On | Off } ]
[ Order { Default | Ascending | Descending |
{ Custom id | id : id [ , id | id : id ... ] ... } } ]

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[ Style [ Font... ]
[ ID { id } Text { style_name } ]
[Line Pen... | Region Pen... Brush... | Symbol Symbol... ] ]
[ , ... ]
legend_window_id is an integer window identifier that you can obtain by calling the FrontWindow( )
function and WindowID( ) function.
frame_id is the ID of the frame on the legend. You cannot use a layer name. For example, three frames
on a legend would have the successive ID's 1, 2, and 3.
paper_units is a string representing a paper unit name. For details about paper units, see Set Paper
Units statement.
frame_title is a string which defines a frame title.
frame_subtitle is a string which defines a frame subtitle.
number_of_columns is the number of columns to show in a frame.
frame_height this is used in place of the column clause when the user resizes a legend frame. The height
of the frame in paper units. Written to the WOR when the frame has been manually resized.
region_height is a value representing the new height of a swatch in the map frame of the Legend Designer
window. You can specify 8 to 144 points, 0.666667 to 12 picas, 0.111111 to 2 inches, 0.282222 to 5.08
millimeters, or 0.282222 to 5.08 centimeters. If not specified, then the default value of 32 points is used
(which can be set as a preference).
region_width is a value representing the new width of a swatch in the map frame of the Legend Designer
window. You can specify 8 to 144 points, 0.666667 to 12 picas, 0.111111 to 2 inches, 0.282222 to 5.08
millimeters, or 0.282222 to 5.08 centimeters. If not specified, then the default value of 32 points is used
(which can be set as a preference).
line_width is a value representing the new width of a line segment in the map frame of a Legend Designer
window. You can specify 12 to 144 points, 1 to 12 picas, 0.666667 to 2 inches, 4.23333 to 50.8 millimeters,
or 4.23333 to 50.8 centimeters. If not specified, then the default value of 36 points is used (which can
be set as a preference).
id is the position within the style list for that frame. To get information about the number of styles in a
frame, use the LegendFrameInfo( ) function with attribute FRAME_NUM_STYLES (13).
style_name is a string that displays next to each symbol for the frame specified in ID. The "#" character
will be replaced with the layer name. The "%" character will be replaced by the text "Line", "Point, "Region",
as appropriate for the symbol. For example, "% of #" will expand to "Region of States" for the frame
corresponding to the STATES.TAB layer.
Description
If a Window clause is not specified MapInfo Professional will use the topmost Legend window.
The Position clause controls the frame's position on the Legend window. The upper left corner of the
Legend window has the position 0, 0. Position values use paper units settings, such as "in" (inches) or
"cm" (centimeters). MapBasic has a current paper units setting, which defaults to inches; a MapBasic
program can change this setting through the Set Paper Units statement. An Alter Designer Frame
statement can override the current paper units by including the optional Units subclause within the Position clause.

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The Title and SubTitle clauses accept new text, new font clause or both.
The Columns clause is the number of columns to show within a frame.
The Region Height clause specifies a specific height for a swatch in the legend frame of the Legend
Designer window.
The Region Width clause specifies a specific width for a swatch in the legend frame of the Legend
Designer window.
The Line Width clause specifies a specific width for a line sample in the legend frame of the Legend
Designer window.
Auto Font Size enables or disables resizing the legend swatch based on the font size setting.
The Order clause adds the ability to sort or customize the order of rows in map legends. You can sort
map legends by style label or by defining your own order. The sort order options are Default, Ascending,
Descending, or Custom. The Order clause is only written to a workspace if the map legend is sorted
ascending, descending, or custom.
A Default sort order is the order the Create Legend wizard creates the legend rows. If you create a legend
based on unique styles, this will be the order of those styles, which then display as rows in the map legend.
If specifying Custom sort order, the id values are row ids starting with 1, moving from top to bottom.
When looking at the list of rows in the Legend Frame Properties dialog box, the first row in the list has
id equal to 1 and so on down the list. For more details, see Custom Order Options for more details.
The Display clause controls the display of each row. Each row in MapBasic starts with the Style clause.
At the end of each Style clause is the optional Display clause. Display On makes the row visible. Display
Off makes the row invisible. If the Display clause is absent, then the row displays. The Display clause
is only written to a workspace file for styles that are not visible in a legend frame.
Note: The Columns or Height clauses apply to map and thematic legends. However, all other thematic
legend properties must be specified using the Set Legend statement.
The paper Units are cm (centimeters), mm (millimeters), in (inches), pt (points), and pica. Conversions
between these units are:

1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters , 254 millimeters, 6 picas, 72 points

1 point (pt) = 0.01389 inches, 0.03528 centimeters, 0.35278 millimeters, 0.08333 picas
1pica = 0.16667 inches, 0.42333 centimeters, 4.23333 millimeters, 12 points
1 centimeter (cm) = 0.39370 inches, 10 millimeters, 2.36220 picas, 28.34646 points
1 millimeter (mm) = 0.1 centimeters, 0.03937 inches, 0.23622 picas, 2.83465 points

The Style clause must contain a list of definitions for the styles displayed in frame. You can only update
the Style type for a legend frame created with the NoRefresh keyword. You can update the Text of any
style. There is no way to add or remove styles from any type of frame.
Only the following clauses will be applied to thematic legends. Those are:
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Columns number_of_columns ] |
[ Height frame_height [ Units paper_units ] ]

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Example
The following example alters Frame 1 style sample 1 from a Cities points layer. It updates the title, subtitle,
and text shown next to its symbols.
Alter Designer Frame
Window FrontWindow()
ID 1
Position (1, .5) Units "in"
Title "Big Cities"
Subtitle "125 Biggest Cities"
Style Font ("Arial",2,12,255)
ID 1 Text "City Points"
See Also:
Add Designer Frame statement, Create Designer Legend statement, Remove Designer Frame
statement, Set Designer Legend statement

Custom Order Options

Both the Create Designer Legend statement and the Alter Designer Frame statement now include
an Order clause with the option of specifying a Custom sort order.
Custom id | id : id [ , id | id : id ... ]
Where the following specifies a range of row ids in increasing order (Id2 > Id1):
Id1 : Id2
Reordering a List
The syntax for custom order of legend rows is similar to the Order clause (to reorder layers) in the Set
Map statement. It is fairly easy to use when you want to reorder near the beginning of a list, but not so
easy when you want to reorder near the end. For instance, if you want to reverse the order of the first
three rows you only have to use:
Order Custom 3, 2, 1
You can leave out the rest of the rows. If you have 10 rows and want to switch the last two, you have to
list all the ids like this:
Order Custom 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 9
To make this more compact, use the following syntax:
Order Custom 1:8, 10, 9
Indicating a Range of Values
Use a colon ( : ) to indicate a range of values, such as:
Long form:
Order Custom 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, 3, 4
Short
Order
Order
Order

form:
Custom 2, 5:10, 1, 3, 4
Custom 2, 5:10, 1, 3:4 (same as above but also valid)
Custom 2, 5:10, 1 (same as above but also valid)

Long form:
Order Custom 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,

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20, 11
Short form:
Order Custom 1:10, 12:20, 11
The list of values cannot have duplicates that will cause an error. The following causes an error:
Order Custom 1:5, 8, 4:7
This is because row ids 4 and 5 are duplicates. To see this, expand the syntax as follows (which causes
an error):
Order Custom 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 4, 5, 6, 7
The alternate syntax can be used when creating or altering a legend in the Legend Designer window.
For workspaces, the short syntax is used when legends in the Legend Designer window have more
than 50 rows with a custom order.

Alter Designer Text statement

TheAlter Designer Text statement changes the text in a text frame and the text frame positon in a Legend
Designer window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Alter Designer Text
[ Window legend_window_id ]
[ ID textframe_id [ Text { frame_text [ Font... ] }
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ] ] ]
legend_window_id is an integer window identifier that you can obtain by calling the FrontWindow( )
function and WindowID( ) function.
textframe_id is the unique identifier for a text frame (not a legend frame) in the Legend Designer window.
frame_text is text for a legend title, subtitle, or descriptive text (such as copyright information for example).
x states the desired distance from the top of the workspace to the top edge of the window.
y states the desired distance from the left of the workspace to the left edge of the window.
Note: Here workspace means the client area (which excludes the title bar, tool bar, and the status bar).
paper_units is a string representing a paper unit name: cm (centimeters), mm (millimeters), in (inches),
pt (points), and pica.

1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters , 254 millimeters, 6 picas, 72 points

1 point (pt) = 0.01389 inches, 0.03528 centimeters, 0.35278 millimeters, 0.08333 picas
1pica = 0.16667 inches, 0.42333 centimeters, 4.23333 millimeters, 12 points
1 centimeter (cm) = 0.39370 inches, 10 millimeters, 2.36220 picas, 28.34646 points
1 millimeter (mm) = 0.1 centimeters, 0.03937 inches, 0.23622 picas, 2.83465 points

Description
If Text does not specify the Font clause, then the default font is used.

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The Position clause controls the frame's position on the Legend Designer window. The upper left corner
of the Legend Designer window has the position 0, 0. Position values use paper units settings, such as
"in" (inches) or "cm" (centimeters) (see Set Paper Units statement). MapBasic has a current paper
units setting, which defaults to inches; a MapBasic program can change this setting through the Set
Paper Units statement. You can override the current paper units by including the optional Units subclause within the Position clause.
Example
Alter Designer Text Window frontwindow()
ID 1
Text "Title Changed" Font("Arial Greek", 0, 14, 14680064)
See Also:
Create Designer Legend statement, Add Designer Text statement, Remove Designer Text statement

Alter MapInfoDialog statement

Purpose
Disables, hides, or assigns new values to controls in MapInfo Professional's standard dialog boxes.
Restrictions
Caution: The Alter MapInfoDialog statement may not be supported in future versions of MapInfo
Professional. As a result, MapBasic programs that use this statement may not work correctly
when run using future versions of MapInfo Professional. Use this statement with caution.

Syntax 1 (assigning non-default settings)

Alter MapInfoDialog dialog_ID
Control control_ID
{ Disable | Hide | Value new_value } [ , { Disable... } ]
[ Control... ]
Syntax 2 (restoring default settings)
Alter MapInfoDialog dialog_ID Default
dialog_ID is an integer ID number, indicating which MapInfo Professional dialog box to alter.
control_ID is an integer ID number, 1 or larger, indicating which control to modify.
new_value is a new value assigned to the dialog box control.
Description
Use this statement if you need to disable, hide, or assign new values to controlsbuttons, check boxes,
etc.in MapInfo Professional's standard dialog boxes.
Note: Use this statement to modify only MapInfo Professional's standard dialog boxes. To modify
custom dialog boxes that you create using the Dialog statement, use the Alter Control statement.

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Determining ID Numbers
To determine a dialog box's ID number, run MapInfo Professional with this command line:
mapinfow.exe -helpdiag
After you run MapInfo Professional with the -helpdiag argument, display a MapInfo Professional dialog
box and click the Help button. Ordinarily, the Help button launches Help, but because you used the
-helpdiag argument, MapInfo Professional displays the ID number of the current dialog box.
Note: There are different "common dialog boxes" (such as the Open and Save dialog boxes) for different
versions of Windows. If you want to modify a common dialog box, and if your application will be
used under different versions of Windows, you may need to issue two Alter MapInfoDialog
statements, ne for each version of the common dialog box.
Each individual control has an ID number. For example, most OK buttons have an ID number of 1, and
most Cancel buttons have an ID number of 2. To determine the ID number for a specific control, you
must use a third-party developer's utility, such as the Spy++ utility that Microsoft provides with its C
compiler. The MapBasic software does not provide a Spy++ utility.
Although the Alter MapInfoDialog statement changes the initial appearance of a dialog box, the changes
do not have any effect unless the user clicks OK. For example, you can use Alter MapInfoDialog to
store an address in the Find dialog box; however, MapInfo Professional will not perform the Find operation
unless you display the dialog box and the user clicks OK.
Types of Changes Allowed
Use the Disable keyword to disable (gray out) the control.
Use the Hide keyword to make the control disappear.
Use the Value clause to change the setting of the control.
When you alter common dialog boxes (e.g., the Open dialog box), you may reset the item selected in a
combo box control, or you may assign new text to static text, button, and edit box controls.
You can change the orientation control in the Page Setup dialog box. The Portrait and Landscape buttons
are 1056 and 1057, respectively.
When you alter other MapInfo Professional dialog boxes, the following list summarizes the types of
changes you may make.
Button, static text, edit box, editable combo box: You may assign new text by using a text string
in the new_value parameter.

List box, combo box: You may set which item is selected by using a numeric new_value.
Checkbox: You may set the checkbox (specify a value of 1) or clear it (value of zero).
Radio button: Setting a button's value to 1 selects that button from the radio group.
Symbol style button: You may assign a new symbol style (e.g., use the return value from the
MakeSymbol( ) function).
Pen style button: You may assign a new Pen value.
Brush style button: You may assign a new Brush value.
Font style button: You may assign a new Font value.

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Combined Pen/Brush style button: Specify a Pen value to reset the Pen style, or specify a Brush
value to reset the Brush style. (For an example of this type of control, see MapInfo Professional's
Region Style dialog box, which appears when you double-click an editable region.)
Example
The following example alters MapInfo Professional's Find dialog box by storing a text string ("23 Main
St.") in the first edit box and hiding the Respecify button.
If SystemInfo(SYS_INFO_MIVERSION) = 400 Then
Alter MapInfoDialog 2202
Control 5 Value "23 Main St."
Control 12 Hide
End If
Run Menu Command M_ANALYZE_FIND
The ID number 2202 refers to the Find dialog box. Control 5 is the edit box where the user types an
address. Control 12 is the Respecify button, which this example hides. All ID numbers are subject to
change in future versions of MapInfo Professional; therefore, this example calls the SystemInfo( )
function to determine the MapInfo Professional version number.
See Also:
Alter Control statement, SystemInfo( ) function

Alter Menu statement

Purpose
Adds or removes items from an existing menu.
Syntax 1
Alter Menu { menuname | ID menu_id }
Add menudef [ , menudef... ]
Where each menudef defines a menu item, according to the syntax:
newmenuitem
[ ID menu_item_id ]
[ HelpMsg help ]
[ { Calling handler | As menuname } ]
menuname is the name of an existing menu (for example, "File").
menu_id is a standard integer menu ID from 1 to 64; 1 represents the File menu.
newmenuitem is a string, the name of an item to add to the specified menu.
menu_item_id is a custom integer menu item identifier, which can be used in subsequent Alter Menu
Item statements.
help is a string that will appear on the status bar while the menu item is highlighted.
handler is the name of a procedure, or a code for a standard menu command (e.g., M_FILE_NEW), or
a special syntax for handling the menu event by calling OLE or DDE. If you specify a command code
for a standard MapInfo Professional Show/Hide command (such as M_WINDOW_STATISTICS), the

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newmenuitem string must start with an exclamation point and include a caret (^), to preserve the item's
Show/Hide behavior. For more details on the different types of handler syntax, see the Create Menu
statement.
Syntax 2
Alter Menu { menuname | ID menu_id }
Remove { handler | submenuname | ID menu_item_id }
[ , { handler | submenuname | ID menu_item_id } ... ]
menuname is the name of an existing menu.
menu_id is an integer menu ID from 1 to 64; 1 represents the File menu.
handler is either the name of a sub procedure or the code for a standard MapInfo Professional command.
submenuname is the name of a hierarchical submenu to remove from the specified menu.
menu_item_id is a custom integer menu item identifier.
Description
The Alter Menu statement adds menu items to an existing menu or removes menu items from an existing
menu.
The statement can identify the menu to be modified by specifying the name of the menu (e.g., "File")
through the menuname parameter.
If the menu to be modified is one of the standard MapInfo Professional menus, the Alter Menu statement
can identify which menu to alter by using the ID clause. The ID clause identifies the menu by a number
from 1 to 64. The following table lists the names and ID numbers of all standard MapInfo Professional
menus.
Table 1: ID Numbers for Menus

82

Menu Name

Define

ID

Description

File

M_FILE

File menu.

Edit

M_EDIT

Edit menu.

Search

M_SEARCH

Search menu.

Query

M_QUERY

Query menu.

Programs

M_PGM

Programs menu.

Tools

M_TOOLS

Tools menu.

Options

M_OPTIONS

Options menu.

Window

M_WINDOW

Window menu.

Help

M_HELP

Help menu.

Browse

M_BROWSE

Browse menu. Ordinarily, this only appears when a

Browser window is the active window.

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Menu Name

Define

ID

Description

Map

M_MAP

Map menu. Ordinarily, this menu is only available when

a Map window is active.

Layout

M_LAYOUT

10

Layout menu. Available when a Layout window is active.

Graph

M_GRAPH

11

Graph menu. Available when a Graph window is active.

MapBasic

M_MAPBASIC

12

MapBasic menu. Available when the MapBasic window

is active.

Redistrict

M_REDISTRICT

13

Redistrict menu. Available when a Districts Browser is

active.

Objects

M_OBJECTS

14

Objects menu.

Table

M_TABLE

15

Table menu.

Menus 16 through 36 are shortcut menus, which appear if the user clicks with the right mouse button.
Table 2: ID Numbers for Shortcut Menus
Menu Name

Define

ID

Description

DefaultShortcut

M_SHORTCUT_DFLT

16

The default shortcut menu. This menu appears if the user

right-clicks on a window that does not have its own
shortcut menu defined.

MapperShortcut

M_SHORTCUT_MAPPER

17

The Map window shortcut menu.

BrowserShortcut

M_SHORT18
CUT_BROWSER

The Browse window shortcut menu.

LayoutShortcut

M_SHORTCUT_LAYOUT

The Layout window shortcut menu.

GrapherShortcut

M_SHORT20
CUT_GRAPHER

The Graph window shortcut menu. This menu contains

options for creating graphs.

CmdShortcut

M_SHORTCUT_CMD

21

The MapBasic window shortcut menu.

RedistrictShortcut M_SHORTCUT_REDISTRICTER

22

The Redistricting shortcut menu; available when the Districts Browser is active.

LegendShortcut

M_SHORTCUT_LEGEND

23

The Legend window shortcut menu.

GrapherShortcut

M_SHORTCUT_GRAPHTDG

24

The Graph window shortcut menu. This menu contains

options for formatting graphs already created.

Reference

19

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Alter Menu statement

Menu Name

Define

ID

Description

3DMapShortcut

M_SHORTCUT_3DMAP

25

The 3D Map window shortcut menu.

MessageWinShort- M_SHORTcut
CUT_MSG_WIN

26

The Message window shortcut menu.

StatisticsWinShort- M_SHORTcut
CUT_STAT_WIN

27

The Statistics window shortcut menu.

AdornmentShort- M_SHORTcut
CUT_ADORNMENT

32

The Adornment window shortcut.

LcLayersShortcut M_SHORTCUT_LC_LAYERS

33

The menu you get when you right-click a regular layer in

the layer list

LcMapsShortcut

34

The menu you get when you right-click a Map node in the
layer list

LcGroupsShortcut M_SHORT35
CUT_LC_GROUPS

The menu you get when you right-click a Group Layer in

the layer list

TableAdornment- M_SHORT36
Shortcut
CUT_TABLEADORNMENT

Reserved for future use.

M_SHORTCUT_LC_MAPS

Table 3: ID Numbers for Non-Shortcut Menus

Menu Name

Define

ID

Description

3DWindow

M_3DMAP

28

3D Map window.

Graph

M_GRAPHTDG

29

Graph menu.

Legend

M_LEGEND

31

Legend menu.

When altering a Custom menu (even if you create it with an Custom ID, such as 999), you are required
to use the Custom menuname, not the Custom ID, to alter it.
Examples
The following statement adds an item to the File menu.
Alter Menu "File" Add
"Special" Calling sub_procedure_name
In the following example, the menu to be modified is identified by its number.
Alter Menu ID 1 Add
"Special" Calling sub_procedure_name

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In the following example, the menu item that is added contains an ID clause. The ID number (300) can
be used in subsequent Alter Menu Item statements.
Alter Menu ID 1 Add
"Special" ID 300 Calling sub_procedure_name
The following example removes the custom item from the File menu.
Alter Menu ID 1 Remove sub_procedure_name
The sample program, TextBox, uses a Create Menu statement to create a menu called "TextBox," and
then issues the following Alter Menu statement to add the TextBox menu as a hierarchical menu located
on the Tools menu:
Alter Menu "Tools" Add
"(-",
"TextBox" As "TextBox"
The following example adds a custom command to the Map window's shortcut menu (the menu that
appears when an MapInfo Professional user right-clicks on a Map window).
Alter Menu ID 17 Add
"Find Nearest Site" Calling sub_procedure_name
See Also:
Alter Menu Bar statement, Alter Menu Item statement, Create Menu statement, Create Menu Bar
statement

Alter Menu Bar statement

Purpose
Adds or removes menus from the menu bar.
Syntax
Alter Menu Bar { Add | Remove }
{ menuname | ID menu_id }
[ , { menuname | ID menu_id } ... ]
menuname is the name of an available menu (e.g., "File")
menu_id is a standard menu ID from one to fifteen; one represents the File menu.
Description
The Alter Menu Bar statement adds or removes one or more menus from the current menu bar.
The menuname parameter is a string representing the name of a menu, such as "File" or "Edit". The
menuname parameter may also refer to the name of a custom menu created by a Create Menu statement
(see example below)
Note: If the application is running on a non-English language version of MapInfo, and if the menu names
have been translated, the Alter Menu Bar statement must specify the translated version of the
menu name. However, each of MapInfo Professional's standard menus (File, Edit, etc.) also has
a menu ID, which you can use regardless of whether the menu names have been translated.

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For example, specifying ID 2 always refers to the Edit menu, regardless of whether the menu
has been translated.
For a list of MapInfo Professional's standard menu names and their corresponding ID numbers, see Alter
Menu statement.
Adding Menus to the Menu Bar
An Alter Menu Bar Add statement adds a menu to the right end of the menu bar. If you need to insert
a menu at another position on the menu bar, use the Create Menu Bar statement to redefine the entire
menu bar.
If you add enough menus to the menu bar, the menu bar wraps down onto a second line of menu names.
Removing Menus from the Menu Bar
An Alter Menu Bar Remove... statement removes a menu from the menu bar. However, the menu remains part of the "pool" of available menus. Thus, the following pair of statements would first remove
the Query menu from the menu bar, and then add the Query menu back onto the menu bar (at the right
end of the bar).
Alter Menu Bar Remove "Query"
Alter Menu Bar Add "Query"
After an Alter Menu Bar Remove... statement removes a menu, MapInfo Professional ignores any
hotkey sequences corresponding to items that were on the removed menu. For example, a MapInfo
Professional user might ordinarily press Ctrl+O to bring up the File menu's Open dialog box; however,
if an Alter Menu Bar Remove statement removed the File menu, MapInfo Professional would ignore
any Ctrl+O key-presses.
Example
The following example creates a custom menu, called DataEntry, then uses an Alter Menu Bar Add
statement to add the DataEntry menu to MapInfo Professional's menu bar.
Declare Sub addsub
Declare Sub editsub
Declare Sub delsub
Create Menu "DataEntry" As
"Add" Calling addsub,
"Edit" Calling editsub,
"Delete" Calling delsub
'Remove the Window menu and Help menu
Alter Menu Bar Remove ID 6, ID 7
'Add the custom menu, then the Window & Help menus
Alter Menu Bar Add "DataEntry", ID 6, ID 7
Before adding the custom menu to the menu bar, this program removes the Help menu (menu ID 7) and
the Window menu (ID 6) from the menu bar. The program then adds the custom menu, the Window
menu, and the Help menu to the menu bar. This technique guarantees that the last two menus will always
be Window and Help.
See Also:
Alter Menu statement, Alter Menu Item statement, Create Menu statement, Create Menu Bar
statement, Menu Bar statement

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Alter Menu Item statement

Purpose
Alters the status of a specific menu item.
Syntax
Alter Menu Item { handler | ID menu_item_id }
{ [ Check | Uncheck ] |
[ Enable | Disable ] |
[ Text itemname ] |
[ Calling handler | As menuname ] }
handler is either the name of a Sub procedure or the code for a standard MapInfo Professional command.
menu_item_id is an integer that identifies a menu item; this corresponds to the menu_item_id parameter
specified in the statement that created the menu item (Create Menu statement or Alter Menu statement).
itemname is the new text for the menu item (may contain embedded codes).
menuname is the name of an existing menu.
Description
The Alter Menu Item statement alters one or more of the items that make up the available menus. For
example, you could use the Alter Menu Item statement to check or disable (gray out) a menu item.
The statement must either specify a handler (e.g., the name of a procedure in the same program), or an
ID clause to indicate which menu item(s) to modify. Note that it is possible for multiple, separate menu
items to call the same handler procedure. If the Alter Menu Item statement includes the name of a
handler procedure, MapInfo Professional alters all menu items that call that handler. If the statement
includes an ID clause, MapInfo Professional alters only the menu item that was defined with that ID.
The Alter Menu Item statement can only refer to a menu item ID if the statement which defined the
menu item included an ID clause. A MapBasic application cannot refer to menu item IDs created by
other MapBasic applications.
The Check clause and the Uncheck clause affect whether the item appears with a checkmark on the
menu. Note that a menu item may only be checked if it was defined as "checkable" (for example, if the
Create Map statement included a "!" as the first character of the menu item name).
The Disable clause and the Enable clause control whether the item is disabled (grayed out) or enabled.
Note that MapInfo Professional automatically enables and disables various menu items based on the
current circumstances. For example, the File > Close command is disabled whenever there are no
tables open. Therefore, MapBasic applications should not attempt to enable or disable standard MapInfo
Professional menu items. Similarly, although you can treat specific tools as menu items (by referencing
defines from MENU.DEF, such as M_TOOLS_RULER), you should not attempt to enable or disable tools
through the Alter Menu Item statement.
The Text clause allows you to rename a menu item.
The Calling clause specifies a handler for the menu item. If the user chooses the menu item, MapInfo
Professional calls the item's handler.

Reference

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Examples
The following example creates a custom "DataEntry" menu.
Declare Sub addsub
Declare Sub editsub
Declare Sub delsub
Create Menu "DataEntry" As
"Add" Calling addsub,
"Edit" Calling editsub,
"Delete" ID 100 Calling delsub,
"Delete All" ID 101 Calling delsub
'Remove the Help menu
Alter Menu Bar Remove ID 7
'Add both the new menu and the Help menu
Alter Menu Bar Add "DataEntry" , ID 7
The following Alter Menu Item statement renames the "Edit" item to read "Edit..."
Alter Menu Item editsub Text "Edit..."
The following statement disables the "Delete All" menu item.
Alter Menu Item ID 101 Disable
The following statement disables both the "Delete" and the "Delete All" items, because it identifies the
handler procedure delsub, which is the handler for both menu items.
Alter Menu Item delsub Disable
See Also:
Alter Menu statement, Alter Menu Bar statement, Create Menu statement

Alter Object statement

Purpose
Modifies the shape, position, or graphical style of an object. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Alter Object obj
{ Info object_info_code, new_info_value |
Geography object_geo_code , new_geo_value |
Node {
Add [ Position polygon_num, node_num ] ( x, y ) |
Set Position polygon_num, node_num ( x , y ) |
Remove Position polygon_num, node_num } }
obj is an object variable.
object_info_code is an integer code relating to the ObjectInfo( ) function (e.g., OBJ_INFO_PEN).
new_info_value specifies the new object_info_code attribute to apply (e.g., a new Pen style).
object_geo_code is an integer code relating to the ObjectGeography( ) function (e.g.,
OBJ_GEO_POINTX).
new_geo_value specifies the new object_geo_code value to apply (e.g., the new x-coordinate).

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polygon_num is a integer value (one or larger), identifying one polygon from a region object or one
section from a polyline object.
node_num is a integer value (one or larger), identifying one node from a polyline or polygon.
x, y are x- and y-coordinates of a node.
Description
The Alter Object statement alters the shape, position, or graphical style of an object.
The effect of an Alter Object statement depends on whether the statement includes an Info clause, a
Node clause, or a Geography clause. If the statement includes an Info clause, MapBasic alters the
object's graphical style (e.g., the object's Pen and Brush styles). If the statement includes a Node clause,
MapBasic adds, removes, or repositions a node (this applies only to polyline or region objects). If the
statement includes a Geography clause, MapBasic alters a geographical attribute for objects other than
polylines and regions (e.g., the x- or y-coordinate of a point object).
Info clause
By issuing an Alter Object statement with an Info clause, you can reset an object's style (e.g., the Pen
or Brush). The Info clause lets you modify the same style attributes that you can query through the ObjectInfo( ) function.
For example, you can determine an object's current Brush style by calling the ObjectInfo( ) function:
Dim b_fillstyle As Brush
b_fillstyle = ObjectInfo(Selection.obj, OBJ_INFO_BRUSH)
Conversely, the following Alter Object statement allows you to reset the Brush style:
Alter Object obj_variable_name
Info OBJ_INFO_BRUSH, b_fillstyle
Note that you use the same code (e.g., OBJ_INFO_BRUSH) in both the ObjectInfo( ) function and the
Alter Object statement.
The table below summarizes the values you can specify in the Info clause to perform various types of
style alterations. Note that the obj_info_code values are defined in the standard MapBasic definitions
file, MAPBASIC.DEF. Accordingly, your program should Include "MAPBASIC.DEF" if you intend to use
the Alter Object...Info statement.
obj_info_code Value

ID

Result of Alter Object

OBJ_INFO_PEN

Resets object's Pen style; new_info_value must be a Pen

expression.

OBJ_INFO_SYMBOL

Resets a Point object's Symbol style; new_info_value

must be a Symbol expression.

OBJ_INFO_BRUSH

Resets object's Brush style; new_info_value must be a

Brush expression.

OBJ_INFO_SMOOTH

Resets a Polyline object's smoothed/unsmoothed setting;

new_info_value must be a logical expression.

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obj_info_code Value

ID

Result of Alter Object

OBJ_INFO_FRAMEWIN

Changes which window is displayed in a Layout frame;

new_info_value must be an integer window ID.

OBJ_INFO_FRAMETITLE

Changes the title of a Frame object; new_info_value must

be a string.

OBJ_INFO_TEXTFONT

Resets a Text object's Font style; new_info_value must

be a Font expression.

OBJ_INFO_TEXTSTRING

Changes the text string that comprises a Text object;

new_info_value must be a string expression.

OBJ_INFO_TEXTSPACING

Changes a Text object's line spacing; new_info_value

must be a float value of 1, 1.5, or 2.

OBJ_INFO_TEXTJUSTIFY

Changes a Text object's alignment; new_info_value must

be 0 for left-justified, 1 for center-justified, or 2 for rightjustified.

OBJ_INFO_TEXTARROW

Changes a Text object's label line setting; new_info_value

must be 0 for no line, 1 for simple line, or 2 for a line with
an arrow.

Geography clause
By issuing an Alter Object statement with a Geography clause, you can alter an object's geographical
coordinates. The Geography clause applies to all object types except for polylines and regions. To alter
the coordinates of a polyline or region object, use the Node clause (described below) instead of the
Geography clause.
The Geography clause lets you modify the same attributes that you can query through the ObjectGeography( ) function. For example, you can obtain a line object's end coordinates by calling the ObjectGeography( ) function:
Dim
Dim
x =
y =

o_cable As Object
x, y As Float
ObjectGeography(o_cable, OBJ_GEO_LINEENDX)
ObjectGeography(o_cable, OBJ_GEO_LINEENDY)

Conversely, the following Alter Object statements let you alter the line object's end coordinates:
Alter Object o_cable
Geography OBJ_GEO_LINEENDX, x
Alter Object o_cable
Geography OBJ_GEO_LINEENDY, y
Note: You use the same codes (e.g., OBJ_GEO_LINEENDX) in both the ObjectGeography( ) function
and the Alter Object statement.
The table below summarizes the values you can specify in the Geography clause in order to perform
various types of geographic alterations. Note that the obj_geo_code values are defined in the standard
MapBasic definitions file, MAPBASIC.DEF. Your program should Include "MAPBASIC.DEF" if you intend
to use the Alter Object...Geography statement.

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obj_geo_code Value

ID

Result of Alter Object

OBJ_GEO_MINX

Alters object's minimum bounding rectangle.

OBJ_GEO_MINY

Alters object's MBR.

OBJ_GEO_MAXX

Alters object's MBR; does not apply to Point objects.

OBJ_GEO_MAXY

Alters object's MBR; does not apply to Point objects.

OBJ_GEO_ARCBEGANGLE

Alters beginning angle of an Arc object.

OBJ_GEO_ARCENDANGLE

Alters ending angle of an Arc object.

OBJ_GEO_LINEBEGX

Alters a Line object's starting node.

OBJ_GEO_LINEBEGY

Alters a Line object's starting node.

OBJ_GEO_LINEENDX

Alters a Line object's ending node.

OBJ_GEO_LINEENDY

Alters a Line object's ending node.

OBJ_GEO_POINTX

Alters a Point object's x coordinate.

OBJ_GEO_POINTY

Alters a Point object's y coordinate.

OBJ_GEO_ROUNDRADIUS

Alters the diameter of the circle that defines the rounded

corner of a Rounded Rectangle object.

OBJ_GEO_TEXTLINEX

Alters x coordinate of the end of a Text object's label line.

OBJ_GEO_TEXTLINEY

Alters y coordinate of the end of a Text object's label line.

OBJ_GEO_TEXTANGLE

Alters rotation angle of a Text object.

Node clause
By issuing an Alter Object statement with a Node clause, you can add, remove, or reposition nodes in
a polyline or region object.
If the Node clause includes an Add sub-clause, the Alter Object statement adds a node to the object.
If the Node clause includes a Remove sub-clause, the statement removes a node. If the Node clause
includes a Set Position sub-clause, the statement repositions a node.
The Alter Object statement's Node clause is often used in conjunction with the Create Pline statement
and the Create Region statement. Create statements allow you to create new polyline and region objects.
However, Create statements are somewhat restrictive, because they force you to state at compile time
the number of nodes that will comprise the object. In some situations, you may not know how many
nodes should go into an object until run-time.
If your program will not know until run-time how many nodes should comprise an object, you can issue
a Create Pline statement or a Create Region statement which creates an "empty" object (an object
with zero nodes). Your program can then issue an appropriate number of Alter Object...Node Add
statements, to add nodes as needed.
Within the Node clause, the Position sub-clause includes two parameters, polygon_num and node_num,
that let you specify exactly which node you want to reposition or remove. The Position sub-clause is

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optional when you are adding a node. The polygon_num and node_num parameters should always be
1 (one) or greater.
The polygon_num parameter specifies which polygon in a multiple-polygon region (or which section in
a multiple-section polyline) should be modified.
Region Centroids
The Centroid of a Region can be set by using the Alter Object command with the syntax noted below:
Alter Object Obj Geography OBJ_GEO_CENTROID, PointObj
Note that PointObj is a point object. This differs from other values input by Alter Object Geography,
which are all scalars. A point is needed in this instance because we need two values which define a
point. The Point that is input is checked to make sure it is a valid Centroid (for example, it is inside the
region). If the Obj is not a region, or if PointObj is not a point object, or if the point is not a valid centroid,
then an error is returned.
An easy way to center an X and Y value for a centroid is as follows:
Alter Object Obj Geography OBJ_GEO_CENTROID, CreatePoint(X, Y)
The user can also query the centroid by using the ObjectGeography( ) function as follows:
PointObj = ObjectGeography(Obj, OBJ_GEO_CENTROID)
There are other ways to get the Centroid, including the Centroid( ) function, CentroidX( ) function,
and CentroidY( ) function.
OBJ_GEO_CENTROID is defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
Multipoint Objects and Collections
The Alter Object statement supports the following object types.
Multipoint: sets a Multipoint symbol as shown in the following:
Alter Object obj_variable_mpoint
Info OBJ_INFO_SYMBOL, NewSymbol
Collection: By issuing an Alter Object statement with an Info clause, you can reset collection parts
(Region, Polyline or Multipoint) inside the collection object. The Info clause allows you to modify the
same attributes that you can query through the ObjectInfo( ) function. For example, you can determine
a collection object's region part by calling the ObjectInfo( ) function:
Dim ObjRegion As Object
ObjRegion = ObjectInfo(Selection.obj, OBJ_INFO_REGION)
Also, the following Alter Object statement allows you to reset the region part of a collection object:
Alter Object obj_variable_name
Info OBJ_INFO_REGION, ObjRegion
Note: You use the same code (e.g., OBJ_INFO_REGION) in both the ObjectInfo( ) function and the
Alter Object statement.
The Alter Object statement inserts and deletes nodes to/from Multipoint objects.
Alter Object obj Node statement

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To insert nodes within a Multipoint object:
Dim mpoint_obj as object
Create Multipoint Into Variable mpoint_obj 0
Alter Object mpoint_obj Node Add (0,1)
Alter Object mpoint_obj Node Add (2,1)
Note: Nodes for Multipoint are always added at the end.
To delete nodes from a Multipoint object:
Alter Object mpoint_obj Node Remove Position polygon_num, node_num
mpoint_obj is a Multipoint object variable.
polygon_num is ignored for Multipoint, it is advisable to set it to 1.
node_num is the number of a node to be removed.
To set nodes inside a Multipoint object:
Alter Object mpoint_obj Node Set Position polygon_num, node_num (x,y)
mpoint_obj is a Multipoint object variable.
polygon_num is ignored for Multipoint, it is advisable to set it to 1.
node_num is the number of a node to be changed.
x and y are the new coordinates of the node node_num.
Example
Dim myobj As Object, i As Integer
Create Region Into Variable myobj 0
For i = 1 to 10
Alter Object myobj
Node Add (Rnd(1) * 100, Rnd(1) * 100)
Next
Note: After using the Alter Object statement to modify an object, use an Insert statement or an Update
statement to store the object in a table.
See Also:
Create Pline statement, Create Region statement, Insert statement, ObjectGeography( ) function,
ObjectInfo( ) function, Update statement

Alter Table statement

Purpose
Alters the structure of a table. Cannot be used on linked tables. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Alter Table table (
[ Add columnname columntype [ , ...] ]

Reference

93

Alter Table statement

[
[
[
[
[

Modify columnname columntype [ , ...] ]

Drop columnname [ , ...] ]
Rename oldcolumnname newcolumnname [ , ...] ]
Order columnname, columnname [ ,...] ] )
Interactive ]

table is the name of an open table.

columnname is the name of a column; column names can be up to 31 characters long, and can contain
letters, numbers, and the underscore character, and column names cannot begin with numbers.
columntype indicates the datatype of a table column (including the field width if necessary).
oldcolumnname represents the previous name of a column to be renamed.
newcolumnname represents the intended new name of a column to be renamed.
Description
The Alter Table statement lets you modify the structure of an open table, allowing you to add columns,
change column widths or datatypes, drop (delete) columns, rename columns, and change column ordering.
Note: If you have edited a table, you must save or discard your edits before you can use the Alter
Table statement.
Each columntype should be one of the following: integer, SmallInt, float, decimal( size, decplaces ),
char(size), date, or logical, DateTime. DateTime is an integer value stored in nine bytes: 4 bytes for date,
5 bytes for time. Five bytes for time include: 2 for millisec, 1 for sec, 1 for min, 1 for hour.
By including an Add clause in an Alter Table statement, you can add new columns to your table. By
including a Modify clause, you can change the datatypes of existing columns. A Drop clause lets you
delete columns, while a Rename clause lets you change the names of existing columns. The Order
clause lets you specify the order of the columns. Altogether, an Alter Table statement can have up to
five clauses. Note that each of these five clauses can operate on a list of columns; thus, with a single
Alter Table statement, you can make all of the structural changes that you need to make (see example
below).
The Order clause affects the order of the columns, not the order of rows in the table. Column order dictates
the relative positions of the columns when you browse the table; the first column appears at the left edge
of a Browser window, and the last column appears at the right edge. Similarly, a table's first column appears at the top of an Info Tool window.
If a MapBasic application issues an Alter Table statement affecting a table which has memo fields, the
memo fields will be lost. No warning will be displayed.
An Alter Table statement may cause map layers to be removed from a Map window, possibly causing
the loss of themes or cosmetic objects. If you include the Interactive keyword, MapInfo Professional
prompts the user to save themes and/or cosmetic objects (if themes or cosmetic objects are about to
be lost).
Example
In the following example, we have a hypothetical table, "gcpop.tab" which contains the following columns:
pop_88, metsize, fipscode, and utmcode. The Alter Table statement below makes several changes to
the gcpop table. First, a Rename clause changes the name of the pop_88 column to population. Then

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the Drop clause deletes the metsize, fipscode, and utmcode columns. An Add clause creates two new
columns: a small (2-byte) integer column called schoolcode, and a floating point column called federalaid.
Finally, an Order clause specifies the order for the new set of columns: the schoolcode column comes
first, followed by the population column, etc.
Open Table "gcpop"
Alter Table gcpop
(Rename pop_88 population
Drop metsize, fipscode, utmcode
Add schoolcode SmallInt, federalaid Float
Order schoolcode, population, federalaid)
See Also:
Add Column statement, Create Index statement, Create Map statement, Create Table statement

ApplicationDirectory$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string containing the path from which the current MapBasic application is executing. You can
call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ApplicationDirectory$( )
Return Value
String expression, representing a directory path.
Description
By calling the ApplicationDirectory$( ) function from within a compiled MapBasic application, you can
determine the directory or folder from which the application is running. If no application is running (e.g.,
if you call the function by typing into the MapBasic window), ApplicationDirectory$( ) returns a null
string.
To determine the directory or folder where the MapInfo Professional software is installed, call the ProgramDirectory$( ) function.
Example
Dim sAppPath As String
sAppPath = ApplicationDirectory$( )
' At this point, sAppPath might look like this:
'
' "C:\MAPBASIC\CODE\"
See Also:
ProgramDirectory$( ) function, ApplicationName$( ) function

Reference

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ApplicationName$( ) function

ApplicationName$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string containing the name of the current MapBasic application that is running. You can call
this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ApplicationName$( )
Return Value
String expression representing the name of the MapBasic program.
Description
By calling the ApplicationName$( ) function from within a compiled MapBasic application, you can determine the name of the running application. If no application is running (if you call the function by typing
into the MapBasic window), then ApplicationName$( ) returns an empty string.
To determine the path from which the current MapBasic application is executing call the ApplicationDirectory$( ) function.
Example
Dim sAppName As String
sAppName = ApplicationName$( )
' At this point, sAppName might look like this:
'
' "Test.MBX"
See Also:
ApplicationDirectory$( ) function

Area( ) function
Purpose
Returns the geographical area of an Object. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Area( obj_expr, unit_name )
obj_expr is an object expression.
unit_name is a string representing the name of an area unit (e.g., "sq km").

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Return Value
Float
Description
The Area( ) function returns the area of the geographical object specified by obj_expr.
The function returns the area measurement in the units specified by the unit_name parameter; for example,
to obtain an area in acres, specify "acre" as the unit_name parameter. See Set Area Units statement
for the list of available unit names.
Only regions, ellipses, rectangles, and rounded rectangles have any area. By definition, the area of a
point, arc, text, line, or polyline object is zero. The Area( ) function returns approximate results when
used on rounded rectangles. MapBasic calculates the area of a rounded rectangle as if the object were
a conventional rectangle.
For the most part, MapInfo Professional performs a Cartesian or Spherical operation. Generally, a
spherical operation is performed unless the coordinate system is NonEarth, in which case, a Cartesian
operation is performed.
Examples
The following example shows how the Area( ) function can calculate the area of a single geographic
object. Note that the expression tablename.obj (as in states.obj) represents the geographical object of
the current row in the specified table.
Dim f_sq_miles As Float
Open Table "states"
Fetch First From states
f_sq_miles = Area(states.obj, "sq mi")
You can also use the Area( ) function within the SQL Select statement, as shown in the following example.
Select state, Area(obj, "sq km")
From states Into results
See Also:
ObjectLen( ) function, Perimeter( ) function, CartesianArea( ) function, SphericalArea( ) function,
Set Area Units statement

AreaOverlap( ) function
Purpose
Returns the area resulting from the overlap of two closed objects. You can call this function from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
AreaOverlap( object1, object2 )
object1 and object2 are closed objects.

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Asc( ) function
Return Value
A float value representing the area (in MapBasic's current area units) of the overlap of the two objects.
Restrictions
AreaOverlap( ) only works on closed objects. If both objects are not closed (such as points and lines),
then you may see an error message. Closed objects are objects that can produce an area, such as regions
(polygons).
See Also:
Overlap( ) function, ProportionOverlap( ) function, Set Area Units statement

Asc( ) function
Purpose
Returns the character code for the first character in a string expression. You can call this function from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Asc( string_expr )
string_expr is a string expression.
Return Value
Integer
Description
The Asc( ) function returns the character code representing the first character in the string specified by
string_expr.
If string_expr is a null string, the Asc( ) function returns a value of zero.
Note: All MapInfo Professional environments have common character codes within the range of 32
(space) to 126 (tilde).
On a system that supports double-byte character sets (e.g., Windows Japanese): if the first character
of string_expr is a single-byte character, Asc( ) returns a number in the range 0 - 255; if the first character
of string_expr is a double-byte character, Asc( ) returns a value in the range 256 - 65,535.
On systems that do not support double-byte character sets, Asc( ) returns a number in the range 0 255.
Example
Dim code As SmallInt
code = Asc("Afghanistan")
' code will now be equal to 65,
' since 65 is the code for the letter A

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See Also:
Chr$( ) function

Asin( ) function
Purpose
Returns the arc-sine value of a number. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Asin( num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression from one to negative one, inclusive.
Return Value
Float
Description
The Asin( ) function returns the arc-sine of the numeric num_expr value. In other words, Asin( ) returns
the angle whose sine is equal to num_expr.
The result returned from Asin( ) represents an angle, expressed in radians. This angle will be somewhere
between -Pi/2 and Pi/2 radians (given that Pi is approximately equal to 3.141593, and given that Pi/2
radians represents 90 degrees).
To convert a degree value to radians, multiply that value by DEG_2_RAD. To convert a radian value
into degrees, multiply that value by RAD_2_DEG. (Note that your program will need to Include "MAPBASIC.DEF" in order to reference DEG_2_RAD or RAD_2_DEG).
Since sine values range between one and negative one, the expression num_expr should represent a
value no larger than one (1) and no smaller than negative one (-1).
Example
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Dim x, y As Float
x = 0.5
y = Asin(x) * RAD_2_DEG
' y will now be equal to 30,
' since the sine of 30 degrees is 0.5
See Also:
Acos( ) function, Atn( ) function, Cos( ) function, Sin( ) function, Tan( ) function

Reference

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Ask( ) function

Ask( ) function
Purpose
Displays a dialog box, asking the user a yes or no (OK or Cancel) question. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Ask( prompt, ok_text, cancel_text )
prompt is a string to appear as a prompt in the dialog box.
ok_text is a string (e.g., "OK") that appears on the confirmation button.
cancel_text is a string (e.g., "Cancel") that appears on the cancel button.
Return Value
Logical
Description
The Ask( ) function displays a dialog box, asking the user a yes-or-no question. The prompt parameter
specifies a message, such as "File already exists; do you want to continue?" While the length of the
prompt string passed to the Ask function can be approximately 2000 characters long,only the first 299
will display in the dialog.
The dialog box contains two buttons; the user can click one button to give a Yes answer to the prompt,
or click the other button to give a No answer. The ok_text parameter specifies the name of the Yes-answer
button (e.g., "OK" or "Continue"), and the cancel_text parameter specifies the name of the No-answer
button (e.g., "Cancel" or "Stop").
If the user selects the ok_text button, the Ask( ) function returns TRUE. If the user clicks the cancel_text
button or otherwise cancels the dialog box (e.g., by pressing the Esc key), the Ask( ) function returns
FALSE. Since the buttons are limited in size, the ok_text and cancel_text strings should be brief. If you
need to display phrases that are too long to fit in small dialog box buttons, you can use the Dialog
statement instead of calling the Ask( ) function. The ok_text button is the default button (the button which
will be selected if the user presses Enter instead of clicking with the mouse).
Example
Dim more As Logical
more = Ask("Do you want to continue?", "OK", "Stop")
See Also:
Dialog statement, Note statement, Print statement

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Atn( ) function
Purpose
Returns the arc-tangent value of a number. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Atn( num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression.
Return Value
Float
Description
The Atn( ) function returns the arc-tangent of the numeric num_expr value. In other words, Atn( ) returns
the angle whose tangent is equal to num_expr. The num_expr expression can have any numeric value.
The result returned from Atn( ) represents an angle, expressed in radians, in the range -Pi/2 radians to
Pi/2 radians.
To convert a degree value to radians, multiply that value by DEG_2_RAD. To convert a radian value
into degrees, multiply that value by RAD_2_DEG. (Note that your program will need to Include "MAPBASIC.DEF" in order to reference DEG_2_RAD or RAD_2_DEG).
Example
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Dim val As Float
val = Atn(1) * RAD_2_DEG
'val is now 45, since the
'Arc tangent of 1 is 45 degrees
See Also:
Acos( ) function, Asin( ) function, Cos( ) function, Sin( ) function, Tan( ) function

AutoLabel statement
Purpose
Draws labels in a Map window, and stores the labels in the Cosmetic layer. You can issue this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
AutoLabel
[ Window window_id ]

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Beep statement
[ { Selection | Layer layer_id } ]
[ Overlap [ { On | Off } ] ]
[ Duplicates [ { On | Off } ] ]
window_id is an integer window identifier for a Map window.
layer_id is a table name (e.g., World) or a SmallInt layer number (e.g., 1 to draw labels for the top layer).
Description
The AutoLabel statement draws labels (text objects) in a Map window. Only objects that are currently
visible in the Map window are labeled. The Window clause controls which Map window is labeled. If
you omit the Window clause, MapInfo Professional draws labels in the front-most Map window. If you
specify Selection, only selected objects are labeled. If you omit both the Selection and the Layer clause,
all layers are labeled.
The Overlap clause controls whether MapInfo Professional draws labels that overlap other labels. This
setting defaults to Off (MapInfo Professional will not draw overlapping labels). To force MapInfo Professional to draw a label for every map object, regardless of whether the labels overlap, specify Overlap
On. The Duplicates clause controls whether MapInfo Professional draws a new label for an object that
has already been labeled. This setting defaults to Off (duplicates not allowed). The AutoLabel statement
uses whatever font and position settings are in effect. Set label options by choosing Map > Layer Control.
To control font and position settings through MapBasic, issue a Set Map statement.
Example
Open Table "world" Interactive
Open Table "worldcap" Interactive
Map From world, worldcap
AutoLabel
Window FrontWindow( )
Layer world
See Also:
Set Map statement

Beep statement
Purpose
Makes a beeping sound. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Beep
Description
The Beep statement sends a sound to the speaker.

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Browse statement
Purpose
Opens a new Browser window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Browse expression_list From table
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Width window_width [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Height window_height [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Row n ]
[ Column n ]
[ Min | Max ]
expression_list is either an asterisk or a comma-separated list of column expressions.
table is a string representing the name of an open table.
x, y specifies the position of the upper left corner of the Browser, in paper_units.
paper_units is a string representing a paper unit name (for example, "cm" for centimeters).
window_width and window_height specify the size of the Browser, in paper_units.
n is a positive integer value.
Description
The Browse statement opens a Browse window to display a table.
If the expression_list is simply an asterisk (*), the new Browser includes all fields in the table. Alternately,
the expression_list clause can consist of a comma-separated list of expressions, each of which defines
one column that is to appear in the Browser. Expressions in the list can contain column names, operators,
functions, and variables. Each column's name is derived from the expression that defines the column.
Thus, if a column is defined by the expression population / area(obj, "acre"), that expression will appear
on the top row of the Browser, as the column name. To assign an alias to an expression, follow the expression with a string; see the example below.
An optional Position clause lets you specify where on the screen to display the Browser. The x coordinate
specifies the distance (in paper units) from the left edge of the MapInfo Professional application window
to the left edge of the Browser. For details about paper units, see Set Paper Units statement. The y
coordinate specifies the distance from the top of the MapInfo Professional window down to the top of
the Browser. The optional Width and Height clauses specify the size of the Browser window, in paper
units. If no Width and Height clauses are provided, MapInfo Professional assigns the Browser window
a default size which depends on the table in question: the Browser height will generally be one quarter
of the screen height, unless the table does not have enough rows to fill a Browser window that large;
and the Browser width will depend on the widths of the fields in the table.
If the Browse statement includes the optional Max keyword, the resultant Browser window is maximized,
taking up all of the screen space available to MapInfo Professional. Conversely, if the Browse statement
includes the Min keyword, the Browser window is minimized immediately.

Reference

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BrowserInfo( ) function
The Row clause dictates which row of the table should appear at the top of the Browser. If the Browse
statement does not include a Row clause, the first row of the table will be the top row in the Browser.
Similarly, the Column clause dictates which of the table's columns should appear at the left edge of the
Browser. If the Browse statement does not include a Column clause, the table's first column will appear
at the left edge of the Browser window.
Example
The following example opens the World table and displays all columns from the table in a Browser window.
Open Table "world"
Browse * From world
The next example specifies exactly which column expressions from the World table should be displayed
in the Browser.
Open Table "world"
Browse
country,
population,
population/area(obj, "sq km") "Density"
From world
The resultant Browser has three columns. The first two columns represent data as it is stored in the
World table, while the third column is derived. Through the third expression, MapBasic divides the population of each country record with the geographic area of the region associated with that record. The
derived column expression has an alias ("Density") which appears on the top row of the Browse window.
See Also:
Set Browse statement, Set Window statement

BrowserInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a Browser window, such as: the total number of rows or columns in the Browser
window; or the row number, column number, or value contained in the current cell. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
BrowserInfo( window_id, attribute )
window_id is an integer window identifier.
attribute is an integer code indicating what type of information to return. For values, see the table later
in this description.
Return Value
Float, logical, or string depending on the attribute parameter.

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Description
The BrowserInfo( ) function returns information about a Browser window. The function does not apply
to the Redistricter window.
The window_id parameter specifies which Browser window to query. To obtain a window identifier, call
the FrontWindow( ) function immediately after opening a window, or call the WindowID( ) function at
any time after the window's creation.
There are several attributes that BrowserInfo( ) returns about any given Browser window. The attribute
parameter tells the BrowserInfo ( ) function what Browser window statistic to return. The attribute parameter should be one of the codes from the following table; codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
attribute parameter

ID

Return Value

BROWSER_INFO_NROWS

The total number of rows in the Browser window.

BROWSER_INFO_NCOLS

The total number of columns in the Browser window.

BROWSER_INFO_CURRENT_ROW 3

The row number of the current cell in the Browser window.

Row numbers start at one (1).

BROWSER_INFO_CURRENT_COLUMN

The column number of the current cell in the Browser

window. Column numbers start at zero (0).

BROWSER_INFO_CURRENT_CELL_VALUE

The value contained in the current cell in the Browser

window.

Error Conditions
ERR_BAD_WINDOW (590) error generated if parameter is not a valid window number.
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error generated if an argument is outside of the valid range.
ERR_WANT_BROWSER_WIN (312) error generated if window id is not a Browser window.
See Also:
FrontWindow( ) function, WindowID( ) function

Brush clause
Purpose
Specifies a fill style for graphic objects. You can use this clause in the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Brush brush_expr
brush_expr is a Brush expression, such as MakeBrush( pattern, fgcolor, bgcolor ). (See MakeBrush(
) function for more information.) or a Brush variable.

Reference

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Brush clause
Description
The Brush clause specifies a brush stylein other words, a set of color and pattern settings that dictate
the appearance of a filled object, such as a circle or rectangle. Brush is a clause, not a complete MapBasic
statement. Various object-related statements, such as Create Ellipse statement, allow you to specify
a brush value. The keyword Brush may be followed by an expression which evaluates to a Brush value.
This expression can be a Brush variable:
Brush br_var
or a call to a function which returns a Brush value:
Brush MakeBrush(64, CYAN, BLUE)
With some MapBasic statements (e.g., Set Map statement), the keyword Brush can be followed immediately by the three parameters that define a Brush style (pattern, foreground color, and background
color) within parentheses:
Brush(64, CYAN, BLUE)
Some MapBasic statements take a Brush expression as a parameter (e.g., the name of a Brush variable),
rather than a full Brush clause (the keyword Brush followed by the name of a Brush variable). The Alter
Object statement is one example.
The following table summarizes the three components (pattern, foreground color, background color) that
define a Brush:
Component

Description

pattern

Integer value from 1 to 8 or from 12 to 186; see table below.

foreground color

Integer RGB color value; see RGB( ) function. The definitions

file, MAPBASIC.DEF, includes Define statements for BLACK,
WHITE, RED, GREEN, BLUE, CYAN, MAGENTA, and YELLOW.

background color

Integer RGB color value.

To specify a transparent background, use pattern 3 or larger, and omit the background color from the
Brush clause. For example, specify Brush(5, BLUE) to see thin blue stripes with no background fill color.
Omitting the background parameter is like clearing the Background check box in MapInfo Professional's
Region Style dialog box.
To specify a transparent background when calling the MakeBrush( ) function specify -1 as the background color.
The available patterns appear as follows. Pattern 2 produces a solid fill; pattern 1 produces no fill.

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For a comprehensive list of fill patterns, see the MapInfo Professional Helplaunch MapInfo Professional
and select Help > MapInfo Professional Help Topics and then search for MapInfo Professional Fill
Pattern Table.
See Also:
CurrentBrush( ) function, MakeBrush( ) function, Pen clause, Font clause, Symbol clause

Buffer( ) function
Purpose
Returns a region object that represents a buffer region (the area within a specified buffer distance of an
existing object). You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

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ButtonPadInfo( ) function
Syntax
Buffer( inputobject, resolution, width, unit_name )
inputobject is an object expression.
resolution is a SmallInt value representing the number of nodes per circle at each corner.
width is a float value representing the radius of the buffer; if width is negative, and if inputobject is a
closed object, the object returned represents an object smaller than the original object. If the width is
negative, and the object is a linear object (line, polyline, arc) or a point, then the absolute value of width
is used to produce a positive buffer.
unit_name is the name of the distance unit (e.g., "mi" for miles, "km" for kilometers) used by width.
Return Value
Returns a region object.
Description
The Buffer( ) function returns a region representing a buffer.
The Buffer( ) function operates on one single object at a time. To create a buffer around a set of objects,
use the Create Object statement As Buffer. The object will be created using the current MapBasic coordinate system. The method used to calculate the buffer depends on the coordinate system. If it is
NonEarth, then a Cartesian method will be used. Otherwise, a spherical method will be used.
Example
The following program creates a line object, then creates a buffer region surrounding the line. The buffer
region extends ten miles in all directions from the line.
Dim o_line, o_region As Object
o_line = CreateLine(-73.5, 42.5, -73.6, 42.8)
o_region = Buffer( o_line, 20, 10, "mi")
See Also:
Create Object statement

ButtonPadInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a ButtonPad. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
ButtonPadInfo( pad_name, attribute )
pad_name is a string representing the name of an existing ButtonPad; use "Main", "Drawing", "Tools"
or "Standard" to query the standard pads, or specify the name of a custom pad.
attribute is a code indicating which information to return; see table below.

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Return Value
Depends on the attribute parameter specified.
Description
The attribute parameter specifies what to return. Codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF
attribute code

ID

ButtonPadInfo( ) returns:

BTNPAD_INFO_FLOATING

Logical. TRUE means the pad is floating, FALSE means

the pad is docked.

BTNPAD_INFO_WIDTH

SmallInt: The width of the pad, expressed as a number of

buttons (not including separators).

BTNPAD_INFO_NBTNS

SmallInt. The number of buttons on the pad.

BTNPAD_INFO_X

A number indicating the x-position of the upper-left corner

of the pad. If the pad is docked, this is an integer. The
value is negative when a toolbar is docked to the left of
the menu bar. If the pad is floating, this is a float value, in
paper units such as inches. For details about paper units,
see Set Paper Units statement.

BTNPAD_INFO_Y

A number indicating the y-position of the upper-left corner

of the pad. This value is negative when a toolbar is docked
above the menu bar.

BTNPAD_INFO_WINID

Integer. The window ID of the specified pad.

BTNPAD_INFO_DOCK_POSITION

Returns the position of the button pad as Floating, Left,

Top, Right or Bottom. Use for floating toolbars as an alternative to BTNPAD_INFO_FLOATING. Returns:

BTNPAD_INFO_DOCK_NONE (0)
BTNPAD_INFO_DOCK_LEFT (1)
BTNPAD_INFO_DOCK_TOP (2)
BTNPAD_INFO_DOCK_RIGHT (3)
BTNPAD_INFO_DOCK_BOTTOM (4)

Example
Include "mapbasic.def"
If ButtonPadInfo("Main", BTNPAD_INFO_FLOATING) Then
'...then the Main pad is floating; now let's dock it.
Alter ButtonPad "Main" ToolbarPosition(0,0) Fixed
End If
See Also:
Alter ButtonPad statement

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Call statement

Call statement
Purpose
Calls a sub procedure or an external routine (DLL, XCMD).
Restrictions
You cannot issue a Call statement through the MapBasic window.
Syntax
Call subproc [ ( [ parameter ] [ , ... ] ) ]
subproc is the name of a sub procedure.
parameter is a parameter expression to pass to the sub procedure.
Description
The Call statement calls a procedure. The procedure is usually a conventional MapBasic sub procedure
(defined through the Sub...End Sub statement). Alternately, a program running under MapInfo Professional can call a Windows Dynamic Link Library (DLL) routine through the Call statement.
When a Call statement calls a conventional MapBasic procedure, MapBasic begins executing the
statements in the specified sub procedure, and continues until encountering an End Sub or an Exit Sub
statement. At that time, MapBasic returns from the sub procedure, then executes the statements following
the Call statement. The Call statement can only access sub procedures which are part of the same application.
A MapBasic program must issue a Declare Sub statement to define the name and parameter list of
any procedure which is to be called. This requirement is independent of whether the procedure is a
conventional MapBasic Sub procedure, a DLL procedure or an XCMD.
Parameter Passing
Sub procedures may be defined with no parameters. If a particular sub procedure has no parameters,
then calls to that sub procedure may appear in either of the following forms:
Call subroutine
or
Call subroutine( )
By default, each sub procedure parameter is defined "by reference." When a sub procedure has a byreference parameter, the caller must specify the name of a variable to pass as the parameter.
If the procedure then alters the contents of the by-reference parameter, the caller's variable is automatically updated to reflect the change. This allows the caller to examine the results returned by the sub
procedure.
Alternately, any or all sub procedure parameters may be passed "by value" if the keyword ByVal appears
before the parameter name in the Sub and Declare Sub declarations. When a parameter is passed by

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value, the sub procedure receives a copy of the value of the parameter expression; thus, the caller can
pass any expression, rather than having to pass the name of a variable.
A sub procedure can take an entire array as a single parameter. When a sub procedure expects an array
as a parameter, the caller should specify the name of an array variable, without parentheses.
Calling External Routines
When a Call statement calls a DLL routine, MapBasic executes the routine until the routine returns. The
specified DLL routine is actually located in a separate file (e.g., KERNEL.EXE). The specified DLL file
must be present at run-time for MapBasic to complete a DLL Call.
Similarly, if a Call statement calls an XCMD, the file containing the XCMD must be present at run-time.
When calling XCMDs, you cannot specify array variables or variables of custom data Types as parameters.
Example
In the following example, the sub procedure Cube cubes a number (raises the number to the power of
three), and returns the result. The sub procedure takes two parameters; the first parameter contains the
number to be cubed, and the second parameter passes the results back to the caller.
Declare Sub Cube(ByVal original As Float, cubed As Float)
Dim x, result As Float
Call Cube( 2, result)
' result now contains the value: 8 (2 x 2 x 2)
x = 1
Call Cube( x + 2, result)
' result now contains the value: 27 (3 x 3 x 3)
End Program
Sub Cube (ByVal original As Float, cubed As Float)
' Cube the "original" parameter, and store
' the result in the "cubed" parameter.
cubed = original ^ 3
End Sub
See Also:
Declare Sub statement, Exit Sub statement, Global statement, Sub...End Sub statement

CartesianArea( ) function
Purpose
Returns the area as calculated in a flat, projected coordinate system using a Cartesian algorithm. You
can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CartesianArea( obj_expr, unit_name )
obj_expr is an object expression.
unit_name is a string representing the name of an area unit (e.g., "sq km").

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CartesianBuffer( ) function
Return Value
Float
Description
The CartesianArea( ) function returns the Cartesian area of the geographical object specified by
obj_expr.
The function returns the area measurement in the units specified by the unit_name parameter; for example,
to obtain an area in acres, specify "acre" as the unit_name parameter. See the Set Area Units statement
for the list of available unit names.
The CartesianArea( ) function will always return the area using a cartesian algorithm. A value of -1 will
be returned for data that is in a Latitude/Longitude since the data is not projected.
Only regions, ellipses, rectangles, and rounded rectangles have any area. By definition, the
CartesianArea( ) of a point, arc, text, line, or polyline object is zero. The CartesianArea( ) function returns
approximate results when used on rounded rectangles. MapBasic calculates the area of a rounded
rectangle as if the object were a conventional rectangle.
Examples
The following example shows how the CartesianArea( ) function can calculate the area of a single
geographic object. Note that the expression tablename.obj (as in states.obj) represents the geographical
object of the current row in the specified table.
Dim f_sq_miles As Float
Open Table "counties"
Fetch First From counties
f_sq_miles = CartesianArea(counties.obj, "sq mi")
You can also use the CartesianArea( ) function within the Select statement, as shown in the following
example.
Select lakes, CartesianArea(obj, "sq km")
From lakes Into results
See Also:
Area( ) function, SphericalArea( ) function

CartesianBuffer( ) function
Purpose
Returns a region object that represents a buffer region (the area within a specified buffer distance of an
existing object). You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CartesianBuffer( inputobject, resolution, width, unit_name )
inputobject is an object expression.
resolution is a SmallInt value representing the number of nodes per circle at each corner.

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width is a float value representing the radius of the buffer; if width is negative, and if inputobject is a
closed object, the object returned represents an object smaller than the original object.
unit_name is the name of the distance unit (e.g., "mi" for miles, "km" for kilometers) used by width.
Return Value
Region Object
Description
The CartesianBuffer( ) function returns a region representing a buffer and operates on one single object
at a time.
To create a buffer around a set of objects, use the Create Object statement As Buffer. If width is negative, and the object is a linear object (line, polyline, arc) or a point, then the absolute value of width is
used to produce a positive buffer.
The CartesianBuffer( ) function calculates the buffer by assuming the object is in a flat projection and
using the width to calculate a cartesian distance calculated buffer around the object.
If the inputobject is in a Latitude/Longitude Projection, then Spherical calculations will be used regardless
of the Buffer function used.
Example
The following program creates a line object, then creates a buffer region that extends 10 miles surrounding
the line.
Dim o_line, o_region As Object
o_line = CreateLine(-73.5, 42.5, -73.6, 42.8)
o_region = CartesianBuffer( o_line, 20, 10, "mi")
See Also:
Buffer( ) function, Creating Map Objects

CartesianConnectObjects( ) function
Purpose
Returns an object representing the shortest or longest distance between two objects. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CartesianConnectObjects( object1, object2, min )
object1 and object2 are object expressions.
min is a logical expression where TRUE calculates the minimum distance between the objects, and
FALSE calculates the maximum distance between objects.

Reference

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CartesianDistance( ) function
Return Value
This statement returns a single section, two-point Polyline object representing either the closest distance
(min == TRUE) or farthest distance (min == FALSE) between object1 and object2.
Description
One point of the resulting Polyline object is on object1 and the other point is on object2. Note that the
distance between the two input objects can be calculated using the ObjectLen( ) function. If there are
multiple instances where the minimum or maximum distance exists (e.g., the two points returned are
not uniquely the shortest distance and there are other points representing "ties") then these functions
return one of the instances. There is no way to determine if the object returned is uniquely the shortest
distance.
CartesianConnectObjects( ) returns a Polyline object connecting object1 and object2 in the shortest
(min == TRUE) or longest (min == FALSE) way using a cartesian calculation method. If the calculation
cannot be done using a cartesian distance method (e.g., if the MapBasic Coordinate System is Lat/Long),
then this function will produce an error.

CartesianDistance( ) function
Purpose
Returns the distance between two locations. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CartesianDistance( x1, y1, x2, y2, unit_name )
x1 and x2 are x-coordinates.
y1 and y2 are y-coordinates.
unit_name is a string representing the name of a distance unit (e.g., "km").
Return Value
Float
Description
The CartesianDistance( ) function calculates the Cartesian distance between two locations. It returns
the distance measurement in the units specified by the unit_name parameter; for example, to obtain a
distance in miles, specify "mi" as the unit_name parameter. See Set Distance Units statement for the
list of available unit names.
The CartesianDistance( ) function always returns a value using a cartesian algorithm. A value of -1 is
returned for data that is in a Latitude/Longitude coordinate system, since Latitude/Longitude data is not
projected and not cartesian.

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The x- and y-coordinate parameters must use MapBasic's current coordinate system. By default, MapInfo
Professional expects coordinates to use a Latitude/Longitude coordinate system. You can reset MapBasic's
coordinate system through the Set CoordSys statement.
Example
Dim dist, start_x, start_y, end_x, end_y As Float
Open Table "cities"
Fetch First From cities
start_x = CentroidX(cities.obj)
start_y = CentroidY(cities.obj)
Fetch Next From cities
end_x = CentroidX(cities.obj)
end_y = CentroidY(cities.obj)
dist = CartesianDistance(start_x,start_y,end_x,end_y,"mi")
See Also:
Math Functions, CartesianDistance( ) function, Distance( ) function

CartesianObjectDistance( ) function
Purpose
Returns the distance between two objects. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CartesianObjectDistance( object1, object2, unit_name )
object1 and object2 are object expressions.
unit_name is a string representing the name of a distance unit.
Return Value
Float
Description
CartesianObjectDistance( ) returns the minimum distance between object1 and object2 using a cartesian
calculation method with the return value in unit_name. If the calculation cannot be done using a cartesian
distance method (e.g., if the MapBasic Coordinate System is Lat/Long), then this function will produce
an error.

CartesianObjectLen( ) function
Purpose
Returns the geographic length of a line or polyline object. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

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CartesianOffset( ) function
Syntax
CartesianObjectLen( obj_expr, unit_name )
obj_expr is an object expression.
unit_name is a string representing the name of a distance unit (e.g., "km").
Return Value
Float
Description
The CartesianObjectLen( ) function returns the length of an object expression. Note that only line and
polyline objects have length values greater than zero; to measure the circumference of a rectangle, ellipse,
or region, use the Perimeter( ) function.
The CartesianObjectLen( ) function will always return a value using a cartesian algorithm. A value of 1 will be returned for data that is in a Latitude/Longitude coordinate system, since Latitude/Longitude
data is not projected and not cartesian.
The CartesianObjectLen( ) function returns a length measurement in the units specified by the unit_name
parameter; for example, to obtain a length in miles, specify "mi" as the unit_name parameter. See the
Set Distance Units statement for the list of valid unit names.
Example
Dim geogr_length As Float
Open Table "streets"
Fetch First From streets
geogr_length = CartesianObjectLen(streets.obj, "mi")
' geogr_length now represents the length of the
' street segment, in miles
See Also:
SphericalObjectLen( ) function, CartesianObjectLen( ) function, ObjectLen( ) function

CartesianOffset( ) function
Purpose
Returns a copy of the input object offset by the specified distance and angle using a Cartesian DistanceType. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CartesianOffset( object, angle, distance, units )
object is the object being offset.
angle is the angle to offset the object.
distance is the distance to offset the object.
units is a string representing the unit in which to measure distance.

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Return Value
Object
Description
This function produces a new object that is a copy of the input object offset by distance along angle (in
degrees with horizontal in the positive X-axis being 0 and positive being counterclockwise). The unit
string, similar to that used for ObjectLen( ) function or Perimeter( ) function, is the unit for the distance
value. The DistanceType used is Cartesian. If the coordinate system of the input object is Lat/Long, an
error will occur, since Cartesian DistanceTypes are not valid for Lat/Long. This is signified by returning
a NULL object. The coordinate system used is the coordinate system of the input object.
There are some considerations for Spherical measurements that do not hold for Cartesian measurements.
If you move an object that is in Lat/Long, the shape of the object remains the same, but the area of the
object will change. This is because you are picking one offset delta in degrees, and the actual measured
distance for a degree is different at different locations.
For the Offset functions, the actual offset delta is calculated at some fixed point on the object (e.g., the
center of the bounding box), and then that value is converted from the input units into the coordinate
system's units. If the coordinate system is Lat/Long, the conversion to degrees uses the fixed point. The
actual converted distance measurement could vary at different locations on the object. The distance
from the input object and the new offset object is only guaranteed to be exact at the single fixed point
used.
Example
CartesianOffset(Rect, 45, 100, "mi")
See Also:
CartesianOffsetXY( ) function

CartesianOffsetXY( ) function
Purpose
Returns a copy of the input object offset by the specified X and Y offset values using a cartesian DistanceType. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CartesianOffsetXY( object, xoffset, yoffset, units )
object is the object being offset.
xoffset and yoffset are the distance along the x and y axes to offset the object.
units is a string representing the unit in which to measure distance.
Return Value
Object

Reference

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CartesianPerimeter( ) function
Description
This function produces a new object that is a copy of the input object offset by xoffset along the X-axis
and yoffset along the Y-axis. The unit string, similar to that used for ObjectLen( ) function or Perimeter(
) function, is the unit for the distance values. The DistanceType used is Cartesian. If the coordinate
system of the input object is Lat/Long, an error will occur, since Cartesian DistanceTypes are not valid
for Lat/Long. This is signified by returning a NULL object. The coordinate system used is the coordinate
system of the input object.
There are some considerations for Spherical measurements that do not hold for Cartesian measurements.
If you move an object that is in Lat/Long, the shape of the object remains the same, but the area of the
object will change. This is because you are picking one offset delta in degrees, and the actual measured
distance for a degree is different at different locations.
For the Offset functions, the actual offset delta is calculated at some fixed point on the object (e.g., the
center of the bounding box), and then that value is converted from the input units into the coordinate
system's units. If the coordinate system is Lat/Long, the conversion to degrees uses the fixed point. The
actual converted distance measurement could vary at different locations on the object. The distance
from the input object and the new offset object is only guaranteed to be exact at the single fixed point
used.
Example
CartesianOffset(Rect, 45, 100, "mi")
See Also:
CartesianOffset( ) function

CartesianPerimeter( ) function
Purpose
Returns the perimeter of a graphical object. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CartesianPerimeter( obj_expr , unit_name )
obj_expr is an object expression.
unit_name is a string representing the name of a distance unit (e.g., "km").
Return Value
Float
Description
The CartesianPerimeter( ) function calculates the perimeter of the obj_expr object. The Perimeter( )
function is defined for the following object types: ellipses, rectangles, rounded rectangles, and polygons.
Other types of objects have perimeter measurements of zero.

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The CartesianPerimeter( ) function will always return a value using a Cartesian algorithm. A value of 1 will be returned for data that is in a Latitude/Longitude coordinate system, since Latitude/Longitude
data is not projected and not Cartesian.
The CartesianPerimeter( ) function returns a length measurement in the units specified by the unit_name
parameter; for example, to obtain a length in miles, specify "mi" as the unit_name parameter. See the
Set Distance Units statement for the list of valid unit names. CartesianPerimeter( ) returns approximate
results when used on rounded rectangles. MapBasic calculates the perimeter of a rounded rectangle as
if the object were a conventional rectangle.
Example
The following example shows how you can use the CartesianPerimeter( ) function to determine the
perimeter of a particular geographic object.
Dim perim As Float
Open Table "world"
Fetch First From world
perim = CartesianPerimeter(world.obj, "km")
' The variable perim now contains
' the perimeter of the polygon that's attached to
' the first record in the World table.
You can also use the CartesianPerimeter( ) function within the Select statement. The following Select
statement extracts information from the States table, and stores the results in a temporary table called
Results. Because the Select statement includes the CartesianPerimeter( ) function, the Results table
will include a column showing each state's perimeter.
Open Table "states"
Select state, CartesianPerimeter(obj, "mi")
From states
Into results
See Also:
CartesianPerimeter( ) function, SphericalPerimeter( ) function, Perimeter( ) function

Centroid( ) function
Purpose
Returns the centroid (center point) of an object. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Centroid( obj_expr )
obj_expr is an object expression.
Return Value
Point object

Reference

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CentroidX( ) function
Description
The Centroid( ) function returns a point object, which is located at the centroid of the specified obj_expr
object. A region's centroid does not represent its center of mass. Instead, it represents the location used
for automatic labeling, geocoding, and placement of thematic pie and bar charts. If you edit a map in
reshape mode, you can reposition region centroids by dragging them.
If the obj_expr parameter represents a point object, the Centroid( ) function returns the position of the
point. If the obj_expr parameter represents a line object, the Centroid( ) function returns the point midway
between the ends of the line.
If the obj_expr parameter represents a polyline object, the Centroid( ) function returns a point located
at the mid point of the middle segment of the polyline.
If the obj_expr parameter represents any other type of object, the Centroid( ) function returns a point
located at the true centroid of the original object. For rectangle, arc, text, and ellipse objects, the centroid
position is halfway between the upper and lower extents of the object, and halfway between the left and
right extents. For region objects, however, the centroid position is always on the object in question, and
therefore may not be located halfway between the object's extents.
Example
Dim pos As Object
Open Table "world"
Fetch First From world
pos = Centroid(world.obj)
See Also:
Alter Object statement, CentroidX( ) function, CentroidY( ) function

CentroidX( ) function
Purpose
Returns the x-coordinate of the centroid of an object. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CentroidX( obj_expr )
obj_expr is an object expression
Return Value
Float
Description
The CentroidX( ) function returns the X coordinate (e.g., Longitude) component of the centroid of the
specified object. See the Centroid( ) function for a discussion of what the concept of a centroid position
means with respect to different types of graphical objects (lines vs. regions, etc.).

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The coordinate information is returned in MapBasic's current coordinate system; by default, MapBasic
uses a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system. The Set CoordSys statement allows you to change the
coordinate system used.
Examples
The following example shows how the CentroidX( ) function can calculate the longitude of a single
geographic object.
Dim x As Float
Open Table "world"
Fetch First From world
x = CentroidX(world.obj)
You can also use the CentroidX( ) function within the Select statement. The following Select statement
extracts information from the World table, and stores the results in a temporary table called Results.
Because the Select statement includes the CentroidX( ) function and the CentroidY( ) function, the
Results table will include columns which display the longitude and latitude of the centroid of each country.
Open Table "world"
Select country, CentroidX(obj), CentroidY(obj)
From world Into results
See Also:
Centroid( ) function, CentroidY( ) function, Set CoordSys statement

CentroidY( ) function
Purpose
Returns the y-coordinate of the centroid of an object. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CentroidY( obj_expr )
obj_expr is an object expression.
Return Value
Float
Description
The CentroidY( ) function returns the Y-coordinate (e.g., latitude) component of the centroid of the
specified object. See the Centroid( ) function for a discussion of what the concept of a centroid position
means, with respect to different types of graphical objects (lines vs. regions, etc.).
The coordinate information is returned in MapBasic's current coordinate system; by default, MapBasic
uses a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system. The Set CoordSys statement allows you to change the
coordinate system used.

Reference

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CharSet clause
Example
Dim y As Float
Open Table "world"
Fetch First From world
y = CentroidY(world.obj)
See Also:
Centroid( ) function, CentroidX( ) function, Set CoordSys statement

CharSet clause
Purpose
Specifies which character set MapBasic uses for interpreting character codes.
Note: See the MapInfo Professional User Guide documentation for changes affecting this clause.

Syntax
CharSet char_set
char_set is a string that identifies the name of a character set; see table below.
Description
The CharSet clause specifies which character set MapBasic should use when reading or writing files or
tables. Note that CharSet is a clause, not a complete statement. Various file-related statements, such
as the Open File statement, can incorporate optional CharSet clauses.
What Is A Character Set?
Every character on a computer keyboard corresponds to a numeric code. For example, the letter "A"
corresponds to the character code 65. A character set is a set of characters that appear on a computer,
and a set of numeric codes that correspond to those characters.
Different character sets are used in different countries. For example, in the version of Windows for North
America and Western Europe, character code 176 corresponds to a degrees symbol; however, if Windows
is configured to use a different character set, character code 176 may represent a different character.
Call SystemInfo(SYS_INFO_CHARSET) to determine the character set in use at run-time.
How Do Character Sets Affect MapBasic Programs?
If your files use only standard ASCII characters in the range of 32 (space) to 126 (tilde), you do not need
to worry about character set conflicts, and you do not need to use the CharSet clause.
Even if your files include "special" characters (for example, characters outside the range 32 to 126), if
you do all of your work within one environment (e.g., Windows) using only one character set, you do not
need to use the CharSet clause.
If your program needs to read an existing file that contains "special" characters, and if the file was created
in a character set that does not match the character set in use when you run your program, your program

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should use the CharSet clause. The CharSet clause should indicate what character set was in use when
the file was created.
The CharSet clause takes one parameter: a string expression which identifies the name of the character
set to use. The following table lists all character sets available.
Character Set

Comments

"Neutral"

No character conversions performed.

"ISO8859_1"

ISO 8859-1 (UNIX)

"ISO8859_2"

ISO 8859-2 (UNIX)

"ISO8859_3"

ISO 8859-3 (UNIX)

"ISO8859_4"

ISO 8859-4 (UNIX)

"ISO8859_5"

ISO 8859-5 (UNIX)

"ISO8859_6"

ISO 8859-6 (UNIX)

"ISO8859_7"

ISO 8859-7 (UNIX)

"ISO8859_8"

ISO 8859-8 (UNIX)

"ISO8859_9"

ISO 8859-9 (UNIX)

"PackedEUCJapanese"

UNIX, standard Japanese implementation.

"WindowsLatin2"

Windows Eastern Europe

"WindowsArabic"
"WindowsCyrillic"
"WindowsGreek"
"WindowsHebrew"
"WindowsTurkish"
"WindowsTradChinese"

Windows Traditional Chinese

"WindowsSimpChinese"

Windows Simplified Chinese

"WindowsJapanese"
"WindowsKorean"
"CodePage437"

DOS Code Page 437 = IBM Extended ASCII

"CodePage850"

DOS Code Page 850 = Multilingual

"CodePage852"

DOS Code Page 852 = Eastern Europe

"CodePage855"

DOS Code Page 855 = Cyrillic

"CodePage857"

Reference

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ChooseProjection$( ) function
Character Set

Comments

"CodePage860"

DOS Code Page 860 = Portuguese

"CodePage861"

DOS Code Page 861 = Icelandic

"CodePage863"

DOS Code Page 863 = French Canadian

"CodePage864"

DOS Code Page 864 = Arabic

"CodePage865"

DOS Code Page 865 = Nordic

"CodePage869"

DOS Code Page 869 = Modern Greek

"LICS"

Lotus worksheet release 1,2 character set

"LMBCS"

Lotus worksheet release 3,4 character set

Note: You never need to specify a CharSet clause in an Open Table statement. Each table's .TAB
file contains information about the character set used by the table. When opening a table, MapInfo
Professional reads the character set information directly from the .TAB file, then automatically
performs any necessary character translations.
To force MapInfo Professional to save a table in a specific character set, include a CharSet clause in
the Commit Table statement.
See Also:
Commit Table statement, Create Table statement, Export statement, Open File statement, Register
Table statement

ChooseProjection$( ) function
Purpose
Displays the Choose Projection dialog box and returns the coordinate system selected by the user.
You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ChooseProjection$( initial_coordsys, get_bounds )
initial_coordsys is a string value in the form of a CoordSys clause. It is used to set which coordinate
system is selected when the dialog box is first displayed. If initial_coordsys is empty or an invalid CoordSys
clause, then the default Longitude/Latitude coordinate system is used as the initial selection.
get_bounds is a logical value that determines whether the users is prompted for boundary values when
a non-earth projection is selected. If get_bounds is true then the boundary dialog box is displayed. If
false, then the dialog box is not displayed and the default boundary is used.

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Description
This function displays the Choose Projection dialog box and returns the selected coordinate system
as a string. The returned string is in the same format as the CoordSys clause. Use this function if you
wish to allow the user to set a projection within your application.
Example
Dim strNewCoordSys As String
strNewCoordSys = ChooseProjection$( "", True)
strNewCoordSys = "Set " + strNewCoordSys
Run Command strNewCoordSys
See Also:
MapperInfo( ) function

Chr$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a one-character string corresponding to a specified character code. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Chr$( num_expr )
num_expr is an integer value from 0 to 255 (or, if a double-byte character set is in use, from 0 to 65,535),
inclusive.
Return Value
String
Description
The Chr$( ) function returns a string, one character long, based on the character code specified in the
num_expr parameter. On most systems, num_expr should be a positive integer value between 0 and
255. On systems that support double-byte character sets (e.g., Windows Japanese), num_expr can have
a value from 0 to 65,535.
Note: All MapInfo Professional environments have common character codes within the range of 32
(space) to 126 (tilde).
If the num_expr parameter is fractional, MapBasic rounds to the nearest integer.
Character 12 is the form-feed character. Thus, you can use the statement Print Chr$(12) to clear the
Message window. Character 10 is the line-feed character; see example below.
Character 34 is the double-quotation mark ("). If a string expression includes the function call Chr$(34),
MapBasic embeds a double-quote character in the string.

Reference

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Close All statement

Error Conditions
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error is generated if an argument is outside of the valid range.
Example
Dim s_letter As String * 1
s_letter = Chr$(65)
Note s_letter ' This displays the letter "A"
Note "This message spans" + Chr$(10) + "two lines."
See Also:
Asc( ) function

Close All statement

Purpose
Closes all open tables. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Close All [ Interactive ]
Description
If a MapBasic application issues a Close All statement, and the affected table has edits pending (the
table has been modified but the modifications have not yet been saved to disk), the edits will be discarded
before the table is closed. No warning will be displayed. If you do not want to discard pending edits, use
the optional Interactive clause to prompt the user to save or discard changes.
See Also:
Close Table statement

Close Connection statement

Purpose
Closes a connection opened with the Open Connection statement. You can issue this statement from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Close Connection connection_handle
connection_handle is an integer expression representing the value returned from the Open Connection
statement.

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Description
The Close Connection statement closes the specified connection using the connection handle that is
returned from an Open Connection statement. Any service specific properties associated with the
connection are lost.
See Also:
Open Connection statement

Close File statement

Purpose
Closes an open file.
Syntax
Close File [ # ] filenum
filenum is an integer number identifying which file to close.
Description
The Close File statement closes a file which was opened through the Open File statement.
Note: The Open File statement and Close File statement operate on files in general, not on MapInfo
Professional tables. MapBasic provides a separate set of statements (e.g., Open Table statement) for manipulating MapInfo tables.

Example
Open File "cxdata.txt" For INPUT As #1
'
' read from the file... then, when done:
'
Close File #1
See Also:
Open File statement

Close Table statement

Purpose
Closes an open table. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Close Table table [ Interactive ]
table is the name of a table that is open

Reference

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Close Window statement

Description
The Close Table statement closes an open table. To close all tables, use the Close All statement.
If a table is displayed in one or more Grapher or Browser windows, those windows disappear automatically when the table is closed. If the Close Table statement closes the only table in a Map window, the
window closes. If you use the Close Table statement to close a linked table that has edits pending,
MapInfo Professional keeps the edits pending until a later session.
Saving Edits
If you omit the optional Interactive keyword, MapBasic closes the table regardless of whether the table
has unsaved edits; any unsaved edits are discarded. If you include the Interactive keyword, and if the
table has unsaved edits, MapBasic displays a dialog box allowing the user to save or discard the edits
or cancel the close operation.
To guarantee that pending edits are discarded, omit the Interactive keyword or issue a Rollback
statement before calling Close Table. To guarantee that pending edits are saved, issue a Commit
Table statement before the Close Table statement. To determine whether a table has unsaved edits,
call the TableInfo( ) function( table, TAB_INFO_EDITED) function.
Saving Themes and Cosmetic Objects
When you close the last table in a Map window, the window closes. However, the user may want to save
thematic layers or cosmetic objects before closing the window. To prompt the user to save themes or
cosmetic objects, include the Interactive keyword.
If you omit the Interactive keyword, the Close Table statement will not prompt the user to save themes
or cosmetic objects. If you include the Interactive keyword, dialog boxes will prompt the user to save
themes and/or cosmetic objects, if such prompts are appropriate. (The user is not prompted if the window
has no themes or cosmetic objects.)
Examples
Open Table "world"
' ... when done using the WORLD table,
' close it by saying:
Close Table world
To deselect the selected rows, close the Selection table.
Close Table Selection
See Also:
Close All statement, Commit Table statement, Open Table statement, Rollback statement, TableInfo(
) function

Close Window statement

Purpose
Closes or hides a window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

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Syntax
Close Window window_spec [ Interactive ]
window_spec is a window name (e.g., Ruler), a window code (e.g., WIN_RULER), or an integer window
identifier.
Description
The Close Window statement closes or hides a MapInfo Professional window.
To close a document window (Map, Browse, Graph, or Layout), specify an integer window identifier as
the window_spec parameter. You can obtain integer window identifiers through the FrontWindow( )
function and the WindowID( ) function.
To close a special MapInfo Professional window, specify one of the window names from the table below
as the window_spec parameter. You can identify a special window by name (e.g., Ruler) or by code
(e.g., WIN_RULER).
To close an adornment window, specify the window ID of the adornment as determined by the MapperInfo( ) function.
The following table lists the available window_spec values:
window_spec value

Window description

Help

The Help window. Its define code: WIN_HELP.

Info

The Info Tool window. Its define code: WIN_INFO.

LayerControl

The Layer Control window. Its' define code is WIN_LAYER_CONTROL.

In an integrated mapping application this refers to the modal version.

Legend

The Theme Legend window. Its define code: WIN_LEGEND.

MapBasic

The MapBasic window. You can also refer to this window by its define
code: WIN_MAPBASIC.

Message

The Message window (which appears when you issue a Print statement). Its define code: WIN_MESSAGE.

MoveMapTo

The Move Map To window. Its' define code is WIN_MOVE_MAP_TO.

Ruler

The Ruler tool window. Its define code: WIN_RULER.

Statistics

The Statistics window. Its define code: WIN_STATISTICS.

TableList

The Table List window. Its' define code is WIN_TABLE_LIST. In an integrated mapping application this refers to the modal version.

Note: The window IDs for Table List, Layer Control, and Move Map To are ignored by the Set Window
statement, WindowInfo( ) function, and WindowID( ) function.

Reference

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ColumnInfo( ) function
Saving Themes and Cosmetic Objects
The user may want to save thematic layers or cosmetic objects before closing the window. To prompt
the user to save themes or cosmetic objects, include the Interactive keyword.
If you omit the Interactive keyword, the Close Window statement will not prompt the user to save
themes or cosmetic objects. If you include the Interactive keyword, dialog boxes will prompt the user
to save themes and/or cosmetic objects, if such prompts are appropriate. (The user will not be prompted
if the window has no themes or cosmetic objects.)
Example
Close Window Legend
See Also:
Open Window statement, Print statement, Set Window statement

ColumnInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a column in an open table. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ColumnInfo( { tablename | tablenum } ,
{ columnname | "COLn" } , attribute )
tablename is a string representing the name of an open table.
tablenum is an integer representing the number of an open table.
columnname is the name of a column in that table.
n is the number of a column in the table.
attribute is a code indicating which aspect of the column to read.
Return Value
Depends on the attribute parameter specified.
Description
The ColumnInfo( ) function returns information about one column in an open table.
The function's first parameter specifies either the name or the number of an open table. The second
parameter specifies which column to query. The attribute parameter dictates which of the column's attributes the function should return. The attribute parameter can be any value from this table.

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ID

ColumnInfo( ) returns:

COL_INFO_NAME

String identifying the column name.

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attribute setting

ID

ColumnInfo( ) returns:

COL_INFO_NUM

SmallInt indicating the number of the column.

COL_INFO_TYPE

SmallInt indicating the column type (see table below).

COL_INFO_WIDTH

SmallInt indicating the column width; applies to Character

or Decimal columns only.

COL_INFO_DECPLACES

SmallInt indicating the number of decimal places in a

Decimal column.

COL_INFO_INDEXED

Logical value indicating if column is indexed.

COL_INFO_EDITABLE

Logical value indicating if column is editable.

If the ColumnInfo( ) function call specifies COL_INFO_TYPE as its attribute parameter, MapBasic returns
one of the values from the table below:
ColumnInfo( ) returns:

ID

Type of column indicated:

COL_TYPE_CHAR

Character.

COL_TYPE_DECIMAL

Fixed-point decimal.

COL_TYPE_INTEGER

Integer (4-byte).

COL_TYPE_SMALLINT

Small integer (2-byte).

COL_TYPE_DATE

Date.

COL_TYPE_LOGICAL

Logical (TRUE or FALSE).

COL_TYPE_GRAPHIC

special column type Obj; this represents the graphical

objects attached to the table.

COL_TYPE_FLOAT

Floating-point decimal.

COL_TYPE_TIME

37

Time.

COL_TYPE_DATETIME

38

DateTime.

The codes listed in both of the above tables are defined in the standard MapBasic definitions file, MAPBASIC.DEF. Your program must include "MAPBASIC.DEF" if you intend to reference these codes.
Error Conditions
ERR_TABLE_NOT_FOUND (405) error generated if the specified table is not available.
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error generated if an argument is outside of the valid range.
Example
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Dim s_col_name As String, i_col_type As SmallInt
Open Table "world"

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Combine( ) function
s_col_name = ColumnInfo("world","col1",COL_INFO_NAME)
i_col_type = ColumnInfo("world","col1",COL_INFO_TYPE)
See Also:
NumCols( ) function, TableInfo( ) function

Combine( ) function
Purpose
Returns a region or polyline representing the union of two objects. The objects cannot be Text objects.
You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Combine( object1, object2 )
object1, object2 are two object expressions; both objects can be closed (e.g., a region and a circle), or
both objects can be linear (e.g., a line and a polyline)
Return Value
An object that is the union of object1 and object2.
Description
The Combine( ) function returns an object representing the geographical union of two object expressions.
The union of two objects represents the entire area that is covered by either object.
The Combine( ) function has been updated to allow heterogeneous combines, and to allow Points,
MultiPoints, and Collections as input objects. Previously, both objects had to be either linear objects
(Lines, Polylines, or Arcs) and produce Polylines as output; or both input objects had to be closed (Regions, Rectangles, Rounded Rectangles, or Ellipses) and produce Regions as output. Heterogeneous
combines are not allowed, as are combines containing Point, MultiPoint and Collection objects. Text
objects are still not allowed as input to Combine( ).
MultiPoint and Collection objects, introduced in MapInfo Professional 6.5, extend the Combine operation.
The following table details the possible combine options available and the output results:
Input Object Type

Input Object Type

OutputObject Type

Point or MultiPoint

Point or MultiPoint

MultiPoint

Linear (Line, Polyline, Arc)

Linear

Polyline

Closed (Region, Rectangle,

Rounded Rectangle, Ellipse)

Closed

Region

Point, MultiPoint, Linear, Closed, Point, MultiPoint, Linear, Closed, Collection

Collection
Collection
The results returned by Combine( ) are similar to the results obtained by choosing MapInfo Professional's
Objects > Combine menu item, except that the Combine menu item modifies the original objects; the

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Combine( ) function does not alter the object1 or object2 expressions. Also, the Combine( ) function
does not perform data aggregation.
The object returned by the Combine( ) function retains the styles (e.g., color) of the object1 parameter
when possible. Collection objects produced as output will get those portions of style that are possible
from object1, and the remaining portions of style from objects2. For example, if object1 is a Region and
object2 is a Polyline, then the output collection will use the brush and boarder pen of object1 for the
Region style contained in the collection, and the pen from object2 for the Polyline style in the collection.
See Also:
Objects Combine statement

CommandInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about recent events. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
CommandInfo( attribute )
attribute is an integer code indicating what type of information to return.
Return Value
Logical, float, integer, or string, depending on circumstances.
Description
The CommandInfo( ) function returns information about recent events that affect MapInfo Professionalfor example, whether the "Selection" table has changed, where the user clicked with the mouse, or
whether it was a simple click or a Shift+Click.
After Displaying a Dialog Box
When you call CommandInfo( ) after displaying a custom dialog box, the attribute parameter can be
one of these codes:
attribute code

ID

CommandInfo( attribute ) returns:

CMD_INFO_DLG_OK

Logical value: TRUE if the user dismissed a custom dialog

box by clicking OK; FALSE if user canceled by clicking
Cancel, pressing Esc. (This call is only valid following a
Dialog statement.)

CMD_INFO_STATUS

Logical value: TRUE if the user allowed a progress-bar

operation to complete, or FALSE if the user pressed the
Cancel button to halt.

Reference

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CommandInfo( ) function
Within a Custom Menu or Dialog Handler
When you call CommandInfo( ) from within the handler procedure for a custom menu command or a
custom dialog box, the attribute parameter can be one of these codes:
attribute code

ID

CommandInfo( attribute ) returns:

CMD_INFO_DLG_DBL

Logical value: TRUE if the user double-clicked on a ListBox or MultiListBox control within a custom dialog box.
This call is only valid within the handler procedure of a
custom dialog box.

CMD_INFO_MENUITEM

Integer value, representing the ID of the menu item the

user chose. This call is only valid within the handler procedure of a custom menu item.

Within a Standard Handler Procedure

When you call CommandInfo( ) from within a standard system handler procedure (such as
SelChangedHandler), the attribute parameter can be any of the codes from the following table. For details,
see the separate discussions of SelChangedHandler, RemoteMsgHandler procedure, WinChangedHandler
and WinClosedHandler. From within SelChangedHandler:
attribute code

ID

CMD_INFO_SELTYPE

CommandInfo( attribute ) returns:

1 if one row was added to the selection;
2 if one row was removed from the selection;
3 if multiple rows were added to the selection;
4 if multiple rows were de-selected.

CMD_INFO_ROWID

Integer value: The number of the row that was selected

or de-selected (only applies if a single row was selected
or de-selected).

CMD_INFO_INTERRUPT

Logical value: TRUE if the user interrupted a selection by

pressing Esc, FALSE otherwise.

From within the RemoteMsgHandler procedure, the RemoteQueryHandler( ) function, or the RemoteMapGenHandler procedure:
attribute code

ID

CommandInfo( attribute ) returns:

CMD_INFO_MSG

1000 String value, representing the execute string or the item

name sent to MapInfo Professional by a client program.
For details, see RemoteMsgHandler procedure, RemoteQueryHandler( ) function, or RemoteMapGenHandler procedure.

From within WinChangedHandler procedure or WinClosedHandler procedure:

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attribute code

ID

CommandInfo( attribute ) returns:

CMD_INFO_WIN

Integer value, representing the ID of the window that

changed or the window that closed. For details, see WinChangedHandler procedure or WinClosedHandler
procedure.

From within ForegroundTaskSwitchHandler procedure:

attribute code

ID

CommandInfo( attribute ) returns:

CMD_INFO_TASK_SWITCH

Integer value, indicating whether MapInfo Professional

just became the active application or just stopped being
the active application. The return value matches one of
these codes: SWITCHING_INTO_MI Pro (If MapInfo
Professional received the focus) SWITCHING_OUT_OF_MapInfo Professional (If MapInfo Professional lost the focus).

After a Find Operation

Following a Find statement, the attribute parameter can be one of these codes:
attribute code

ID

CommandInfo( attribute ) returns:

CMD_INFO_X or CMD_INFO_Y

1, 2 Floating-point number, indicating x- or y-coordinates of

the location that was found.

CMD_INFO_FIND_RC

Integer value, indicating whether the Find statement

found a match.

CMD_INFO_FIND_ROWID

Integer value, indicating the Row ID number of the row

that was found.

Within a Custom ToolButton's Handler Procedure

Within a custom ToolHandler procedure, you can specify any of these codes:
attribute code

ID

CommandInfo( attribute ) returns:

CMD_INFO_CUSTOM_OBJ

Object value: a polyline or polygon drawn by the user.

Applies to drawing modes DM_CUSTOM_POLYLINE or
DM_CUSTOM_POLYGON.

CMD_INFO_X

x coordinate of the spot where the user clicked:

If the user clicked on a Map, the return value represents
a map coordinate (e.g., longitude), in the current coordinate system unit.

Reference

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CommandInfo( ) function
attribute code

ID

CommandInfo( attribute ) returns:

If the user clicked on a Browser, the value represents
the number of a column in the Browser (e.g., one for
the left most column, or zero for the select-box column).*
If the user clicked in a Layout, the value represents the
distance from the left edge of the Layout (e.g., zero
represents the left edge), in MapBasic's current paper
units. For details about paper units, see Set Paper Units
statement.

CMD_INFO_Y

y-coordinate of the spot where the user clicked:

If the user clicked on a map, the value represents a map
coordinate (e.g., Latitude).
If the user clicked on a Browser, the value represents
a row number; a value of one represents the top row,
and a value of zero represents the row of column
headers at the top of the window.*
If the user clicked on a Layout, the value represents the
distance from the top edge of the Layout.

CMD_INFO_SHIFT

Logical value: TRUE if the user held down the Shift key
while clicking.

CMD_INFO_CTRL

Logical value: TRUE if the user held down the Ctrl key
while clicking.

CMD_INFO_X2

x-coordinate of the spot where the user released the

mouse button. This only applies if the toolbutton was
defined with a draw mode that allows dragging, e.g.,
DM_CUSTOM_LINE.

CMD_INFO_Y2

y-coordinate of the spot where the user released the

mouse button.

CMD_INFO_TOOLBTN

Integer value, representing the ID of the button the user

clicked

* The CommandInfo( ) function ignores any clicks made in the top-left corner of a Browser windowabove
the select column and to the left of the column headers. It also ignores clicks made beyond the last
column or row.
Hotlink Support
MapBasic applications launched via the Hotlink Tool can use the CommandInfo( ) function to obtain
information about the object that was activated. The following is a table of the attributes that can be
queried:

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attribute code

ID

CommandInfo( attribute ) returns:

CMD_INFO_HL_WINDOW_ID

17

ID of map or browser window.

CMD_INFO_HL_TABLE_NAME

18

Name of table associated with the map layer or browser.

CMD_INFO_HL_ROWID

19

ID of the table row corresponding to the map object or

browser row.

CMD_INFO_HL_LAYER_ID

20

Layer ID, if the program was launched from a map window.

CMD_INFO_HL_FILE_NAME

21

Name of file launched.

See Also:
FrontWindow( ) function, SelectionInfo( ) function, Set Command Info statement, WindowInfo( )
function

Commit Table statement

Purpose
Saves recent edits to disk, or saves a copy of a table. In the past, you were unable to save queries that
contained indeterminate types, such as often occurred in ObjectInfo queries. We have added an Interactive parameter to allow you to specify indeterminate types in such a query. If you do not use the interactive parameter, the system uses a default type instead. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Commit Table table
[ As filespec
[ Type { NATIVE |
DBF [ Charset char_set ] |
Access Database database_filespec Version version Table tablename
[ Password pwd ] [ Charset char_set ] |
QUERY |
ODBC Connection ConnectionNumber Table tablename
[ Type SQLServerSpatial { Geometry | Geography } ]
[ ConvertDateTime { ON | OFF | INTERACTIVE } ] } ]
[ CoordSys... ]
[ Version version ] ]
[ Interactive ]
[ { Interactive | Automatic commit_keyword } ]
[ ConvertObjects { ON | OFF | INTERACTIVE } ]
tableName is the name of the table as you want it to appear in database. The name can include a schema
name, which specifies the schema that the table belongs to. If no schema name is provided, the table
belongs to the default schema. The user is responsible for providing an eligible schema name and must
know if the login user has the proper permissions on the given schema. This extension is for SQL
Server 2005 only.
filespec is a file specification (optionally including directory path). This is where the MapInfo .TAB file is
saved.

Reference

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Commit Table statement

ConvertDateTime If the source table contains Time or Date type columns, these columns will be converted
to DATETIME or TIMESTAMP depending on whether the server supports the data types. However, you
can control this behavior using the clause ConvertDateTime. If the source table does not contain a Time
or Date type, this clause is a non-operational. If ConvertDateTime is set to ON (which is the default setting),
Time or Date type columns will be converted to DATETIME or TIMESTAMP. If ConvertDateTime is set
to OFF, the conversion is not done and the operation will be cancelled if necessary. If ConvertDateTime
is set to INTERACTIVE a dialog box will pop up to prompt the user and the operation will depend on the
user's choice. If the user chooses to convert, then the operation will convert and continue; if the user
chooses to cancel, the operation will be cancelled.
The Time type requires conversion for all supported servers (Oracle, PostGIS, SQL Server Spatial, MS
SQL Server and Access) and the Date type requires conversion for MS SQL Server and Access database
servers.
Note: For MS SQL Server and Access database servers, this restriction could be an backward compatibility issue. In previous releases, we did the conversion without explaining it. In this release, we
suggest you use the DateTime data type instead of Date data type. If you still use the Date data
type, the conversion operation will fail.
version is an expression that specifies the version of the Microsoft Jet database format to be used by
the new database. Acceptable values are 4.0 (for Access 2000) or 3.0 (for Access '95/'97). If omitted,
the default version is 12.0. If the database in which the table is being created already exists, the specified
database version is ignored.
ConvertObjects ON automatically converts any unsupported objects encountered in supported objects.
ConvertObjects OFF This does not convert any unsupported objects. If they are encountered, an error
message is displayed saying the table can not be saved. (Before implementation of this feature this was
the only behavior.)
ConvertObjects Interactive If any unsupported objects are encountered in a table, ask the user what she
wants to do.
char_set is the name of a character set; see CharSet clause.
database_filespec is a string that identifies the name and path of a valid Access database. If the specified
database does not exist, MapInfo Professional creates a new Access (.MDB or .ACCDB) file.
pwd is the database-level password for the database, to be specified when database security is turned
on.
ODBC indicates a copy of the Table will be saved on the DBMS specified by ConnectionNumber.
ConnectionNumber is an integer value that identifies the specific connection to a database.
SQL Server Spatial, SQL Server 2008 supports spatial data with GEOGRAPHY and GEOMETRY data
types.
CoordSys is a coordinate system clause; see CoordSys clause.
version is 100 (to create a table that can be read by versions of MapInfo Professional) or 300 (MapInfo
Professional 3.0 format) for non-Access tables. For Access tables, version is 410.
commit_keyword is one of the following keywords: NoCollision, ApplyUpdates, DiscardUpdates

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ConvertDateTime Examples
Commit Table DATETIME90 As "D:\MapInfo\Data\Remote\DATETIME90CPY.TAB"
Type ODBC Connection 1 Table """EAZYLOADER"".""DATETIME90CPY"""
ConvertDateTime Interactive
Server 1 Create Table """EAZYLOADER"".""CITY_125AA""" (Field1
Char(10),Field2 Char(10),Field3 Char(10),MI_STYLE Char(254)) KeyColumn
SW_MEMBER ObjectColumn SW_GEOMETRY
or
Server 1 Create Table "EAZYLOADER.CITY_125AA" (Field1 Char(10),Field2
Char(10),Field3 Char(10),MI_STYLE Char(254)) KeyColumn SW_MEMBER
ObjectColumn SW_GEOMETRY
Commit Table City_125aa As
"C:\Projects\Data\TestScripts\English\remote\City_125aacpy.tab" Type ODBC
Connection 1 Table """EAZYLOADER"".""CITY_125AACPY"""
or
Commit Table City_125aa As
"C:\Projects\Data\TestScripts\English\remote\City_125aacpy.tab" Type ODBC
Connection 1 Table "EAZYLOADER.CITY_125AACPY"
Description
If no As clause is specified, the Commit Table statement saves any pending edits to the table. This is
analogous to the user choosing File > Save.
A Commit Table statement that includes an As clause has the same effect as a user choosing File >
Save Copy As. The As clause can be used to save the table with a different name, directory, file type,
or projection.
To save the table under a new name, specify the new name in the filespec string. To save the table in
a new directory path, specify the directory path at the start of the filespec string.
To save the table using a new file type, include a Type clause within the As clause.
The CharSet clause specifies a character set. The char_set parameter should be a string constant, such
as "WindowsLatin1". If no CharSet clause is specified, MapBasic uses the default character set for the
hardware platform that is in use at runtime. See CharSet clause for more information.
To save the table using a different coordinate system or projection, include a CoordSys clause within
the As clause. Note that only a mappable table may have a coordinate system or a projection.
To save a Query use the QUERY type for the table. Only queries made from the user interface and
queries created from Run Command statements in MapBasic can be saved. The Commit Table
statement creates a .TAB file and a .QRY file.
The Version clause controls the table's format. If you specify Version 100, MapInfo Professional stores
the table in a format readable by versions of MapInfo Professional. If you specify Version 300, MapInfo
Professional stores the table in MapInfo Professional 3.0 format. Note that region and polyline objects
having more than 8,000 nodes and multiple-segment polyline objects require version 300. If you omit
the Version clause, the table is saved in the version 300 format.
Note: If a MapBasic application issues a Commit Table...As statement affecting a table which has
memo fields, the memo fields will not be retained in the new table. No warning will be displayed.
If the table is saved to a new table through MapInfo Professional's user interface (by choosing
File > Save Copy As), MapInfo Professional warns the user about the loss of the memo fields.

Reference

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Commit Table statement

However, when the table is saved to a new table name through a MapBasic program, no warning
appears.

Saving Linked Tables

Saving a linked table can generate a conflict, when another user may have edits the same data in the
same table MapInfo Professional will detect if there were any conflicts and allows the user to resolve
them. The following clauses let you control what happens when there is a conflict. (These clauses have
no effect on saving a conventional MapInfo table.)
Interactive
In the event of a conflict, MapInfo Professional displays the Conflict Resolution dialog box. After a
successful Commit Table Interactive statement, MapInfo Professional displays a dialog box allowing
the user to refresh.
Interactive when invoked for Commit Table As, handles the case when a user is saving a query with one
or more columns which are of indeterminate type. Using the Interactive parameter presents the user
with a message indicating which column(s) contain the indeterminate type and allows the user to select
new types and/or widths for these columns. If the Interactive parameter is not used, the system assigns
a Char(254) type to the indeterminate type column(s) by default.
Example
Issue the following query in the SQL Select dialog box and click OK or type this query in the MapBasic
window:
Select Highway, objectinfo(obj, 20) from US_HIWAY into Selection
When you select File > Save Copy As, select the current query, and click the Save As button, the following error message displays:

Typically this dialog box contains a list of all columns that contain indeterminate types. In this query,
there is only one.
Click OK to display the Set Field Properties dialog box.

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Use this dialog box to select the type information for this column. If there is more than one indeterminate
type, you can set each of these types one at a time. If there are columns whose type is already defined,
you will not be able to edit that information.
Click OK to save your query.
Automatic NoCollision
In the event of a conflict, MapInfo Professional does not perform the save. (This is the default behavior
if the statement does not include an Interactive clause or an Automatic clause.)
Automatic ApplyUpdates
In the event of a conflict, MapInfo Professional saves the local updates. (This is analogous to ignoring
conflicts entirely.)
Automatic DiscardUpdates
In the event of a conflict, MapInfo Professional saves the local updates already in the RDBMS (discards
your local updates). You can copy a linked table by using the As clause; however, the new copy is not
a linked table and no changes are updated to the server.
ODBC Connection
The length of tablename varies with databases. We recommend 14 or fewer characters for a table name
in order to work correctly for all databases. The statement limits the length of the tablename to a maximum
of 31 characters.
If the As clause is used and ODBC is the Type, a copy of the table will be saved on the database specified
by ConnectionNumber and named as tablename. If the source table is mappable, three more columns,
Key column, Object column, and Style column, may be added to the destination database table, tablename, whether or not the source table has those columns. If the source table is not mappable, one more
column, Key column, may be added to the database table, tablename, even if the source table does not
have a Key column. The Key column will be used to create a unique index.

Reference

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ConnectObjects( ) function
A spatial index will be created on the Object column if one is present. The supported databases include
Oracle, SQL Server, IIS (SQL Server Spatial, Universal Server), and Microsoft Access. However, to save
a table with a spatial geometry/object, (including saving a point-only table) SpatialWare is required for
SQL Server, in addition to the spatial option for Oracle. The XY schema is not supported in this statement.
Example
The following example opens the table STATES, then uses the Commit Table statement to make a
copy of the states table under a new name (ALBERS). The optional CoordSys clause causes the ALBERS table to be saved using the Albers equal-area projection.
Open Table "STATES"
Commit Table STATES
As "ALBERS"
CoordSys Earth
Projection 9,7, "m", -96.0, 23.0, 20.0, 60.0, 0.0, 0.0
The following example illustrates an ODBC connection:
dim hodbc as integer
hodbc = server_connect("ODBC", "dlg=1")
Open table "C:\MapInfo\USA"
Commit Table USA
as "c:\temp\as\USA"
Type ODBC Connection hodbc Table "USA"
See Also:
Rollback statement

ConnectObjects( ) function
Purpose
Returns an object representing the shortest or longest distance between two objects. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ConnectObjects( object1, object2, min )
object1 and object2 are object expressions.
min is a logical expression where TRUE calculates the minimum distance between the objects, and
FALSE calculates the maximum distance between objects.
Return Value
This statement returns a single section, two-point Polyline object representing either the closest distance
(min == TRUE) or farthest distance (min == FALSE) between object1 and object2.
Description
One point of the resulting Polyline object is on object1 and the other point is on object2. Note that the
distance between the two input objects can be calculated using the ObjectLen( ) function. If there are
multiple instances where the minimum or maximum distance exists (e.g., the two points returned are

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not uniquely the shortest distance and there are other points representing "ties") then these functions
return one of the instances. There is no way to determine if the object returned is uniquely the shortest
distance.
ConnectObjects( ) returns a Polyline object connecting object1 and object2 in the shortest (min ==
TRUE) or longest (min == FALSE) way using a spherical calculation method. If the calculation cannot
be done using a spherical distance method (e.g., if the MapBasic coordinate system is NonEarth), then
a Cartesian method will be used.

Continue statement
Purpose
Resumes the execution of a MapBasic program (following a Stop statement). You can issue this
statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Continue
Restrictions
The Continue statement may only be issued from the MapBasic window; it may not be included as part
of a compiled program.
Description
The Continue statement resumes the execution of a MapBasic application which was suspended because
of a Stop statement.
You can include Stop statements in a program for debugging purposes. When a MapBasic program
encounters a Stop statement, the program is suspended, and the File menu automatically changes to
include a Continue Program option instead of a Run option. You can resume the suspended application
by choosing File > Continue Program. Typing the Continue statement into the MapBasic window has
the same effect as choosing Continue Program.

Control Button / OKButton / CancelButton clause

Purpose
Part of a Dialog statement; adds a push-button control to a dialog box.
Syntax
Control { Button | OKButton | CancelButton }
[ Position x, y ] [ Width w ] [ Height h ]
[ ID control_ID ]
[ Calling handler ]
[ Title title_string ]
[ Disable ] [ Hide ]
x, y specifies the button's position in dialog box units.

Reference

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Control CheckBox clause

w specifies the width of the button in dialog box units; default width is 40.
h specifies the height of the button in dialog box units; default height is 18.
control_ID is an integer; cannot be the same as the ID of another control in the dialog box.
handler is the name of a procedure to call if the user clicks on the button.
title_string is a text string to appear on the button.
Description
If a Dialog statement includes a Control Button clause, the dialog box includes a push-button control.
If the OKButton keyword appears in place of the Button keyword, the control is a special type of button;
the user chooses an OKButton control to "choose OK" and dismiss the dialog box. Similarly, the user
chooses a CancelButton control to "choose Cancel" and dismiss the dialog box. Each dialog box should
have no more than one OKButton control, and have no more than one CancelButton control. Disable
makes the control disabled (grayed out) initially. Hide makes the control hidden initially.
Use the Alter Control statement to change a control's status (e.g., whether the control is enabled or
hidden).
Example
Control Button
Title "&Reset"
Calling reset_sub
Position 10, 190
See Also:
Alter Control statement, Dialog statement

Control CheckBox clause

Purpose
Part of a Dialog statement; adds a check box control to a dialog box
Syntax
Control CheckBox
[ Position x, y ] [ Width w ]
[ ID control_ID ]
[ Calling handler ]
[ Title title_string ]
[ Value log_value ]
[ Into log_variable ]
[ Disable ] [ Hide ]
x, y specifies the control's position in dialog box units.
w specifies the width of the control in dialog box units.
control_ID is an integer; cannot be the same as the ID of another control in the dialog box.
handler is the name of a procedure to call if the user clicks on the control.

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title_string is a text string to appear in the label to the right of the check-box.
log_value is a logical value: FALSE sets the control to appear un-checked initially.
log_variable is the name of a logical variable.
Description
If a Dialog statement includes a Control CheckBox clause, the dialog box includes a check box control.
The Value clause controls the initial appearance. If the Value clause is omitted, or if it specifies a value
of TRUE, the check box is checked initially. If the Value clause specifies a FALSE value, check-box is
clear initially. Disable makes the control disabled (grayed out) initially. Hide makes the control hidden
initially.
Example
Control CheckBox
Title "Include &Legend"
Into showlegend
ID 6
Position 115, 155
See Also:
Alter Control statement, Dialog statement, ReadControlValue( ) function

Control DocumentWindow clause

Purpose
Part of a Dialog statement; adds a document window control to a dialog box which can be re-parented
for integrated mapping.
Syntax
Control DocumentWindow
[ Position x, y ]
[ Width w ] [ Height h ]
[ ID control_ID ]
[ Disable ] [ Hide ]
x, y specifies the control's position in dialog box units.
w specifies the width of the control in dialog units; default width is 100.
h specifies the height of the control in dialog units; default height is 100.
control_ID is an integer; cannot be the same as the ID of another control in the dialog box.
Disable grays out the control initially.
Hide initially hides the control.

Reference

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Control EditText clause

Description
If a Dialog statement includes a Control DocumentWindow clause, the dialog box includes a document
window control that can be re-parented using the Set Next Document statement.
Example
The following example draws a legend in a dialog box:
Control DocumentWindow
ID ID_LEGENDWINDOW
Position 160, 20
Width 120 Height 150
The dialog box handler will need to re-parent the window as in the following example:
Sub DialogHandler
OnError Goto HandleError
Dim iHwnd As Integer
Alter Control ID_LEGENDWINDOW Enable Show
' draw the legend
iHwnd = ReadControlValue(ID_LEGENDWINDOW)
Set Next Document Parent iHwnd Style WIN_STYLE_CHILD
Create Legend
Exit Sub
HandleError:
Note "DialogHandler: " + Error$( )
End Sub
See Also:
Dialog statement

Control EditText clause

Purpose
Part of a Dialog statement; adds an EditText control box (input text) to a dialog box.
Syntax
Control EditText
[ Position x, y ] [ Width w ] [ Height h ]
[ ID control_ID ]
[ Value initial_value ]
[ Into variable ]
[ Disable ] [ Hide ] [ Password ]
x, y specifies the control's position in dialog box units.
w specifies the width of the control in dialog box units.
h specifies the height of the control in dialog box units; if the height is greater than 20, the control becomes
a multiple-line control, and text wraps down onto successive lines.
control_ID is an integer; cannot be the same as the ID of another control in the dialog box.
initial_value is a string or a numeric expression that initially appears in the dialog box.

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variable is the name of a string variable or a numeric variable; MapInfo Professional stores the final value
of the field in the variable if the user clicks OK.
The Disable keyword makes the control disabled (grayed out) initially.
The Hide keyword makes the control hidden initially.
The Password keyword creates a password field, which displays asterisks as the user types.
Description
If the user types more text than can fit in the box at one time, MapInfo Professional automatically scrolls
the text to make room. An EditText control can hold up to 32,767 characters.
If the height is large enough to fit two or more lines of text (for example, if the height is larger than 20),
MapInfo Professional automatically wraps text down to successive lines as the user types. If the user
enters a line-feed into the EditText box (for example, on Windows, if the user presses Ctrl+Enter while
in the EditText box), the string associated with the EditText control will contain a Chr$(10) value at the
location of each line-feed. If the initial_value expression contains embedded Chr$(10) values, the text
appears formatted when the dialog box appears.
To make an EditText control the active control, use an Alter Control...Active statement.
Example
Control EditText
Value "Franchise Locations"
Position 65, 8 Width 90
ID 1
Into s_map_title
See Also:
Alter Control statement, Dialog statement, ReadControlValue( ) function

Control GroupBox clause

Purpose
Part of a Dialog statement; adds a rectangle with a label to a dialog box.
Syntax
Control GroupBox
[ Position x, y ] [ Width w ] [ Height h ]
[ ID control_ID ]
[ Title title_string ]
[ Hide ]
x, y specifies the control's position in dialog box units.
w specifies the width of the control in dialog box units.
h specifies the height of the control in dialog box units.
control_ID is an integer; cannot be the same as the ID of another control in the dialog box.

Reference

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Control ListBox / MultiListBox clause

title_string is a text string to appear at the upper-left corner of the box
The Hide keyword makes the control hidden initially.
Example
Control GroupBox
Title "Level of Detail"
Position 5, 30
Height 40 Width 70
See Also:
Alter Control statement, Dialog statement

Control ListBox / MultiListBox clause

Purpose
Part of a Dialog statement; adds a list to a dialog box
Syntax
Control { ListBox | MultiListBox }
[ Position x, y ] [ Width w ] [ Height h ]
[ ID control_ID ]
[ Calling handler ]
[ Title { str_expr | From Variable str_array_var } ]
[ Value i_selected ]
[ Into i_variable ]
[ Disable ] [ Hide ]
x, y specifies the control's position in dialog box units.
w specifies the width of the control in dialog box units; default width is 80.
h specifies the height of the control in dialog box units; default height is 70.
control_ID is an integer; cannot be the same as the ID of another control in the dialog box.
handler is the name of a procedure to call if the user clicks or double-clicks on the list.
str_expr is a string expression, containing a semicolon-delimited list of items to appear in the control.
str_array_var is the name of an array of string variables.
i_selected is a SmallInt value indicating which list item should appear selected when the dialog box first
appears: a value of one selects the first list item; if the clause is omitted, no items are selected initially.
i_variable is the name of a SmallInt variable which stores the user's final selection.
The Disable keyword makes the control disabled (grayed out) initially.
The Hide keyword makes the control hidden initially.

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Description
If a Dialog statement includes a Control ListBox clause, the dialog box includes a listbox control. If
the list contains more items than can be shown in the control at one time, MapBasic automatically adds
a scroll-bar at the right side of the control.
A MultiListBox control is identical to a ListBox control, except that the user can Shift+click to select
multiple items from a MultiListBox control.
The Title clause specifies the contents of the list. If the Title clause specifies a string expression containing
a semicolon-delimited list of items, each item appears as one item in the list. The following sample Title
clause demonstrates this syntax:
Title "1st Quarter;2nd Quarter;3rd Quarter;4th Quarter"
Alternately, if the Title clause specifies an array of string variables, each entry in the array appears as
one item in the list. The following sample Title clause demonstrates this syntax:
Title From Variable s_optionlist
Processing a MultiListBox control
To read what items the user selected from a MultiListBox control, assign a handler procedure that is
called when the user dismisses the dialog box (for example, assign a handler to the OKButton control).
Within the handler procedure, set up a loop to call the ReadControlValue( ) function repeatedly.
The first call to the ReadControlValue( ) function returns the number of the first selected item; the
second call to the ReadControlValue( ) function returns the number of the second selected item; etc.
When the ReadControlValue( ) function returns zero, you have exhausted the list of selected items.
If the first call to the ReadControlValue( ) function returns zero, there are no list items selected.
Processing Double-click events
If you assign a handler procedure to a list control, MapBasic calls the procedure every time the user
clicks or double-clicks an item in the list. In some cases, you may want to provide special handling for
double-click events. For example, when the user double-clicks a list item, you may want to dismiss the
dialog box as if the user had clicked on a list item and then clicked OK.
To see an example, refer to the sample application NVIEWS.MB in <Your MapBasic Installation
Directory>\SAMPLES\MAPBASIC\SNIPPETS.
To determine whether the user clicked or double-clicked, call the CommandInfo( ) function within the
list control's handler procedure, as shown in the following sample handler procedure:
Sub lb_handler
Dim i As SmallInt
If CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_DLG_DBL) Then
' ... then the user double-clicked.
i = ReadControlValue( TriggerControl( ) )
Dialog Remove
' at this point, the variable i represents
' the selected list item...
End If
End Sub

Reference

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Control PenPicker/BrushPicker/SymbolPicker/FontPicker clause

Example
Control ListBox
Title "1st Quarter;2nd Quarter;3rd Quarter;4th Quarter"
ID 3
Value 1
Into i_quarter
Position 10, 92 Height 40
The NVIEWS.MB sample program demonstrates how to create a dialog box which provides special
handling for when the user double-clicks. The NVIEWS program displays a dialog box with a ListBox
control. To complete the dialog box, the user can click on a list item and then choose OK, or the user
can double-click an item in the list.
The following Control ListBox clause adds a list to the Named Views dialog box. Note that the ListBox
control has a handler routine, "listbox_handler."
Control ListBox
Title desc_list
ID 1
Position 10, 20 Width 245 Height
Calling listbox_handler

64

If the user clicks or double-clicks on the ListBox control, MapBasic calls the sub procedure "listbox_handler." The procedure calls the CommandInfo( ) function to determine whether the user clicked or doubleclicked. If the user double-clicked, the procedure issues a Dialog Remove statement to dismiss the
dialog box. If not for the Dialog Remove statement, the dialog box would remain on the screen until
the user clicked OK or Cancel.
Sub listbox_handler
Dim i As SmallInt
' First, since user clicked on the name of a view,
' we can enable the OK button and the Delete button.
Alter Control 2 Enable
Alter Control 3 Enable
If CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_DLG_DBL) = TRUE Then
' ...then the user DOUBLE-clicked.
' see which list item the user clicked on.
i = ReadControlValue(1) ' read user's choice.
Dialog Remove
Call go_to_view(i) ' act on user's choice.
End If
End Sub
MapBasic calls the handler procedure whether the user clicks or double-clicks. The handler procedure
must check to determine whether the event was a single- or double-click.
See Also:
Alter Control statement, Dialog statement, ReadControlValue( ) function, CommandInfo( ) function

Control PenPicker/BrushPicker/SymbolPicker/FontPicker clause

Purpose
Part of a Dialog statement; adds a button showing a pen (line), brush (fill), symbol (point), or font (text)
style.

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Syntax
Control { PenPicker | BrushPicker | SymbolPicker | FontPicker }
[ Position x, y ] [ Width w ] [ Height h ]
[ ID control_ID ]
[ Calling handler ]
[ Value style_expr ]
[ Into style_var ]
[ Disable ] [ Hide ]
x, y specifies the control's position, in dialog box units.
w specifies the control's width, in dialog box units; default width is 20.
h specifies the control's height, in dialog box units; default height is 20.
control_ID is an integer; cannot be the same as the ID of another control in the dialog box.
handler is the name of a handler procedure; if the user clicks on the Picker control, and then clicks OK
on the style dialog box which appears, MapBasic calls the handler procedure.
style_expr is a Pen, Brush, Symbol, or Font expression, specifying what style will appear initially in the
control; this expression type must match the type of control (for example, must be a Pen expression if
the control is a PenPicker).
style_var is the name of a Pen, Brush, Symbol, or Font variable; this variable type must match the type
of control (for example, must be a Pen variable if the control is a PenPicker control).
The Disable keyword makes the control disabled (grayed out) initially.
The Hide keyword makes the control hidden initially.
Description
A Picker control (PenPicker, BrushPicker, SymbolPicker, or FontPicker) is a button showing a pen, brush,
symbol, or font style. If the user clicks on the button, a dialog box appears to allow the user to change
the style.
Example
Control SymbolPicker
Position 140,42
Into sym_storemarker
See Also:
Alter Control statement, Dialog statement, ReadControlValue( ) function

ControlPointInfo( ) function
Purpose:
Returns raster and geographic control point coordinates for an image table. The geographic coordinates
will be in the current MapBasic coordinate system.

Reference

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Control PopupMenu clause

Syntax:
ControlPointInfo( table_id, attribute, controlpoint_num )
table_id is a string representing a table name, a positive integer table number, or 0 (zero). The table
must be a raster, grid or WMS table.
attribute is an integer code indicating which aspect of the control point to return.
controlpoint_num is the integer number of which control point to return. Control point numbers start at
1. The maximum control point number can be found by calling
RasterTableInfo(table_id, RASTER_TAB_INFO_NUM_CONTROL_POINTS)
Return Value
The X or Y raster coordinate is returned as an Integer. The X or Y geographic coordinate is returned as
a Float. The return type depends upon the attribute flag, for the control point specified by controlpoint_num.
The attribute parameter can be any value from the table below. Codes in the left column (for example,
RASTER_CONTROL_POINT_X) are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
attribute code

ID

ControlPointInfo() returns:

RASTER_CONTROL_POINT_X

Integer result, representing the X coordinate of the control

point number specified by controlpoint_num

RASTER_CONTROL_POINT_Y

Integer result, representing the Y coordinate of the control

point number specified by controlpoint_num

GEO_CONTROL_POINT_X

Float result, representing the X coordinate of the control

point number specified by controlpoint_num

GEO_CONTROL_POINT_Y

Float result, representing the Y coordinate of the control

point number specified by controlpoint_num

TAB_GEO_CONTROL_POINT_X

Float result, representing the X coordinate of the control

point number specified by controlpoint_num stored in the
raster image TAB file

TAB_GEO_CONTROL_POINT_Y

Float result, representing the Y coordinate of the control

point number specified by controlpoint_num stored in the
raster image TAB file

Control PopupMenu clause

Purpose
Part of a Dialog statement; adds a popup menu control to the dialog box.
Syntax
Control PopupMenu
[ Position x, y ]
[ Width w ]

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[
[
[
[
[
[

ID control_ID ]
Calling handler ]
Title { str_expr | From Variable str_array_var } ]
Value i_selected ]
Into i_variable ]
Disable ]

x, y specifies the control's position in dialog box units.

w specifies the control's width, in dialog box units; default width is 80.
control_ID is an integer; cannot be the same as the ID of another control in the dialog box.
handler is the name of a procedure to call when the user chooses an item from the menu.
str_expr is a string expression, containing a semicolon-delimited list of items to appear in the control.
str_array_var is the name of an array of string variables.
i_selected is a SmallInt value indicating which item should appear selected when the dialog box first
appears: a value of one selects the first item; if the clause is omitted, the first item appears selected.
i_variable is the name of a SmallInt variable which stores the user's final selection (one, if the first item
selected, etc.).
The Disable keyword makes the control disabled (grayed out) initially.
Description
If a Dialog statement includes a Control PopupMenu clause, the dialog box includes a pop-up menu.
A pop-up menu is a list of items, one of which is selected at one time. Initially, only the selected item
appears on the dialog box.
If the user clicks on the control, the entire menu appears, and the user can choose a different item from
the menu.
The Title clause specifies the list of items that appear in the menu. If the Title clause specifies a string
expression containing a semicolon-delimited list of items, each item appears as one item in the menu.
The following sample Title clause demonstrates this syntax:
Title "Town;County;Territory;Region;Entire state"
Alternately, the Title clause can specify an array of string variables, in which case each entry in the array
appears as one item in the popup menu.
The following sample Title clause demonstrates this syntax:
Title From Variable s_optionlist
Example
Control PopupMenu
Title "Town;County;Territory;Region;Entire state"
Value 2
ID 5
Into i_map_scope
Position 10, 150
See Also:
Alter Control statement, Dialog statement, ReadControlValue( ) function

Reference

153

Control RadioGroup clause

Control RadioGroup clause

Purpose
Part of a Dialog statement; adds a list of radio buttons to the dialog box.
Syntax
Control RadioGroup
[ Position x, y ]
[ ID control_ID ]
[ Calling handler ]
[ Title { str_expr | From Variable str_array_var } ]
[ Value i_selected ]
[ Into i_variable ]
[ Disable ] [ Hide ]
x, y specifies the control's position in dialog box units.
control_ID is an integer; cannot be the same as the ID of another control in the dialog box.
handler is the name of a procedure to call if the user clicks or double-clicks on any of the radio buttons.
str_expr is a string expression, containing a semicolon-delimited list of items to appear in the control.
str_array_var is the name of an array of string variables.
i_selected is a SmallInt value indicating which item should appear selected when the dialog box first
appears: a value of one selects the first item; if the clause is omitted, the first item appears selected.
i_variable is the name of a SmallInt variable which stores the user's final selection (one, if the first item
selected, etc.).
The Disable keyword makes the control disabled (grayed out) initially.
The Hide keyword makes the control hidden initially.
Description
If a Dialog statement includes a Control RadioGroup clause, the dialog box includes a group of radio
buttons. Each radio button is a label to the right of a hollow or filled circle. The currently-selected item
is indicated by a filled circle. Only one of the radio buttons may be selected at one time.
The Title clause specifies the list of labels that appear in the dialog box. If the Title clause specifies a
string expression containing a semicolon-delimited list of items, each item appears as one item in the
list.
The following sample Title clause demonstrates this syntax:
Title "&Full Details;&Partial Details"
Alternately, the Title clause can specify an array of string variables, in which case each entry in the array
appears as one item in the list. The following sample Title clause demonstrates this syntax:
Title From Variable s_optionlist

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Example
Control RadioGroup
Title "&Full Details;&Partial Details"
Value 2
ID 2
Into i_details
Calling rg_handler
Position 15, 42
See Also:
Alter Control statement, Dialog statement, ReadControlValue( ) function

Control StaticText clause

Purpose
Part of a Dialog statement; adds a label to a dialog box.
Syntax
Control StaticText
[ Position x, y ]
[ Width w ] [ Height h ]
[ ID control_ID ]
[ Title title_string ]
[ Hide ]
x, y specifies the control's position, in dialog box units.
w specifies the control's width, in dialog box units.
h specifies the control's height, in dialog box units.
control_ID is an integer; cannot be the same as the ID of another control in the dialog box.
title_string is a text string to appear in the dialog box as a label.
The Hide keyword makes the control hidden initially.
Description
If you want the text string to wrap down onto multiple lines, include the optional Width and Height
clauses. If you omit the Width and Height clauses, the static text control shows only one line of text.
Example
Control StaticText
Title "Enter map title:"
Position 5, 10
See Also:
Alter Control statement, Dialog statement

Reference

155

ConvertToPline( ) function

ConvertToPline( ) function
Purpose
Returns a polyline object that approximates the shape of another object. You can call this function from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ConvertToPline( object )
object is the object to convert; may not be a point object or a text object.
Return Value
A polyline object
Description
The ConvertToPline( ) function returns a polyline object which approximates the object parameter.
Thus, if the object parameter represents a region object, ConvertToPline( ) returns a polyline that has
the same shape and same number of nodes as the region.
The results obtained by calling ConvertToPline( ) are similar to the results obtained by choosing MapInfo
Professional's Objects > Convert To Polyline command. However, the function ConvertToPline( )
does not alter the original object.
See Also:
Objects Enclose statement

ConvertToRegion( ) function
Purpose
Returns a region object that approximates the shape of another object. You can call this function from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ConvertToRegion( object )
object is the object to convert; may not be a point, line, or text object.
Return Value
A region object

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Description
Retains most style attributes. Other attributes are determined by the current pens or brushes. A polyline
whose first and last nodes are identical will not have the last node duplicated. Otherwise, MapInfo Professional adds a last node whose vertices are the same as the first node.
The ConvertToRegion( ) function returns a region object which approximates the object parameter.
Thus, if the object parameter represents a rectangle, ConvertToRegion( ) returns a region that looks
like a rectangle.
The results obtained by calling ConvertToRegion( ) are similar to the results obtained by choosing
MapInfo Professional's Objects > Convert To Region command. However, the ConvertToRegion( )
function does not alter the original object.
See Also:
Objects Enclose statement

ConvexHull( ) function
Purpose
Returns a region object that represents the convex hull polygon based on the nodes from the input object.
The convex hull polygon can be thought of as an operator that places a rubber band around all of the
points. It will consist of the minimal set of points such that all other points lie on or inside the polygon.
The polygon will be convexno interior angle can be greater than 180 degrees. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ConvexHull( inputobject )
inputobject is an object expression.
Return Value
Returns a region object.
Description
The ConvexHull( ) function returns a region representing the convex hull of the set of points comprising
the input object. The ConvexHull( ) function operates on one single object at a time. To create a convex
hull around a set of objects, use the Create Object As ConvexHull statement.
Example
The following program selects New York from the States file, then creates a ConvexHull surrounding
the selection.
Dim Resulting_object as object
select * from States
where State_Name = "New York"
Resulting_object = ConvexHull(selection.obj)
Insert Into States(obj) Values (Resulting_object)

Reference

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CoordSys clause
See Also:
Create Object statement

CoordSys clause
Purpose
Specifies a coordinate system. You can use this clause in the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional
(see CoordSys Earth and NonEarth Projection, CoordSys Layout Units, CoordSys Table, and
CoordSys Window).

CoordSys Earth and NonEarth Projection

Syntax 1 (Earth Projection)
CoordSys Earth
[ Projection type, datum, unitname
[ , origin_longitude ] [ , origin_latitude ]
[ , standard_parallel_1 [ , standard_parallel_2 ] ]
[ , azimuth ] [ , scale_factor ]
[ , false_easting ] [ , false_northing ]
[ , range ] ]
[ Affine Units unitname, A, B, C, D, E, F ]
[ Bounds ( minx, miny ) ( maxx, maxy ) ]
Syntax 2 (NonEarth Projection)
CoordSys Nonearth
[ Affine Units unitname, A, B, C, D, E, F ]
Units unitname
[ Bounds ( minx, miny ) ( maxx, maxy ) ]
type is a positive integer value representing which coordinate system to use.
datum is a positive integer value identifying which datum to reference.
unitname is a string representing a distance unit of measure (for example, "m" for meters); for a list of
unit names, see Set Distance Units statement.
origin_longitude is a float longitude value, in degrees.
origin_latitude is a float latitude value, in degrees.
standard_parallel_1 and standard_parallel_2 are float latitude values, in degrees.
azimuth is a float angle measurement, in degrees.
scale_factor is a float scale factor.
range is a float value from 1 to 180, dictating how much of the Earth will be seen.
minx is a float specifying the minimum x value.
miny is a float specifying the minimum y value.
maxx is a float specifying the maximum x value.

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maxy is a float specifying the maximum y value.
A performs scaling or stretching along the X axis.
B performs rotation or skewing along the X axis.
C performs shifting along the X axis.
D performs scaling or stretching along the Y axis.
E performs rotation or skewing along the Y axis.
F performs shifting along the Y axis.
Description
The CoordSys clause specifies a coordinate system, and, optionally, specifies a map projection to use
in conjunction with the coordinate system. Note that CoordSys is a clause, not a complete MapBasic
statement. Various statements may include the CoordSys clause; for example, a Set Map statement
can include a CoordSys clause, in which case the Set Map statement will reset the map projection
used by the corresponding Map window.
Use CoordSys Earth (syntax 1) to explicitly define a coordinate system for an Earth map (a map having
coordinates which are specified with respect to a location on the surface of the Earth). The optional
Projection parameters dictate what map projection, if any, should be used in conjunction with the coordinate system. If the Projection clause is omitted, MapBasic uses datum 0. The Affine clause describes
the affine transformation for producing the derived coordinate system. If the Projection clause is omitted,
the base coordinate system is Longitude/Latitude. Since the derived coordinates may be in different
units than the base coordinates, the Affine clause requires you to specify the derived coordinate units.
Use CoordSys Nonearth (syntax 2) to explicitly define a non-Earth coordinate system, such as the coordinate system used in a floor plan or other CAD drawing. In the CoordSys Non-Earth case, the base
coordinate system is an arbitrary Cartesian grid. The Units clause specifies the base coordinate units,
and the Affine clause specifies the derived coordinate units.
When a CoordSys clause appears as part of a Set Map statement or Set Digitizer statement, the
Bounds subclause is ignored. The Bounds subclause is required for non-Earth maps when the CoordSys
clause appears in any other statement, but only for non-Earth maps.
The Bounds clause defines the map's limits; objects may not be created outside of those limits. When
specifying an Earth coordinate system, you may omit the Bounds clause, in which case MapInfo Professional uses default bounds that encompass the entire Earth.
Note: In a Create Map statement, you can increase the precision of the coordinates in the map by
specifying narrower Bounds.
Every map projection is defined as an equation; and since the different projection equations have different
sets of parameters, different CoordSys clauses may have varying numbers of parameters in the optional
Projection clause. For example, the formula for a Robinson projection uses the datum, unitname, and
origin_latitude parameters, while the formula for a Transverse Mercator projection uses the datum,
unitname, origin_longitude, origin_latitude, scale_factor, false_easting, and false_northing parameters.
For more information on projections and coordinate systems, see the MapInfo Professional documentation.

Reference

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CoordSys clause
Each MapBasic application has its own CoordSys setting that specifies the coordinate system used by
the application. If a MapBasic application issues a Set CoordSys statement, other MapBasic applications
which are also in use will not be affected.
Examples
The Set Map statement controls the settings of an existing Map window. The Set Map statement below
tells MapInfo Professional to display the Map window using the Robinson projection:
Set Map CoordSys Earth Projection 12, 12, "m", 0.
The first 12 specifies the Robinson projection; the second 12 specifies the Sphere datum; the "m" specifies
that the coordinate system should use meters; and the final zero specifies that the origin of the map
should be at zero degrees longitude.
The following statement tells MapInfo Professional to display the Map window without any projection.
Set Map CoordSys Earth
The following example opens the table World, then uses a Commit Table statement to save a copy of
World under the name RWorld. The new RWorld table will be saved with the Robinson projection.
Open Table "world" As World
Table world As "RWORLD.TAB"
CoordSys Earth Projection 12, 12, "m", 0.
The following example defines a coordinate system called DCS that is derived from UTM Zone 10 coordinate system using the affine transformation.
x1 = 1.57x - 0.21y + 84120.5
y1 = 0.19x + 2.81y - 20318.0
In this transformation, (x1, y1) represents the DCS derived coordinates, and (x, y) represents the UTM
Zone 10 base coordinates. If the DCS coordinates are measured in feet, the CoordSys clause for DCS
would be as follows:
CoordSys Earth
Projection 8, 74, "m", -123, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0
Affine Units "ft", 1.57, -0.21, 84120.5, 0.19, 2.81, -20318.0

CoordSys Layout Units

Syntax
CoordSys Layout Units paperunitname
paperunitname is a string representing a paper unit of measure (for example, "in" for inches); for a list
of unit names, see Set Paper Units statement.
Description
Use CoordSys Layout to define a coordinate system which represents a MapInfo Professional Layout
window. A MapBasic program must issue a Set CoordSys Layout statement before querying, creating
or otherwise manipulating Layout objects. The unitname parameter is the name of a paper unit, such as
"in" for inches or "cm" for centimeters.

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Examples
The following Set CoordSys statement assigns a Layout window's coordinate system, using inches as
the unit of measure:
Set CoordSys Layout Units "in"

CoordSys Table
Syntax
CoordSys Table tablename
tablename is the name of an open table.
Description
Use CoordSys Table to refer to the coordinate system in which a table has been saved.

CoordSys Window
Syntax
CoordSys Window window_id
window_id is an integer window identifier corresponding to a Map or Layout window.
Description
Use CoordSys Window to refer to the coordinate system already in use in a window.
Examples
The following example sets one Map window's projection to match the projection of another Map window.
This example assumes that two integer variables (first_map_id and second_map_id) already contain
the window IDs of the two Map windows.
Set Map
Window second_map_winid
CoordSys Window first_map_winid
See Also:
Commit Table statement, Set CoordSys statement, Set Map statement

CoordSysName$( ) function
Purpose
Returns coordinate system name string from MapBasic Coordinate system clause. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

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CoordSysStringToEPSG( ) function
Syntax
CoordSysName$ ( string )
Return Value
String
Example
Note CoordSysName$("Coordsys Earth Projection 1, 62")
Returns this string in the MapInfo dialog box:
Longitude / Latitude (NAD 27 for Continental US)
Note: If a coordinate system name does not exist in the MapInfow.prj file, such as when the map is in
NonEarth system in Survey Feet, then function will return an empty string.
Note CoordSysName$("CoordSys NonEarth Units " + """survey ft""" +
"Bounds (0, 0) (10, 10)")
If an invalid CoordSys clause is passed such as this (using invalid units):
Note CoordSysName$("CoordSys Earth Projection 3, 74, " + """foo""" +
"-90, 42, 42.7333333333, 44.0666666667, 1968500, 0")
Then an Error regarding the Invalid Coordinate System should be returned (Error #727).
Invalid Coordinate System: CoordSys Earth Projection <content>

CoordSysStringToEPSG( ) function
Purpose
Converts a MapBasic Coordinate System clause into an EPSG integer value for use with any MapBasic
function or statement. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CoordSysStringToEPSG ( coordsys_string )
coordsys_string is a MapBasic CoordSys clause. EPSG (European Petroleum Survey Group) value is
an integer value; for example, CoordSys Clause of "Earth Projection 1, 104" will return an EPSG code
of 4326. For a complete list of EPSG codes used with MapInfo Professional see the MAPINFOW.PRJ
file in your MapInfo Professional installation. The EPSG codes are identified by a "\p" followed by a
number.
Return Value
Integer. If no EPSG value is found, it returns -1.
Description
The CoordSysStringToEPSG( ) function is used to convert a MapBasic CoordSys clause into an integer
EPSG value.

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Example
The following example displays EPSG code Earth Projection 1, 104 Coordinate System.
print CoordSysStringToEPSG("Earth Projection 1, 104"))
See Also:
CoordSys clause

CoordSysStringToPRJ$( ) function
Purpose
Converts MapBasic Coordinate System clause into an PRJ string. PRJ string format is used to describe
MapInfo Coordinate Systems in mapinfow.prj file. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CoordSysStringToPRJ$( coordsys_string )
coordsys_string is a MapBasic CoordSys clause. PRJ string is an alternative definition of Coordinate
System used in the mapinfow.prj file; for example, CoordSys Clause of "Earth Projection 1, 104" will return
a PRJ string of "1,104".
Return Value
string
Description
The CoordSysStringToPRJ$( ) function is used to convert a MapBasic CoordSys clause into an integer
EPSG value.
Example
The following example displays PRJ string for Earth Projection 1, 104 Coordinate System.
print CoordSysStringToPRJ$("Earth Projection 1, 104")
See Also:
CoordSys clause

CoordSysStringToWKT$( ) function
Purpose
Converts a CoordSys clause into an WKT (Well-Known Text) string value. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

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Cos( ) function
Syntax
CoordSysStringToWKT$( coordsys_string )
coordsys_string is a CoordSys clause.
Return Value
WKT string. If no WKT string value is found, returns an empty string.
Example
The following example:
Print coordsysstringtowkt$("CoordSys Earth Projection 8, 74, " + """m""" +
", -123, 0, 0.9996, 500000, 0 Affine Units " + """ft""" + ", 1.57, -0.21,
84120.5, 0.19, 2.81, -20318.0")
produces the following WKT string:
PROJCS["_MI_0",GEOGCS[ ,DATUM["North_American_Datum_1983",SPHEROID["Geodet
ic Reference System of
1980",6378137,298.2572221009113],AUTHORITY["EPSG","6269"]],PRIMEM["Greenw
ich",0],UNIT["degree",0.0174532925199433]],PROJECTION["Transverse_Mercato
r"],PARAMETER["latitude_of_origin",0],PARAMETER["central_meridian",123],PARAMETER["scale_factor",0.9996],PARAMETER["false_easting",500000],P
ARAMETER["false_northing",0],UNIT["METER",1]]
See Also:
CoordSys clause

Cos( ) function
Purpose
Returns the cosine of a number. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Cos( num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression representing an angle in radians.
Return Value
Float
Description
The Cos( ) function returns the cosine of the numeric num_expr value, which represents an angle in
radians. The result returned from Cos( ) is between one (1) and negative one (-1).
To convert a degree value to radians, multiply that value by DEG_2_RAD. To convert a radian value
into degrees, multiply that value by RAD_2_DEG.

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Note: Your program must Include "MAPBASIC.DEF" to reference DEG_2_RAD or RAD_2_DEG.

Example
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Dim x, y As Float
x = 60 * DEG_2_RAD
y = Cos(x)
' y will now be equal to 0.5
' since the cosine of 60 degrees is 0.5
See Also:
Acos( ) function, Asin( ) function, Atn( ) function, Sin( ) function, Tan( ) function

Create Adornment statement

Purpose
Creates and displays Adornments, such as a scale bar, on mapper window. You can issue this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Adornment
From Window map_window_id
Type adornment_type
[ Position {
[ Fixed [ ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ] ] |
[ win_position [ Offset (x, y) ] [Units paper_units ] ]
} ]
[ Layout Fixed Position { Frame | Geographic } ]
[ Size [ Width win_width ] [ Height win_height ] [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Background [ Brush ... ] [ Pen ... ] ]
[ < SCALEBAR CLAUSE > ]
Where SCALEBAR CLAUSE is:
[
[
[
[
[
[
[
[

BarType type ]
Ground Units distance_units ]
Display Units paper_units ]
BarLength paper_length ]
BarHeight paper_height ]
BarStyle [ Pen .... ] [ Brush ... ] [ Font ... ] ]
Scale [ { On | Off } ] ]
Auto [ { On | Off } ] ]

adornment_type can be scalebar.

(x, y) in the Fixed clause is position measured from the upper left of the mapper window, which is (0,
0). Using this version of adornment placement, the adornment will be at that position in the mapper as
the mapper resizes. For example, a position of (3, 3) inches would be toward the bottom right of a small
sized mapper but in the middle of a large sized mapper. As the mapper changes size, the adornment
will try to remain completely within the displayed mapper.

Reference

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Create Adornment statement

paper_units defaults to the MapBasic Paper Unit. For details about paper units, see Set Paper Units
statement.
win_position specify one of the following codes; codes are defined in the MAPBASIC.DEF file.
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_TL
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_TC
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_TR
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CL
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CC
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CR
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_BL
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_BC
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_BR

(0)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)

(x, y) in the Offset clause is measured from the anchor position. For example, if the win_position is
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_TL (top left), then the x is to the right and the y is down. If the
win_position is ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_BR, then the x position is left and the y position is up.
In the center left (ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CL) and center right (ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CR), the y offset is ignored. In the center position (ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CC), the offset is ignored completely (both x and y). In the top center (ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_TC) and bottom center (ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_BC) positions, the
x offset is ignored. For ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_ defines, see win_position.
win_width and win_height define the size of the adornment. MapInfo Professional ignores these parameters if this is a scale bar adornment, because scale bar adornment size is determined by scale bar
specific items, such as BarLength.
type specify one of the following codes; codes are defined in the MAPBASIC.DEF file.
SCALEBAR_INFO_BARTYPE_CHECKEDBAR
SCALEBAR_INFO_BARTYPE_SOLIDBAR
SCALEBAR_INFO_BARTYPE_LINEBAR
SCALEBAR_INFO_BARTYPE_TICKBAR

(0)
(1)
(2)
(3)

0 Check Bar, 1 Solid Bar, 2 Line Bar, or 3 Tick Bar

distance_units a unit of measure that the scale bar is to represent:

166

distance value

Unit Represented

"ch"

chains

"cm"

centimeters

"ft"

feet (also called International Feet; one International Foot equals exactly 30.48
cm)

"in"

inches

"km"

kilometers

"li"

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distance value

Unit Represented

"m"

meters

"mi"

miles

"mm"

millimeters

"nmi"

nautical miles (1 nautical mile represents 1852 meters)

"rd"

rods

"survey ft"

U.S. survey feet (used for 1927 State Plane coordinates; one U.S. Survey Foot
equals exactly 12/39.37 meters, or approximately 30.48006 cm)

"yd"

yards

paper_length a value in paper_units to specify how long the scale bar will be displayed. Specify the
length of the scale bar to a maximum of 34 inches or 86.3 cm on the printed map.
paper_height a value in paper_units to specify how tall the scale bar will be displayed. Specify height of
the adornment to a maximum of 44 inches or 111.76cm on the printed map.
Description
The scale bar displays as a paper_length bar in the paper_units.
Position can be Fixed relative to the mapper upper left regardless of the size of the mapper, or relative
to some anchor point on the mapper specified by win_position.
Offset is the amount the adornment will be offset from the mapper when using one of the docked
win_position.
Layout Fixed Position determines how an adornment is positioned in a layout when the adornment is
using Fixed positioning. If this is set to Geographic, then the adornment is placed on the same geographic place on the map frame in the layout as it is in the mapper. If the layout frame changes size,
then the adornment will move relative to the frame to match the geographic position. If this is set to
Frame, then the adornment will remain at a fixed position relative to the frame, as designated in the
Position clause. If the Position clause positions the adornment at (1.0, 1.0) inches, then the adornment
will be placed 1 inch to the left and one inch down from the upper left corner of the frame. Changing the
size of the frame will not change the position of the adornment. The default is Geographic.
Offset is the amount the adornment will be offset from the mapper when using one of the docked
win_positions.
The Background clause when used with Brush denotes the fill pattern to be used in the background
while creating or modifying a scale bar. When used with the Pen clause, this denotes the border to be
used in the background while creating or modifying a scale bar.
Brush is a valid Brush clause. Only Solid brushes are allowed. While values other than solid are allowed
as input without error, the type is always forced to solid. This clause is used only to provide the background
color for the adornment.

Reference

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Create Arc statement

Pen is a valid Pen clause. Due to window clipping (the adornment is a window within the mapper), Pen
widths other than 1 may not display correctly. Also, Pen styles other than solid may not display correctly.
This clause is designed to turn on (solid) or off (hollow) and set the color of the border of the adornment.
Font is a valid Font clause.
The Auto clause set to On shows values that have been automatically rounded in the scale bar. If the
clause is set to Off, the values will not be rounded and will be shown like they had been in earlier versions.
The default is Auto Off, if not already specified.
Use Scale set to On to include a representative fraction (RF) with the scale bar. (In MapInfo Professional,
a map scale that does not include distance units, such as 1:63,360 or 1:1,000,000, is called a cartographic scale.)
Example
If the paper_length is 1 and the paper_unit is inches, then the scale bar displays as 1 inch. It is labeled
in the distance_unit for the current amount that paper_unit spans, and it dynamically updates as the map
changes (e.g., zoom and pan). The default distance_unit is the current distance unit in the mapper. The
paper_height determines how tall the scale bar displays. The Pen and Brush define the style to draw
the scale bar with and Font defines the text style for scale bar labeling and annotation. The Scale
parameter displays a cartographic scale.
The following example shows default settings:
create adornment
from window 261763624
type scalebar
position 6 offset (0.000000, 0.000000) units "in"
background Brush (2,16777215,16777215) Pen (1,2,0)
bartype 0 ground units "mi" display units "in"
barlength 1.574803 barheight 0.078740
barstyle Pen (1,2,0) Brush (2,0,16777215) Font ("Arial",0,8,0)
scale on
See Also:
Set Adornment statement

Create Arc statement

Purpose
Creates an arc object. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Arc
[ Into { Window window_id | Variable var_name } ]
( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 )
start_angle end_angle
[ Pen... ]
window_id is a window identifier.
var_name is the name of an existing object variable.

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x1, y1 specifies one corner of the minimum bounding rectangle (MBR) of an ellipse; the arc produced
will be a section of this ellipse.
x2, y2 specifies the opposite corner of the ellipse's MBR.
start_angle specifies the arc's starting angle, in degrees.
end_angle specifies the arc's ending angle, in degrees.
The Pen clause specifies a line style.
Description
The Create Arc statement creates an arc object.
If the statement includes the optional Into Variable clause, the object will be stored in the specified object
variable. If the Into clause specifies a window identifier, the object will be stored in the appropriate place
in the window (for example, in the editable layer of a Map window). If the Into clause is not provided,
MapBasic will attempt to store the object in the topmost window; if objects may not be stored in the topmost
window (for example, if the topmost window is a grapher) no object will be created.
The x and y parameters use whatever coordinate system MapBasic is currently using. By default, MapBasic uses a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system, although the Set CoordSys statement can reconfigure MapBasic to use a different coordinate system. Note that MapBasic's coordinate system is
independent of the coordinate system of any Map window. Objects created on a Layout window, however,
are specified in paper units: each x-coordinate represents a distance from the left edge of the page,
while each y-coordinate represents the distance from the top edge of the page. For details about paper
units, see Set Paper Units statement. By default, MapBasic uses inches as the default paper unit. To
use a different paper unit, use the Set Paper Units statement. Before creating objects on a Layout
window, you must issue a Set CoordSys Layout statement.
The optional Pen clause specifies a line style. If no Pen clause is specified, the Create Arc statement
uses the current MapInfo Professional line style (the style which appears in the Options > Line Style
dialog box).
See Also:
Insert statement, Pen clause, Update statement, Set CoordSys statement

Create ButtonPad statement

Purpose
Creates a ButtonPad (toolbar). You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Create ButtonPad { title_string | ID pad_num } As
button_definition [ button_definition ... ]
[ Title title_string ]
[ Width width ]
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units unit_name ] ]
[ ToolbarPosition ( row, column ) ]

Reference

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Create ButtonPad statement

[ { Show | Hide } ]
[ { Fixed | Float | Top | Left | Right | Bottom } ]
title_string is the ButtonPad title (for example, "Drawing").
pad_num is the ID number for the standard toolbar you want to re-define:

1 for Main
2 for Drawing
3 for Tools
4 for Standard
5 for Database Management System (DBMS)
6 Web Services
7 Reserved

width is the pad width, in terms of the number of buttons across.

x, y specify the pad's position when it is floating; specified in paper units. For details about paper units,
see Set Paper Units statement.
unit_name is a string representing paper units name (for example, "in" for inches, "cm" for centimeters).
row, column specify the pad's position when it is docked as a toolbar (for example, 0, 0 places the pad
at the left edge of the top row of toolbars, and 0, 1 represents the second pad on the top row).
row position starts at the top and increases in value going to the bottom. It is a relative value to the
rows existing in the same position (top or bottom). When there is a menu bar in the same position,
then the numbers become relative to the menu bar. When a toolbar is just below the menu bar, its row
value is 0. If it is directly above the menu bar, then its row value is -1.
column position starts at the left and increases in value going to the right. It is a relative value to the
columns existing in the same position (left or right). For example, if a toolbar is docked to the left and
the menu bar is docked to the left position, then the column number for the column left of the menu
bar is -1. The column number for the column to the right of the menu bar is 0.
Each button_definition clause can consist of the keyword Separator, or it can have the following syntax:
{ PushButton | ToggleButton | ToolButton }
Calling { procedure | menu_code | OLE methodname | DDE server, topic }
[ ID button_id ]
[ Icon icon_code [ File file_spec ] ]
[ Cursor cursor_code [ File file_spec ] ]
[ DrawMode dm_code ]
[ HelpMsg msg ]
[ ModifierKeys { On | Off } ]
[ { Enable | Disable } ]
[ { Check | Uncheck } ]
procedure is the handler procedure to call when a button is used.
menu_code is a standard MapInfo Professional menu code from MENU.DEF (for example, M_FILE_OPEN);
MapInfo Professional runs the menu command when the user uses the button.
methodname is a string specifying an OLE method name.
server, topic are strings specifying a DDE server and topic name.

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ID button_id specifies a unique button number. This number can be used as a parameter to allow a
handler to determine which button is in use (in situations where different buttons call the same handler)
or as a parameter to be used with the Alter Button statement.
Icon icon_code specifies the icon to appear on the button; icon_code can be one of the standard MapInfo
icon codes listed in ICONS.DEF, such as MI_ICON_RULER (11). If the File sub-clause specifies the
name of a file containing icon resources, icon_code is an integer resource ID identifying a resource in
the file. The size of the button can be defined with resource file id of icon_code for small and icon_code+1
for large sized buttons, with resource file ids of icon_code and icon_code+1 respectively.
Cursor cursor_code specifies the shape the mouse cursor should adopt whenever the user chooses a
ToolButton tool; cursor_code is a code, such as MI_CURSOR_ARROW (0), from ICONS.DEF. This
clause applies only to ToolButtons. If the File sub-clause specifies the name of a file containing icon
resources, cursor_code is an integer resource ID identifying a resource in the file.
DrawMode dm_code specifies whether the user can click and drag, or only click with the tool; dm_code
is a code (for example, DM_CUSTOM_LINE) from ICONS.DEF. The DrawMode clause applies only to
ToolButtons.
HelpMsg msg specifies the button's status bar help and, optionally, ToolTip help. The first part of the
msg string is the status bar help message. If the msg string includes the letters \n then the text following
the \n is used as the button's ToolTip help.
ModifierKeys clause controls whether the shift and control keys affect "rubber-band" drawing if the user
drags the mouse while using a ToolButton. Default is Off, meaning that the shift and control keys have
no effect.
Description
Use the Create ButtonPad statement to create a custom ButtonPad. Once you have created a custom
ButtonPad, you can modify it using Alter Button statement and Alter ButtonPad statement.
Each toolbar can be hidden. To create a toolbar in the hidden state, include the Hide keyword.
To set whether the pad is fixed to the top of the screen ("docked") or floating like a window, include the
Fixed or the Float keyword. The user can also control whether the pad is docked or not by dragging the
pad to or from the top of the screen. For more control over the location on the screen that the pad is
docked to, use the Top (which is the same as using Fixed), Left, Right, or Bottom keywords.
When a toolbar is floating, its position is controlled by the Position clause; when it is docked, its position
is controlled by the ToolbarPosition clause.
For more information on ButtonPads, see the MapBasic User Guide. For additional information about
the capabilities of ToolButtons, see Alter ButtonPad statement.
About Icon Size
Before MapInfo Professional 10.0, custom icons were rectangular in size: 18x16 for small icons and
26x24 for large icons. Toolbar and menu features introduced in MapInfo Professional 10.0 require square
icons: 16x16 for small icons and 24x24 for large icons. MapInfo Professional 10.0 and later display
custom icons in the square size distorting how they display. To correct the distortion MapInfo Professional
removes the first and last column of pixels to not display them (cropping the image). As a result, there
may be some loss of information in the icon image.

Reference

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Create ButtonPad statement

For best results, create your icons to 16x16 for small icons and 24x24 for large icons. Icons at these
sizes are not compatible with versions before 10.0.1 and generate an error message in these versions.
For compatibility with versions before 10.0.1, use 18x16 for small icons and 26x24 for large icons. These
icons appear distorted in version 10.0 and appear cropped in versions after 10.0.
About Icons for Menu Items
The following describe how MapInfo Professional 10.0 handles icons for menu items:
Icons for menu items are dynamic based on icons in toolbars.
If a toolbar button has an icon it may be used for a menu item if it meets one of the following requirements:
Toolbar button and menu item must be within the same MBX file.
The same handler/userId combination; any menu item that calls the same handler/userid from the
same MBX file is assigned that icon).
The same userId calling different handlers.
The same handler, no userID.
ID must be <= 32767.
For built in handlers, priority is given to find an icon from a built in toolbar. If none is found, then there
is a search through the toolbar icons from the MBX files for a match.
Small icons are shown next to menu items.
When an MBX unloads, any of its associated icons are unloaded and are no longer in use for menu
items.
The following describe how MapInfo Professional 10.0.1 and later handles icons for menu items:
There is no icon for the Table > Drive Regions menu option, because there is no corresponding
toolbar button for this option. There is an icon and toolbar button for the Objects > Drive Regions
menu option.
Other menu items can now show an icon if a MapBasic application creates a toolbar button and menu
item that meet the previously listed requirements for menu item icons.

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Calling Clause Options
The Calling clause specifies what should happen when the user acts on the custom button. The following
table describes the available syntax.
Calling clause example

Description

Calling M_FILE_NEW

If Calling is followed by a numeric code from MENU.DEF, the

event runs a standard MapInfo Professional menu command
(the File > New command, in this example).

Calling my_procedure

If you specify a procedure name, the event calls the procedure. The procedure must be part of the same MapBasic program.

Calling OLE "methodname"

Makes a method call to the OLE Automation object set by

MapInfo Professional's SetCallback method. See the MapBasic User Guide.

Calling DDE "server","topic"

Connects through DDE to "server|topic" and sending an Execute message to the DDE server.

In the last two cases, the string sent to OLE or DDE starts with the three letters "MI:" so that the server
can detect that the message came from MapInfo. The remainder of the string contains a comma-separated
list of the values returned from the function calls CommandInfo(1) through CommandInfo(8). For complete
details on the string syntax, see the MapBasic User Guide.
Examples
Create a button pad of utilities:
Create ButtonPad "Utils" As
PushButton
HelpMsg "Choose this button to display query dialog"
Calling button_sub_proc
Icon MI_ICON_ZOOM_QUESTION
ToolButton
HelpMsg "Use this tool to draw a new route"
Calling tool_sub_proc
Icon MI_ICON_CROSSHAIR
DrawMode DM_CUSTOM_LINE
ToggleButton
HelpMsg "Turn proximity checking on/off"
Calling toggle_prox_check
Icon MI_ICON_RULER
Check
Title "Utilities"
Width 3
Show
Create a toolbar button that launches the Browser Preferences dialog, which has a menu command ID
of 222:
Create ButtonPad "Prefs" As
PushButton
HelpMsg "Browser Preferences.\nBrowser Prefs"

Reference

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Create ButtonPad As Default statement

Calling 222
Icon 99
See Also:
Alter Button statement, Alter ButtonPad statement, ButtonPadInfo( ) function

Create ButtonPad As Default statement

Purpose
Restores one standard ButtonPad (for example, the Main ButtonPad) to its default state. You can issue
this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create ButtonPad { title_string | ID pad_num } As Default
title_string is the ButtonPad title (for example, "Main", "Standard", or "Custom Tools").
pad_num is the ID number for the standard ButtonPad (toolbar) you want to re-define:

1 for Main
2 for Drawing
3 for Tools
4 for Standard
5 for Database Management System (DBMS)
6 Web Services
7 Reserved

Custom ButtonPads use only the title_string.

Description
This statement restores MapInfo Professional's standard ButtonPads (such as Main, Drawing, and Tools)
to their default states. Custom ButtonPads will be destroyed.
See Also:
Alter Button statement,Alter ButtonPad statement, Create ButtonPad statement, Create ButtonPads
As Default statement

Create ButtonPads As Default statement

Purpose
Restores all standard ButtonPads (for example, the Main ButtonPad) to their default state. You can issue
this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create ButtonPads As Default

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Description
This statement restores MapInfo Professional's standard ButtonPads (such as Main, Drawing, and Tools)
to their default states. Custom ButtonPads will be destroyed.
Use this statement with caution. The Create ButtonPads As Default statement destroys all custom
buttons, even buttons defined by other MapBasic applications.
See Also:
Alter Button statement,Alter ButtonPad statement, Create ButtonPad statement, Create ButtonPad
As Default statement

Create Cartographic Legend statement

Purpose
Creates and displays cartographic style legends as well as theme legends for an active map window.
You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Cartographic Legend
[ From Window map_window_id ]
[ Behind ]
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Width win_width [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Height win_height [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Window Title { legend_window_title }
[ ScrollBars { On | Off } ]
[ Portrait | Landscape | Custom ]
[ Style Size { Small | Large }
[ Default Frame Title { def_frame_title } [ Font... ] } ]
[ Default Frame Subtitle { def_frame_subtitle } [ Font... ] } ]
[ Default Frame Style { def_frame_style } [ Font... ] } ]
[ Default Frame Border Pen [ [ pen_expr ]
Frame From Layer { map_layer_id | map_layer_name
[ Using
[ Column { column | Object } [ FromMapCatalog { On | Off }]]
[ Label { expression | Default } ]
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Title { frame_title [ Font... ] }
[ SubTitle { frame_subtitle [ Font... ] } ]
[ Border Pen pen_expr ]
[ Style [ Font...] [ Norefresh ] [ Text { style_name }
{ Line Pen... | Region Pen... Brush...| Symbol Symbol... } |
Collection [ Symbol ... ]
[ Line Pen... ] [ Region Pen... Brush ...] } ]
[ , ... ]
map_window_id is an integer window identifier which you can obtain by calling the FrontWindow( )
function and WindowID( ) function.
x states the desired distance from the top of the workspace to the top edge of the window.
y states the desired distance from the left of the workspace to the left edge of the window.

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Note: Here workspace means the client area (which excludes the title bar, tool bar, and the status bar).
paper_units is a string representing a paper unit name (for example, "cm" for centimeters).
win_width is the desired width of the window.
win_height is the desired height of the window.
legend_window_title is a string expression representing a title for the window, defaults to "Legend of
xxx" where xxx is the map window title.
def_frame_title is a string which defines a default frame title. It can include the special character "#"
which will be replaced by the current layer name.
def_frame_subtitle is a string which defines a default frame subtitle. It can include the special character
"#" which will be replaced by the current layer name.
def_frame_style is a string that displays next to each symbol in each frame. The "#" character will be
replaced with the layer name. The % character will be replaced by the text "Line", "Point, "Region", as
appropriate for the symbol. For example, "% of #" will expand to "Region of States" for the STATES.TAB
layer.
pen_expr is a Pen expression, for example, MakePen( width, pattern, color ). If a default border pen is
defined, then it will be become the default for the frame. If a border pen clause exists at the frame level,
then it is used instead of the default.
map_layer_id or map_layer_name identifies a map layer; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify
the top map layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the
map. For a theme layer you must specify the map_layer_id.
frame_title is a string which defines a frame title. If a Title clause is defined here for a frame, then it will
be used instead of the def_frame_title.
frame_subtitle is a string which defines a frame subtitle. If a Subtitle clause is defined here for a frame,
then it will be used instead of the def_frame_subtitle.
column is an attribute column name from the frame layer's table.
style_name is a string which displays next to a symbol, line, or region in a custom frame.
Description
The Create Cartographic Legend statement allows you to create and display cartographic style legends
as well as theme legends for an active map window. Each cartographic and thematic styles legend will
be connected to one, and only one, Map window so that there can be more than one Legend window
open at a time.
You can create a frame for each cartographic or thematic map layer you want to include on the legend.
The cartographic and thematic frames will include a legend title and subtitle. Cartographic frames display
a map layer's styles; legend frames display the colors, symbols, and sizes represented by the theme.
You can create frames that have styles based on the Map window's style or you can create your own
custom frames.
At least one Frame clause is required.
All clauses pertaining to the entire legend (scrollbars, width, etc.) must proceed the first Frame clause.

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The From Layer clause must be the first clause after the Frame clause.
The optional Behind clause places the legend behind the Thematic Map window.
The optional Position clause controls the window's position on MapInfo Professional's workspace. The
upper left corner of MapInfo Professional's workspace has the position 0, 0. The optional Width and
Height clauses control the window's size. Window position and size values use paper units settings,
such as "in" (inches) or "cm" (centimeters). For details about paper units, see Set Paper Units statement.
MapBasic has a current paper units setting, which defaults to inches; a MapBasic program can change
this setting through the Set Paper Units statement. A Create Cartographic Legend statement can
override the current paper units by including the optional Units subclause within the Position, Width,
and/or Height clauses.
Use the ScrollBars clause to show or hide scroll-bars on a Map window.
Portrait or Landscape describes the orientation of the legend frames in the window. Portrait results in
an orientation that is down and across. Landscape results in an orientation that is across and down.
If Custom is specified, you can specify a custom Position clause for a frame.
The Position clause at the frame level specifies the position of a frame if Custom is specified.The x
coordinate measures from the left of the legend window, and the y coordinate measures from the bottom
of the legend window (the origin (0,0) is in the bottom-left of the legend window).
The optional Style Size clause controls the size of the samples that appear in legend windows. If you
specify Style Size Small, small-sized legend samples are used in Legend windows. If you specify Style
Size Large, larger-sized legend samples are used.
The Position, Title, SubTitle, Border Pen, and Style clauses at the frame level are used only for map
layers. They are not used for thematic layers. For a thematic layer, this information is gotten automatically
from the theme.
The Font clause specifies a text style. If a default frame title, subtitle, or style name font is defined, then
it will become the default for the frame. If a frame level Title, Subtitle, or Style clause exists and includes
a Font clause, then the frame level font is used. If no font is specified at any level, then the current text
style is used and the point sizes are 10, 9, and 8 for title, subtitle and style name.
The Style clause and the NoRefresh keyword allow you to create custom frames that are not overwritten
when the legend is refreshed. If the NoRefresh keyword is used in the Style clause, then the table is
not scanned for styles. Instead, the Style clause must contain your custom list of definitions for the styles
displayed in the frame. This is done with the Text clause and appropriate Line, Region, or Symbol
clause. Multipoint objects are treated as Point objects.
Collection objects are treated separately. When MapInfo Professional creates a Legend based on object
types, it draws Point symbols first, then Lines, then Regions. Collection objects are drawn last. Inside
collection objects the order of drawing is point, line, and then region samples.
If Column is defined, column is the name of an attribute column in the frame layer's table, or Object
denotes the object column (meaning that legend styles are based on the unique styles in the map file).
The default is Object.
FromMapCatalog ON retrieves styles from the MapCatalog for a live access table. If the table is not a
live access table, MapBasic reverts to the default behavior for a non-live access table instead of throwing
an error. The default behavior for a non-access table is FromMapCatalog Off (for example, map styles).

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CreateCircle( ) function
FromMapCatalog OFF retrieves the unique map styles for the live table from the server. This table must
be a live access table that supports per record styles for this to occur. If the live table does not support
per record styles than the behavior is to revert to the default behavior for live tables, which is to get the
default styles from the MapCatalog (FromMapCatalog ON).
If a Label is defined, specify expression as a valid expression, or Default (meaning that the default frame
style pattern is used when creating each style's text, unless the style clause contains text). The default
is Default.
Initially, each frame layer's TAB file is searched for metadata values for the title, subtitle, column and
label. If no metadata value exists for the column, the default is Object. If no metadata value exists for
Label, the default is the default frame style pattern. If legend metadata keys exist and you want to override
them, you must use the corresponding MapBasic syntax.
Example
The following example shows how to create a frame for a Map window's cartographic legend. Legend
windows are a special case: To create a frame for a Legend window, you must use the Title clause instead
of the From Window clause.
Dim i_layout_id, i_map_id As Integer
Dim s_title As String
' here, you would store the Map window's ID in i_map_id,
' and store the Layout window's ID in i_layout_id.
' To obtain an ID, call FrontWindow( ) or WindowID( ).
s_title = "Legend of " + WindowInfo(i_map_id, WIN_INFO_NAME)
Set CoordSys Layout Units "in"
Create Frame
Into Window i_layout_id
(1,2) (4, 5)
Title s_title
This creates a frame for a Cartographic Legend window. To create a frame for a Thematic Legend window,
change the title to the following.
S_title="Theme Legend of " + WindowInfo (I_map_id, WW_INFO_NAME)
See Also:
Set Cartographic Legend statement, Alter Cartographic Frame statement, Add Cartographic
Frame statement, Remove Cartographic Frame statement, Create Legend statement, Set Window
statement, WindowInfo( ) function

CreateCircle( ) function
Purpose
Returns an Object value representing a circle. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CreateCircle( x, y, radius )
x is a float value, indicating the x-position (for example, Longitude) of the circle's center.

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y is a float value, indicating the y-position (for example, Latitude) of the circle's center.
radius is a float value, indicating the circle radius.
Return Value
Object
Description
The CreateCircle( ) function returns an Object value representing a circle.
The x and y parameters use whatever coordinate system MapBasic is currently using. By default, MapBasic uses a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system, although the Set CoordSys statement can reconfigure MapBasic to use a different coordinate system.
Note: MapBasic's coordinate system is independent of the coordinate system of any Map window.
The radius parameter specifies the circle radius, in whatever distance unit MapBasic is currently using.
By default, MapBasic uses miles as the distance unit, although the Set Distance Units statement can
re-configure MapBasic to use a different distance unit.
The circle uses whatever Brush style is currently selected. To create a circle object with a specific Brush,
you can issue a Set Style statement before calling CreateCircle( ). Alternately, instead of calling CreateCircle( ), you can issue a Create Ellipse statement, which has optional Pen clause and Brush
clause.
The circle object created through the CreateCircle( ) function could be assigned to an Object variable,
stored in an existing row of a table (through the Update statement), or inserted into a new row of a table
(using an Insert statement).
Note: Before creating objects on a Layout window, you must issue a Set CoordSys Layout statement.

Error Conditions
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) is generated if an argument is outside of the valid range.
Examples
The following example uses the Insert statement to insert a new row into the table Sites. The CreateCircle( ) function is used within the body of the Insert statement to specify the graphic object that is attached to the new row.
Open Table "sites"
Insert Into sites (obj)
Values ( CreateCircle(-72.5, 42.4, 20) )
The following example assumes that the table Towers has three columns: Xcoord, Ycoord, and Radius.
The Xcoord column contains longitude values, the Ycoord column contains latitude values, and the Radius column contains radius values. Each row in the table describes a radio broadcast tower, and the
Radius column indicates each tower's broadcast area.
The Update statement uses the CreateCircle( ) function to build a circle object for each row in the table.
Following this Update statement, each row in the Towers table will have a circle object attached. Each

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circle object will have a radius derived from the Radius column, and each circle will be centered at the
position indicated by the Xcoord and Ycoord columns.
Open Table "towers"
Update towers
Set obj = CreateCircle(xcoord, ycoord, radius)
See Also:
Create Ellipse statement, Insert statement, Update statement

Create Collection statement

Purpose
Combines points, linear objects, and closed objects into a single object. The collection object displays
in the Browser as a single record. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Create Collection [ num_parts ]
[ Into { Window window_id | Variable var_name } ]
Multipoint
[ num_points ]
( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 ) [ ... ]
[ Symbol... ]
Region
num_polygons
[ num_points1 ( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 ) [ ... ] ]
[ num_points2 ( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 ) [ ... ] ... ]
[ Pen... ]
[ Brush... ]
[ Center ( center_x, center_y ) ]
Pline
[ Multiple num_sections ]
num_points
( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 ) [ ... ]
[ Pen... ]
[ Smooth... ]
num_parts is the number of non-empty parts inside a collection. This number is from 0 to 3 and is optional
for MapBasic code (it is mandatory for MIF files).
num_polygons is the number of polygons inside the Collection object.
num_sections specifies how many sections the multi-section polyline will contain.
Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify a line style.
Brush is a valid Brush clause to specify fill style.
Example
create collection multipoint 2 (0,0) (1,1) region 3 3 (1,1) (2,2) (3,4) 4
(11,11) (12,12) (13,14) (19,20) 3 (21,21) (22,22) (23,24) pline 3 (-1,1)
(3,-2) (4,3)
dim a as object
create collection into variable a multipoint 2 (0,0) (1,1) region 1 3

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(1,1) (2,2) (3,4) pline 3 (-1,1) (3,-2) (4,3)
insert into test (obj) values (a)
create collection region 2 4 (-5,-5) (5,-5) (5,5) (-5,5) 4 (-3,-3) (3,-3)
(3,3) (-3,3) pline multiple 2 2 (-6,-6) (6,6) 2 (-6,6) (6,-6) multipoint 6
(2,2) (-2,-2) (2,-2) (-2,2) (4,1) (-1,-4)
See Also:
Create MultiPoint statement

Create Cutter statement

Purpose
Produces a Region object that can be used as a cutter for an Object Split operation, as well as a new
set of Target objects which may be a subset of the original set of Target objects. You need to provide a
set of Target objects, and a set of polylines as a selection object. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Cutter Into Target
Description
Before using Create Cutter, one or more Polyline objects must be selected, and an editable target must
exist. This is set by choosing Objects > Set Target, or using the Set Target statement. The Polyline
objects contained in the selection must represent a single, contiguous section. The Polyline selection
must contain no breaks or self intersections.
The Polyline must intersect the Minimum Bounding Rectangle (MBR) of the Target in order for the Target
to be a valid object to split. The Polyline, however, does not have to intersect the Target object itself.
For example, the Target object could be a series of islands (for example, Hawaii), and the Polyline could
be used to divide the islands into two sets without actually intersecting any of the islands. If the MBR of
a Target does not intersect the Polyline, then that Target will be removed from the Target list.
Given this revised set of Target objects, a cumulative MBR of all of these objects is calculated and represents the overall space to be split. The polyline is then extended, if necessary, so that it covers the
MBR. This is done by taking the direction of the last two points on each end of the polyline and extending
the polyline in that Cartesian direction until it intersects with the MBR. The extended Polyline should divide
the Target space into two portions. One Region object will be created and returned which represents
one of these two portions.
This statement returns the revised set of Target objects (still set as the Target), as well as this new Region
cutter object. This Region object will be inserted into the Target table (which must be an editable table).
The original Polyline object(s) will remain, but will no longer be selected. The new Region object will now
be the selected object. If the resulting Region object is suitable, then this operation can be immediately
followed by an Object Split operation, as appropriate Target objects are set, and a suitable Region cutter
object is selected.
Note: The cutter object still remains in the target layer. You will have to delete the cutter object manually
from your editable layer.

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Example
Open Table "C:\MapInfo_data\TUT_USA\USA\STATES.TAB"
Open Table "C:\MapInfo_data\TUT_USA\USA\US_HIWAY.TAB"
Map from States, Us_hiway
select * from States where state = "NY"
Set target On
select * from Us_hiway where highway = "I 90"
Create Cutter Into Target
Objects Split Into Target
See Also:
Set Target statement

Create Designer Legend statement

Purpose
Creates a new Legend Designer window to display cartographic style frames for map layers and theme
legend frames for thematic map layers for an active Map window. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Designer Legend
[ From Window map_window_id ]
[ Behind ]
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Width win_width [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Height win_height [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Window Title { legend_window_title }
[ Portrait | Landscape | Custom ]
[ Default Frame Title { def_frame_title } [ Font... ] } ]
[ Default Frame Subtitle { def_frame_subtitle } [ Font... ] } ]
[ Default Frame Style { def_frame_style } [ Font... ] } ]
[ Default Frame Line Width width [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Default Frame Region Width width [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Default Frame Region Height height [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Default Frame Auto Font Size { On | Off } ]
[ Legend Text Frame [ Text { frame_text [ Font... ] }
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ] ] ]
Frame From Layer { map_layer_id | map_layer_name
[ Using
[ Column { column | Object } [ FromMapCatalog { On | Off }]]
[ Label { expression | Default } ]
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Region [ Height region_height [ Units paper_units ] ] ]
[ Region [ Width region_width [ Units paper_units ] ] ]
[ Line [ Width line_width [ Units paper_units ] ] ]
[ Auto Font Size { On | Off } ]
[ Title { frame_title [ Font... ] }
[ SubTitle { frame_subtitle [ Font... ] } ]
[ Columns number_of_columns ] |
[ Height frame_height [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Order { Default | Ascending | Descending |
{ Custom id | id : id [ , id | id : id ... ] ... } } ]

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[ Style [ Font...] [ Norefresh ] [ Text { style_name }
{ Line Pen... | Region Pen... Brush...| Symbol Symbol... } |
Collection [ Symbol... ]
[ Line Pen... ] [ Region Pen... Brush...] } ]
[ , ... ]
map_window_id is an integer window identifier which you can obtain by calling the FrontWindow( )
function and WindowID( ) function.
x states the desired distance from the top of the workspace to the top edge of the window.
y states the desired distance from the left of the workspace to the left edge of the window.
Note: Here workspace means the client area (which excludes the title bar, tool bar, and the status bar).
paper_units is a string representing a paper unit name. For a list of paper unit names, see Set Paper
Units statement.
win_width is the desired width of the window.
win_height is the desired height of the window.
legend_window_title is a string expression representing a title for the window, defaults to "Legend of
xxx" where xxx is the map window title.
def_frame_title is a string which defines a default frame title. It can include the special character "#"
which will be replaced by the current layer name.
def_frame_subtitle is a string which defines a default frame subtitle. It can include the special character
"#" which will be replaced by the current layer name.
def_frame_style is a string that displays next to each symbol in each frame. The "#" character will be
replaced with the layer name. The % character will be replaced by the text "Line", "Point, "Region", as
appropriate for the symbol. For example, "% of #" will expand to "Region of States" for the STATES.TAB
layer.
width value, in paper units (see paper_units), is the desired width used to display region sample swatches
within the window.
height value, in paper units (see paper_units), is the desired height used to display region sample
swatches within the window.
frame_text is text for a legend title, subtitle, or descriptive text (such as copyright information for example).
map_layer_id or map_layer_name identifies a map layer; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify
the top map layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the
map. For a theme layer you must specify the map_layer_id.
frame_title is a string which defines a frame title. If a Title clause is defined here for a frame, then it will
be used instead of the def_frame_title.
frame_subtitle is a string which defines a frame subtitle. If a Subtitle clause is defined here for a frame,
then it will be used instead of the def_frame_subtitle.
number_of_columns is the number of columns to show in a frame (this is different from the number of
columns in a portrait layout).
frame_height this is used in place of the column clause when the user resizes a legend frame. The height
of the frame in paper units. Written to the WOR when the frame has been manually resized.

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column is an attribute column name from the frame layer's table.
region_height is a value representing the new height of a swatch in the map frame of the Legend Designer
window. You can specify 8 to 144 points, 0.666667 to 12 picas, 0.111111 to 2 inches, 0.282222 to 5.08
millimeters, or 0.282222 to 5.08 centimeters. If not specified, then the default value of 32 points is used
(which can be set as a preference).
region_width is a value representing the new width of a swatch in the map frame of the Legend Designer
window. You can specify 8 to 144 points, 0.666667 to 12 picas, 0.111111 to 2 inches, 0.282222 to 5.08
millimeters, or 0.282222 to 5.08 centimeters. If not specified, then the default value of 32 points is used
(which can be set as a preference).
line_width is a value representing the new width of a line segment in the map frame of a Legend Designer
window. You can specify 12 to 144 points, 1 to 12 picas, 0.666667 to 2 inches, 4.23333 to 50.8 millimeters,
or 4.23333 to 50.8 centimeters. If not specified, then the default value of 36 points is used (which can
be set as a preference).
style_name is a string which displays next to a symbol, line, or region in a custom frame.
Description
The Create Designer Legend statement allows you to create and displays cartographic legends as well
as theme legends for an active map window. Each cartographic and thematic styles legend will be connected to one, and only one, Map window so that there can be more than one Legend Designer window
open at a time.
You can create a legend frame for each cartographic or thematic map layer you want to include on the
Legend Designer window. Legends can include a legend title and subtitle. They can display a map layer's
styles, or the colors, symbols, and sizes represented by a theme. You can also create legends that define
your own custom styles using the Create Designer Legend statement.
At least one Frame clause is required. Each Frame clause represents one legend that will be created
in the Legend Designer window.
All clauses pertaining to the entire Legend Designer window (width, etc.) must proceed the first Frame
clause.
The From Layer clause must be the first clause after the Frame clause.
The optional Behind clause places the legend behind the Map window.
The optional Position clause controls the window's position on MapInfo Professional's workspace. The
upper left corner of MapInfo Professional's workspace has the position 0, 0. The optional Width and
Height clauses control the window's size. Window position and size values use paper units settings,
such as "in" (inches) or "cm" (centimeters). MapBasic has a current paper units setting, which defaults
to inches; a MapBasic program can change this setting through the Set Paper Units statement. A
Create Designer Legend statement can override the current paper units by including the optional Units
subclause within the Position, Width, and/or Height clauses.
The Region Height clause specifies a specific height for a swatch in the legend frame of the Legend
Designer window.
The Region Width clause specifies a specific width for a swatch in the legend frame of the Legend
Designer window.

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The Line Width clause specifies a specific width for a line sample in the legend frame of the Legend
Designer window.
Auto Font Size enables or disables resizing the legend swatch based on the font size setting.
Portrait or Landscape describes the orientation or automatic arrangement of the Legend Designer
frames in the window. Portrait results in an orientation that is down and across. Landscape results in
an orientation that is across and down.
If Custom is specified, you can specify a custom Position clause for each frame.
The Position clause at the frame level specifies the position of a frame if Custom is specified.The x
coordinate measures from the left of the Legend Designer window, and the y coordinate measures from
the bottom of the Legend Designer window (the origin (0,0) is in the bottom-left of the Legend Designer
window).
The Position, Default Frame Title, Default Frame SubTitle, and Default Frame Style clauses at the
frame level are used only for map layer legends. They are not used for thematic layer legends. For a
thematic legend, this information is obtained automatically from the theme.
The default frame settings are optional. If not specified, then the default is used from the application
preferences (minimum and maximum limits will exist). The new swatch settings will override the default
frame settings.
The Default Frame Line Width is width in paper units for line style samples.
The Default Frame Region Width is width in paper units for region style samples.
The Default Frame Region Height is height in paper units for region style samples.
paper_units is a string representing a paper unit name. For details about paper units, see Set Paper
Units statement.
Legend Text Frame creates a text frame in the Legend Designer window.
If Text does not specify the Font clause, then the default font is used.
If Column is defined, column is the name of an attribute column in the frame layer's table, or Object
denotes the object column (meaning that legend styles are based on the unique styles in the map file).
The default is Object.
FromMapCatalog ON retrieves styles from the MapCatalog for a live access table. If the table is not a
live access table, MapBasic reverts to the default behavior for a non-live access table instead of throwing
an error. The default behavior for a non-access table is FromMapCatalog Off (for example, map styles).
FromMapCatalog OFF retrieves the unique map styles for the live table from the server. This table must
be a live access table that supports per record styles for this to occur. If the live table does not support
per record styles than the behavior is to revert to the default behavior for live tables, which is to get the
default styles from the MapCatalog (FromMapCatalog ON).
If a Label is defined, specify expression as a valid expression, or Default (meaning that the default frame
style pattern is used when creating each style's text, unless the style clause contains text). The default
is Default.
The Height clause is used in place of the Columns clause when the user resizes a frame. This applies
to both map legend frames and thematic legend frames, which are mutually exclusive. If both are present,
then the Columns clause is used.

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The Order clause adds the ability to sort or customize the order of rows in map legends. You can sort
map legends by style label or by defining your own order. The sort order options are Default, Ascending,
Descending, or Custom. The Order clause is only written to a workspace if the map legend is sorted
ascending, descending, or custom.
A Default sort order is the order the Create Legend wizard creates the legend rows. If you create a legend
based on unique styles, this will be the order of those styles, which then display as rows in the map legend.
If specifying Custom sort order, the id values are row ids starting with 1, moving from top to bottom.
When looking at the list of rows in the Legend Frame Properties dialog box, the first row in the list has
id equal to 1 and so on down the list. For more details, see Custom Order Options and the Alter Designer Frame statement custom order Options.
The Display clause controls the display of each row. Each row in MapBasic starts with the Style clause.
At the end of each Style clause is the optional Display clause. Display On makes the row visible. Display
Off makes the row invisible. If the Display clause is absent, then the row displays. The Display clause
is only written to a workspace file for styles that are not visible in a legend frame.
Note: The Shade statement and Set Legend statement still create and modify thematic legends, but
only the Create Designer Legend statement adds thematic legends to a Legend Designer
window (by specifying the theme layer ID using the Frame From Layer id clause).
Note: The Columns or Height clauses apply to map and thematic legends. However, all other thematic
legend properties must be specified using the Set Legend statement.
The Style clause and the NoRefresh keyword allow you to create custom frames that are not overwritten
when the legend is refreshed. If the NoRefresh keyword is used in the Style clause, then the table is
not scanned for styles. Instead, the Style clause must contain your custom list of definitions for the styles
displayed in the frame. This is done with the Text clause and appropriate Line, Region, or Symbol
clause. Multipoint objects are treated as Point objects.
Collection objects are treated separately. When MapInfo Professional creates a Legend based on object
types, it draws Point symbols first, then Lines, then Regions. Collection objects are drawn last. Inside
collection objects the order of drawing is point, line, and then region samples.
The Font clause specifies a text style. If a default frame title, subtitle, or style name font is defined, then
it will become the default for the frame. If a frame level Default Frame Title, Default Frame Subtitle,
or Default Frame Style clause exists and includes a Font clause, then the frame level font is used. If
no font is specified at any level, then the font styles in the Legend Window preferences are used for title,
subtitle, and style name.
Initially, each frame layer's TAB file is searched for metadata values for the title, subtitle, column and
label. If no metadata value exists for the column, the default is Object. If no metadata value exists for
Label, the default is the default frame style pattern. If legend metadata keys exist and you want to override
them, you must use the corresponding MapBasic syntax. See GetMetadata$( ) function and Metadata
statement.
Example
Open Table ApplicationDirectory$() + "MyTable.tab" As mytable
Open Table ApplicationDirectory$() + "States.tab" As states
Open Table ApplicationDirectory$() + "City_125.tab" As cities
Open Table ApplicationDirectory$() + "Us_hiway.tab" As hiway
Map From cities, hiway, states, mytable

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Create Designer Legend From Window FrontWindow()
Position (8, 0) Units "in"
Width 3 Units "in"
Height 6 Units "in"
Window Title "Legend Designer Window Test"
Custom
Default Frame Title "# Legend" Font ("Calibri",1,12,16711680)
Default Frame Subtitle "#" Font ("Arial",2,10,255)
Default Frame Style "%" Font ("Lucida Calligraphy",0,8,16732240)
Frame From Layer Cities
Using column object
label default
Position (.5, 0) Units "in"
Subtitle "125 Largest Cities"
Frame From Layer hiway
Using column object
label default
Position (.5, .75) Units "in"
Title "US Highways"
Subtitle "Interstates"
Frame From Layer states
Using column object
label default
Position (.5, 1.5) Units "in"
Title "United States"
Subtitle "State Boundaries"
Frame From Layer mytable
Using column object
label default
Position (.5, 2.5) Units "in"
Title "MyTable Objects"
Subtitle "Special Objects"
Columns 4
See Also:
Alter Designer Frame statement, Add Designer Frame statement, Remove Designer Frame
statement, Set Designer Legend statement, Set Window statement, WindowInfo( ) function

Custom Order Options

Both the Create Designer Legend statement and the Alter Designer Frame statement now include
an Order clause with the option of specifying a Custom sort order.
Custom id | id : id [ , id | id : id ... ]
Where the following specifies a range of row ids in increasing order (Id2 > Id1):
Id1 : Id2
Reordering a List
The syntax for custom order of legend rows is similar to the Order clause (to reorder layers) in the Set
Map statement. It is fairly easy to use when you want to reorder near the beginning of a list, but not so
easy when you want to reorder near the end. For instance, if you want to reverse the order of the first
three rows you only have to use:
Order Custom 3, 2, 1

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You can leave out the rest of the rows. If you have 10 rows and want to switch the last two, you have to
list all the ids like this:
Order Custom 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 9
To make this more compact, use the following syntax:
Order Custom 1:8, 10, 9
Indicating a Range of Values
Use a colon ( : ) to indicate a range of values, such as:
Long form:
Order Custom 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, 3, 4
Short
Order
Order
Order

form:
Custom 2, 5:10, 1, 3, 4
Custom 2, 5:10, 1, 3:4 (same as above but also valid)
Custom 2, 5:10, 1 (same as above but also valid)

Long form:
Order Custom 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,
20, 11
Short form:
Order Custom 1:10, 12:20, 11
The list of values cannot have duplicates that will cause an error. The following causes an error:
Order Custom 1:5, 8, 4:7
This is because row ids 4 and 5 are duplicates. To see this, expand the syntax as follows (which causes
an error):
Order Custom 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 4, 5, 6, 7
The alternate syntax can be used when creating or altering a legend in the Legend Designer window.
For workspaces, the short syntax is used when legends in the Legend Designer window have more
than 50 rows with a custom order.

Create Ellipse statement

Purpose
Creates an ellipse or circle object. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Create Ellipse
[ Into { Window window_id | Variable var_name } ]
( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 )
[ Pen... ]
[ Brush... ]
window_id is a window identifier.
var_name is the name of an existing object variable.

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x1, y1 specifies one corner of the rectangle which the ellipse will fill.
x2, y2 specifies the opposite corner of the rectangle.
Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify a line style.
Brush is a valid Brush clause to specify fill style.
Description
The Create Ellipse statement creates an ellipse or circle object. If the object's Minimum Bounding
Rectangle (MBR) is defined in such a way that the x-radius equals the y-radius, the object will be a circle;
otherwise, the object will be an ellipse.
If the statement includes the optional Into Variable clause, the object will be stored in the specified object
variable. If the Into clause specifies a window identifier, the object will be stored in the appropriate place
in the window (for example, in the editable layer of a Map window). If the Into clause is not provided,
MapBasic attempts to store the object in the topmost window; if objects may not be stored in the topmost
window (for example, if the topmost window is a grapher) no object will be created.
The x and y parameters use whatever coordinate system MapBasic is currently using. By default, MapBasic uses a Latitude/Longitude coordinate system, although the Set CoordSys statement can reconfigure MapBasic to use a different coordinate system. Note that MapBasic's coordinate system is
independent of the coordinate system of any Map window. Objects created on a Layout window, however,
are specified in paper units: each x-coordinate represents a distance from the left edge of the page,
while each y-coordinate represents the distance from the top edge of the page. For details about paper
units, see Set Paper Units statement. By default, MapBasic uses inches as the default paper unit. To
use a different paper unit, use the Set Paper Units statement. Before creating objects on a Layout
window, you must issue a Set CoordSys Layout statement.
The optional Pen clause specifies a line style. If no Pen clause is specified, the Create Ellipse statement
uses the current MapInfo Professional line style (the style which appears in the Options > Line Style
dialog box). Similarly, the optional Brush clause specifies a fill style.
See Also:
Brush clause, CreateCircle( ) function, Insert statement, Pen clause, Update statement

Create Frame statement

Purpose
Creates a new frame in a Layout window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Frame
[ Into { Window layout_win_id | Variable var_name } ]
( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 )
[ Pen... ]
[ Brush... ]
[ Title title ]
[ From Window contents_win_id ]
[ FillFrame { On | Off } ]

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x1, y1 specifies one corner of the new frame to create.
x2, y2 specifies the other corner.
layout_win_id is a Layout window's integer window identifier.
var_name is the name of an Object variable.
Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify a line style.
Brush is a valid Brush clause to specify fill style.
title is a string identifying the frame contents (for example, "WORLD Map"); not needed if the From
Window clause is used.
contents_win_id is an integer window ID indicating which window will appear in the frame.
Description
The Create Frame statement creates a new frame within an existing Layout window. If no layout_win_id
is specified, the new frame is added to the topmost Layout window. Before creating objects on a Layout
window, you must issue a Set CoordSys Layout statement.
Between sessions, MapInfo Professional preserves Layout window settings by storing Create Frame
statements in the workspace file. To see an example of the Create Frame statement, create a Layout,
save the workspace, and examine the workspace file in a text editor.
The Pen clause dictates what line style will be used to display the frame, and the Brush clause dictates
the fill style used to fill the frame window.
Use the From Window clause to specify which window should appear inside the frame. For example,
to make a Map window appear inside the frame, specify From Window i_map (where i_map is an integer
variable containing the Map's window identifier). A window must already be open before you can create
a frame containing the window.
The Title clause provides an alternate syntax for specifying which window appears in the frame. For
example, to identify a Map window which displays the table WORLD, the Title clause should read Title
"WORLD Map". If the title string does not refer to an existing window, or if title is an empty string (""),
the frame will be empty. If you specify both the Title clause and the From Window clause, the latter
clause takes effect.
The FillFrame clause controls how the window fills the frame. If you specify FillFrame On, the entire
frame is filled with an image of the window. (This is analogous to checking the Fill Frame With Contents
check box in MapInfo Professional's Frame Object dialog box, which appears if you double-click a
frame.) If you specify FillFrame Off (or if you omit the FillFrame clause entirely), the aspect ratio of the
window affects the appearance of the frame; in other words, re-sizing a Map window to be tall and thin
causes the frame to appear tall and thin.
Example
The following examples show how to create a frame for a Map window's thematic legend, or Cartographic
Legend window.

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Theme Legend windows are a special case. To create a frame for a Theme Legend window, you must
use the Title clause instead of the From Window clause.
Dim i_layout_id, i_map_id As Integer
Dim s_title As String
' here, you would store the Map window's ID in i_map_id,
' and store the Layout window's ID in i_layout_id.
' To obtain an ID, call FrontWindow( ) or WindowID( ).
s_title = "Theme Legend of " + WindowInfo(i_map_id, WIN_INFO_NAME)
Set CoordSys Layout Units "in"
Create Frame
Into Window i_layout_id
(1,2) (4, 5)
Title s_title
To create a frame for a Map window's cartographic legend, you should use the From Window clause
since there may be more than one cartographic legend window per map.
Dim i_cartlgnd_id As Integer
' here, you would store the Cartographic Legend window's ID
' in i_cartlgnd _id,
' To obtain an ID, call FrontWindow( ) or WindowID( ).
Create Frame
Into Window i_layout_id
(1,2) (4, 5)
From Window i_cartlgnd_id
See Also:
Brush clause, Insert statement, Layout statement, Pen clause, Set CoordSys statement, Set
Layout statement, Update statement

Create Grid statement

Purpose
Produces a raster grid file, which MapBasic displays as a raster table in a Map window. You can issue
this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Grid
From tablename
With expression [ Ignore value_to_ignore ]
Into filespec [ Type grid_type ]
[ Coordsys... ]
[ Clipping { Object obj } | { Table tablename } ]
Inflect num_inflections [ By Percent ] at
color : inflection_value [ color : inflection_value ...]
[ Round rounding_factor ]
{[ Cell Size cell_size [ Units distance_unit ]] | [ Cell Min n_cells ]}
[ Border numcells ]
Interpolate With interpolator_name Version version_string
Using num_parameters parameter_name : parameter_value
[ parameter_name : parameter_value ... ]

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tablename is the "alias" name of an open table from which to get data points.
expression is the expression by which the table will be shaded, such as a column name.
value_to_ignore is a value to be ignored; this is usually zero. No grid theme will be created for a row if
the row's value matches the value to be ignored.
filespec specifies the fully qualified path and name of the new grid file. It will have a .MIG extension.
grid_type is a string expression that specifies the type of grid file to create. By default, .MIG format files
are created using "mig.ghl". If using a custom grid handler, then supply the name of that custom grid
handler, such as "dted.ghl".
Coordsys is an optional CoordSys clause which is the coordinate system that the grid will be created in.
If not provided, the grid will be created in the same coordinate system as the source table. Refer to CoordSys clause for more information.
obj is an object to clip grid cells to. Only the portion of the grid theme within the object will display. If a
grid cell is not within the object, that cell value will not be written out and a null cell is written in its place.
tablename is the name of a table of region objects which will be combined into a single region object
and then used for clipping grid cells.
num_inflections is a numeric expression, specifying the number of color:inflection_value pairs.
color is a color expression of, part of a color:value inflection pair.
inflection_value is a numeric expression, specifying the value of a color:inflection_value pair as a number
or a percentage.
rounding_factor is a numeric expression, specifying the rounding factor applied to the inflection values.
cell_size is a numeric expression, specifying the size of a grid cell in distance units.
distance_unit is a string expression specifying the units for the preceding cell size. This is an optional
parameter. If not present, the distance units from the table's coordinate system are used.
n_cells is a numeric expression that specifies the height or width of the grid in cells only.
numcells defines the number of cells to be added around the edge of the original grid bounds. numcells
will be added to the left, right, top, and bottom of the original grid dimensions.
interpolator_name is a string expression specifying the name of the interpolator to use to create the grid.
MapInfo built-in interpolators are "IDW" or "TIN."
version_string is a string expression specifying the version of the interpolator that the parameters are
meant for. (Version 100 of the IDW interpolator shipped with MapInfo Professional 5.0 and Version 200
of the TIN and IDW interpolators shipped with MapInfo Professional 5.5 and later.)
num_parameters is a numeric expression, that specifies the number of parameter_name: parameter_value
pairs to use.
parameter_name is a string expression, specifying the name part of this pair.
parameter_value is a numeric expression, specifying the value part of this pair.
Description
A grid surface theme is a continuous raster grid produced by an interpolation of point data. The Create
Grid statement takes a data column from a table of points, and passes those points and their data values

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to an interpolator. The interpolator produces a raster grid file, which MapBasic displays as a raster table
in a Map window.
The Create Grid statement reads (x, y, z) values from the table specified in the From clause. It gets the
z values by evaluating the expression specified in the With clause with respect to the table.
The dimensions of the grid can be specified in two ways. One is by specifying the size of a grid cell in
distance units, such as miles. The other is by specifying a minimum height or width of the grid in terms
of grid cells. For example, if you wanted the grid to be at least 200 cells wide by 200 cells high, you
would specify "cell min 200". Depending on the aspect ratio of the area covered by the grid, the actual
grid dimensions would not be 200 by 200, but it would be at least that wide and high.
By Percent at specifies that the subsequent color:Inflection_value pairs represent a color value and
Percentage value. If not used, then the Inflection_value represents a numeric value such as elevation
or temperature.
For more about grids, see Grid Description. For details about specific interpolators, see IDW Interpolator, and TIN Interpolator.
Example
Open Table "C:\States.tab" Interactive
Map From States
Open Table "C:\Us_elev.tab" Interactive
Add Map Auto Layer Us_elev
set map redraw off
Set Map Layer 1 Display Off
set map redraw on
create grid
from Us_elev
with Elevation_FT
into "C:\Us_elev_grid"
clipping table States
inflect 5 at
RGB(0, 0, 255) : 13
RGB(0, 255, 255) : 3632.5
RGB(0, 255, 0) : 7252
RGB(255, 255, 0) : 10871.5
RGB(255, 0, 0) : 14491
cell min 200
interpolate
with "IDW" version "100"
using 4
"EXPONENT": "2"
"MAX POINTS": "25"
"MIN POINTS": "1"
"SEARCH RADIUS": "100"
See Also:
GetGridCellValue( ) function, GridTableInfo( ), IsGridCellNull( ) function, RasterTableInfo( ) function,
Set Map statement

Grid Description
A grid surface theme is a continuous raster grid produced by an interpolation of point data. The Create
Grid statement takes a data column from a table of points and passes those points and their data values

Reference

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to an interpolator. The interpolator produces a raster grid file, which MapBasic displays as a raster table
in a Map window. The Create Grid statement reads (x, y, z) values from the table specified in the From
tablename clause. It gets the z values by evaluating the expression specified in the With clause (a
column name) with respect to the table and computes a grid cell value using the settings provided for
the specific interpolator chosen with these points.
The dimensions of the grid can be specified in two ways. One is by specifying the size of a grid cell in
distance units, such as miles, meters, feet, and so on. The other is by specifying a minimum height or
width of the grid by number of grid cells. For example, if you wanted the grid to be at least 200 cells wide
by 200 cells high, you would specify "cell min 200". Depending on the aspect ratio of the area covered
by the grid, the actual grid dimensions might not be exactly 200 by 200, but it would be at least that wide
and high.
Example IDW Interpolation with inflections set at certain elevation values:
Open Table "C:\MyData\States.tab" Interactive
Map From States
Open Table "C:\ MyData\Us_elev.tab" Interactive
Add Map Auto Layer Us_elev
Set map redraw off
Set Map Layer 1 Display Off
Set map redraw on
Create Grid
From Us_elev
with Elevation_FT
ignore 0
into "C:\ MapData\Us_elev_grid.mig"
Type "mig.ghl"
CoordSys Earth Projection 1, 74
clipping table States
Inflect 6 at
RGB(64, 0, 128) : -32808
RGB(0, 128, 192) : -16404
RGB(151, 255, 239) : -98
RGB(254, 248, 199) : 33
RGB(244, 171, 100) : 6566
RGB(235, 95, 1) : 32808
round 100
cell min 200
interpolate
with "IDW" version "100"
using 7
"AGGREGATION METHOD": "1"
"BORDER": "0"
"CELL SIZE": "8"
"EXPONENT": "2"
"MAX POINTS": "25"
"MIN POINTS": "1"
"SEARCH RADIUS": "800"
TIN Interpolator example with inflections set at percentage values:
inflect 5 by Percent at
RGB(0, 0, 255) : 0
RGB(0, 255, 255) : 25
RGB(0, 255, 0) : 50
RGB(255, 255, 0) : 75
RGB(255, 0, 0) : 100
Round 10
cell min 200

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interpolate
with "TIN" version "100"
using 8
"BORDER": "0"
"CELL SIZE": "15"
"DISTANCE": "80"
"EXPONENT": "2"
"FEATURE ANGLE": "45"
"SEARCH RADIUS": "53"
"TOLERANCE": "0.01 "
"READ ONLY": "T"
Grid Appearance and Inflection Methods
Once the cell values are calculated, MapInfo Professional groups them into a color spectrum that is
bounded by the minimum and maximum values in the table defined by the number of inflection color and
value pairs defined.
You can control how the color is spread by specifying an inflection method and the number of inflection
points. The number of inflections must be between 2 and 255. You can also apply a rounding factor to
the inflection values. When interpolating via the user interface, you have four choices of computing inflection values:
Equal Cell Count - Sets the inflections so that approximately an equal number of grid cells fall between
each inflection value.
Equal Value Ranges - Spreads the inflections evenly between the minimum and maximum values of
the data range.
Custom Cell Count - Use this method to specify your own percentages.
Custom Value Ranges - Use this method to specify your own values.
When using the Create Grid statement, you must compute inflection color and values manually using
your own methods to compute values from your input data.
Grid Templates
When creating a Grid thematic map in MapInfo Professional, the Grid default template assigns blue to
the minimum value and red to the maximum value. These minimum and maximum values are also expressed as percentages of the range. These color settings/values are known as inflection points and
will display in the legend with a particular color, value and percentage. If a cell has the exact value as
the inflection point, it will display that color on the map. A cell value that falls between two inflection points
displays with the color that is in between the colors of those inflection points.
See Also:
IDW Interpolator, TIN Interpolator

IDW Interpolator
The IDW Interpolator is best suited for data values that produce arbitrary values over the grid, that is,
data that does not have any relationship or influence over neighboring data values, such as population.
This method of interpolation also works well for sparse data. The IDW Interpolator calculates the value
of grid cells that cover the mapping area. Each data point value from the source table that is considered
in the calculation for a cell value is weighted by its distance from the center of the cell. Because the interpolation is an inverse distance weighting calculation, the farther the point is from the cell, the less in-

Reference

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fluence its value will have on the resulting cell value. MapInfo Professional's grid mapping process begins
by determining the minimum bounding rectangle (MBR) of the source table. The grid is divided into equal
sized square cells of some size. For example, using the Grid default template, the States table in MapInfo
Professional's sample data set creates a grid dimension of 200 cells by 303 cells. By calculating the
number of cells in the grid and knowing the dimension of the MBR, MapInfo Professional determines
that each cell needs to be 18.1 by 18.1 miles square. (The cell size will be in whatever distance units
set for the map window. To change the units, select Map > Options > Map Units.)
The IDW Interpolator settings can be controlled via the Settings button in the Create Thematic Map Step 3 of 3 dialog when creating a grid thematic map. The cell size number in this interpolator settings
dialog represents both the height and width of the cell. Any change to the cell size will result in an automatic update of the grid dimensions. With the cell size and the source points and values known, MapInfo
Professional calculates a value for each cell. This value is determined by calculating a distance-weighted
average of the points that lie within the specified search radius. Points are inversely weighted by their
distance from the center of the cell. In the IDW Interpolator, the exponent determines how much influence
each point will have on the result. The higher the exponent, the greater the influence closer points will
have on the cell value. Exponents can range from one to 10. You can also choose an aggregation
method for the z-values of coincident source data points (ones that fall within area of same grid cell).
Coincident data points can be aggregated by average, count, sum, min, and max. Average method is
aggregation default.
IDW Interpolator Settings for Create Grid Statement
For the MapInfo Professional IDW Interpolator, when specifying the following parameters in the Create
Grid Statement syntax:
Using num_parameters parameter_name : parameter_value
[ parameter_name : parameter_value ... ]
the following parameter_name : parameter_values may be used.
"EXPONENT": "number" - Minimum value 1, maximum value 10, default exponent is 2. The higher
the number, the greater the influence closer points have on the cell value being computed.
"SEARCH RADIUS": "number" - Must be greater than zero, default setting is 10 units.
"MIN POINTS": "number" - Must be greater than zero, default setting is 1. The minimum points required
for calculating value of a grid cell.
"MAX POINTS": "number" - Must be greater than zero, default setting is 25. The maximum points used
for calculating value of a grid cell.
"GRID HEIGHT": "number" - Must be greater than zero, default setting is 100. The minimum height of
grid in cells. The result is affected by aspect ratio, but height in cells result should be a minimum of
this value.
"GRID WIDTH": "number" - Must be greater than zero, default setting is 100. The minimum width of
grid in cells. The result is affected by aspect ratio, but width in cells result should be a minimum of this
value.
"CELL SIZE": "number" - Size of grid cell in distance units. Must be greater than zero and default size
is 100, if not specified.
"BORDER": "number" - Number of cells beyond the table's bounding rectangle by which to expand
the grid. This is useful if you are interpolating with data from a point table but are clipping to a region
table.

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"AGGREGATION METHOD": "number" - Aggregation method of coincident points located in same
cell. The default is aggregation method is Average or 0. Most of the parameters for the interpolator
correspond to controls in the interpolator settings dialog box. Instead of passing a string for aggregation,
however, a number will be used.
Average

Count

Minimum

Maximum

Sum

If parameter name : parameter is not provided, then a default value is used. If all default interpolator
settings are desired, then set Using num_parameters to 0.
See Also:
Create Grid statement, READ ONLY Parameter for TIN and IDW Interpolators

TIN Interpolator
The TIN Interpolator works best for terrain data and for data points that have a linear progression or relationship to each other across the grid, such as elevation or temperature. The TIN Interpolator produces
triangles from a network of points that more closely reproduces the original map terrain than the IDW
Interpolator. It draws lines between points, dividing them into triangles and connecting all the points that
it can. It creates a mesh of connectivity so that the grid points can be interpolated. The interpolation is
not influenced by the neighboring original data values, so you do not get the "false bumping" of data that
you can get with the IDW Interpolator.
The TIN settings can be manipulated to give more or less detail to the map terrain. The Tolerance setting
controls whether closely spaced points are discarded. The tolerance is a fraction of the diagonal length
of the bounding box of the points. The Distance value controls the output. For non-zero distance values,
only edges or triangles contained within a sphere centered at mesh vertices are output. This is useful
to constrain the triangulated irregular network to a specified distance; otherwise, the triangulation will
cross concave regions. The Feature Angle setting controls the angle (in degrees) that defines a sharp
edge. This setting is used for smoothing the final grid. If the difference in angle across neighboring
polygons is greater than this value, the shared edge is considered "sharp."
The TIN Interpolator settings can be controlled via the Settings button in the Create Thematic Map Step 3 of 3 dialog when creating a grid thematic map. The cell size number in this interpolator settings
dialog represents both the height and width of the cell like the IDW method. Any change to the cell size
will result in an automatic update of the grid dimensions.
TIN Interpolator Settings for Create Grid Statement
For the MapInfo Professional TIN Interpolator, when specifying the following parameters in the Grid
Statement syntax:
Using num_parameters parameter_name : parameter_value
[ parameter_name : parameter_value ... ]
the following parameter_name : parameter_values may be used:

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"TOLERANCE": "number" Must be equal to or greater than .0001 and less than or equal to .01, default
setting is .005.
"DISTANCE": "number" Must be greater than zero and less than height and width of grid .
"FEATURE ANGLE": "number" Must be equal to or greater than zero and equal to or less than 180,
default setting is 25 degrees.
"MIN POINTS": "number" Must be greater than zero, default setting is 1. The minimum points required
for calculating value of a grid cell.
"MAX POINTS": "number" Must be greater than zero, default setting is 25. The maximum points
used for calculating value of a grid cell.
"GRID HEIGHT": "number" Must be greater than zero, default setting is 100. The minimum height
of grid in cells. The result is affected by aspect ratio, but height in cells result should be a minimum of
this value.
"GRID WIDTH": "number" Must be greater than zero, default setting is 100. The minimum width of
grid in cells. The result is affected by aspect ratio, but width in cells result should be a minimum of this
value
"CELL SIZE": "number" Size of grid cell in distance units. Must be greater than zero and default size
is 100, if not specified.
Note: If parameter name : parameter is not provided, then a default value is used. If all default interpolator settings are desired, then set Using num_parameters to 0.
See Also:
READ ONLY Parameter for TIN and IDW Interpolators

READ ONLY Parameter for TIN and IDW Interpolators

If you want to flag a grid as read-only, so that it cannot be altered or re-interpolated, specify "READ
ONLY": "T" for the parameter name : parameter value pair, which can be passed with either MapInfo
Professional TIN or IDW interpolators. If this parameter value is used, then the metadata tag:
"\Interpolator\Parameter\READ ONLY" = "0"
is written into the TAB file and the user will not be able to modify or re-interpolate the grid via the user
interface.

Create Index statement

Purpose
Creates an index for a column in an open table. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Index On table ( column )
table is the name of an open table.
column is the name of a column in the open table.

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Description
The Create Index statement creates an index on the specified column. MapInfo Professional uses Indexes
in operations such as Query > Find. Indexes also improve the performance of queries in general.
Note: MapInfo Professional cannot create an index if the table has unsaved edits. Use the Commit
Table statement to save edits.

Example
The following example creates an index for the "Capital" field of the World table.
Open Table "world" Interactive
Create Index on World(Capital)
See Also:
Alter Table statement, Create Table statement, Drop Index statement, Commit Table statement

Create Legend statement

Purpose
Creates a new Theme Legend window tied to the specified Map window. You can issue this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
For MapInfo Professional versions 5.0 and later, the Create Cartographic Legend statement allows you
to create and display cartographic style legends. Refer to the Create Cartographic Legend statement
for more information.
Syntax
Create Legend
[ From Window window_ID ]
[ { Show | Hide } ]
window_ID is an integer, representing a MapInfo Professional window ID for a Map window.
Description
This statement creates a special floating, Thematic Legend window, in addition to the standard MapInfo
Professional Legend window. (To open MapInfo Professional's standard Legend window, use the Open
Window Legend statement.)
The Create Legend statement is useful if you want the Legend of a Map window to always be visible,
even when the Map window is not active. Also, this statement is useful in "Integrated Mapping" applications, where MapInfo Professional windows are integrated into another application, such as a Visual
Basic application. For information about Integrated Mapping, see the MapBasic User Guide.
If you include the From Window clause, the new Theme Legend window is tied to the window that you
specify; otherwise, the new window is tied to the most recently used Map.
If you include the optional Hide keyword, the window is created in a hidden state. You can then show
the hidden window by using the Set Window...Show statement.

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CreateLine( ) function
After you issue the Create Legend statement, determine the new window's integer ID by calling WindowID( 0 ). Use that window ID in subsequent statements (such as the Set Window statement).
The new Theme Legend window is created according to the parent and style settings that you specify
through the Set Next Document statement.
See Also:
Create Cartographic Legend statement, Open Window statement, Set Next Document statement,
Set Window statement

CreateLine( ) function
Purpose
Returns an Object value representing a line. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CreateLine( x1, y1, x2, y2 )
x1 is a float value, indicating the x-position (for example,) of the line's starting point.
y1 is a float value, indicating the y-position (for example, Latitude) of the line's starting point.
x2 is a float value, indicating the x-position of the line's ending point.
y2 is a float value, indicating the y-position of the line's ending point.
Return Value
Object
Description
The CreateLine( ) function returns an Object value representing a line. The x and y parameters use the
current coordinate system. By default, MapBasic uses a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system. Use the
Set CoordSys statement to choose a new system.
The line object will use whatever Pen style is currently selected. To create a line object with a specific
Pen style, you could issue the Set Style statement before calling CreateLine( ) or you could issue a
Create Line statement, with an optional Pen clause.
The line object created through the CreateLine( ) function could be assigned to an Object variable,
stored in an existing row of a table (through the Update statement), or inserted into a new row of a table
(through an Insert statement). If you need to create objects on a Layout window, you must first issue
a Set CoordSys Layout statement.

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Example
The following example uses the Insert statement to insert a new row into the table Routes. The CreateLine( ) function is used within the body of the Insert statement.
Open Table "Routes"
Insert Into routes (obj)
Values (CreateLine(-72.55, 42.431, -72.568, 42.435))
See Also:
Create Line statement, Insert statement, Update statement

Create Line statement

Purpose
Creates a line object. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Line
[ Into { Window window_id | Variable var_name } ]
( x1, y1) ( x2, y2)
[ Pen... ]
window_id is a window identifier.
var_name is the name of an existing object variable.
x1, y1 specifies the starting point of a line.
x2, y2 specifies the ending point of the line.
The Pen clause specifies a line style.
Description
The Create Line statement creates a line object.
If the statement includes the optional Into Variable clause, the object will be stored in the specified object
variable. If the Into clause specifies a window identifier, the object will be stored in the appropriate place
in the window (for example, in the editable layer of a Map window). If the Into clause is not provided,
MapBasic will attempt to store the object in the topmost window; if objects may not be stored in the topmost
window (for example, if the topmost window is a grapher) no object will be created.
The x and y parameters use whatever coordinate system MapBasic is currently using. By default, MapBasic uses a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system, although the Set CoordSys statement can reconfigure MapBasic to use a different coordinate system. Note that MapBasic's coordinate system is
independent of the coordinate system of any Map window. Objects created on a Layout window, however,
are specified in paper units: each x-coordinate represents a distance from the left edge of the page,
while each y-coordinate represents the distance from the top edge of the page. For details about paper
units, see Set Paper Units statement. By default, MapBasic uses inches as the default paper unit. To
use a different paper unit, use the Set Paper Units statement.

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Create Map statement

Note: If you need to create objects on a Layout window, you must first issue a Set CoordSys Layout
statement.
The optional Pen clause specifies a line style; see Pen clause for more details. If no Pen clause is
specified, the Create Line statement will use the current MapInfo Professional line style.
See Also:
CreateLine( ) function, Insert statement, Pen clause, Update statement

Create Map statement

Purpose
Modifies the structure of a table, making the table mappable. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Map
For table
[ CoordSys... ] Using from_table]
table is the name of an open table.
from_table is the name of an open table from where to copy a coordinate system.
Description
The Create Map statement makes an open table mappable, so that it can be displayed in a Map window.
This statement does not open a new Map window. To open a new Map window, use the Map statement.
You should not perform a Create Map statement on a table that is already mappable; doing so will
delete all map objects from the table. If a table already has a map attached, and you wish to permanently change the projection of the map, use a Table As statement. Alternately, if you wish to
temporarily change the projection in which a map is displayed, issue a Set Map statement with a CoordSys clause. The Create Map statement does not work on linked tables. To make a linked table
mappable, use the Server Create Map statement.
Specifying the Coordinate System
Use one of the following two methods to specify a coordinate system:
Provide the name of an already open mappable table as the from_table portion of the Using clause.
In this case, the coordinate system used will be identical to that used in the from_table. The from_table
must be a currently open table, and must be mappable or an error will occur.
Explicitly supply the coordinate system information through a CoordSys clause (set in preferences).
If you omit both the CoordSys clause and the Using clause, the table will use the current MapBasic
coordinate system.
Note that the CoordSys clause affects the precision of the map. The CoordSys clause includes a
Bounds clause, which sets limits on the minimum and maximum coordinates that can be stored in the
map. If you omit the Bounds clause, MapInfo Professional uses default bounds that encompass the

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entire Earth (in which case, coordinates are precise to one millionth of a degree, or approximately 4
inches). If you know in advance that the map you are creating is limited to a finite area (for example, a
specific metropolitan area), you can increase the precision of the map's coordinates by specifying bounds
that confine the map to that area. For a complete listing of the CoordSys syntax, see CoordSys clause.
See Also:
Commit Table statement, CoordSys clause, Create Table statement, Drop Map statement, Map
statement, Server Create Map statement, Set Map statement

Create Map3D statement

Purpose
Creates a 3DMap with the desired parameters. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Map3D
[ From Window window_id | MapString mapper_creation_string ]
[ Camera [ Pitch angle | Roll angle | Yaw angle | Elevation angle ] |
[ Position ( x, y, z ) | FocalPoint ( x, y, z ) ] |
[ Orientation ( vu_1, vu_2, vu_3, vpn_1, vpn_2, vpn_3,
clip_near, clip_far )]]
[ Light [ Position ( x, y, z ) | Color lightcolor ] ]
[ Resolution ( res_x, res_y ) ]
[ Scale grid_scale ]
[ Background backgroundcolor ]
[ Units unit_name ]
window_id is a window identifier a for a Map window which contains a Grid layer. An error message is
displayed if a Grid layer is not found.
mapper_creation_string specifies a command string that creates the mapper textured on the grid.
Camera specifies the camera position and orientation.
angle is an angle measurement in degrees. The horizontal angle in the dialog box ranges from 0-360
degrees and rotates the maps around the center point of the grid. The vertical angle in the dialog box
ranges from 0-90 and measures the rotation in elevation from the start point directly over the map.
Pitch adjusts the camera's current rotation about the x axis centered at the camera's origin.
Roll adjusts the camera's current rotation about the z axis centered at the camera's origin.
Yaw adjusts the camera's current rotation about the y axis centered at the camera's origin.
Elevation adjusts the current camera's rotation about the x axis centered at the camera's focal point.
Position indicates the camera/light position.
FocalPoint indicates the camera/light focal point.
Orientation specifies the cameras ViewUp (vu_1, vu_2, vu_3), ViewPlane Normal (vpn_1, vpn_2, vpn_3),
and Clipping Range (clip_near, clip_far) (used specifically for persistence of view).

Reference

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Resolution is the number of samples to take in the x and y directions. These values can increase to a
maximum of the grid resolution. The resolution values can increase to a maximum of the grid x, y dimension. If the grid is 200x200 then the resolution values will be clamped to a maximum of 200x200. You
cannot increase the grid resolution, only specify a subsample value.
grid_scale is the amount to scale the grid in the z direction. A value >1 will exaggerate the topology in
the z direction, a value <1 will scale down the topological features in the z direction.
backgroundcolor is a color to be used to set the background and is specified using the RGB( ) function.
unit_name specifies the units the grid values are in. Do not specify this for unit-less grids (for example,
grids generated using temperature or density). This option needs to be specified at creation time. You
cannot change them later with the Set Map3D statement or the Properties dialog box.
Description
Once it is created, the 3DMap window is a standalone window. Since it is based on the same tables as
the original Map window, if these tables are changed and the 3DMap window is manually "refreshed" or
re-created from a workspace, these changes are displayed on the grid. The creation fails if the window_id
is not a Map window or if the Map window does not contain a Grid layer. If there are multiple grids in the
Map window, each will be represented in the 3DMap window.
A 3DMap keeps a Mapper creation string as its texture generator. This string will also be prevalent in
the workspace when the 3DMap window is persisted. The initialization will read in the grid layer to create
3D geometry and topology objects.
Example
Create Map3D Resolution(75,75)
Creates a 3DMap window of the most recent Map window. It will fail if the window does not contain any
Continuous Grid layers. Another example is:
Create Map3D From Window FrontWindow( ) Resolution(100,100) Scale 2
Background RGB(255,0,0) Units "ft".
Creates a 3DMap window with a Red background, the z units set to feet, a Z scale factor of 2, and the
grid resolution set to 100x100.
See Also:
Set Map3D statement

Create Menu statement

Purpose
Creates a new menu, or redefines an existing menu. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax 1
Create Menu newmenuname [ ID menu_id ] [ Context ] As
menuitem [ ID menu_item_id ] [ HelpMsg help ]
{ Calling handler | As menuname }
[ , menuitem ... ]

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Syntax 2
Create Menu newmenuname As Default
newmenuname is a string representing the name of the menu to define or redefine.
menuitem is a string representing the name of an item to include on the new menu.
Context is reserved for internal use only; not usable in MapBasic programs.
menu_id is a SmallInt ID number from one to fifteen, identifying a standard menu.
menu_item_id is an integer ID number that identifies a custom menu item.
help is a string that appears on the status bar whenever the menu item is highlighted.
handler is the name of a procedure, or a code for a standard menu command, or a special syntax for
handling the menu event by calling OLE or DDE; see Calling Clause Options. If you specify a command
code for a standard MapInfo Professional Show/Hide command (such as M_WINDOW_STATISTICS),
the menuitem string must start with an exclamation point and include a caret (^), to preserve the item's
Show/Hide behavior.
menuname is the name of an existing menu to include as a hierarchical submenu.
Description
If the newmenuname parameter matches the name of an existing MapInfo Professional menu (such as
File), the statement re-defines that menu. If the newmenuname parameter does not match the name of
an existing menu, the Create Menu statement defines an entirely new menu. For a list of the standard
MapInfo Professional menu names, see Alter Menu statement.
The Create Menu statement does not automatically display a newly-created menu; a new menu will
only display as a result of a subsequent Alter Menu Bar statement or Create Menu Bar statement.
However, if a Create Menu statement modifies an existing menu, and if that existing menu is already
part of the menu bar, the change will be visible immediately.
Note: MapInfo Professional can maintain no more than 96 menu definitions at one time, including the
menus defined automatically by MapInfo Professional (File, etc.). This limit is independent of
the number of menus displayed on the menu bar at one time.
The menuitem parameter identifies the name of the menu item. The item's name can contain special
control characters to define menu item attributes (for example, whether a menu item is checkable). See
tables below for details.
The following characters require special handling: slash (/), back slash(\), and less than (<). If you want
to display any of these special characters in the menu or the status bar help, you must include an extra
back slash in the menuitem string or the help string. For example, the following statement creates a
menu item that reads, "Client/Server."
Create Menu "Data" As
"Client\/Server" Calling cs_proc
If a menuitem parameter begins with the character @, the custom menu breaks into two columns. The
item whose name starts with @ is the first item in the second column.

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Assigning Handlers to Custom Menu Items
Most menu items include the Calling handler clause; where handler is either the name of a MapBasic
procedure or a numeric code identifying an MapInfo Professional operation (such as M_FILE_SAVE to
specify the File > Save command). If the user chooses a menu item which has a handler, MapBasic
automatically calls the handler (whether the handler is a sub procedure or a command code). Your program
must Include the file MENU.DEF if you plan to refer to menu codes such as M_FILE_SAVE.
The optional ID clause lets you assign a unique integer ID to each custom menu item. Menu item IDs
are useful if you want to allow multiple menu items to call the same handler procedure. Within the
handler procedure, you can determine which menu item the user chose by calling CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_MENUITEM). Menu item IDs can also be used by other statements, such as the Alter
Menu Item statement. If a menu item has neither a handler nor a menuname associated with it, that
menu item is inert. Inert menu items are used for cosmetic purposes, such as displaying horizontal lines
which break up a menu.
Creating Hierarchical Menus
To include a hierarchical menu on the new menu, use the As sub-clause instead of the Calling subclause. The As sub-clause must specify the name of the existing menu which should be attached to the
new menu. The following example creates a custom menu containing one conventional menu item and
one hierarchical menu.
Create Menu "Special" As
"Configure" Calling config_sub_proc,
"Objects" As "Objects"
When you add a hierarchical menu to the menu, the name of the hierarchical menu appears on the
parent menu instead of the menuitem string.
Properties of a Menu Item
Menu items can be enabled or disabled; disabled items appear grayed out. Some menu items are
checkable, meaning that the menu can display a check mark next to the item. At any given time, a
checkable menu item is either checked or unchecked.
To set the properties of a menu item, include control codes (from the table below) at the start of the
menuitem parameter.

206

Control code

Effect

The menu item is initially disabled. Example: (Close

(-

The menu item is a horizontal separator line; such a menu item cannot have a
handler. Example: (-

($

This special code represents the File menu's most-recently-used (MRU) list. It
may only appear once in the menu system, and it may not be used on a shortcut

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Control code

Effect
menu. To eliminate the MRU list from the File menu, either delete this code from
MAPINFOW.MNU or re-create the File menu by issuing a Create Menu statement.

(>

This special code represents the Window menu's list of open windows. It may only
appear once in the menu system.

Menu item is checkable, but it is initially unchecked.

Example: !Confirm Deletion

! ... ^ ...

If a caret (^) appears within the text string of a checkable menu item, the item
toggles between alternate text (for example, Show... vs. Hide...) instead
of toggling between checked and unchecked. The text before the caret appears
when the item is "checked." Example: !Hide Status Bar^Show Status Bar

!+

Menu item is checkable, and it is initially checked.

Example: !+Confirm Deletions

Defining Keyboard Shortcuts

Menu items can have two different types of keyboard shortcuts, which let the user choose menu items
through the keyboard rather than by clicking with the mouse.
One type of keyboard shortcut lets the user drop down a menu or choose a menu item by pressing keys.
For example, on MapInfo Professional, the user can press Alt+W to show the Window menu, then press
M (or Alt-M) to choose New Map Window. To create this type of keyboard shortcut, include the ampersand character (&) in the newmenuname or menuitem string (for example, specify "&Map" as the
menuitem parameter in the Create Menu statement). Place the ampersand immediately before the
character to be used as the shortcut.
The other type of keyboard shortcut allows the user to activate an option without going through the menu
at all. If a menu item has a shortcut key sequence of Alt+F5, the user can activate the menu item by
pressing Alt+F5. To create this type of shortcut, use the following key sequences.

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Note: The codes in the following tables must appear at the end of a menu item name.
Windows Accelerator Code

Effect

/W {letter | %number}

Defines a Windows shortcut key which can be activated by

pressing the appropriate key.
Examples: Zap /WZ or Zap /W%120

/W# {letter | %number}

Defines a Windows shortcut key which also requires the shift

key.
Examples: Zap /W#Z or Zap /W#%120

/W@ {letter | %number}

Defines a Windows shortcut key which also requires the Alt

key.
Examples: Zap /W@Z or Zap /W@%120

/W^ {letter | %number}

Defines a Windows shortcut key which also requires the Ctrl

key.
Examples: Zap /W^Z or Zap /W^%120

To specify a function key as a Windows accelerator, the accelerator code must include a percent sign
(%) followed by a number. The number 112 corresponds to F1, 113 corresponds to F2, etc.
Note: The Create Menu Bar As Default statement removes and un-defines all custom menus created
through the Create Menu statement. Alternately, if you need to un-define one, but not all, of the
custom menus that your application has added, you can issue a statement of the form Create
Menu menuname As Default.
After altering a standard MapInfo Professional menu (for example, "File"), you can restore the menu to
its original state by issuing a Create Menu menuname As Default statement.
Calling Clause Options
The Calling clause specifies what should happen when the user chooses the custom menu command.
The following table describes the available syntax.

208

Calling clause example

Description

Calling M_FILE_NEW

If Calling is followed by a numeric code from

MENU.DEF, MapInfo Professional handles the event
by running a standard MapInfo Professional menu

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Calling clause example

Description
command (the File > New command, in this example).

Calling my_procedure

If you specify a procedure name, MapInfo Professional handles the event by calling the procedure.

Calling OLE "methodname"

MapInfo Professional handles the event by making

a method call to the OLE Automation object set by
the SetCallback method.

Calling DDE "server","topic"

Windows only. MapInfo Professional handles the

event by connecting through DDE to "server|topic"
and sending an Execute message to the DDE
server.

In the last two cases, the string sent to OLE or DDE starts with the three letters "MI:" (so that the server
can detect that the message came from MapInfo Professional). The remainder of the string contains a
comma-separated list of the values returned from relevant CommandInfo( ) function calls. For complete
details on the string syntax, see the MapBasic User Guide.
Examples
The following example uses the Create Menu statement to create a custom menu, then adds the custom
menu to MapInfo Professional's menu bar. This example removes the Window menu (ID 6) and the Help
menu (ID 7), and then adds the custom menu, the Window menu, and the Help menu back to the menu
bar. This technique guarantees that the last two menus will always be Window, and Help.
Declare Sub Main
Declare Sub addsub
Declare Sub editsub
Declare Sub delsub
Sub Main
Create Menu "DataEntry" As
"Add" Calling addsub,
"Edit" Calling editsub,
"Delete" Calling delsub
Alter Menu Bar Remove ID 6, ID 7
Alter Menu Bar Add "DataEntry", ID 6, ID 7
End Sub
The following example creates an abbreviated version of the File menu. The "(" control character specifies
that the Close, Save, and Print options will be disabled initially. The Open and Save options have
Windows accelerator key sequences (Ctrl+O and Ctrl+S, respectively). Note that both the Open and
Save options use the Chr$(9) function to insert a Tab character into the menu item name, so that the
remaining text is shifted to the right.
Include "MENU.DEF"
Create Menu "File" As
"New" Calling M_FILE_NEW,
"Open" +Chr$(9)+"Ctrl+O/W^O" Calling M_FILE_OPEN,
"(-",

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"(Close" Calling M_FILE_CLOSE,
"(Save" +Chr$(9)+"Ctrl+S /W^S" Calling M_FILE_SAVE,
"(-",
"(Print" Calling M_FILE_PRINT,
"(-",
"Exit" Calling M_FILE_EXIT
If you want to prevent the user from having access to MapInfo Professional's shortcut menus, use a
Create Menu statement to re-create the appropriate menu, and define the menu as just a separator
control code: "(-". The following example uses this technique to disable the Map window's shortcut
menu.
Create Menu "MapperShortcut" As "(-"
See Also:
Alter Menu Item statement, Create Menu Bar statement

Create Menu Bar statement

Purpose
Rebuilds the entire menu bar, using the available menus. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax 1
Create Menu Bar As
{ menu_name | ID menu_number }
[ , { menu_name | ID menu_number } ... ]
Syntax 2
Create Menu Bar As Default
menu_name is the name of a standard MapInfo Professional menu, or the name of a custom menu
created through a Create Menu statement.
menu_number is the number associated with a standard MapInfo Professional menu (for example, 1 for
the File menu).
Description
A Create Menu Bar statement tells MapInfo Professional which menus should appear on the menu bar,
and in what order. If the statement omits one or more of the standard menu names, the resultant menu
may be shorter than the standard MapInfo Professional menu. Conversely, if the statement includes the
names of one or more custom menus (which were created through the Create Menu statement), the
Create Menu Bar statement can create a menu bar that is longer than the standard MapInfo Professional
menu.
Any menu can be identified by its name (for example, "File"), regardless of whether it is a standard menu
or a custom menu. Each of MapInfo Professional's standard menus can also be referred to by its menu
ID; for example, the File menu has an ID of 1.
See Alter Menu Item statement for a listing of the names and ID numbers of MapInfo Professional's
menus.

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After the menu bar has been customized, the following statement:
Create Menu Bar As Default
restores the standard MapInfo Professional menu bar. Note that the Create Menu Bar As Default
statement removes any custom menu items that may have been added by other MapBasic applications
that may be running at the same time. For the sake of not accidentally disabling other MapBasic applications, you should exercise caution when using the Create Menu Bar As Default statement.
Examples
The following example shortens the menu bar so that it includes only the File, Edit, Query, and windowspecific (for example, Map, Browse, etc.) menus.
Create Menu Bar As
"File", "Edit", "Query", "WinSpecific"
Ordinarily, the MapInfo Professional menu bar only displays a Map menu when a Map window is the
active window. Similarly, MapInfo Professional only displays a Browse menu when a Browse window is
the active window. The following example redefines the menu bar so that it always includes both the
Map and Browse menus, even when no windows are on the screen. However, all items on the Map
menu will be disabled (grayed out) whenever the current window is not a Map window, and all items on
the Browse menu will be disabled whenever the current window is not a Browse window.
Create Menu Bar As
"File", "Edit", "Query", "Map", "Browse"
The following example creates a custom menu, called DataEntry, and then redefines the menu bar so
that it includes only the File, Edit, and DataEntry menus.
Declare Sub AddSub
Declare Sub EditSub
Declare Sub DelSub
Create Menu "DataEntry" As
"Add" calling AddSub,
"Edit" calling EditSub,
"Delete" calling DelSub
Create Menu Bar As
"File", "Edit", "DataEntry"
See Also:
Alter Menu Bar statement, Create Menu statement, Menu Bar statement

Create MultiPoint statement

Purpose
Combines a number of points into a single object. All points have the same symbol. The Multipoint object
displays in the Browser as a single record. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Multipoint
[ Into { Window window_id | Variable var_name } ]

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[ num_points ]
( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 ) [ ... ]
[ Symbol... ]
window_id is a window identifier.
var_name is the name of an existing object variable.
num_points is the number of points inside Multipoint object.
x y specifies the location of the point.
The Symbol clause specifies a symbol style.
Note: One symbol is used for all points contained in a Multipoint object.
Currently MapInfo Professional uses the following four different syntaxes to define a symbol used for
points:
Syntax 2 (MapInfo Professional's 3.0 Symbol Syntax)
Symbol ( shape, color, size )
shape is an integer, 31 or larger, specifying which character to use from MapInfo Professional's standard
symbol set. MapInfo 3.0 symbols refers to the symbol set that was originally published with MapInfo for
Windows 3.0 and has been maintained in subsequent versions of MapInfo Professional. To create an
invisible symbol, use 31. The standard set of symbols includes symbols 31 through 67, but the user can
customize the symbol set by using the Symbol application.
color is an integer RGB color value; see RGB( ) function.
size is an integer point size, from 1 to 48.
Syntax 3 (TrueType Font Syntax)
Symbol ( shape, color, size, fontname, fontstyle, rotation )
shape is an integer, 31 or larger, specifying which character to use from a TrueType font. To create an
invisible symbol, use 31.
color is an integer RGB color value; see RGB( ) function.
size is an integer point size, from 1 to 48.
fontname is a string representing a TrueType font name (for example, "Wingdings").
fontstyle is an integer code controlling attributes such as bold.
rotation is a floating-point number representing a rotation angle, in degrees.
Syntax 4 (Custom Bitmap File Syntax)
Symbol ( filename, color, size, customstyle )
filename is a string up to 31 characters long, representing the name of a bitmap file. The file must be in
the CUSTSYMB directory (unless a Reload Symbols statement has been used to specify a different
directory).
color is an integer RGB color value; see RGB( ) function.

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size is an integer point size, from 1 to 48.
customstyle is an integer code controlling color and background attributes. See table below.
Syntax 5
Symbol symbol_expr
symbol_expr is a Symbol expression, which can either be the name of a Symbol variable, or a function
call that returns a Symbol value, for example, the MakeSymbol( ) function.
Example
Create Multipoint 7 (0,0) (1,1) (2,2) (3,4) (-1,1) (3,-2) (4,3)

Create Object statement

Purpose
Creates one or more regions by performing a Buffer, Merge, Intersect, Union, Voronoi, or Isogram operation. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Object As { Buffer | Isogram | Union | Intersect | Merge |
ConvexHull | Voronoi }
From fromtable
[ Into { Table intotable | Variable varname } ]
[ Data column = expression [ , column = expression... ] ]
[ Group By { column | RowID } ]
fromtable is the name of an open table, containing one or more graphic objects.
intotable is the name of an open table where the new object(s) will be stored.
varname is the name of an Object variable where a new object will be stored.
column is the name of a column in the table.
expression is an expression used to populate column.
Description
The Create Object statement creates one or more new region objects, by performing a geographic operation (Buffer, Merge, Intersect, Union, ConvexHull, Voronoi, or Isogram) on one or more existing objects.
The Into clause specifies where results are stored. To store the results in a table, specify Into Table.
To store the results in an Object variable, specify Into Variable. If you omit the Into clause, results are
stored in the source table.
Note: If you specify a Group By clause to perform data aggregation, you must store the results in a
table rather than a variable.
The keyword which follows the As keyword dictates what type of objects are created. Buffer and Isogram
are discussed in sections: Create Object As Buffer and Create Object As Isogram.

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Union
Specify Union to perform a combine operation, which eliminates any areas of overlap. If you perform
the union operation on two overlapping regions (each of which contains one polygon), the end result
may be a region object that contains one polygon.
The union and merge operations are similar, but they behave very differently in cases where objects are
completely contained within other objects. In this case, the merge operation removes the area of the
smaller object from the larger object, leaving a hole where the smaller object was. The union operation
does not remove the area of the smaller object.
Create Objects As Union is similar to the Objects Combine statement. The Objects Combine
statement deletes the input and inserts a new combined object. Create Objects As Union only inserts
the new combined object, it does not delete the input objects. Combining using a Target and potentially
different tables is only available with the Objects Combine statement. The Combine Objects using
Column functionality is only available using Create Objects As Union using the Group By clause.
If a Create Object As Union statement does not include a Group By clause, MapInfo Professional
creates one combined object for all objects in the table. If the statement includes a Group By clause, it
must name a column in the table to allow MapInfo Professional to group the source objects according
to the contents of the column and produce a combined object for each group of objects.
If you specify a Group By clause, MapInfo Professional groups all records sharing the same value, and
performs an operation (for example, Merge) on the group.
If you specify a Data clause, MapInfo Professional performs data aggregation. For example, if you perform
merge or union operations, you may want to use the Data clause to assign data values based on the
Sum( ) or Avg( ) aggregate functions.
Intersect
Specify Intersect to create an object representing the intersection of other objects (for example, if two
regions overlap, the intersection is the area covered by both objects).
Merge
Specify Merge to create an object representing the combined area of the source objects. The Merge
operation produces a results object that contains all of the polygons that belonged to the original objects.
If the original objects overlap, the merge operation does not eliminate the overlap. Thus, if you merge
two overlapping regions (each of which contains one polygon), the end result may be a region object
that contains two overlapping polygons. In general, Union should be used instead.
Convex Hull
The ConvexHull operator creates a polygon representing a convex hull around a set of points. The
convex hull polygon can be thought of as an operator that places a rubber band around all of the points.
It consists of the minimal set of points such that all other points lie on or inside the polygon. The polygon
is convexno interior angle can be greater than 180 degrees.
The points used to construct the convex hull are any nodes from Regions, Polylines, or Points in the
fromtable. If a Create Object As ConvexHull statement does not include a Group By clause, MapInfo
Professional creates one convex hull polygon. If the statement includes a Group By clause that names
a column in the table, MapInfo Professional groups the source objects according to the contents of the
column, then creates one convex hull polygon for each group of objects. If the statement includes a

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Group By RowID clause, MapInfo Professional creates one convex hull polygon for each object in the
source table.
Voronoi
Specify Voronoi to create regions that represent the Voronoi solutions of the input points. The data
values from the original input points can be assigned to the resultant polygon for that point by specifying
data clauses.
Example
The following example merges region objects from the Parcels table, and stores the resultant regions
in the table Zones. Since the Create Object statement includes a Group By clause, MapBasic groups
the Parcel regions, then performs one merge operation for each group. Thus, the Zones table ends up
with one region object for each group of objects in the Parcels table. Each group consists of all parcels
having the same value in the zone_id column.
Following the Create Object statement, the parcelcount column in the Zones table indicates how many
parcels were merged to produce that zone. The zonevalue column in the Zones table indicates the sum
of the values from the parcels that comprised that zone.
Open Table "PARCELS"
Open Table "ZONES"
Create Object As Merge
From PARCELS Into Table ZONES Data
parcelcount=Count(*),zonevalue=Sum(parcelvalue)
Group By zone_id
The next example shows a multi-object convex hull using the Create Object As statement.
Create Object As ConvexHull from state_caps into Table dump_table

Create Object As Buffer

Syntax
Create Object As Buffer
From fromtable
[ Into { Table intotable | Variable varname } ]
[ Width bufferwidth [ Units unitname ]]]
[ Type { Spherical | Cartesian } ] ]
[ Resolution smoothness ]
[ Data column = expression [ , column = expression... ] ]
[ Group By { column | RowID } ]
bufferwidth is a number indicating the displacement used in a Buffer operation; if this number is negative,
and if the source object is a closed object, the resulting buffer is smaller than the source object. If the
width is negative, and the object is a linear object (line, polyline, arc) or a point, then the absolute value
of width is used to produce a positive buffer.
unitname
smoothness is an integer from 2 to 100, indicating the number of segments per circle in a Buffer operation.

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Description
If the Create Object statement performs a Buffer operation, the statement can include Width and Resolution clauses. The Width clause specifies the width of the buffer. The optional Units sub-clause lets
you specify a distance unit name (such as "km" for kilometers) to apply to the Width clause. If the Width
clause does not include the Units sub-clause, the buffer width is interpreted in MapBasic's current distance
unit. By default, MapBasic uses miles as the distance unit; to change this unit, use the Set Distance
Units statement.
Type is the method used to calculate the buffer width around the object. It can either be Spherical or
Cartesian. Note that if the coordinate system of the intotable is NonEarth, then the calculations are
performed using Cartesian methods regardless of the option chosen, and if the coordinate system of
the intotable is Latitude/Longitude, then calculations are performed using Spherical methods regardless
of the option chosen.
The optional Type sub-clause lets you specify the type of distance calculation used to create the buffer.
If the Spherical type is used, then the calculation is done by mapping the data into a Latitude/Longitude
On Earth projection and using widths measured using Spherical distance calculations. If the Cartesian
type is used, then the calculation is done by considering the data to be projected to a flat surface and
widths are measured using Cartesian distance calculations. If the Width clause does not include the
Type sub-clause, then the default distance calculation type Spherical is used. If the data is in a Latitude/Longitude projection, then Spherical calculations are used regardless of the Type setting. If the data
is in a NonEarth projection, the Cartesian calculations are used regardless of the Type setting.
The Resolution keyword lets you specify the number of segments comprising each circle of the buffer
region. By default, a buffer object has a smoothness value of twelve (12), meaning that there are twelve
segments in a simple ring-shaped buffer region. By specifying a larger smoothness value, you can produce
smoother buffer regions. Note, however, that the larger the smoothness value, the longer the Create
Object statement takes, and the more disk space the resultant object occupies.
If a Create Object As Buffer statement does not include a Group By clause, MapInfo Professional
creates one buffer region. If the statement includes a Group By clause which names a column in the
table, MapInfo Professional groups the source objects according to the contents of the column, then
creates one buffer region for each group of objects. If the statement includes a Group By RowID clause,
MapInfo Professional creates one buffer region for each object in the source table.
Example
The next example creates a region object, representing a quarter-mile buffer around whatever objects
are currently selected. The buffer object is stored in the Object variable, corridor. A subsequent Update
statement or Insert statement could then copy the object to a table.
Dim corridor As Object
Create Object As Buffer
From Selection
Into Variable corridor
Width 0.25 Units "mi"
Resolution 60

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Create Object As Isogram

Syntax
Create Object As Isogram
From fromtable
[ Into { Table intotable } ]
[ Data column = expression [ , column = expression... ] ]
Connection connection_handle
[ Distance dist1 [[ Brush ... ] [ Pen ... ]]
[ , dist2 [ Brush ... ] [ Pen ... ]]
[ , distN [ Brush ... ] [ Pen ... ] [ ,...]
Units dist_unit ]
[ Time time1 [[ Brush ... ] [ Pen ... ]]
[ , time2 [ Brush ... ] [ Pen ... ]]
[ , timeN [ Brush ... ] [ Pen ... ]] [ ,...]
Units time_unit ]
connection_handle is a number expression returned from the Open Connection statement referencing
the connection to be used.
dist1, dist2, distN are numeric expressions representing distances for the Isograms expressed in dist_units.
Brush is a valid Brush clause to specify fill style.
Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify a line style.
dist_unit is a valid unit of distance (for example, "km" for kilometers). See Set Distance Units statement
for a complete list of possible values.
time1, time2, timeN are numeric values representing times for Isograms expressed in time_units.
time_unit is a string representing valid unit of time. Valid choices are: "hr", "min", or "sec".
Description
If the Create Object statement performs an Isogram operation, you must pass a connection_handle that
corresponds to an open connection created with an Open Connection statement. You must specify a
Distance clause or a Time clause to create the size of the Isogram desired. The Distance clause can
contain one or more distance expressions with an optional brush and/or pen for each one. If you do not
specify a Brush clause or Pen clause the current brush and pen is used. No matter how many Distance
instances you specify a single Units string must be provided to indicate the units in which the distances
are expressed.
By specifying a Time clause, you can create regions based on time, with each one having an optional
Brush clause and/or Pen clause. If you do not specify a Brush clause or Pen clause the current brush
and pen is used. No matter how many Time instances you specify a single Units string must be provided
to indicate the units in which the times are expressed. The maximum amount of values allowed is 50.
Each value creates a separate band that can be either specific times or specific distances. Larger values
take substantially longer to create. Many items factor into the equation, but in general, using the Set
Connection Isogram statement with MajorRoadsOnly specified, results in a much quicker response
compared to using the entire road network. MapBasic only allows distances of 35 miles with MajorRoadsOnly Off and 280 miles with MajorRoadsOnly On. similarly, the maximum time is 0.5 hours with MajorRoadsOnly Off and 4 hours with MajorRoadsOnly On.

Reference

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Create Pline statement

See Also:
Buffer( ) function, ConvexHull( ) function, Objects Combine statement, Objects Erase statement,
Objects Intersect statement, Open Connection statement

Create Pline statement

Purpose
Creates a polyline object. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Pline
[ Into { Window window_id | Variable var_name } ]
[ Multiple num_sections ]
num_points ( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 ) [ ... ]
[ Pen... ]
[ Smooth ]
window_id is a window identifier.
var_name is the name of an existing object variable.
num_points specifies how many nodes the polyline will contain.
num_sections specifies how many sections the multi-section polyline will contain.
each x, y pair defines a node of the polyline.
The Pen clause specifies a line style.
Description
The Create Pline statement creates a polyline object. If you need to create a polyline object, but do not
know until run-time how many nodes the object should contain, create the object in two steps: First, use
Create Pline to create an object with no nodes, and then use the Alter Object statement to add detail
to the polyline object.
If the statement includes the optional Into Variable clause, the object will be stored in the specified object
variable. If the Into clause specifies a Window identifier, the object will be stored in the appropriate
place in the window (for example, in the editable layer of a Map window). If you omit the Into clause,
MapInfo Professional attempts to store the object in the topmost window; if objects cannot be stored in
the topmost window; no object is created.
The x and y parameters use whatever coordinate system MapBasic is currently using (Longitude/Latitude
by default). Objects created on a Layout window, however, are specified in paper units. For details about
paper units, see Set Paper Units statement. By default, MapBasic uses inches as the paper unit. To
use a different paper unit, use the Set Layout statement. If you need to create objects on a Layout
window, you must first issue a Set CoordSys Layout statement.
The optional Pen clause specifies a line style. If no Pen clause is specified, the Create Pline statement
will use the current line style (the style which appears in the MapInfo Professional Options > Line Style

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dialog box). Smooth will smooth the line so that it appears to be one continuous line with curves instead
of angles.
A single-section polyline can contain up to 134,217,724 nodes. The maximum number of segments in
a multi-segment polyline is 24,403,223.
See Also:
Alter Object statement, Insert statement, Pen clause, Set CoordSys statement, Update statement

CreatePoint( ) function
Purpose
Returns an Object value representing a point. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CreatePoint( x, y )
x is a float value, representing an x-position (for example, Longitude).
y is a float value, representing a y-position (for example, Latitude).
Return Value
Object
Description
The CreatePoint( ) function returns an Object value representing a point.
The x and y parameters should use whatever coordinate system MapBasic is currently using. By default,
MapBasic uses a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system, although the Set CoordSys statement can reconfigure MapBasic to use a different coordinate system. Note that MapBasic's coordinate system is
independent of the coordinate system of any Map window.
The point object will use whatever Symbol style is currently selected. To create a point object with a
specific Symbol style, you could issue the Set Style statement before calling CreatePoint( ). Alternately,
instead of calling CreatePoint( ), you could issue a Create Point statement, which has an optional
Symbol clause.
The point object created through the CreatePoint( ) function could be assigned to an Object variable,
stored in an existing row of a table (through the Update statement), or inserted into a new row of a table
(through an Insert statement).
Note: If you need to create objects on a Layout window, you must first issue a Set CoordSys statement.

Reference

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Examples
The following example uses the Insert statement to insert a new row into the table Sites. The CreatePoint( ) function is used within the body of the Insert statement to specify the graphic object that will be
attached to the new row.
Open Table "sites"
Insert Into sites (obj)
Values ( CreatePoint(-72.5, 42.4) )
The following example assumes that the table Sites has Xcoord and Ycoord columns, which indicate
the longitude and latitude positions of the data. The Update statement uses the CreatePoint( ) function
to build a point object for each row in the table. Following the Update operation, each row in the Sites
table will have a point object attached. Each point object will be located at the position indicated by the
Xcoord, Ycoord columns.
Open Table "sites"
Update sites
Set obj = CreatePoint(xcoord, ycoord)
The above example assumes that the Xcoord, Ycoord columns contain actual longitude and latitude
degree values.
See Also:
Create Point statement, Insert statement, Update statement

Create Point statement

Purpose
Creates a point object. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Point
[ Into { Window window_id | Variable var_name } ]
( x, y )
[ Symbol... ]
window_id is a window identifier.
var_name is the name of an existing object variable.
x, y specifies the location of the point.
The Symbol clause specifies a symbol style.
Description
The Create Point statement creates a point object.
If the statement includes the optional Into Variable clause, the object will be stored in the specified object
variable. If the Into clause specifies a window identifier, the object will be stored in the appropriate place
in the window (for example, in the editable layer of a Map window). If the Into clause is not provided,
MapBasic will attempt to store the object in the topmost window; if objects may not be stored in the topmost
window (for example, if the topmost window is a grapher) no object will be created.

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The x and y parameters use whatever coordinate system MapBasic is currently using. By default, MapBasic uses a longitude, latitude coordinate system, although the Set CoordSys statement can re-configure MapBasic to use a different coordinate system. Note that MapBasic's coordinate system is independent of the coordinate system of any Map window. Objects created on a Layout window, however,
are specified in paper units: each x-coordinate represents a distance from the left edge of the page,
while each y-coordinate represents the distance from the top edge of the page. For details about paper
units, see Set Paper Units statement. By default, MapBasic uses inches as the default paper unit. To
use a different paper unit, use the Set Paper Units statement.
Note: If you need to create objects on a Layout window, you must first issue a Set CoordSys Layout
statement.
The optional Symbol clause specifies a symbol style; see Symbol clause for more details. If no Symbol
clause is specified, the Create Point statement uses the current symbol style (the style which appears
in the Options > Symbol Style dialog box).
See Also:
CreatePoint( ) function, Insert statement, Symbol clause, Update statement

Create PrismMap statement

Purpose
Creates a Prism map. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create PrismMap
[ From Window window_ID | MapString mapper_creation_string ]
{ layer_id | layer_name }
With expr
[ Camera [Pitch angle | Roll angle | Yaw angle | Elevation angle] |
[ Position ( x, y, z ) | FocalPoint ( x, y, z ) ] |
[ Orientation(vu_1, vu_2, vu_3, vpn_1, vpn_2, vpn_3,
clip_near, clip_far) ]
]
[ Light Color lightcolor ]
[ Scale grid_scale ]
[ Background backgroundcolor ]
window_id is a window identifier a for a Map window which contains a region layer. An error message
is displayed if a layer with regions is not found.
mapper_creation_string specifies a command string that creates the mapper textured on the Prism map.
layer_id is the layer identifier of a layer in the map (one or larger).
layer_name is the name of a layer in the map.
expr is an expression that is evaluated for each row in the table.
Camera specifies the camera position and orientation.

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angle is an angle measurement in degrees. The horizontal angle in the dialog box ranges from 0-360
degrees and rotates the maps around the center point of the grid. The vertical angle in the dialog box
ranges from 0-90 and measures the rotation in elevation from the start point directly over the map.
Pitch adjusts the camera's current rotation about the x-axis centered at the camera's origin.
Roll adjusts the camera's current rotation about the z-axis centered at the camera's origin.
Yaw adjusts the camera's current rotation about the y-axis centered at the camera's origin.
Elevation adjusts the current camera's rotation about the x-axis centered at the camera's focal point.
Position indicates the camera and/or light position.
FocalPoint indicates the camera and/or light focal point.
Orientation specifies the camera's ViewUp (vu_1, vu_2, vu_3), ViewPlane Normal (vpn_1, vpn_2, vpn_3)
and Clipping Range (clip_near and clip_far), used specifically for persistence of view).
grid_scale is the amount to scale the grid in the z direction. A value >1 will exaggerate the topology in
the z direction, a value <1 will scale down the topological features in the z direction.
backgroundcolor is a color to be used to set the background and is specified using the RGB( ) function.
Description
The Create PrismMap statement creates a Prism Map window. The Prism Map is a way to associate
multiple variables for a single object in one visual. For example, the color associated with a region may
be the result of thematic shading while the height the object is extruded through may represent a different
value. The Create PrismMap statement corresponds to MapInfo Professional's Map > Create Prism
Map menu item.
Between sessions, MapInfo Professional preserves Prism Maps settings by storing a Create PrismMap
statement in the workspace file. Thus, to see an example of the Create PrismMap statement, you could
create a map, choose the Map > Create Thematic Map command, save the workspace (for example,
PRISM.WOR), and examine the workspace in a MapBasic text edit window. You could then copy the
Create PrismMap statement in your MapBasic program. Similarly, you can see examples of the Create
PrismMap statement by opening the MapBasic window before you choose Map > Create Thematic
Map.
Each Create PrismMap statement must specify an expr expression clause. MapInfo Professional evaluates this expression for each object in the layer; following the Create PrismMap statement, MapInfo
Professional chooses each object's display style based on that record's expr value. The expression
typically includes the names of one or more columns from the table being shaded.
The optional window_id clause identifies which map layer to use in the prism map; if no window_id is
provided, MapBasic uses the topmost Map window. The Create PrismMap statement must specify
which layer to use, even if the Map window has only one layer. The layer may be identified by number
(layer_id), where the topmost map layer has a layer_id value of one, the next layer has a layer_id value
of two, etc. Alternately, the Create PrismMap statement can identify the map layer by name (for example,
"world").
Example
Open Table "STATES.TAB" Interactive
Map From STATES

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Create PrismMap From Window FrontWindow( ) STATES With Pop_1980 Background
RGB(192,192,192)
See Also:
Set PrismMap statement, PrismMapInfo( ) function

Create Query statement

Purpose
Generates a query table that represents the current contents of the specified Browser window. You can
issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Query
From Window window_id
Into query_name
window_id is an Integer window ID number identifying a Browser window.
query_name is the name of the query table to generate.
Error Conditions
ERR_TABLE_ALREADY_OPEN error is generated if there is already a table open with the name
query_name and the table is not a query table.
Description
After you have applied sort and/or filter conditions to a Browser window, you might want to perform other
operations on the results of the filter. Use the Create Query statement to generate a query table that
represents the current contents of the Browser. The resulting query represents the set of rows that satisfies the filter conditions. You can then use the query in other MapBasic statements, such as the Update
statement, Commit Table statement, and Map statement.
Example
Browse * From World
Set Browse Filter Where (Continent = "North America" Or Continent = "South
America")
Create Query From Window Frontwindow() into Americas
Map From Americas
See Also:
Set Browse statement, Select statement

Create Ranges statement

Purpose
Calculates thematic ranges and stores the ranges in an array, which can then be used in a Shade
statement. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

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Create Ranges statement

Syntax
Create Ranges
From table
With expr
[ Use { "Equal Ranges" | "Equal Count" | "Natural Break" | "StdDev" } ]
[ Quantile Using q_expr ]
[ Number num_ranges ]
[ Round rounding_factor ]
Into Variable array_variable
table is the name of the table to be shaded thematically.
expr is an expression that is evaluated for each row in the table.
q_expr is the expression used to perform quantiling.
num_ranges specifies the number of ranges (default is 4).
rounding_factor is factor by which the range break numbers should be rounded (for example, 10 to round
off values to the nearest ten).
array_variable is the float array variable in which the range information will be stored.
Description
The Create Ranges statement calculates a set of range values which can then be used in a Shade
statement (which creates a thematic map layer). For an introduction to thematic maps, see the MapInfo
Professional documentation.
The optional Use clause specifies how to break the data into ranges. If you specify "Equal Ranges" each
range covers an equal portion of the spectrum of values (for example, 0-25, 25-50, 50-75, 75-100). If
you specify "Equal Count" the ranges are constructed so that there are approximately the same number
of rows in each range. If you specify "Natural Break" the ranges are dictated by natural breaks in the set
of data values. If you specify "StdDev" the middle range breaks at the mean of your data values, and
the ranges above and below the middle range are one standard deviation above or below the mean.
MapInfo Professional uses the population standard deviation (N - 1).
The Into Variable clause specifies the name of the float array variable that will hold the range information.
You do not need to pre-size the array; MapInfo Professional automatically enlarges the array, if necessary,
to make room for the range information. The final size of the array is twice the number of ranges, because
MapInfo Professional calculates a high value and a low value for each range.
After calling Create Ranges, call the Shade statement to create the thematic map, and use the Shade
statement's optional From Variable clause to read the array of ranges. The Shade statement usually
specifies the same table name and column expression as the Create Ranges statement.
Quantiled Ranges
If the optional Quantile Using clause is present, the Use clause is ignored and range limits are defined
according to the q_expr.

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Quantiled ranges are best illustrated by example. The following statement creates ranges of buying
power index (BPI) values, and uses state population statistics to perform quantiling to set the range
limits.
Create Ranges From states
With BPI_1990 Quantile Using Pop_1990
Number 5
Into Variable f_ranges
Because of the Number 5 clause, this example creates a set of five ranges.
Because of the With BPI_1990 clause, states with the highest BPI values will be placed in the highest
range (the deepest color), and states with the lowest BPI values will be placed in the lowest range (the
palest color).
Because of the Quantile Using Pop_1990 clause, the range limits for the intermediate ranges are
calculated by quantiling, using a method that takes state population (Pop_1990) into account. Since the
Quantile Using clause specifies the Pop_1990 column, MapInfo Professional calculates the total 1990
population for the table (which, for the United States, is roughly 250 million). MapInfo Professional divides
that total by the number of ranges (in this case, five ranges), producing a result of fifty million. MapInfo
Professional then tries to define the ranges in such a way that the total population for each range approximates, but does not exceed, fifty million.
MapInfo Professional retrieves rows from the States table in order of BPI values, starting with the states
having low BPI values. MapInfo Professional assigns rows to the first range until adding another row
would cause the cumulative population to match or exceed fifty million. At that time, MapInfo Professional
considers the first range "full" and then assigns rows to the second range. MapInfo Professional places
rows in the second range until adding another row would cause the cumulative total to match or exceed
100 million; at that point, the second range is full, etc.
Example
Include "mapbasic.def"
Dim range_limits( ) As Float, brush_styles( ) As Brush
Dim col_name As Alias
Open Table "states" Interactive
Create Styles
From Brush(2, CYAN, 0) 'style for LOW range
To Brush (2, BLUE, 0) 'style for HIGH range
Vary Color By "RGB"
Number 5
Into Variable brush_styles
' Store a column name in the Alias variable:
col_name = "Pop_1990"
Create Ranges From states
With col_name
Use "Natural Break"
Number 5
Into Variable range_limits
Map From states
Shade states

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Create Rect statement

With col_name
Ranges
From Variable range_limits
Style Variable brush_styles
' Show the theme legend window:
Open Window Legend
See Also:
Create Styles statement, Set Shade statement, Shade statement

Create Rect statement

Purpose
Creates a rectangle or square object. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Rect
[ Into { Window window_id | Variable var_name } ]
( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 )
[ Pen ... ]
[ Brush ... ]
window_id is a window identifier.
var_name is the name of an existing object variable.
x1, y1 specifies the starting corner of the rectangle.
x2, y2 specifies the opposite corner of the rectangle.
Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify a line style.
Brush is a valid Brush clause to specify fill style.
Description
If the Create Rect statement includes the optional Into Variable clause, the object will be stored in the
specified object variable. If the Into clause specifies a Window identifier, the object will be stored in the
appropriate place in the window (for example, in the editable layer of a Map window). If the Into clause
is not provided, MapBasic will attempt to store the object in the topmost window; if objects may not be
stored in the topmost window (for example, if the topmost window is a grapher) no object will be created.
The x and y parameters use whatever coordinate system MapBasic is currently using. By default, MapBasic uses a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system, although the Set CoordSys statement can reconfigure MapBasic to use a different coordinate system. Note that MapBasic's coordinate system is
independent of the coordinate system of any Map window. Objects created on a Layout window, however,
are specified in paper units: each x-coordinate represents a distance from the left edge of the page,
while each y-coordinate represents the distance from the top edge of the page. For details about paper
units, see Set Paper Units statement. By default, MapBasic uses inches as the default paper unit. To
use a different paper unit, call the Set Paper Units statement.

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Note: If you need to create objects on a Layout window, you must first issue a Set CoordSys Layout
statement.
The optional Pen clause specifies a line style; see Pen clause for more details. If no Pen clause is
specified, the Create Rect statement uses the current line style (the style which appears in the Options
> Line Style dialog box). Similarly, the optional Brush clause specifies a fill style; see Brush clause
for more details.
See Also:
Brush clause, Create RoundRect statement, Insert statement, Pen clause, Update statement

Create Redistricter statement

Purpose
Begins a redistricting session. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Create Redistricter source_table By district_column
With
[ Layer <layer_number> ]
[ Count ]
[ , Brush ] [ , Symbol ] [ , Pen ]
[ , { Sum | Percent } ( expr ) ] [ , { Sum | Percent } ( expr ) ... ]
[ Percentage From expr ]
[ Percentage from { column | row } ]
[ Order { "MRU" | "Alpha" | "Unordered" } ]
source_table is the name of the table containing objects to be grouped into districts.
district_column is the name of a column; the initial set of districts is built from the original contents of this
column, and as objects are assigned to different districts, MapInfo Professional stores the object's new
district name in this column.
layer_number is the number of a layer in the current Map window (for example, 1 for the top layer); to
determine the number of layers in a Map window, call the MapperInfo( ) function.
Count keyword specifies that the Districts Browser will show a count of the objects belonging to each
district.
Brush keyword specifies that the Districts Browser will show each district's fill style.
Symbol keyword specifies that the Districts Browser will show each district's symbol style.
Pen keyword specifies that the Districts Browser will show each district's line style.
expr is a numeric column expression.
Percentage From clause specifies in-row calculation.
Order clause specifies the order of rows in the Districts Browser (alphabetical, unsorted, or based on
most-recently-used); default is MRU.

Reference

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Create Region statement

Description
The Create Redistricter statement begins a redistricting session. This statement corresponds to
choosing MapInfo Professional's Window > New Redistrict Window command. For an introduction to
redistricting, see the MapInfo Professional documentation.
To control the set of districts, use the Set Redistricter statement. To end the redistricting session, use
the Close Window statement to close the Districts Browser window.
If you include the Brush keyword, the Districts Browser includes a sample of each district's fill style.
Note that this is not a complete Brush clause; the keyword Brush appears by itself. Similarly, the
Symbol and Pen keywords are individual keywords, not a complete Symbol clause or Pen clause. If
the Districts Browser includes brush, symbol, and/or pen styles, the user can change a district's style by
clicking on the style sample that appears in the Districts Browser.
The Percentage From clause allows you to specify the in-row mode of percentage calculation. If the
Percentage From clause is not specified, the in-column method of calculation is used.
See Also:
Set Redistricter statement

Create Region statement

Purpose
Creates a region object. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Region
[ Into { Window window_id | Variable var_name } ]
num_polygons
[ num_points1 ( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 ) [ ... ] ]
[ num_points2 ( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 ) [ ... ] ... ]
[ Pen ... ]
[ Brush ... ]
[ Center ( center_x, center_y ) ]
window_id is a window identifier.
var_name is the name of an existing object variable.
num_polygons specifies the number of polygons that will make up the region (zero or more).
num_points1 specifies the number of nodes in the region's first polygon.
num_points2 specifies the number of nodes in the region's second polygon, etc.
Each x, y pair specifies one node of a polygon.
Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify a line style.
Brush is a valid Brush clause to specify fill style.
center_x is the x-coordinate of the object centroid.
center_y is the y-coordinate of the object centroid.

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Description
The Create Region statement creates a region object.
The num_polygons parameter specifies the number of polygons which comprise the region object. If
you specify a num_polygons parameter with a value of zero, the object will be created as an empty region
(a region with no polygons). You can then use the Alter Object statement to add details to the region.
Depending on your application, you may need to create a region object in two steps, first using Create
Region to create an object with no polygons, and then using the Alter Object statement to add details
to the region object. If your application needs to create region objects, but it will not be known until runtime how many nodes or how many polygons the regions will contain, you must use the Alter Object
statement to add the variable numbers of nodes. See Alter Object statement for more information.
If the statement includes the optional Into Variable clause, the object will be stored in the specified object
variable. If the Into clause specifies a window identifier, the object will be stored in the appropriate place
in the window (for example, in the editable layer of a Map window). If the Into clause is not provided,
MapBasic will attempt to store the object in the topmost window; if objects may not be stored in the topmost
window (for example, if the topmost window is a grapher) no object will be created.
The x and y parameters use whatever coordinate system MapBasic is currently using. By default, MapBasic uses a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system, although the Set CoordSys statement can reconfigure MapBasic to use a different coordinate system. Note that MapBasic's coordinate system is
independent of the coordinate system of any Map window. Objects created on a Layout window, however,
are specified in paper units: each x-coordinate represents a distance from the left edge of the page,
while each y-coordinate represents the distance from the top edge of the page. For details about paper
units, see Set Paper Units statement. By default, MapBasic uses inches as the default paper unit. To
use a different paper unit, To use a different paper unit, call the Set Paper Units statement.
Note: If you need to create objects on a Layout window, you must first issue a Set CoordSys Layout
statement.
The optional Pen clause specifies a line style used to draw the outline of the object; see Pen clause
for more details. If no Pen clause is specified, the Create Region statement uses the current line style
(the style which appears in the Options > Line Style dialog box). Similarly, the optional Brush clause
specifies a fill style; see Brush clause for more details.
A single-polygon region can contain up to 134,217,724 nodes. There can be a maximum of 20,648,881
polygons per region (multipolygon region or collection).
Example
Dim obj_region As Object
Dim x(100), y(100) As Float
Dim i, node_count As Integer
'
'
'
'

If you store a set of coordinates in the

x( ) and y( ) arrays, the following statements
will create a region object that has a node
at each x,y location:

' First, create an empty region object

Create Region Into Variable obj_region 0
' Now add nodes to populate the object:

Reference

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Create Report From Table statement

For i = 1 to node_count
Alter Object obj_region Node Add ( x(i), y(i) )
Next
' Now store the object in the Sites table:
Insert Into Sites (Object) Values (obj_region)
See Also:
Alter Object statement, Brush clause, Insert statement, Pen clause, Update statement

Create Report From Table statement

Purpose
Creates a report file for Crystal Reports from an open MapInfo Professional table. You can issue this
statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Report From Table tablename [Into reportfilespec][Interactive]
tablename is an open table in MapInfo Professional.
reportfilespec is a full path and filename for the new report file.
The Interactive keyword signifies that the new report should immediately be loaded into the Crystal
Report Designer module. Interactive mode is implied if the Into clause is missing. You cannot create a
report from a grid or raster table; you will get an error.
See Also:
Open Report statement

Create RoundRect statement

Purpose
Creates a rounded rectangle object. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Create RoundRect
[ Into { Window window_id | Variable var_name } ]
( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 ) rounding
[ Pen ... ]
[ Brush ... ]
window_id is a window identifier.
var_name is the name of an existing object variable.
x1, y1 specifies one corner of the rounded rectangle.
x2, y2 specifies the opposite corner of the rectangle.

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rounding is a float value, in coordinate units (for example, inches on a Layout or degrees on a Map),
specifying the diameter of the circle which fills the rounded rectangle's corner.
Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify a line style.
Brush is a valid Brush clause to specify fill style.
Description
The Create RoundRect statement creates a rounded rectangle object (a rectangle with rounded corners).
The x and y parameters use whatever coordinate system MapBasic is currently using. By default, MapBasic uses a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system, although the Set CoordSys statement can reconfigure MapBasic to use a different coordinate system. Note that MapBasic's coordinate system is
independent of the coordinate system of any Map window. Objects created on a Layout window, however,
are specified in paper units: each x-coordinate represents a distance from the left edge of the page,
while each y-coordinate represents the distance from the top edge of the page. For details about paper
units, see Set Paper Units statement. By default, MapBasic uses inches as the default paper unit. To
use a different paper unit, call the Set Paper Units statement.
Note: If you need to create objects on a Layout window, you must first issue a Set CoordSys Layout
statement.
The optional Pen clause specifies a line style used to draw the outline of the object; see Pen clause
for more details. If no Pen clause is specified, the Create RoundRect statement uses the current line
style (the style which appears in the Options > Line Style dialog box). Similarly, the optional Brush
clause specifies a fill style; see Brush clause for more details.
See Also:
Brush clause, Create Rect statement, Insert statement, Pen clause, Update statement

Create Styles statement

Purpose
Builds a set of Pen, Brush or Symbol styles, and stores the styles in an array. You can issue this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Styles
From { Pen ... | Brush ... | Symbol ... }
To { Pen ... | Brush ... | Symbol ... }
Vary { Color By { "RGB" | "HSV" } | Background By { "RGB" | "HSV" } |
Size By { "Log" | "Sqrt" | "Constant" }}
[ Number num_styles ]
[ Inflect At range_number With { Pen ... | Brush ... | Symbol ...} ]
Into Variable array_variable
num_styles is the number of drawing styles (for example, the number of fill styles) to create. The default
number is four.
range_number is a SmallInt range number; the inflection attribute is placed after this range.

Reference

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Create Styles statement

array_variable is an array variable that will store the range of pens, brushes, or symbols.
Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify a line style.
Brush is a valid Brush clause to specify fill style.
Symbol is a valid Symbol clause to specify a point style.
Description
The Create Styles statement defines a set of Pen, Brush, or Symbol styles, and stores the styles in an
array variable. The array can then be used in a Shade statement (which creates a thematic map layer).
For an introduction to thematic mapping, see the MapInfo Professional documentation.
The From clause specifies a Pen, Brush, or Symbol style. If the array of styles is later used in a thematic
map, the From style is the style assigned to the "low" range. The To clause specifies a style that corresponds to the "high" range of a thematic map.
The Create Styles statement builds a set of styles which are interpolated between the From style and
the To style. For example, the From style could be a Brush clause representing a deep, saturated shade
of blue, and the To style could be a Brush clause representing a pale, faint shade of blue. In this case,
MapInfo Professional builds a set of Brush styles that vary from pale blue to saturated blue.
The optional Number clause specifies the total number of drawing styles needed; this number includes
the two styles specified in the To and From clauses. Usually, this corresponds to the number of ranges
specified in a subsequent Shade statement.
The Vary clause specifies how to spread an attribute among the styles. To spread the foreground color,
use the Color sub-clause. To spread the background color, use the Background sub-clause. In either
case, color can be spread by interpolating the RGB or HSV components of the From and To colors. If
you are creating an array of Symbol styles, you can use the Size sub-clause to vary the symbols' point
sizes. Similarly, if you are creating an array of Pen styles, you can use the Size sub-clause to vary line
width.
The optional Inflect At clause specifies an inflection attribute that goes between the From and To styles.
If you specify an Inflect At clause, MapInfo Professional creates two sets of styles: one set of styles interpolated between the From style and the Inflect style, and another set of styles interpolated between
the Inflect style and the To style. For example, using an inflection style, you could create a thematic map
of profits and losses, where map regions that have shown a profit appear in various shades of green,
while regions that have shown a loss appear in various shades of red. Inflection only works when varying
the color attribute.
The Into Variable clause specifies the name of the array variable that will hold the styles. You do not
need to pre-size the array; MapInfo Professional automatically enlarges the array, if necessary, to make
room for the set of styles. The array_variable (Pen, Brush, or Symbol) must match the style type specified
in the From and To clauses.
Example
The following example demonstrates the syntax of the Create Styles statement.
Dim brush_styles( ) As Brush
Create Styles
From Brush(2, CYAN, 0) 'style for LOW range

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To Brush (2, BLUE, 0) 'style for HIGH range
Vary Color By "RGB"
Number 5
Into Variable brush_styles
This Create Styles statement defines a set of five Brush styles, and stores the styles in the b_ranges
array. A subsequent Shade statement could create a thematic map which reads the Brush styles from
the b_ranges array. For an example, see Create Ranges statement.
See Also:
Create Ranges statement, Set Shade statement, Shade statement

Create Table statement

Purpose
Creates a new table. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Table table_name
[ ( column columntype [ , ... ] ) | Using from_table ]
[ File filespec ]
[ {
Type NATIVE [ Version version_pro ] |
Type DBF [ CharSet char_set ] [ Version version_pro ] |
Type { Access | ODBC }
Database database_filespec [ Version version_msaccess ]
Table db_table_name [ Password pwd ] [ CharSet char_set ]
[ Version version_pro ] |
Type TILESERVER
TileType { LevelRowColumn | QuadKey }
URL url
[ AttributionText "attributiontext" ] [ Font font_clause ]
[ StartTileNum { 0 | 1 } ]
[ Minlevel min_level ]
MaxLevel max_level
[ Origin { "SW" | "NW" } ]
Height tile_height [Width tile_width]
[ ReadTimeout read_time_out ]
[ RequestTimeout request_time_out]
CoordSys coordsys
} ]
table_name is the name of the table as you want it to appear in MapInfo Professional.
column is the name of a column to create. Column names can be up to 31 characters long, and can
contain letters, numbers, and the underscore (_) character. Column names cannot begin with numbers.
columntype is the data type associated with the column. Each columntype is defined as follows:
Char( width ) | Float | Integer | SmallInt |
Decimal( width, decplaces ) | Date | DateTime | Time | Logical
Where Decimal width is from 1 to 20, and Decimal decplaces from 0 to 16. The decplaces setting must
either be zero (0) or 2 less than width; if width is 10, decplaces can be up to 8.

Reference

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Create Table statement

from_table is the name of a currently open table in which the column you want to place in a new table
is stored. The from_table must be a base table, and must contain column data. Query tables and raster
tables cannot be used and will produce an error. The column structure of the new table will be identical
to this table.
filespec specifies where to create the .TAB, .MAP, and .ID files (and in the case of Access, .AID files).
If you omit the File clause, files are created in the current directory.
version_pro is 100 (to create a table that can be read by versions of MapInfo Professional), or 300 for
(MapInfo Professional 3.0 format). Does not apply when creating an Access table; the version of the
Access table is handled by DAO.
Type DBF:
char_set is the name of a character set; see CharSet clause.
Type { Access | ODBC }:
database_filespec is a string that identifies a valid Access database. If the specified database does not
exist, MapInfo Professional creates a new Access (.MDB or .ACCDB) file.
version_msaccess is an expression that specifies the version of the Microsoft Jet database format to be
used by the new database. Acceptable values are 4.0 (for Access 2000) or 3.0 (for Access '95/'97). If
omitted, the default version is 12.0. If the database in which the table is being created already exists,
the specified database version is ignored.
db_table_name is a string that indicates the name of the table as it will appear in Access.
pwd is the database-level password for the database, to be specified when database security is turned
on.
char_set is the name of a character set; see CharSet clause.
Type TILESERVER:
url is the fully qualified URL, either http://<server> or https://<server>, to request a tile from a tile server.
If the URL does not have the following replaceable tags, then the Create Table fails:
If tile_type is QuadKey, then the URL must contain {QUADKEY}.
If tile_type is LevelRowColumn, then the URL must contain {LEVEL}, {ROW}, and {COL} tags that
will be replaced at runtime. Servers support the {ROW} and {COL} tags differently; sometimes these
tags may need to be reversed for row and column (or X, Y).
attributiontext is the attribution text that will display as text in the map window when displaying tiles from
a tileserver. This text must be in quotes ("...").
font_clause is optional and specifies the font style to use on the attribution text. This is a Font expression,
for example, MakeFont( fontname, style, size, fgcolor, bgcolor ).
Font ("Verdana", 1, 24, 0, 255)
Font MakeFont("Verdana", 1, 24, 0, 255)
For more details, see Font clause or MakeFont( ) function.
min_level is the minimum level for a tile server. This must be either zero (0) or a positive value and less
than the max_level. The default is zero (0).
max_level is the max level the tile server supports. This must be a positive value.

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tile_height is the height in pixels of a single tile from the tile server. This must be a positive value.
tile_width is the width in pixels of a single tile from the tile server. If specified, this must be a positive
value. If not specified, the height is used as the width.
read_time_out is the number in seconds until the read of tiles times out (the default is 300). This must
be a positive value.
request_time_out is a value in seconds until the request of the tiles times out (the default is 100). This
must be a positive value.
coordsys is the default coordinate system for the tile server. MapInfo Professional cannot reproject the
tile server image, so it reprojects the map to use this coordinate system. You are unable to change the
coordinate system for the map when it includes a tile server layer. The bounds of the coordinate system
also specify the bounds of the first tile (the one tile in the minimum level). This is how MapInfo Professional knows how to calculate the extent of the tiles in the other levels.
Description
The Create Table statement creates a new empty table with up to 250 columns. Specify ODBC to create
new tables on a DBMS server.
The Using clause allows you to create a new table as part of the "Combine Objects Using Column"
functionality. The from_table must be a base table, and must contain column data. Query tables and
raster tables cannot be used and will produce an error. The column structure of the new table being
created will be identical to this table.
The optional File clause specifies where to create the new table. If no File clause is used, the table is
created in the current directory or folder.
The optional Type clause specifies the table's data format. The default type is NATIVE, but can alternately
be DBF. The NATIVE format takes up less disk space than the DBF format, but the DBF format produces
base files that can be read in any dBASE-compatible database manager. Also, create new tables on
DBMS Servers from the ODBC Type clause in the Create Table statement.
The CharSet clause specifies a character set. The char_set parameter should be a string constant, such
as "WindowsLatin1". If no CharSet clause is specified, MapBasic uses the default character set for the
hardware platform that is in use at runtime. For more details, see CharSet clause.
The SmallInt column type reserves two bytes for each value; thus, the column can contain values from
-32,767 to +32,767. The Integer column type reserves four bytes for each value; thus, the column can
contain values from -2,147,483,647 to +2,147,483,647.
The TileType clause specifies the type of the tile server this table will use, QuadKey or LevelRowColumn.
This represents the way that the tile server retrieves the tiles. You must set this based on what the
server supports and uses:
QuadKey - A server that uses a quad tree algorithm splits the world up into squares that are 256 pixels
by 256 pixels. Each tile is referred to by a unique string of characters between 0 - 3 (QuadKey), which
describes the position and zoom level at which to place the tile.
LevelRowColumn - A server that splits the world up into squares where each tile identifier is a list containing the zoom level, row, and column number of the tile. The format of the tile identifier may vary from
server to server, so the {ROW} and {COL} tags may seem reversed for some servers.

Reference

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Create Table statement

The StartTileNum clause is optional. It is the number of the starting tile, either zero (0) or one (1). Zero
(0) is the default start tile number.
The Origin clause is optional for tables of type TileServer. If this clause is present, you must include
one of the two values - "NW" or "SW". "SW" represents a South-West origin in which the tiles in the
TileServer table are arranged in a bottom-up manner, starting from the lower-left corner. "NW" represents
a North-West origin of the tiles, starting from the upper-left corner. If no value is included, "NW" is used
by default.
The Version clause controls the table's format. If you specify Version 100, MapInfo Professional
creates a table in a format that can be read by versions of MapInfo Professional. If you specify Version
300, MapInfo Professional creates a table in the format used by MapInfo Professional 3.0. Note that
region and polyline objects having more than 8,000 nodes and multiple-segment polyline objects require
version 300. If you omit the Version clause, the table is created in the version 300 format.
Messages when creating a Tile Server Table
If an error occurs while fetching tiles from the server, which can happen when drawing a tile server layer
in a map window, then check:
The tile server URL is incorrect.
The tile server is currently available.
The amount of time the server takes to respond to the request does not exceed the specified timeout
value.
Improper authentication due to the tile server being on a secure server or is accessed through a proxy
server.
If an error occurs loading a tile server table, then check if:
A required property in the configuration file is missing.
The configuration file is missing.
If an error occurs creating the tile server configuration file, which is an XML file, then check that the
configuration file can be created in the path supplied.
Example
The following example shows how to create a table for a TMS tile server with a South-West origin.
Dim sPath As String
sPath="D:\MapInfo\Tables\TMS.tab"
Create Table PathToTableName$(sPath)
File sPath
Type TILESERVER
TileType "LevelRowColumn"
URL "http://INSERT_TILE_SERVER_NAME/{LEVEL}/{ROW}/{COL}.png"
AttributionText "required attribution text" Font ("Arial",256,10,0,16777215)
MinLevel 0
MaxLevel 15
Height 256
CoordSys Earth Projection 20, 109, 7, 5.387638889, 52.156160556, 0.9999079,
155000, 463000 Bounds (-285401.92, 22598.08) (595401.92, 903401.92)
Origin "SW"

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The following example shows how to create a table called Towns, containing 3 fields: a character field
called townname, an integer field called population, and a decimal field called median_income. The file
will be created in the subdirectory C:\MAPINFO\DATA. Since an optional Type clause is used, the table
will be built around a dBASE file.
Create Table Towns
( townname Char(30),
population SmallInt,
median_income Decimal(9,2) )
File "C:\MAPINFO\TEMP\TOWNS"
Type DBF
Examples for TILESERVER
The following examples show how to create tile server tables for various tile servers. In the examples,
the table name and file name are determined by the users. The attribution text should be the attribution
legally required by the provider of the server.
The following example shows how to create a tile server table which uses a MapInfo Developer tile
server:
Create Table MIDev_TileServer
File "MIDev_TileServer"
Type TILESERVER
TileType "LevelRowColumn"
URL
"http://INSERT_SERVER_NAME_HERE/MapTilingService/MapName/{LEVEL}/{ROW}
:{COL}/tile.gif"
AttributionText "required attribution text"
Font("Verdena",255,16,0,255)
StartTileNum 1
MaxLevel 20
Height 256
CoordSys Earth Projection 10, 157, 7, 0 Bounds(-20037508.34,20037508.34) (20037508.34,20037508.34)
The following example shows how to create a tile server table which uses a MapXtreme.NET tile server:
Create Table MXT_TileServer
File "MXT_TileServer"
Type TILESERVER
TileType "LevelRowColumn"
URL
"http://INSERT_SERVER_NAME_HERE/TileServer/MapName/{LEVEL}/{ROW};{COL}
/tile.png"
AttributionText "required attribution text"
Font("Calibri",255,16,0,255)
MaxLevel 20
Height 256
RequestTimeout 90
ReadTimeout 60
CoordSys Earth Projection 10, 157, 7, 0 Bounds(-20037508.34,20037508.34) (20037508.34,20037508.34)
The following example shows how to create a tile server table which uses an OpenStreetMap tile server:
Create Table OSM_TileServer
File "OSM_TileServer"
Type TILESERVER
TileType "LevelRowColumn"
URL

Reference

237

CreateText( ) function
"http://INSERT_OPEN_STREET_MAP_SERVER_NAME_HERE/{LEVEL}/{ROW}/{COL}.pn
g"
AttributionText "required attribution text" Font("Arial",255,16,0,255)
MinLevel 0
MaxLevel 15
Height 256
CoordSys Earth Projection 10, 157, 7, 0 Bounds(-20037508.34,20037508.34) (20037508.34,20037508.34)
See Also:
Alter Table statement, Create Index statement, Create Map statement, Drop Table statement, Export
statement, Import statement, Open Table statement

CreateText( ) function
Purpose
Returns a text object created for a specific map window. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CreateText( window_id, x, y, text, angle, anchor, offset )
window_id is an integer window identifier that represents a Map window.
x, y are float values, representing the x/y location where the text is anchored.
text is a string value, representing the text that will comprise the text object.
angle is a float value, representing the angle of rotation; for horizontal text, specify zero.
anchor is an integer value from 0 to 8, controlling how the text is placed relative to the anchor location.
Specify one of the following codes; codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CC
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TL
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TC
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TR
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CL
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CR
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BL
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BC
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BR

(0)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)

The two-letter suffix indicates the label orientation: T=Top, B=Bottom, C=Center, R=Right, L=Left. For
example, to place the text below and to the right of the anchor location, specify the define code LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BR, or specify the value 8.
offset is an integer from zero to 200, representing the distance (in points) the text is offset from the anchor
location; offset is ignored if anchor is zero (centered).
Return Value
Object

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Description
The CreateText( ) function returns an Object value representing a text object.
The text object uses the current Font style. To create a text object with a specific Font style, issue the
Set Style statement before calling CreateText( ).
At the moment the text is created, the text height is controlled by the current Font. However, after the
text object is created, its height depends on the Map window's zoom; zooming in will make the text appear
larger.
The object returned could be assigned to an Object variable, stored in an existing row of a table (through
the Update statement), or inserted into a new row of a table (through an Insert statement).
Example
The following example creates a text object and inserts it into the map's Cosmetic layer (given that the
variable i_map_id is an integer containing a Map window's ID).
Insert Into Cosmetic1 (Obj)
Values ( CreateText(i_map_id, -80, 42.4, "Sales Map", 0,0,0) )
See Also:
AutoLabel statement, Create Text statement, Font clause, Insert statement, Update statement

Create Text statement

Purpose
Creates a text object, such as a title, for a Map or Layout window. You can use the pen clause to persist
the new label line styles in layouts. Changing layouts in this manner sets the version of the workspace
to 9.5. Any MIF file that contains text objects with a Label line and a pen clause will be version 950 as
a result. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Create Text
[ Into { Window window_id | Variable var_name } ]
text_string
( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 )
[ Font... ]
[ Label Line { Simple | Arrow } ( label_x, label_y ) Pen (pen_expr) ]
[ Spacing { 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 } ]
[ Justify { Left | Center | Right } ]
[ Angle text_angle ]
window_id is an integer window ID number, identifying a Map or Layout window.
var_name is the name of an existing object variable.
text_string specifies the string, up to 255 characters long, that will constitute the text object; to create a
multiple-line text object, embed the function call Chr$(10) in the string.
x1, y1 are floating-point coordinates, specifying one corner of the rectangular area which the text will fill.
x2, y2 specify the opposite corner of the rectangular area which the text will fill.

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CurDate( ) function
The Font clause specifies a text style. The point-size element of the Font is ignored if the text object is
created in a Map window; see below.
label_x, label_y specifies the position where the text object's label line is anchored.
Pen specifies the pen clause settings of callouts created in the Layout window.
text_angle is a float value indicating the angle of rotation for the text object (in degrees).
Example
When the user creates a label line in a Layout window, the Create Text Label Line Pen clause is invoked
and the workspace version is incremented to 950:
!Workspace
!Version 950
!Charset WindowsLatin1
Open Table "Data\Introductory_Data\World\WORLD" As WORLD Interactive
Map From WORLD
Position (0.0520833,0.0520833) Units "in"
Width 6.625 Units "in" Height 4.34375 Units "in"
Set Window FrontWindow()
Set Map
CoordSys Earth Projection 1, 104
Center (35.204159,-25.3575215)
Zoom 18063.92971 Units "mi"
Preserve Zoom Display Zoom
Distance Units "mi" Area Units "sq mi" XY Units "degree"
Set Map
Layer 1
Display Graphic
Global Pen (1,2,0) Brush (2,16777215,16777215) Symbol (35,0,12)
Line (1,2,0) Font ("Arial",0,9,0)
Label Line None Position Center Font ("Arial",0,9,0) Pen (1,2,0)
Description
The x and y parameters use whatever coordinate system MapBasic is currently using. By default, MapBasic uses a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system, although the Set CoordSys statement can reconfigure MapBasic to use a different coordinate system. If you need to create objects on a Layout
window, you must first issue a Set CoordSys Layout statement.
The x1, y1, x2, and y2 arguments define a rectangular area. When you create text in a Map window, the
text fills the rectangular area, which controls the text height; the point size specified in the Font clause
is ignored. In a Layout window, text is drawn at the point size specified in the Font clause, with the upperleft corner of the text placed at the (x1, y1) location; the (x2, y2) arguments are ignored.
See Also:
AutoLabel statement, CreateText( ) function, Font clause, Insert statement, Update statement

CurDate( ) function
Purpose
Returns the current date in YYYYMMDD format. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.

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Syntax
CurDate( )
Return Value
Date
Description
The Curdate( ) function returns a Date value representing the current date. The format will always be
YYYYMMDD. To change the value to a string in the local system format use the FormatDate$( ) function
or Str$( ) function.
Example
Dim d_today As Date
d_today = CurDate( )
See Also:
CurDateTime( ) function, CurTime() function, Day( ) function, Format$( ) function, Month( ) function,
StringToDate( ) function, Timer( ) function, Weekday( ) function, Year( ) function

CurDateTime( ) function
Purpose
Returns the current date and time. You can then access the Date and Time values using the GetDate(
) function and GetTime() function. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
CurDateTime()
Return Value
DateTime, which is an integer value in nine bytes: 4 bytes for date, 5 bytes for time. Five bytes for time
include: 2 for millisec, 1 for sec, 1 for min, 1 for hour.
Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function.
dim X as datetime
X = CurDateTime( )
Print X
See Also:
Day( ) function, Format$( ) function, Month( ) function, StringToDate( ) function, Timer( ) function,
Weekday( ) function, Year( ) function, CurDate( ) function

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CurrentBorderPen( ) function

CurrentBorderPen( ) function
Purpose
Returns the current border pen style currently in use. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CurrentBorderPen( )
Return Value
Pen
Description
The CurrentBorderPen( ) function returns the current border pen style. MapInfo Professional assigns
the current style to the border of any region objects drawn by the user. If a MapBasic program creates
an object through a statement such as Create Region statement, but the statement does not include
a Pen clause, the object uses the current BorderPen style.
The return value can be assigned to a Pen variable, or may be used as a parameter within a statement
that takes a Pen setting as a parameter (such as Set Map statement).
To extract specific attributes of the Pen style (such as the color), call the StyleAttr( ) function. For more
information about Pen settings, see Pen clause.
Example
Dim p_user_pen As Pen p_user_pen = CurrentBorderPen( )
See Also:
CurrentPen( ) function, Pen clause, Set Style statement, StyleAttr( ) function

CurrentBrush( ) function
Purpose
Returns the Brush (fill) style currently in use. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CurrentBrush( )
Return Value
Brush

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Description
The CurrentBrush( ) function returns the current Brush style. This corresponds to the fill style displayed
in the Options > Region Style dialog box. MapInfo Professional assigns the current Brush value to any
filled objects (ellipses, rectangles, rounded rectangles, or regions) drawn by the user. If a MapBasic
program creates a filled object through a statement such as the Create Region statement, but the
statement does not include a Brush clause, the object will be assigned the current Brush value.
The return value of the CurrentBrush( ) function can be assigned to a Brush variable, or may be used
as a parameter within a statement that takes a Brush setting as a parameter (such as Set Map statement
or Shade statement).
To extract specific Brush attributes (such as the color), call the StyleAttr( ) function.
For more information about Brush settings, see Brush clause.
Example
Dim b_current_fill As Brush
b_current_fill = CurrentBrush( )
See Also:
Brush clause, MakeBrush( ) function, Set Style statement, StyleAttr( ) function

CurrentFont( ) function
Purpose
Returns the Font style currently in use for Map and Layout windows. You can call this function from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CurrentFont( )
Return Value
Font
Description
The CurrentFont( ) function returns the current Font style. This corresponds to the text style displayed
in the Options > Text Style dialog box when a Map or Layout window is the active window. MapInfo
Professional will assign the current Font value to any text object drawn by the user. If a MapBasic program
creates a text object through the Create Text statement, but the statement does not include a Font
clause, the text object will be assigned the current Font value.
The return value of the CurrentFont( ) function can be assigned to a Font variable, or may be used as
a parameter within a statement that takes a Font setting as a parameter (such as Set Legend statement).
To extract specific attributes of the Font style (such as the color), call the StyleAttr( ) function.
For more information about Font settings, see Font clause.

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CurrentLinePen( ) function
Example
Dim f_user_text As Font
f_user_text = CurrentFont( )
See Also:
Font clause, MakeFont( ) function, Set Style statement, StyleAttr( ) function

CurrentLinePen( ) function
Purpose
Returns the Pen (line) style currently in use. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CurrentLinePen( )
Return Value
Pen
Description
The CurrentLinePen( ) function returns the current Pen style. MapInfo Professional assigns the current
style to any line or polyline objects drawn by the user. If a MapBasic program creates an object through
a statement such as Create Line statement, but the statement does not include a Pen clause, the object
uses the current Pen style. The return value can be assigned to a Pen variable, or may be used as a
parameter within a statement that takes a Pen setting as a parameter (such as Set Map statement).
To extract specific attributes of the Pen style (such as the color), call the StyleAttr( ) function. For more
information about Pen settings, see Pen clause.
Example
Dim p_user_pen As Pen p_user_pen = CurrentPen( )
See Also:
CurrentBorderPen( ) function, Pen clause, Set Style statement, StyleAttr( ) function

CurrentPen( ) function
Purpose
Returns the Pen (line) style currently in use and sets the border pen to the same style as the line pen.
You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CurrentPen( )

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Return Value
Pen
Description
The CurrentPen( ) function returns the current Pen style. MapInfo Professional assigns the current style
to any line or polyline objects drawn by the user. If a MapBasic program creates an object through a
statement such as the Create Line statement, but the statement does not include a Pen clause, the
object uses the current Pen style. If you want to use the current line pen without re-setting the border
pen, use the CurrentLinePen( ) function.
The return value can be assigned to a Pen variable, or may be used as a parameter within a statement
that takes a Pen setting as a parameter (such as the Set Map statement).
To extract specific attributes of the Pen style (such as the color), call the StyleAttr( ) function. For more
information about Pen settings, see Pen clause.
Example
Dim p_user_pen As Pen
p_user_pen = CurrentPen( )
See Also:
MakePen( ) function, Pen clause, Set Style statement, StyleAttr( ) function

CurrentSymbol( ) function
Purpose
Returns the Symbol style currently in use. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CurrentSymbol( )
Return Value
Symbol
Description
The CurrentSymbol( ) function returns the current symbol style. This is the style displayed in the Options
> Symbol Style dialog box. MapInfo Professional assigns the current Symbol style to any point objects
drawn by the user. If a MapBasic program creates a point object through a Create Point statement,
but the statement does not include a Symbol clause, the object will be assigned the current Symbol
value.
The return value of the CurrentSymbol( ) function can be assigned to a Symbol variable, or may be
used as a parameter within a statement that takes a Symbol clause as a parameter (such as Set Map
statement or Shade statement).

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CurTime( ) function
To extract specific attributes of the Symbol style (such as the color), call the StyleAttr( ) function. For
more information about Symbol settings, see Symbol clause.
Example
Dim sym_user_symbol As Symbol
sym_user_symbol = CurrentSymbol( )
See Also:
MakeSymbol( ) function, Set Style statement, StyleAttr( ) function, Symbol clause

CurTime( ) function
Purpose
Returns the current time in hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds. You can call this function from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
CurTime( )
Return Value
Time
Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function.
dim Y as time
Y = CurTime()
Print Y
See Also:
Day( ) function, Format$( ) function, Month( ) function, StringToDate( ) function, Timer( ) function,
Weekday( ) function, Year( ) function, CurDate( ) function, CurDateTime( ) function

DateWindow( ) function
Purpose
Returns the current date window setting as an integer in the range 0 to 99, or (-1) if date windowing is
off. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
DateWindow( context )
context is a SmallInt that can either be DATE_WIN_CURPROG (2) or DATE_WIN_SESSION (1).

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Description
This depends on which context is passed. If context is DATE_WIN_SESSION (1), then the current session
setting in effect is returned. If context is DATE_WIN_CURPROG (2), then the current MapBasic program's
local setting is returned, if a program is not running the session setting is returned.
Example
In the following example the variable Date1 = 19890120, Date2 = 20101203 and MyYear = 1990.
DIM Date1, Date2 as Date
DIM MyYear As Integer
Set Format Date "US"
Set Date Window 75
Date1 = StringToDate("1/20/89")
Date2 = StringToDate("12/3/10")
MyYear = Year("12/30/90")
See Also:
Set Date Window( ) statement

Day( ) function
Purpose
Returns the day component from a Date expression. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Day( date_expr )
date_expr is a Date expression.
Return Value
SmallInt from 1 to 31
Description
The Day( ) function returns an integer value from one to thirty-one, representing the day-of-the-month
component of the specified date. For example, if the specified date is 12/17/93, the Day( ) function returns
a value of 17.
Example
Dim day_var As SmallInt, date_var As Date
date_var = StringToDate("05/23/1985")
day_var = Day(date_var)
See Also:
CurDate( ) function, Day( ) function, Minute( ) function, Month( ) function, Second( ) function,
Timer( ) function, Weekday( ) function, Year( ) function

Reference

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DDEExecute statement

DDEExecute statement
Purpose
Issues a command across an open DDE channel.
Syntax
DDEExecute channel, command
channel is an integer channel number returned by DDEInitiate( ).
command is a string representing a command for the DDE server to execute.
Description
The DDEExecute statement sends a command string to the server application in a DDE conversation.
The channel parameter must correspond to the number of a channel opened through a DDEInitiate( )
function call.
The command parameter string must represent a command which the DDE server (the passive application)
is able to carry out. Different applications have different requirements regarding what constitutes a valid
command; to learn about the command format for a particular application, see the documentation for
that application.
Error Conditions
ERR_CMD_NOT_SUPPORTED (642) error generated if not running on Windows.
ERR_NO_RESPONSE_FROM_APP (697) error if server application does not respond.
Example
Through MapBasic, you can open a DDE channel with Microsoft Excel as the server application. If the
conversation specifies the "System" topic, you can use the DDEExecute statement to send Excel a
command string. Provided that the command string is equivalent to an Excel macro function, and provided
that the command string is enclosed in square brackets, Excel can execute the command. The example
below instructs Excel to open the worksheet "TRIAL.XLS".
Dim i_chan As Integer
i_chan = DDEInitiate("Excel", "System")
DDEExecute i_chan, "[OPEN(""C:\DATA\TRIAL.XLS"")]"
See Also:
DDEInitiate( ) function, DDEPoke statement, DDERequest$( ) function

DDEInitiate( ) function
Purpose
Initiates a new DDE conversation, and returns the associated channel number.

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Syntax
DDEInitiate( appl_name, topic_name )
appl_name is a string representing an application name (for example, "MapInfo").
topic_name is a string representing a topic name (for example, "System").
Return Value
Integer
Description
The DDEInitiate( ) function initiates a DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) conversation, and returns the
number that identifies that conversation's channel.
A DDE conversation allows two Microsoft Windows applications to exchange information. Once a DDE
conversation has been initiated, a MapBasic program can issue DDERequest$( ) function calls (to read
information from the other application) and DDEPoke statements (to write information to the other application). Once a DDE conversation has served its purpose and is no longer needed, the MapBasic
program should terminate the conversation through the DDETerminate statement or DDETerminate
All statement.
Note: DDE conversations are a feature specific to Microsoft Windows; therefore, MapBasic generates
an error if a program issues DDE-related function calls when running on a non-Windows platform.
To determine the current hardware platform at run-time, call the SystemInfo( ) function.
The appl_name parameter identifies a Windows application. For example, to initiate a conversation with
Microsoft Excel, you should specify the appl_name parameter "Excel." The application named by the
appl_name parameter must already be running before you can initiate a DDE conversation; note that
the MapBasic Run Program statement allows you to run another Windows application. Not all Windows
applications support DDE conversations. To determine if an application supports DDE conversations,
see the documentation for that application.
The topic_name parameter is a string that identifies the topic for the conversation. Each application has
its own set of valid topic names; for a list of topics supported by a particular application, refer to the
documentation for that application. With many applications, the name of a file that is in use is a valid
topic name. Thus, if Excel is currently using the worksheet file "ORDERS.XLS", you could issue the following MapBasic statements:
Dim i_chan As Integer
i_chan = DDEInitiate("Excel", "C:\ORDERS.XLS")
to initiate a DDE conversation with that Excel worksheet.
Many applications support a special topic called "System". If you initiate a conversation using the "System"
topic, you can then use the DDERequest$( ) function to obtain a list of the strings which the application
accepts as valid topic names (for example, a list of the files that are currently in use). Knowing what
topics are available, you can then initiate another DDE conversation with a specific document. See the
example below.

Reference

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DDEInitiate( ) function
The following table lists some sample application and topic names which you could use with the
DDEInitiate( ) function.
DDEInitiate( ) call

Nature of conversation

DDEInitiate("Excel", "System")

DDERequest$( ) function calls can return Excel

system information, such as a list of the names of
the worksheets in use; DDEExecute statements
can send commands for Excel to execute.

DDEInitiate("Excel", wks)

If wks is the name of an Excel document in use,

subsequent DDEPoke statements can store values
in the worksheet, and DDERequest$( ) function
calls can read information from the worksheet.

DDEInitiate("MapInfo", "System")

DDERequest$( ) function calls can provide system

information, such as a list of the MapBasic applications currently in use by MapInfo Professional.

DDEInitiate("MapInfo" mbx)

If mbx is the name of a MapBasic application in

use, DDEPoke statements can assign values to
global variables in the specified application, and
DDERequest$( ) function calls can read the current values of global variables.

When a MapBasic program issues a DDEInitiate( ) function call, the MapBasic program is known as
the "client" in the DDE conversation. The other Windows application is known as the "server." Within
one particular conversation, the client is always the active party; the server merely responds to actions
taken by the client. A MapBasic program can carry on multiple conversations at the same time, limited
only by memory and system resources. A MapBasic application could act as the client in one conversation
(by issuing statements such as DDEInitiate( ), etc.) while acting as the server in another conversation
(by defining a RemoteMsgHandler procedure).
Error Conditions
ERR_CMD_NOT_SUPPORTED (642) error generated if not running on Windows.
ERR_INVALID_CHANNEL (696) error generated if the specified channel number is invalid.
Example
The following example attempts to initiate a DDE conversation with Microsoft Excel, version 4 or later.
The goal is to store a simple text message ("Hello from MapInfo!") in the first cell of a worksheet that
Excel is currently using, but only if that cell is currently empty. If the first cell is not empty, we will not
overwrite its current contents.
Dim chan_num, tab_marker As Integer
Dim topiclist, topicname, cell As String
chan_num = DDEInitiate("EXCEL", "System")
If chan_num = 0 Then
Note "Excel is not responding to DDE conversation."
End Program

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End If
' Get a list of Excel's valid topics
topiclist = DDERequest$(chan_num, "topics")
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'

If Excel 4 is running, topiclist might look like:

": Sheet1 System"
(if spreadsheet is still "unnamed"),or like:
": C:Orders.XLS Sheet1 System"
If Excel 5 is running, topiclist might look like:
"[Book1]Sheet1 [Book2]Sheet2 ..."
Next, extract just the first topic (for example,"Sheet1")
by extracting the text between the 1st & 2nd tabs;
or, in the case of Excel 5, by extracting the text
that appears before the first tab.

If Left$(topiclist, 1) = ":" Then

' ...then it's Excel 4.
tab_marker = InStr(3, topiclist, Chr$(9) )
If tab_marker = 0 Then
Note "No Excel documents in use! Stopping."
End Program
End If
topicname = Mid$(topiclist, 3, tab_marker - 3)
Else
' ... assume it's Excel 5.
tab_marker = Instr(1, topiclist, Chr$(9) )
topicname = Left$( topiclist, tab_marker - 1)
End If
' open a channel to the specific document
' (e.g., "Sheet1")
DDETerminate chan_num
chan_num = DDEInitiate("Excel", topicname)
If chan_num = 0 Then
Note "Problem communicating with " + topicname End Program
End If
' Let's examine the 1st cell in Excel.
' If cell is blank, put a message in the cell.
' If cell isn't blank, don't alter it ' just display cell contents in a MapBasic NOTE.
' Note that a "Blank cell" gets returned as a
' carriage-return line-feed sequence:
' Chr$(13) + Chr$(10).
cell = DDERequest$( chan_num, "R1C1" )
If cell <> Chr$(13) + Chr$(10) Then
Note
"Message not sent; cell already contains:" + cell
Else
DDEPoke chan_num, "R1C1", "Hello from MapInfo!"
Note "Message sent to Excel,"+topicname+ ",R1C1."
End If
DDETerminateAll
Note: This example does not anticipate every possible obstacle. For example, Excel might currently
be editing a chart (for example, "Chart1") instead of a worksheet, in which case we will not be
able to reference cell "R1C1".

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DDEPoke statement
See Also:
DDEExecute statement, DDEPoke statement, DDERequest$( ) function, DDETerminate statement,
DDETerminate All statement

DDEPoke statement
Purpose
Sends a data value to an item in a DDE server application.
Syntax
DDEPoke channel, itemname, data
channel is an integer channel number returned by the DDEInitiate( ) function.
itemname is a string value representing the name of an item.
data is a character string to be sent to the item named in the itemname parameter.
Description
The DDEPoke statement stores the data text string in the specified DDE item.
The channel parameter must correspond to the number of a channel which was opened through the
DDEInitiate( ) function.
The itemname parameter should identify an item which is appropriate for the specified channel. Different
DDE applications support different item names; to learn what item names are supported by a particular
Windows application, refer to the documentation for that application.
In a DDE conversation with Excel, a string of the form R1C1 (for Row 1, Column 1) is a valid item name.
In a DDE conversation with another MapBasic application, the name of a global variable in the application
is a valid item name.
Error Conditions
ERR_CMD_NOT_SUPPORTED (642) error generated if not running on Windows.
ERR_INVALID_CHANNEL (696) error generated if the specified channel number is invalid.
Example
If Excel is already running, the following example stores a simple message ("Hello from MapInfo!") in
the first cell of an Excel worksheet.
Dim i_chan_num As Integer
i_chan_num = DDEInitiate("EXCEL", "Sheet1")
DDEPoke i_chan_num, "R1C1", "Hello from MapInfo!"
The following example assumes that there is another MapBasic application currently in use-"Dispatch.mbx"-and assumes that the Dispatch application has a global variable called Address. The example
below uses DDEPoke to modify the Address global variable.
i_chan_num = DDEInitiate("MapInfo","C:\DISPATCH.MBX")
DDEPoke i_chan_num, "Address", "23 Main St."

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See Also:
DDEExecute statement, DDEInitiate( ) function, DDERequest$( ) function

DDERequest$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a data value obtained from a DDE conversation.
Syntax
DDERequest$( channel, itemname )
channel is an integer channel number returned by the DDEInitiate( ) function.
itemname is a string representing the name of an item in the server application.
Return Value
String
Description
The DDERequest$( ) function returns a string of information obtained through a DDE conversation. If
the request is unsuccessful, the DDERequest$( ) function returns a null string.
The channel parameter must correspond to the number of a channel which was opened through the
DDEInitiate( ) function.
The itemname parameter should identify an item which is appropriate for the specified channel. Different
DDE applications support different item names; to learn what item names are supported by a particular
Windows application, refer to the documentation for that application.
The following table lists some topic and item combinations that can be used when conducting a DDE
conversation with Microsoft Excel as the server:
Topic name

Item names to use with DDERequest$( )

"System"

"Systems" returns a list of item names accepted under the "System"

topic;
"Topics" returns a list of DDE topic names accepted by Excel, including
the names of all open worksheets;
"Formats" returns a list of clipboard formats accepted by Excel (for example, "TEXT BITMAP ...")

wks (name of a worksheet in A string of the form R1C1 (for Row 1, Column 1) returns the contents
of that cell
use)
Note: Through the DDERequest$( ) function, one MapBasic application can observe the current values
of global variables in another MapBasic application. The following table lists the topic and item

Reference

253

DDETerminate statement
combinations that can be used when conducting a DDE conversation with MapInfo Professional
as the server
Topic name

item names to use with DDERequest$( )

"System"

"Systems" returns a list of item names accepted under the "System"

topic;
"Topics" returns a list of DDE topic names accepted by MapInfo Professional, which includes the names of all MapBasic applications currently
in use;
"Formats" returns a list of clipboard formats accepted by MapInfo Professional ("TEXT");
"Version" returns the MapInfo version number, multiplied by 100.

mbx (name of .MBX in use)

"{items}" returns a list of the names of global variables in use by the

specified MapBasic application; specifying the name of a global variable
lets DDERequest$( ) return the value of the variable

Error Conditions
ERR_CMD_NOT_SUPPORTED (642) error generated if not running on Windows.
ERR_INVALID_CHANNEL (696) error if the specified channel number is invalid.
ERR_CANT_INITIATE_LINK (698) error generated if MapBasic cannot link to the topic.
Example
The following example uses the DDERequest$( ) function to obtain the current contents of the first cell
in an Excel worksheet. Note that this example will only work if Excel is already running.
Dim i_chan_num As Integer
Dim s_cell As String
i_chan_num = DDEInitiate("EXCEL", "Sheet1")
s_cell = DDERequest$(i_chan_num, "R1C1")
The following example assumes that there is another MapBasic application currently in use"Dispatch"and assumes that the Dispatch application has a global variable called Address. The example
below uses DDERequest$( ) to obtain the current value of the Address global variable.
Dim i_chan_num As Integer, s_addr_copy As String
i_chan_num = DDEInitiate("MapInfo","C:\DISPATCH.MBX")
s_addr_copy = DDERequest$(i_chan_num, "Address")
See Also:
DDEInitiate( ) function

DDETerminate statement
Purpose
Closes a DDE conversation.

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Syntax
DDETerminate channel
channel is an integer channel number returned by the DDEInitiate( ) function.
Description
The DDETerminate statement closes the DDE channel specified by the channel parameter.
The channel parameter must correspond to the channel number returned by the DDEInitiate( ) function
call (which initiated the conversation). Once a DDE conversation has served its purpose and is no longer
needed, the MapBasic program should terminate the conversation through the DDETerminate statement
or the DDETerminate All statement.
Note: Multiple MapBasic applications can be in use simultaneously, and each application can open its
own DDE channels. However, a given MapBasic application may only close the DDE channels
which it opened. A MapBasic application may not close DDE channels which were opened by
another MapBasic application.

Error Conditions
ERR_CMD_NOT_SUPPORTED (642) error generated if not running on Windows.
ERR_INVALID_CHANNEL (696) error generated if the specified channel number is invalid.
Example
DDETerminate i_chan_num
See Also:
DDEInitiate( ) function, DDETerminate All statement

DDETerminateAll statement
Purpose
Closes all DDE conversations which were opened by the same MapBasic program.
Syntax
DDETerminateAll
Description
The DDETerminateAll statement closes all open DDE channels which were opened by the same MapBasic application. Note that multiple MapBasic applications can be in use simultaneously, and each application can open its own DDE channels. However, a given MapBasic application may only close the
DDE channels which it opened. A MapBasic application may not close DDE channels which were opened
by another MapBasic application.

Reference

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Declare Function statement

Once a DDE conversation has served its purpose and is no longer needed, the MapBasic program
should terminate the conversation through the DDETerminate statement or the DDETerminateAll
statement.
Error Conditions
ERR_CMD_NOT_SUPPORTED (642) error generated if not running on Windows.
See Also:
DDEInitiate( ) function, DDETerminate statement

Declare Function statement

Purpose
Defines the name and parameter list of a function.
Restrictions
This statement may not be issued from the MapBasic window.
Accessing external functions (using syntax 2) is platform-dependent. DLL files may only be accessed
by applications running on Windows.
Syntax 1
Declare Function fname
( [ [ ByVal ] parameter [ , parameter... ] As var_type ]
[ , [ ByVal ] parameter [ , parameter... ] As var_type... ] )
As return_type
fname is the name of the function.
parameter is the name of a parameter to the function.
var_type is a variable type, such as integer; arrays and custom Types are allowed.
return_type is a standard scalar variable type; arrays and custom Types are not allowed.
Syntax 2 (external routines in Windows DLLs)
Declare Function fname
Lib "file_name" [ Alias "function_alias" ]
( [ [ ByVal ] parameter [ , parameter... ] As var_type ]
[ , [ ByVal ] parameter [ , parameter... ] As var_type... ] )
As return_type
fname is the name by which a function will be called.
file_name is the name of a Windows DLL file.
function_alias is the original name of the external function.
parameter is the name of a parameter to the function.
var_type is a data type: with Windows DLLs, this can be a standard variable type or a custom Type.

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return_type is a standard scalar variable type.
Description
The Declare Function statement pre-declares a user-defined MapBasic function or an external function.
A MapBasic program can use a Function...End Function statement to create a custom function. Every
function defined in this fashion must be preceded by a Declare Function statement. For more information
on creating custom functions, see Function...End Function statement.
Parameters passed to a function are passed by reference unless you include the optional ByVal keyword.
For information on the differences between by-reference and by-value parameters, see the MapBasic
User Guide.
Calling External Functions
Using Syntax 2 (above), you can use a Declare Function statement to define an external function. An
external function is a function that was written in another language (for example, C or Pascal), and is
stored in a separate file. Once you have declared an external function, your program can call the external
function as if it were a conventional MapBasic function.
If the Declare Function statement declares an external function, the file_name parameter must specify
the name of the file containing the external function. The external file must be present at run-time.
Every external function has an explicitly assigned name. Ordinarily, the Declare Function statement's
fname parameter matches the explicit routine name from the external file. Alternately, the Declare
Function statement can include an Alias clause, which lets you call the external function by whatever
name you choose. The Alias clause lets you override an external function's explicit name, in situations
where the explicit name conflicts with the name of a standard MapBasic function.
If the Declare Function statement includes an Alias clause, the function_alias parameter must match
the external function's original name, and the fname parameter indicates the name by which MapBasic
will call the routine.
Restrictions on Windows DLL parameters
You can pass a custom variable type as a parameter to a DLL. However, the DLL must be compiled with
"structure packing" set to the tightest packing. See the MapBasic User Guide for more information.
Example
The following example defines a custom function, CubeRoot, which returns the cube root of a number
(the number raised to the one-third power).
Declare Sub Main
Declare Function CubeRoot(ByVal x As Float) As Float
Sub Main
Note Str$( CubeRoot(23) )
End Sub
Function CubeRoot(ByVal x As Float) As Float
CubeRoot = x ^ (1 / 3)
End Function
See Also:
Declare Sub statement, Function...End Function statement

Reference

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Declare Method statement

Declare Method statement

Purpose
Defines the name and argument list of a method/function in a .Net assembly, so that a MapBasic application can call the function.
Restrictions
This statement may not be issued from the MapBasic window.
Syntax
Declare Method fname Class "class_name" Lib "assembly_name"
[ Alias function_alias ]
( [ [ ByVal ] parameter [ , parameter... ] As var_type ]
[ , [ ByVal ] parameter [ , parameter... ] As var_type... ] )
[ As return_type ]
fname is the name by which a function will be called; if the optional Alias clause is omitted, fname must
be the same as the actual .Net method/function name. This option can not be longer than 31 characters.
class_name is the name of the .Net class that provides the function to be called, including the class's
namespace (such as System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox)
assembly_name is the name of a .Net assembly file, such as filename.dll. If the assembly is to be
loaded from the GAC, assembly_name must be a fully qualified assembly name.
function_alias is the original name of the .Net method/function (the name as defined in the .Net assembly).
Note: Include the Alias clause only when you want to call the method by a name other than its original
name.
parameter is the name of a parameter to the function.
var_type is a MapBasic data type, such as Integer
return_type is a standard MapBasic scalar variable type, such as Integer. If the As clause is omitted, the
MapBasic program can call the method as a Sub (using the Call statement).
Description
The Declare Method statement allows a MapBasic program to call a method (function or procedure)
from a .Net assembly. The .Net assembly can be created using various languages, such as C# or VB.Net.
For details on calling .Net from MapBasic, see the MapBasic User Guide.
MapBasic programs can only call .Net methods or functions that are declared as static. (VB.NET refers
to such functions as "shared functions," while C# refers to them as "static methods.")
At run time, if the assembly_name specifies a fully-qualified assembly name, and if the assembly is registered in the Global Assembly Cache (GAC), MapInfo Professional will load the assembly from the
GAC. Otherwise, the assembly will be loaded from the same directory as the .MBX file (in which case,
assembly_name should be a filename such as "filename.dll"). Thus, you can have your assembly registered in the GAC, but you are not required to do so.

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Examples
Here is a simple example of a C# class that provides a static method:
namespace MyProduct
{
class MyWrapper
{
public static int ShowMessage(string s)
{
System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show(s);
return 0;
}
}
}
In VB.Net, the class definition might look like this.
Namespace MyProduct
Public Class MyWrapper
Public Shared Function ShowMessage(ByVal s As String) As Integer
System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show(s)
Return 0
End Function
End Class
End Namespace
A MapBasic program could call the method with this syntax:
Declare Method ShowMessage
Class "MyProduct.MyWrapper"
Lib "MyAssembly.DLL" (ByVal str As String) As Integer
. . .
Dim retval As Integer
retval = ShowMessage("Here I am")
The following example demonstrates how to declare methods in assemblies that are registered in the
GAC. Note that when an assembly is loaded from the GAC, the Lib clause must specify a fully-qualified
assembly name. Various utilities exist that can help you to identify an assembly's fully-qualified name,
including the gacutil utility provided by Microsoft as part of Visual Studio.
' Declare a method from the System.Windows.Forms.dll assembly:
Declare Method Show
Class "System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox"
Lib "System.Windows.Forms, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,
PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089"
(ByVal str As String, ByVal caption As String)
' Declare a method from the mscorlib.dll assembly:
Declare Method Move
Class "System.IO.File"
Lib "mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,
PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089"
(ByVal sourceFileName As String, ByVal destFileName As String)
' Display a .Net MessageBox dialog box with both a message and a caption:
Call Show("Table update is complete.", "Tool name")
' Call the .Net Move method to move a file
Call Move("C:\work\pending\entries.txt", "C:\work\finished\entries.txt")

Reference

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Declare Sub statement

Declare Sub statement

Purpose
Identifies the name and parameter list of a sub procedure.
Restrictions
This statement may not be issued from the MapBasic window.
Accessing external functions (using Syntax 2) is platform-dependent. DLL files may only be accessed
by applications running on Windows.
Syntax 1
Declare Sub sub_proc
[ ( [ ByVal ] parameter [ , parameter... ] As var_type [ , ... ] ) ]
sub_proc is the name of a sub procedure.
parameter is the name of a sub procedure parameter.
var_type is a standard data type or a custom Type.
Syntax 2 (external routines in Windows DLLs)
Declare Sub sub_proc Lib "file_name" [ Alias "sub_alias" ]
[ ( [ ByVal ] parameter [ , parameter... ] As var_type [ , ... ] ) ]
sub_proc is the name by which an external routine will be called.
file_name is a string; the DLL name.
sub_alias is an external routine's original name.
parameter is the name of a sub procedure parameter.
var_type is a data type: with Windows DLLs, this can be a standard variable type or a custom Type.
Description
The Declare Sub statement establishes a sub procedure's name and parameter list. Typically, each
Declare Sub statement corresponds to an actual sub procedure which appears later in the same program.
A MapBasic program can use a Sub...End Sub statement to create a procedure. Every procedure
defined in this manner must be preceded by a Declare Sub statement. For more information on creating
procedures, see Sub...End Sub statement.
Parameters passed to a procedure are passed by reference unless you include the optional ByVal
keyword.
Calling External Routines
Using Syntax 2 (above), you can use a Declare Sub statement to define an external routine. An external
routine is a routine that was written in another language (for example, C or Pascal), and is stored in a

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separate file. Once you have declared an external routine, your program can call the external routine as
if it were a conventional MapBasic procedure.
If the Declare Sub statement declares an external routine, the file_name parameter must specify the
name of the file containing the routine. The file must be present at run-time.
Every external routine has an explicitly assigned name. Ordinarily, the Declare Sub statement's sub_proc
parameter matches the explicit routine name from the external file. The Declare Sub statement can include
an Alias clause, which lets you call the external routine by whatever name you choose. The Alias clause
lets you override an external routine's explicit name, in situations where the explicit name conflicts with
the name of a standard MapBasic function.
If the Declare Sub statement includes an Alias clause, the sub_alias parameter must match the external
routine's original name, and the sub_proc parameter indicates the name by which MapBasic will call the
routine. You can pass a custom variable type as a parameter to a DLL. However, the DLL must be
compiled with "structure packing" set to the tightest packing. For information on custom variable types,
see Type statement.
Example
Declare Sub Main
Declare Sub Cube(ByVal original As Float, cubed As Float)
Sub Main
Dim x, result As Float
Call Cube(2, result)
' result now contains the value: 8 (2 x 2 x 2)
x = 1
Call Cube(x + 2, result)
' result now contains the value: 27 (3 x 3 x 3)
End Sub
Sub Cube (ByVal original As Float, cubed As Float)
'
' Cube the "original" parameter value, and store
' the result in the "cubed" parameter.
'
cubed = original ^ 3
End Sub
See Also:
Call statement, Sub...End Sub statement

Define statement
Purpose
Defines a custom keyword with a constant value.
Restrictions
You cannot issue a Define statement through the MapBasic window.
Syntax
Define identifier definition

Reference

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DeformatNumber$( ) function
identifier is an identifier up to 31 characters long, beginning with a letter or underscore (_).
definition is the text MapBasic should substitute for each occurrence of identifier.
Description
The Define statement defines a new identifier. For the remainder of the program, whenever MapBasic
encounters the same identifier the original definition will be substituted for the identifier. For examples
of Define statements, see the standard MapBasic definitions file, MAPBASIC.DEF.
An identifier defined through a Define statement is not case-sensitive. If you use a Define statement to
define the keyword FOO, your program can refer to the identifier as Foo or foo. You cannot use the
Define statement to re-define a MapBasic keyword, such as Set or Create. For a list of reserved keywords,
see Dim statement.
Examples
Your application may need to reference the mathematical value known as Pi, which has a value of approximately 3.141593. Accordingly, you might want to use the following definition:
Define PI 3.141593
Following such a definition, you could simply type PI wherever you needed to reference the value
3.141593.
The definition portion of a Define statement can include quotes. For example, the following statement
creates a keyword with a definition including quotes:
Define FILE_NAME "World.tab"
The following Define is part of the standard definitions file, MAPBASIC.DEF. This Define provides an
easy way of clearing the Message window:
Define CLS Print Chr$(12)

DeformatNumber$( ) function
Purpose
Removes formatting from a string that represents a number. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
DeformatNumber$ ( numeric_string )
numeric_string is a string that represents a numeric value, such as "12,345,678".
Return Value
String

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Description
Returns a string that represents a number. The return value does not include thousands separators, regardless of whether the numeric_string argument included comma separators. The return value uses a
period as the decimal separator, regardless of whether the user's computer is set up to use another
character as the decimal separator.
Examples
The following example calls the Val( ) function to determine the numeric value of a string. Before calling
the Val( ) function, this example calls the DeformatNumber$( ) function to remove comma separators
from the string. (The string that you pass to the Val( ) function cannot contain comma separators.)
Dim s_number As String
Dim f_value As Float
s_number = "1,222,333.4"
s_number = DeformatNumber$(s_number)
' the variable s_number now contains the
' string: "1222333.4"
f_value = Val(s_number)
Print f_value
See Also:
FormatNumber$( ) function, Val( ) function

Delete statement
Purpose
Deletes one or more graphic objects, or one or more entire rows, from a table. You can issue this
statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Delete [ Object ] From table [ Where Rowid = id_number ]
table is the name of an open table.
id_number is the number of a single row (an integer value of one or more).
Description
The Delete statement deletes graphical objects or entire records from an open table.
By default, the Delete statement deletes all records from a table. However, if the statement includes the
optional Object keyword, MapBasic only deletes the graphical objects that are attached to the table,
rather than deleting the records themselves.
By default, the Delete statement affects all records in the table. However, if the statement includes the
optional Where Rowid =...clause, then only the specified row is affected by the Delete statement.

Reference

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Dialog statement
There is an important difference between a Delete Object From statement and a Drop Map statement.
A Delete Object From statement only affects objects or records in a table, it does not affect the table
structure itself. A Drop Map statement actually modifies the table structure, so that graphical objects
may not be attached to the table.
Examples
The following Delete statement deletes all of the records from a table. At the conclusion of this operation,
the table still exists, but it is completely emptyas if the user had just created it by choosing File > New.
Open Table "clients"
Delete From clients
Table clients
The following Delete statement deletes only the object from the tenth row of the table:
Open Table "clients"
Delete Object From clients Where Rowid = 10
Table clients
See Also:
Drop Map statement, Insert statement

Dialog statement
Purpose
Displays a custom dialog box.
Restrictions
You cannot issue a Dialog statement through the MapBasic window.
Syntax
Dialog
[ Title title ]
[ Width w ] [ Height h ] [ Position x, y ]
[ Calling handler ]
Control control_clause
[ Control control_clause... ]
title is a string expression that appears in the title bar of the dialog box.
h specifies the height of the dialog box, in dialog box units (8 dialog box height units represent the height
of one character).
w specifies the width of the dialog, in dialog units (4 dialog height units represent the width of one character).
x, y specifies the dialog box's initial position, in pixels, representing distance from the upper-left corner
of MapInfo Professional's work area; if the Position clause is omitted, the dialog box appears centered.
handler is the name of a procedure to call before the user is allowed to use the dialog box; this procedure
is typically used to issue Alter Control statements.

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Each control_clause can specify one of the following types of controls:

Button
OKButton
CancelButton
EditText
StaticText
PopupMenu
CheckBox
MultiListBox
GroupBox
RadioGroup
PenPickerm
BrushPicker
FontPicker
SymbolPicker
ListBox

See the separate discussions of those control types for more details (for example, for details on CheckBox
controls, see Control CheckBox clause; for details on Picker controls, see Control PenPicker/BrushPicker/SymbolPicker/FontPicker clause; etc.).
Each control_clause can specify one of the following control types:

Button / OKButton / CancelButton

CheckBox
GroupBox
RadioGroup
EditText
StaticText
PenPicker / BrushPicker / SymbolPicker / FontPicker
ListBox / MultiListBox
PopupMenu

Description
The Dialog statement creates a dialog box, displays it on the screen, and lets the user interact with it.
The dialog box is modal; in other words, the user must dismiss the dialog box (for example, by clicking
OK or Cancel) before doing anything else in MapInfo Professional. For an introduction to custom dialog
boxes, see the MapBasic User Guide.
Anything that can appear on a dialog box is known as a control. Each dialog box must contain at least
one control (for example, an OKButton control). Individual control clauses are discussed in separate
entries (for example, see Control CheckBox clause for a discussion of check-box controls). As a general rule, every dialog box should include an OKButton control and/or a CancelButton control, so that
the user has a way of dismissing the dialog box.
The Dialog statement lets you create a custom dialog box. If you want to display a standard dialog box
(for example, a File > Open dialog box), use one of the following statements or functions: Ask( ) function,

Reference

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Dialog statement
Note statement, ProgressBar statement, FileOpenDlg( ) function, FileSaveAsDlg( ) function, or
GetSeamlessSheet( ) function).
For an introduction to the concepts behind MapBasic dialog boxes, see the MapBasic User Guide.
Sizes and Positions of Dialog Boxes and Dialog Box Controls
Within the Dialog statement, sizes and positions are stated in terms of dialog box units. A width of four
dialog box units equals the width of one character, and a height of eight dialog box units equals the
height of one character. Thus, if a dialog box control has a height of 40 and a width of 40, that control
is roughly ten characters wide and 5 characters tall. Control positions are relative to the upper left corner
of the dialog box. To place a control at the upper-left corner of a dialog box, use x- and y-coordinates of
zero and zero.
The Position, Height, and Width clauses are all optional. If you omit these clauses, MapBasic places
the controls at default positions in the dialog box, with subsequent control clauses appearing further
down in the dialog box.
Terminating a Dialog Box
After a MapBasic program issues a Dialog statement, the user will continue interacting with the dialog
box until one of four things happens:

The user clicks the OKButton control (if the dialog box has one);
The user clicks the CancelButton control (if the dialog box has one);
The user clicks a control with a handler that issues a Dialog Remove statement; or
The user otherwise dismisses the dialog box (for example, by pressing Esc on a dialog box that has
a CancelButton).

To force a dialog box to remain on the screen after the user has clicked OK or Cancel, assign a handler
procedure to the OKButton or CancelButton control and have that handler issue a Dialog Preserve
statement.
Reading the User's Input
After a Dialog statement, call the CommandInfo( ) function to determine whether the user clicked OK
or Cancel to dismiss the dialog box. If the user clicked OK, the following function call returns TRUE:
CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_DLG_OK)
There are two ways to read values entered by the user: Include Into clauses in the Dialog statement,
or call the ReadControlValue( ) function from a handler procedure.
If a control specifies the Into clause, and if the user clicks the OKButton, MapInfo Professional stores
the control's final value in a program variable.
Note: MapInfo Professional only updates the variable if the user clicks OK. Also, MapInfo Professional
only updates the variable after the dialog box terminates.
To read a control's value from within a handler procedure, call the ReadControlValue( ) function.

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Specifying Hotkeys for Controls
When a MapBasic application runs on MapInfo, dialog boxes can assign hotkeys to the various controls.
A hotkey is a convenience allowing the user to choose a dialog box control by pressing key sequences
rather than clicking with the mouse.
To specify a hotkey for a control, include the ampersand character (&) in the title for that control. Within
the Title clause, the ampersand should appear immediately before the character which is to be used as
a hotkey character. Thus, the following Button clause defines a button which the user can choose by
pressing Alt+R:
Control Button
Title "&Reset"
Although an ampersand appears within the Title clause, the final dialog box does not show the ampersand.
If you need to display an ampersand character in a control (for example, if you want a button to read
"Find & Replace"), include two successive ampersand characters in the Title clause:
Title "Find && Replace"
If you position a StaticText control just before or above an EditText control, and you define the StaticText
control with a hotkey designation, the user is able to jump to the EditText control by pressing the hotkey
sequence.
Specifying the Tab Order
The user can press the Tab key to move the keyboard focus through the dialog box. The focus moves
from control to control according to the dialog box's tab order.
Tab order is defined by the order of the Control clauses in the Dialog statement. When the focus is on
the third control, pressing Tab moves the focus to the fourth control, etc. If you want to change the tab
order, change the order of the Control clauses.
Examples
The following example creates a simple dialog box with an EditText control. In this example, none of the
Control clauses use the optional Position clause; therefore, MapBasic places each control in a default
position.
Dialog
Title "Search"
Control StaticText
Title "Enter string to find:"
Control EditText
Value gs_searchfor 'this is a Global String variable
Into gs_searchfor
Control OKButton
Control CancelButton
If CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_DLG_OK) Then
' ...then the user clicked OK, and the variable
' gs_searchfor contains the text the user entered.
End If
The following program demonstrates the syntax of all of MapBasic's control types.
Include "mapbasic.def"
Declare Sub reset_sub `resets dialog to default settings
Declare Sub ok_sub ' notes values when user clicks OK.

Reference

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Dialog statement
Declare Sub Main
Sub Main
Dim s_title As String 'the title of the map
Dim l_showlegend As Logical 'TRUE means include legend
Dim i_details As SmallInt '1 = full details; 2 = partial
Dim i_quarter As SmallInt '1=1st qrtr, etc.
Dim i_scope As SmallInt '1=Town;2=County; etc.
Dim sym_variable As Symbol
Dialog
Title "Map Franchise Locations"
Control StaticText
Title "Enter Map Title:"
Position 5, 10
Control EditText
Value "New Franchises, FY 95"
Into s_title
ID 1
Position 65, 8 Width 90
Control GroupBox
Title "Level of Detail"
Position 5, 30 Width 70 Height 40
Control RadioGroup
Title "&Full Details;&Partial Details"
Value 2
Into i_details
ID 2
Position 12, 42 Width 60
Control StaticText
Title "Show Franchises As:" Position 95, 30
Control SymbolPicker
Position 95, 45
Into sym_variable
ID 3
Control StaticText
Title "Show Results For:"
Position 5, 80
Control ListBox
Title "First Qrtr;2nd Qrtr;3rd Qrtr;4th Qrtr"
Value 4
Into i_quarter
ID 4
Position 5, 90 Width 65 Height 35
Control StaticText
Title "Include Map Layers:"
Position 95, 80
Control MultiListBox
Title "Streets;Highways;Towns;Counties;States"
Value 3
ID 5
Position 95, 90 Width 65 Height 35
Control StaticText
Title "Scope of Map:"
Position 5, 130
Control PopupMenu
Title "Town;County;Territory;Entire State"

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Value 2
Into i_scope
ID 6
Position 5, 140
Control CheckBox
Title "Include &Legend"
Into l_showlegend
ID 7
Position 95, 140
Control Button
Title "&Reset"
Calling reset_sub
Position 10, 165
Control OKButton
Position 65, 165
Calling ok_sub
Control CancelButton
Position 120, 165
If CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_DLG_OK) Then
' ... then the user clicked OK.
Else
' ... then the user clicked Cancel.
End If
End Sub
Sub reset_sub
' here, you could use Alter Control statements
' to reset the controls to their original state.
End Sub
Sub ok_sub
' Here, place code to handle user clicking OK
End Sub
The preceding program produces the following dialog box.

Reference

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Dialog Preserve statement

See Also:
Alter Control statement, Ask( ) function, Dialog Preserve statement, Dialog Remove statement,
FileOpenDlg( ) function, FileSaveAsDlg( ) function, Note statement, ReadControlValue( ) function

Dialog Preserve statement

Purpose
Reactivates a custom dialog box after the user clicked OK or Cancel.
Syntax
Dialog Preserve
Restrictions
This statement may only be issued from within a sub procedure that acts as a handler for an OKButton
or CancelButton dialog box control. You cannot issue this statement from the MapBasic window.

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Description
The Dialog Preserve statement allows the user to resume using a custom dialog box (which was created
through a Dialog statement) even after the user clicked the OKButton or CancelButton control.
The Dialog Preserve statement lets you "confirm" the user's OK or Cancel action. For example, if the
user clicks Cancel, you may wish to display a dialog box asking a question such as "Do you want to
lose your changes?" If the user chooses "No" on the confirmation dialog box, the application should reactivate the original dialog box. You can provide this functionality by issuing a Dialog Preserve statement
from within the CancelButton control's handler procedure.
Example
The following procedure could be used as a handler for a CancelButton control.
Sub confirm_cancel
If Ask("Do you really want to lose your changes?",
"Yes", "No") = FALSE Then
Dialog Preserve
End If
End Sub
See Also:
Alter Control statement, Dialog statement, Dialog Remove statement, ReadControlValue( ) function

Dialog Remove statement

Purpose
Removes a custom dialog from the screen.
Syntax
Dialog Remove
Restrictions
This statement may only be issued from within a sub procedure that acts as a handler for a dialog box
control. You cannot issue this statement from the MapBasic window.
Description
The Dialog Remove statement removes the dialog box created by the most recent Dialog statement.
A dialog box disappears automatically after the user clicks on an OKButton control or a CancelButton
control. Use the Dialog Remove statement (within a dialog box control's handler routine) to remove the
dialog box before the user clicks OK or Cancel. This is useful, for example, if you have a dialog box with
a ListBox control, and you want the dialog box to come down if the user double-clicks an item in the list
Note: Dialog Remove signals to remove the dialog box after the handler sub procedure returns. It
does not remove the dialog box instantaneously

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Example
The following procedure is part of the sample program NVIEWS.MB. It handles the ListBox control in the
Named Views dialog box. When the user single-clicks a list item, this handler procedure enables various
buttons on the dialog box. When the user double-clicks a list item, this handler uses a Dialog Remove
statement to dismiss the dialog box.
Note: MapInfo Professional calls this handler procedure for click events and for double-click events.
Sub listbox_handler
Dim i As SmallInt
Alter Control 2 Enable
Alter Control 3 Enable
If CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_DLG_DBL) = TRUE Then
'
' ... then the user double-clicked.
'
i = ReadControlValue(1)
Dialog Remove
Call go_to_view(i)
End If
End Sub
See Also:
Alter Control statement, Dialog statement, Dialog Preserve statement, ReadControlValue( )
function

Dim statement
Purpose
Defines one or more variables. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Restrictions
When you issue Dim statements through the MapBasic window, you can only define one variable per
Dim statement, although a Dim statement within a compiled program may define multiple variables. You
cannot define array variables using the MapBasic window.
Syntax
Dim var_name [ , var_name ... ] As var_type
[ , var_name [ , var_name ... ] As var_type ... ]
var_name is the name of a variable to define.
var_type is a standard or custom variable Type.
Description
A Dim statement declares one or more variables. The following table summarizes the types of variables
which you can declare through a Dim statement.

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Table 4: Location of Dim Statements and Scope of Variables
Variable Type

Description

SmallInt

Whole numbers from -32768 to 32767 (inclusive); stored in 2 bytes.

Integer

>Whole numbers from -2,147,483,648 to +2,147,483,647 (inclusive);

stored in 4 bytes.

Float

Floating point value; stored in eight-byte IEEE format.

String

Variable-length character string, up to 32768 bytes long.

String * length

Fixed-length character string (where length dictates the length of the

string, in bytes, up to 32768 bytes); fixed-length strings are padded
with trailing blanks.

Logical

TRUE or FALSE, stored in 1 byte: zero=FALSE, non-zero=TRUE.

Date

Date, stored in four bytes: two bytes for the year, one byte for the
month, one byte for the day.

DateTime

DateTime is stored in nine bytes: 4 bytes for date, 5 bytes for time.
Five bytes for time include: 2 for millisec, 1 for sec, 1 for min, 1 for
hour.

Time

Time is stored in five bytes: 2 for millisec, 1 for sec, 1 for min, 1 for
hour.

Object

Graphical object (Point, Region, Line, Polyline, Arc, Rectangle,

Rounded Rectangle, Ellipse, Text, or Frame).

Alias

Column name.

Pen

Pen (line) style setting.

Brush

Brush (fill) style setting.

Font

Font (text) style setting.

Symbol

Symbol (point-marker) style setting.

The Dim statement which defines a variable must precede any other statements which use that variable.
Dim statements usually appear at the top of a procedure or function.
If a Dim statement appears within a Sub...End Sub statement or within a Function...End Function
statement, the statement defines variables that are local in scope. Local variables may only be accessed
from within the procedure or function that contained the Dim statement.
If a Dim statement appears outside of any procedure or function definition, the statement defines variables
that are module-level in scope. Module-level variables can be accessed by any procedure or function
within a program module (for example, within the .MB program file).
To declare global variables (variables that can be accessed by any procedure or function in any of the
modules that make up a project), use the Global statement.

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Dim statement
Declaring Multiple Variables and Variable Types
A single Dim statement can declare two or more variables that are separated by commas. You also can
define variables of different types within one Dim statement by grouping like variables together, and
separating the different groups with a comma after the variable type:
Dim jointer, i_min, i_max As Integer, s_name As String
Array Variables
MapBasic supports one-dimensional array variables. To define an array variable, add a pair of parentheses
immediately after the variable name. To specify an initial array size, include a constant integer expression
between the parentheses.
The following example declares an array of ten float variables, then assigns a value to the first element
in the array:
Dim f_stats(10) As Float
f_stats(1) = 17.23
The number that appears between the parentheses is known as the subscript. The first element of the
array is the element with a subscript of one (as shown in the example above).
To re-size an array, use the ReDim statement. To determine the current size of an array, use the
UBound( ) function. If the Dim statement does not specify an initial array size, the array will initially
contain no members; in such a case, you will not be able to store any data in the array until re-sizing the
array with a ReDim statement. A MapBasic array can have up to 32,767 items.
String Variables
A string variable can contain a text string up to 32 kilobytes in length. However, there is a limit to how
long a string constant you can specify in a simple assignment statement. The following example performs
a simple string variable assignment, where a constant string expression is assigned to a string variable
Dim status As String
status = "This is a string constant ... "
In this type of assignment, the constant string expression to the right of the equal sign has a maximum
length of 256 characters.
MapBasic, like other BASIC languages, pads fixed-length string variables with blanks. In other words,
if you define a 10-byte string variable, then assign a five-character string to that variable, the variable
will actually be padded with five spaces so that it fills the space allotted. (This feature makes it easier to
format text output in such a way that columns line up).
Variable-length string variables, however, are not padded in this fashion. This difference can affect
comparisons of strings; you must exercise caution when comparing fixed-length and variable-length
string variables. In the following program, the If...Then statement would determine that the two strings
are not equal:
Dim s_var_len As String
Dim s_fixed_len As String * 10
s_var_len = "testing"
s_fixed_len = "testing"
If s_var_len = s_fixed_len Then
Note "strings are equal" ' this won't happen
Else

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Note "strings are NOT equal" ' this WILL happen
End If
Restrictions on Variable Names
Variable names are case-insensitive. Thus, if a Dim statement defines a variable called abc, the program
may refer to that variable as abc, ABC, or Abc.
Each variable name can be up to 31 characters long, and can include letters, numbers, and the underscore
character ( _ ). Variable names can also include the punctuation marks $, %, &, !, #, and @, but only as
the final character in the name. A variable name may not begin with a number.
Many MapBasic language keywords, such as Open, Close, Set, and Do, are reserved words which may
not be used as variable names. If you attempt to define a variable called Set, MapBasic will generate
an error when you compile the program. The table below summarizes the MapBasic keywords which
may not be used as variable names.
Add

Alter

Close

Browse

Call

Create

DDE

DDEExecute

DDEPoke

DDETerminate

DDETerminateAll

Declare

Delete

Dialog

Dim

Do

Drop

Else

ElseIf

End

Error

Event

Exit

Export

Fetch

Find

For

Function

Get

Global

Goto

Graph

If

Import

Insert

Layout

Map

Menu

Note

Objects

OnError

Open

Pack

Print

PrintWin

ProgressBar

Put

ReDim

Register

Reload

Remove

Rename

Resume

Rollback

Run

Save

Seek

Select

Set

Shade

StatusBar

Stop

Sub

Type

Update

While

In some BASIC languages, you can dictate a variable's type by ending the variable with one of the
punctuation marks listed above. For example, some BASIC languages assume that any variable named
with a dollar sign (for example, LastName$) is a string variable. In MapBasic, however, you must declare
every variable's type explicitly, through the Dim statement.

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Distance( ) function
Initial Values of Variables
MapBasic initializes numeric variables to a value of zero when they are defined. Variable-length string
variables are initialized to an empty string, and fixed-length string variables are initialized to all spaces.
Object and style variables are not automatically initialized. You must initialize Object and style variables
before making references to those variables.
Example
' Below is a custom Type definition, which creates
' a new data type known as Person
Type Person
Name As String
Age As Integer
Phone As String
End Type
' The next Dim statement creates a Person variable
Dim customer As Person
' This Dim creates an array of Person variables:
Dim users(10) As Person
' this Dim statement defines an integer variable
' "counter", and an integer array "counters" :
Dim counter, counters(10) As Integer
' the next statement assigns the "Name" element
' of the first member of the "users" array
users(1).Name = "Chris"
See Also:
Global statement, ReDim statement, Type statement, UBound( ) function

Distance( ) function
Purpose
Returns the distance between two locations. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Distance ( x1, y1, x2, y2, unit_name )
x1 and x2 are x-coordinates (for example, longitude).
y1 and y2 are y-coordinates (for example, latitude).
unit_name is a string representing the name of a distance unit (for example, "km").
Return Value
Float

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Description
The Distance( ) function calculates the distance between two locations.
The function returns the distance measurement in the units specified by the unit_name parameter; for
example, to obtain a distance in miles, specify "mi" as the unit_name parameter. See Set Distance
Units statement for the list of available unit names.
The x- and y-coordinate parameters must use MapBasic's current coordinate system. By default, MapInfo
Professional expects coordinates to use a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system. You can reset MapBasic's
coordinate system through the Set CoordSys statement.
If the current coordinate system is an earth coordinate system, Distance( ) returns the great-circle distance
between the two points. A great-circle distance is the shortest distance between two points on a sphere.
(A great circle is a circle that goes around the earth, with the circle's center at the center of the earth; a
great-circle distance between two points is the distance along the great circle which connects the two
points.)
For the most part, MapInfo Professional performs a Cartesian or Spherical operation. Generally, a
spherical operation is performed unless the coordinate system is NonEarth, in which case, a Cartesian
operation is performed.
Example
Dim dist, start_x, start_y, end_x, end_y As Float
Open Table "cities"
Fetch First From cities
start_x = CentroidX(cities.obj)
start_y = CentroidY(cities.obj)
Fetch Next From cities
end_x = CentroidX(cities.obj)
end_y = CentroidY(cities.obj)
dist = Distance(start_x,start_y,end_x,end_y,"mi")
See Also:
Area( ) function, ObjectLen( ) function, Set CoordSys statement, Set Distance Units statement

Do Case...End Case statement

Purpose
Decides which group of statements to execute, based on the current value of an expression.
Restrictions
You cannot issue a Do Case statement through the MapBasic window.
Syntax
Do Case do_expr
Case case_expr [ , case_expr ]
statement_list
[ Case ... ]
[ Case Else

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Do Case...End Case statement

statement_list ]
End Case
do_expr is an expression.
case_expr is an expression representing a possible value for do_expr.
statement_list is a group of statements to carry out under the appropriate circumstances.
Description
The Do Case statement is similar to the If...Then statement, in that Do Case tests for the existence of
certain conditions, and decides which statements to execute (if any) based on the results of the test.
MapBasic's Do Case statement is analogous to the BASIC language's Select Case statement. (In
MapBasic, the name of the statement was changed to avoid conflicting with the Select statement).
In executing a Do Case statement, MapBasic examines the first Case case_expr clause. If one of the
expressions in the Case case_expr clause is equal to the value of the do_expr expression, that case is
considered a match. Accordingly, MapBasic executes the statements in that Case's statement_list, and
then jumps down to the first statement following the End Case statement.
If none of the expressions in the first Case case_expr clause equal the do_expr expression, MapBasic
tries to find a match in the following Case case_expr clause. MapBasic will test each Case case_expr
clauses in succession, until one of the cases is a match or until all of the cases are exhausted.
MapBasic will execute at most one statement_list from a Do Case statement. Upon finding a matching
Case, MapBasic will execute that Case's statement_list, and then jump immediately down to the first
statement following End Case.
If none of the case_expr expressions are equal to the do_expr expression, none of the cases will match,
and thus no statement_list will be executed. However, if a Do Case statement includes a Case Else
clause, and if none of the Case case_expr clauses match, then MapBasic will carry out the statement
list from the Case Else clause
Note that a Do Case statement of this form:
Do Case expr1
Case expr2
statement_list1
Case expr3, expr4
statement_list2
Case Else
statement_list3
End Case
would have the same effect as an If...Then statement of this form:
If expr1 = expr2 Then
statement_list1
ElseIf expr1 = expr3 Or expr1 = expr4 Then
statement_list2
Else
statement_list3
End If

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Example
The following example builds a text string such as "First Quarter", "Second Quarter", etc., depending on
the current date.
Dim cur_month As Integer, msg As String
cur_month = Month( CurDate( ) )
Do Case cur_month
Case 1, 2, 3
msg = "First Quarter"
Case 4, 5, 6
msg = "Second Quarter"
Case 7, 8, 9
msg = "Third Quarter"
Case Else
msg = "Fourth Quarter"
End Case
See Also:
If...Then statement

Do...Loop statement
Purpose
Defines a loop which will execute until a specified condition becomes TRUE (or FALSE).
Restrictions
You cannot issue a Do Loop statement through the MapBasic window.
Syntax 1
Do
statement_list
Loop [ { Until | While } condition ]
Syntax 2
Do [ { Until | While } condition ]
statement_list
Loop
statement_list is a group of statements to be executed zero or more times.
condition is a conditional expression which controls when the loop terminates.
Description
The Do...Loop statement provides loop control. Generally speaking, the Do...Loop repeatedly executes
the statements in a statement_list as long as a While condition remains TRUE (or, conversely, the loop
repeatedly executes the statement_list until the Until condition becomes TRUE).
If the Do...Loop does not contain the optional Until / While clause, the loop will repeat indefinitely. In
such a case, a flow control statement, such as Goto statement or Exit Do statement, will be needed
to halt or exit the loop. The Exit Do statement halts any Do...Loop immediately (regardless of whether

Reference

279

Drop Index statement

the loop has an Until / While clause), and resumes program execution with the first statement following
the Loop clause.
As indicated above, the optional Until / While clause may either follow the Do keyword or the Loop
keyword. The position of the Until / While clause dictates whether MapBasic tests the condition before
or after executing the statement_list. This is of particular importance during the first iteration of the loop.
A loop using the following syntax:
Do
statement_list
Loop While condition
will execute the statement_list and then test the condition. If the condition is TRUE, MapBasic will continue to execute the statement_list until the condition becomes FALSE. Thus, a Do...Loop using the
above syntax will execute the statement_list at least once.
By contrast, a Do...Loop of the following form will only execute the statement_list if the condition is
TRUE.
Do While condition
statement_list
Loop
Example
The following example uses a Do...Loop statement to read the first ten records of a table.
Dim sum As Float, counter As Integer
Open Table "world"
Fetch First From world
counter = 1
Do
sum = sum + world.population
Fetch Next From world
counter = counter + 1
Loop While counter <= 10
See Also:
Exit Do statement, For...Next statement

Drop Index statement

Purpose
Deletes an index from a table. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Drop Index table( column )
table is the name of an open table.
column is the name of a column in that table.

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Description
The Drop Index statement deletes an existing index from an open table. Dropping an index reduces the
amount of disk space occupied by a table. (To re-create that index at a later time, issue a Create Index
statement.)
Note: MapInfo Professional cannot drop an index if the table has unsaved edits. Use the Commit Table
statement to save edits.
The Drop Index statement takes effect immediately; no save operation is required. You cannot undo
the effect of a Drop Index statement by selecting File > Revert or Edit > Undo. Similarly, the MapBasic
Rollback statement will not undo the effect of a Drop Index statement.
Example
The following example deletes the index from the Name field of the World table.
Open Table "world"
Drop Index world(name)
See Also:
Create Index statement

Drop Map statement

Purpose
Deletes all graphical objects from a table. Cannot be used on linked tables. You can issue this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Drop Map table
table is the name of an open table.
Description
A Drop Map statement deletes all graphical objects (points, lines, regions, circles, etc.) from an open
table, and modifies the table structure so that graphical objects may not be attached to the table.
Note: The Drop Map statement takes effect immediately; no save operation is required. You cannot
undo the effect of a Drop Map statement by selecting File > Revert or Edit > Undo. Similarly,
the MapBasic Rollback statement will not undo the effect of a Drop Map statement. Accordingly,
you should be extremely cautious when using the Drop Map statement.
After performing a Drop Map operation, you will no longer be able to display the corresponding table in
a Map window; the Drop Map statement modifies the table's structure so that objects may no longer be
associated with the table. (A subsequent Create Map statement will restore the table's ability to contain
graphical objects; however, a Create Map statement will not restore the graphical objects which were
discarded during a Drop Map operation.) The Drop Map statement does not affect the number of records
in a table. You still can browse a table after performing Drop Map.

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Drop Table statement

If you wish to delete all of the graphical objects from a table, but you intend to attach new graphical objects
to the same table, use Delete Object instead of Drop Map.
The Drop Map statement does not work on linked tables.
Example
Open Table "clients"
Drop Map clients
See Also:
Create Map statement, Create Table statement, Delete statement

Drop Table statement

Purpose
Deletes a table in its entirety. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Drop Table table
table is the name of an open table.
Description
The Drop Table statement completely erases the specified table from the computer's disk. The table
must already be open.
Note that if a table is based on a pre-existing database or spreadsheet file, the Drop Table statement
will delete the original file as well as the component files which make it a table. In other words, a Drop
Table operation may have the effect of deleting a file which is used outside of MapInfo Professional.
The Drop Table statement takes effect immediately; no save operation is required. You cannot undo
the effect of a Drop Table statement by selecting File > Revert or Edit > Undo. Similarly, the MapBasic
Rollback statement will not undo the effect of a Drop Table statement. You should be extremely cautious
when using the Drop Table statement.
Note: Many MapInfo table operations (for example, Select) store results in temporary tables (for example,
Query1). Temporary tables are deleted automatically when you exit MapInfo Professional; you
do not need to use the Drop Table statement to delete temporary tables.
The Drop Table statement cannot be used to delete a table that is actually a "view." For example, a
StreetInfo table (such as SF_STRTS) is actually a view, combining two other tables (SF_STRT1 and
SF_STRT2). So, you could not delete the SF_STRTS table by using the Drop Table statement.
Example
Open Table "clients"
Drop Table clients
See Also:

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Create Table statement, Delete statement, Kill statement

End MapInfo statement

Purpose
This statement halts MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
End MapInfo [ Interactive ]
Description
The End MapInfo statement halts MapInfo Professional.
An application can define a special procedure called EndHandler, which is executed automatically when
MapInfo Professional terminates. Accordingly, when an application issues an End MapInfo statement,
MapInfo Professional automatically executes any sleeping EndHandler procedures before shutting
down. See EndHandler procedure for more information.
If an application issues an End MapInfo statement, and one or more tables have unsaved edits, MapInfo
Professional prompts the user to save or discard the table edits.
If you include the Interactive keyword, and if there are unsaved themes or labels, MapInfo Professional
prompts the user to save or discard the unsaved work. However, if the user's system is set up so that it
automatically saves MAPINFOW.WOR on exit, this prompt does not appear. If you omit the Interactive
keyword, this prompt does not appear.
To halt a MapBasic application without exiting MapInfo Professional, use the End Program statement.
See Also:
End Program statement, EndHandler procedure

End Program statement

Purpose
Halts a MapBasic application.
Restrictions
The End Program statement may not be issued from the MapBasic window.
Syntax
End Program
Description
The End Program statement halts execution of a MapBasic program. A MapBasic application can add
items to MapInfo Professional menus, and even add entirely new menus to the menu bar. Typically, a

Reference

283

EndHandler procedure
menu item added in this fashion calls a sub procedure from a MapBasic program. Once a MapBasic
application has connected a procedure to the menu in this fashion, the application is said to be "sleeping."
If any procedure in a MapBasic application issues an End Program statement, that entire application
is haltedeven if "sleeping" procedures have been attached to custom menu items. When an application
halts, MapInfo Professional automatically removes any menu items created by that application.
If an application defines a procedure named EndHandler, MapBasic automatically calls that procedure
when the application halts, for whatever reason the application halts.
See Also:
End MapInfo statement, EndHandler procedure

EndHandler procedure
Purpose
A reserved procedure name, called automatically when an application terminates.
Syntax
Declare Sub EndHandler
Sub EndHandler
statement_list
End Sub
statement_list is a list of statements to execute when the application terminates.
Description
EndHandler is a special-purpose MapBasic procedure name.
If the user runs an application containing a sub procedure named EndHandler, the EndHandler procedure
is called automatically when the application ends. This happens whether the user exited MapInfo Professional or another procedure in the application issued an End Program statement.
Note: Multiple MapBasic applications can be "sleeping" at the same time. When MapInfo Professional
terminates, MapBasic automatically calls all sleeping EndHandler procedures, one after another.
See Also:
RemoteMsgHandler procedure, SelChangedHandler procedure, ToolHandler procedure, WinChangedHandler procedure, WinClosedHandler procedure

EOF( ) function
Purpose
Returns TRUE if MapBasic tried to read past the end of a file, FALSE otherwise.
Syntax
EOF( filenum )

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filenum is the number of a file opened through the Open File statement.
Return Value
Logical
Description
The EOF( ) function returns a logical value indicating whether the End-Of-File condition exists for the
specified file. The integer filenum parameter represents the number of an open file.
If a Get statement tries to read past the end of the specified file, the EOF( ) function returns a value of
TRUE; otherwise, EOF( ) returns a value of FALSE.
The EOF( ) function works with open files; when you wish to check the current position of an open table,
use the EOT( ) function.
For an example of calling EOF( ), see the sample program NVIEWS.MB (Named Views).
Error Conditions
ERR_FILEMGR_NOTOPEN (366) error generated if the specified file is not open.
See Also:
EOT( ) function, Open File statement

EOT( ) function
Purpose
Returns TRUE if MapBasic has reached the end of the specified table, FALSE otherwise. You can call
this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
EOT( table )
table is the name of an open table.
Return Value
Logical
Description
The EOT( ) function returns TRUE or FALSE to indicate whether MapInfo Professional has tried to read
past the end of the specified table. The table parameter represents the name of an open table.
Error Conditions
ERR_TABLE_NOT_FOUND (405) error generated if the specified table is not available

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EPSGToCoordSysString$( ) function
Example
The following example uses the logical result of the EOT( ) function to decide when to terminate a loop.
The loop repeatedly fetches the next record in a table, until the point when the EOT( ) function indicates
that the program has reached the end of the table.
Dim f_total As Float
Open Table "customer"
Fetch First From customer
Do While Not EOT(customer)
f_total = f_total + customer.order
Fetch Next From customer
Loop
See Also:
EOF( ) function, Fetch statement, Open File statement, Open Table statement

EPSGToCoordSysString$( ) function
Purpose
Converts a string containing a Spatial Reference System into a CoordSys clause that can be used with
any MapBasic function or statement. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
EPSGToCoordSysString$( srs_string )
srs_string is a String describing a Spatial Reference System (SRS) for any supported coordinate systems.
SRS strings are also referred to as EPSG (European Petroleum Survey Group) strings (for example,
epsg:2600). For a complete list of EPSG codes used with MapInfo Professional see the MAPINFOW.PRJ
file in your MapInfo Professional installation. The EPSG codes are identified by a "\p" followed by a
number.
Description
The EPSGToCoordSysString$( ) is used to convert a SRS String into a CoordSys clause that can be
used in any MapBasic function or statement that takes a CoordSys clause as an input.
Example
The following example sets the coordinate system of a map to Earth Projection 1, 104.
run command("Set Map " +

EPSGToCoordSysString$("EPSG:4326"))

See Also:
CoordSys clause

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Erase( ) function
Purpose
Returns an object created by erasing part of another object. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Erase( source_object, eraser_object )
source_object is an object, part of which is to be erased; cannot be a point or text object.
eraser_object is a closed object, representing the area that will be erased.
Return Value
Returns an object representing what remains of source_object after erasing eraser_object.
Description
The Erase( ) function erases part of an object, and returns an object expression representing what remains
of the object.
The source_object parameter can be a linear object (line, polyline, or arc) or a closed object (region,
rectangle, rounded rectangle, or ellipse), but cannot be a point object or text object. The eraser_object
must be a closed object. The object returned retains the color and pattern styles of the source_object.
Example
' In this example, o1 and o2 are Object variables
' that already contain Object expressions.
If o1 Intersects o2 Then
If o1 Entirely Within o2 Then
Note "Cannot Erase; nothing would remain."
Else
o3 = Erase( o1, o2 )
End If
Else
Note "Cannot Erase; objects do not intersect."
End If
See Also:
Objects Erase statement, Objects Intersect statement

Err( ) function
Purpose
Returns a numeric code, representing the current error. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

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Err( ) function
Syntax
Err( )
Return Value
Integer
Description
The Err( ) function returns the numeric code indicating which error occurred most recently.
By default, a MapBasic program which generates an error will display an error message and then halt.
However, by issuing an OnError statement, a program can set up an error handling routine to respond
to error conditions. Once an error handling routine is specified, MapBasic jumps to that routine automatically in the event of an error. The error handling routine can then call the Err( ) function to determine
which error occurred.
The Err( ) function can only return error codes while within the error handler. Once the program issues
a Resume statement to return from the error handling routine, the error condition is reset. This means
that if you call the Err( ) function outside of the error handling routine, it returns zero.
Some statement and function descriptions within this document contain an Error Conditions heading
(just before the Example heading), listing error codes related to that statement or function. However, not
all error codes are identified in the Error Conditions heading.
Some MapBasic error codes are only generated under narrowly-defined, specific circumstances; for
example, the ERR_INVALID_CHANNEL (696) error is only generated by DDE-related functions or
statements. If a statement might generate such an "unusual" error, the discussion for that statement will
identify the error under the Error Conditions heading.
However, other MapBasic errors are "generic", and might be generated under a variety of broadly-defined
circumstances. For example, many functions, such as Area( ) function and ObjectInfo( ) function,
take an Object expression as a parameter. Any such function will generate the
ERR_FCN_OBJ_FETCH_FAILED (650) error if you pass an expression of the form tablename.obj
as a parameter, when the current row from that table has no associated object. In other words, any
function which takes an Object parameter might generate the ERR_FCN_OBJ_FETCH_FAILED (650)
error. Since the ERR_FCN_OBJ_FETCH_FAILED (650) error can occur in so many different places,
individual functions do not explicitly identify the error.
Similarly, there are two math errors-ERR_FP_MATH_LIB_DOMAIN (911) and
ERR_FP_MATH_LIB_RANGE (912)-which can occur as a result of an invalid numeric parameter. These
errors might be generated by calls to any of the following functions: Acos( ) function, Asin( ) function,
Atn( ) function, Cos( ) function, Exp( ) function, Log( ) function, Sin( ) function, Sqr( ) function, or
Tan( ) function.
The complete list of potential MapBasic error codes is included in the file ERRORS.DOC.
See Also:
Error statement, Error$( ) function, OnError statement

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Error statement
Purpose
Simulates the occurrence of an error condition. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Error error_num
error_num is an integer error number.
Description
The Error statement simulates the occurrence of an error.
If an error-handling routine has been enabled through an OnError statement, the simulated error will
cause MapBasic to perform the appropriate error-handling routine. If no error handling routine has been
enabled, the error simulated by the Error statement will cause the MapBasic application to halt after
displaying an appropriate error message.
See Also:
Err( ) function, Error$( ) function, OnError statement

Error$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a message describing the current error. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Error$( )
Return Value
String
Description
The Error$( ) function returns a character string describing the current run-time error, if an error has
occurred. If no error has occurred, the Error$( ) function returns a null string.
The Error$( ) function should only be called from within an error handling routine. See Err( ) function
for more information.
See Also:
Err( ) function, Error statement, OnError statement

Reference

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Exit Do statement

Exit Do statement
Purpose
Exits a Do...Loop statement prematurely.
Restrictions
You cannot issue an Exit Do statement through the MapBasic window.
Syntax
Exit Do
Description
An Exit Do statement terminates a Do...Loop statement. Upon encountering an Exit Do statement,
MapBasic will jump to the first statement following the Do...Loop statement. Note that the Exit Do
statement is only valid within a Do...Loop statement.
Do...Loop statements can be nested; that is, a Do...Loop statement can appear within the body of
another, "outer" Do...Loop statement. An Exit Do statement only halts the iteration of the nearest
Do...Loop statement. Thus, in an arrangement of this sort:
Do While condition1
:
Do While condition2
:
If error_condition
Exit Do
End If
:
Loop
:
Loop
the Exit Do statement will halt the inner loop (Do While condition2) without necessarily affecting the
outer loop (Do While condition1).
See Also:
Do...Loop statement, Exit For statement, Exit Sub statement

Exit For statement

Purpose
Exits a For...Next statement prematurely.
Restrictions
You cannot issue an Exit For statement through the MapBasic window.

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Syntax
Exit For
Description
An Exit For statement terminates a For...Next statement. Upon encountering an Exit For statement,
MapBasic will jump to the first statement following the For...Next statement. Note that the Exit For
statement is only valid within a For...Next statement.
For...Next statements can be nested; that is, a For...Next statement can appear within the body of
another, "outer" For...Next statement. Note that an Exit For statement only halts the iteration of the
nearest For...Next statement. Thus, in an arrangement of this sort:
For x = 1 to 5
:
For y = 2 to 10 step 2
:
If error_condition
Exit For
End If
:
Next
:
Next
the Exit For statement will halt the inner loop (For y = 2 to 10 step 2) without necessarily affecting
the outer loop (For x = 1 to 5).
See Also:
Exit Do statement, For...Next statement

Exit Function statement

Purpose
Exits a Function...End Function statement.
Restrictions
You cannot issue an Exit Function statement through the MapBasic window.
Syntax
Exit Function
Description
An Exit Function statement causes MapBasic to exit the current function. Accordingly, an Exit Function
statement may only be issued from within a Function...End Function statement.
Function calls may be nested; in other words, one function can call another function, which, in turn, can
call yet another function. Note that a single Exit Function statement exits only the current function.
See Also:

Reference

291

Exit Sub statement

Function...End Function statement

Exit Sub statement

Purpose
Exits a Sub...End Sub statement.
Restrictions
You cannot issue an Exit Sub statement through the MapBasic window.
Syntax
Exit Sub
Description
An Exit Sub statement causes MapBasic to exit the current sub procedure. Accordingly, an Exit Sub
statement may only be issued from within a sub procedure.
Sub...End Sub statement may be nested; in other words, one sub procedure can call another sub
procedure, which, in turn, can call yet another sub procedure, etc. Note that a single Exit Sub statement
exits only the current sub procedure.
See Also:
Call statement, Sub...End Sub statement

Exp( ) function
Purpose
Returns the number e raised to a specified exponent. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Exp( num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression.
Return Value
Float
Description
The Exp( ) function raises the mathematical value e to the power represented by num_expr. e has a
value of approximately 2.7182818.
Note: MapBasic supports general exponentiation through the caret operator (^).

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Example
Dim e As Float
e = Exp(1)
' the local variable e now contains
' approximately 2.7182818
See Also:
Cos( ) function, Sin( ) function, Log( ) function

Export statement
Purpose
Exports a table to another file format. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax 1 (for exporting MIF/MID files, DBF files, or ASCII text files)
Export table
Into file_name
[ Type
{ "MIF" |
"DBF" [ Charset char_set ] |
"ASCII" [ Charset char_set ] [ Delimiter "d " ] [ Titles ] |
"CSV" [ Charset char_set ] [ Titles ] } ]
[ Overwrite ]
Syntax 2 (for exporting DXF files)
Export table
Into file_name
[ Type "DXF" ]
[ Overwrite ]
[ Preserve
[ AttributeData ] [ Preserve ] [ MultiPolygonRgns [ As Blocks ] ] ]
[ { Binary | ASCII [ DecimalPlaces decimal_places ] } ]
[ Version { 12 | 13 } ]
[ Transform
( MI_x1, MI_y1 ) ( MI_x2, MI_y2 )
( DXF_x1, DXF_y1 ) ( DXF_x2, DXF_y2 ) ]
table is the name of an open table; do not use quotation marks around this name.
file_name is a string specifying the file name to contain the exported data; if the file name does not include
a path, the export file is created in the current working directory.
char_set is a string that identifies a character set, such as "WindowsLatin1"; see CharSet clause for
details.
d is a character used as a delimiter when exporting an ASCII file.
decimal_places is a small integer (from 0 to 16, default value is 6), which controls the number of
decimal places used when exporting floating-point numbers in ASCII.
MI_x1, MI_y1, etc. are numbers that represent bounds coordinates in the MapInfo Professional table.
DXF_x1, DXF_y1, etc. are numbers that represent bounds coordinates in the DXF file.

Reference

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Export statement
Description
The Export statement copies the contents of a MapInfo table to a separate file, using a file format which
other packages could then edit or import. For example, you could export the contents of a table to a DXF
file, then use a CAD software package to import the DXF file. The Export statement does not alter the
original table.
Specifying the File Format
The optional Type clause specifies the format of the file you want to create.
Type clause

File Format Specified

Type "MIF"

MapInfo Interchange File format. For information

on the MIF file format, see the MapInfo Professional
documentation.

Type "DXF"

DXF file (a format supported by CAD packages,

such as AutoCAD).

Type "DBF"

dBASE file format.

Note: Map objects are not exported when you
specify DBF format.

Type "ASCII"

Text file format.

Note: Map objects are not exported when you
specify ASCII format.

Type "CSV"

Comma-delimited text file format.

Note: Map objects are not exported when you
specify CSV format.

If you omit the Type clause, MapInfo Professional assumes that the file extension indicates the desired
file format. For example, if you specify the file name "PARCELS.DXF" MapInfo Professional creates a
DXF file.
If you include the optional Overwrite keyword, MapInfo Professional creates the export file, regardless
of whether a file by that name already exists. If you omit the Overwrite keyword, and the file already
exists, MapInfo Professional does not overwrite the file.
Exporting ASCII Text Files
When you export a table to an ASCII or CSV text file, the text file will contain delimiters. A delimiter is a
special character that separates the fields within each row of data. CSV text files automatically use a
comma (,) as the delimiter. No other delimiter can be specified for CSV export.

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The default delimiter for an ASCII text file is the TAB character (Chr$(9)). To specify a different delimiter,
include the optional Delimiter clause. The following example uses a colon (:) as the delimiter:
Export sites Into "sitedata.txt" Type "ASCII"
Delimiter ":" Titles
When you export to an ASCII or CSV text file, you may want to include the optional Titles keyword. If
you include Titles, the first row of the text file will contain the table's column names. If you omit Titles,
the column names will not be stored in the text file (which could be a problem if you intend to re-import
the file later).
Exporting DXF Files
If you export a table into DXF file, using Syntax 2 as shown above, the Export statement can include
the following DXF-specific clauses:
Include the Preserve AttributeData clause if you want to export the table's tabular data as attribute data
in the DXF file.
Include the Preserve MultiPolygonRgns As Blocks clause if you want MapInfo Professional to export
each multiple-polygon region as a DXF block entity. If you omit this clause, each polygon from a multiplepolygon region is stored separately.
Include the Binary keyword to export into a binary DXF file; or, include the ASCII keyword to export into
an ASCII text DXF file. If you do not include either keyword, MapInfo Professional creates an ASCII DXF
file. Binary DXF files are generally smaller, and can be processed much faster than ASCII. When you
export as ASCII, you can specify the number of decimal places used to store floating-point numbers (0
to 16 decimal places; 6 is the default).
The Version 12 or Version 13 clause controls whether MapInfo Professional creates a DXF file compliant
with AutoCAD 12 or 13. If you omit the clause, MapInfo Professional creates a version 12 DXF file.
Transform specifies a coordinate transformation. In the Transform clause, you specify the minimum
and maximum x- and y-bounds coordinates of the MapInfo table, and then specify the minimum and
maximum coordinates that you want to have in the DXF file.
Example
The following example takes an existing MapInfo table, Facility, and exports the table to a DXF file called
"FACIL.DXF".
Open Table "facility"
Export facility
Into "FACIL.DXF"
Type "DXF"
Overwrite
Preserve AttributeData
Preserve MultiPolygonRgns As Blocks
ASCII DecimalPlaces 3
Transform (0, 0) (1, 1) (0, 0) (1, 1)
See Also:
Import statement

Reference

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ExtractNodes( ) function

ExtractNodes( ) function
Purpose
Returns a polyline or region created from a subset of the nodes in an existing object. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ExtractNodes( object, polygon_index, begin_node, end_node, b_region )
object is a polyline or region object.
polygon_index is an integer value, 1 or larger: for region objects. This indicates which polygon (for regions)
or section (for polylines) to query.
begin_node is a SmallInt node number, 1 or larger; indicates the beginning of the range of nodes to return.
end_node is a SmallInt node number, 1 or larger; indicates the end of the range of nodes to return.
b_region is a logical value that controls whether a region or polyline object is returned; use TRUE for a
region object or FALSE for a polyline object.
Return Value
Returns an object with the specified nodes. MapBasic applies all styles (color, etc.) of the original object;
then, if necessary, MapBasic applies the current drawing styles.
Description
If the begin_node is equal to or greater than end_node, the nodes are returned in the following order:
begin_node through the next-to-last node in the polygon;
First node in polygon through end_node.
If object is a region object, and if begin_node and end_node are both equal to 1, MapBasic returns the
entire set of nodes for that polygon. This provides a simple mechanism for extracting a single polygon
from a multiple-polygon region. To determine the number of polygons in a region, call the ObjectInfo(
) function.
Error Conditions
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error generated if b_region is FALSE and the range of nodes contains
fewer than two nodes, or if b_region is TRUE and the range of nodes contains fewer than three nodes.
See Also:
ObjectNodeX( ) function, ObjectNodeY( ) function

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Farthest statement
Purpose
Find the object in a table that is farthest from a particular object. The result is a two-point Polyline object
representing the farthest distance. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Farthest [ N | All ]
From { Table fromtable | Variable fromvar }
To totable Into intotable
[ Type { Spherical | Cartesian } ]
[ Ignore [ Contains ] [ Min min_value ]
[ Max max_value ] Units unitname ]
[ Data clause ]
N is an optional parameter for the number of "farthest" objects to find. The default is 1. If All is used,
then a distance object is created for every combination.
fromtable is a table of objects from which you want to find farthest distances.
fromvar is a MapBasic variable representing an object that you want to find the farthest distances from.
totable is a table of objects that you want to find farthest distances to.
intotable is a table to place the results into.
min_value is the minimum distance to include in the results.
max_value is the maximum distance to include in the results.
unitname is string representing the name of a distance unit (for example, "km") used for min_value and/or
max_value.
Description
The Farthest statement finds all the objects in the fromtable that is furthest from a particular object.
Every object in the fromtable is considered. For each object in the fromtable, the furthest object in the
totable is found. If N is defined, then the N farthest objects in the totable are found. A two-point Polyline
object representing the farthest points between the fromtable object and the chosen totable object is
placed in the intotable. If All is specified, then an object is placed in the intotable representing the distance
between the fromtable object and each totable object.
If there are multiple objects in the totable that are the same distance from a given fromtable object, then
only one of them may be returned. If multiple objects are requested (for example, if N is greater than 1),
then objects of the same distance will fill subsequent slots. If a tie exists at the second farthest object,
and three objects are requested, then one of the second farthest objects will become the third farthest
object.
The types of the objects in the fromtable and totable can be anything except Text objects. For example,
if both tables contain Region objects, then the minimum distance between Region objects is found, and
the two-point Polyline object produced represents the points on each object used to calculate that distance.

Reference

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Farthest statement
If the Region objects intersect, then the minimum distance is zero, and the two-point Polyline returned
will be degenerate, where both points are identical and represent a point of intersection.
The distances calculated do not take into account any road route distance. It is strictly a "as the bird
flies" distance.
The Ignore clause can be used to limit the distances to be searched, and can effect how many totable
objects are found for each fromtable object. One use of the Min distance could be to eliminate distances
of zero. This may be useful in the case of two point tables to eliminate comparisons of the same point.
For example, if there are two point tables representing Cities, and we want to find the closest cities, we
may want to exclude cases of the same city.
The Max distance can be used to limit the objects to consider in the totable. This may be most useful in
conjunction with N or All. For example, we may want to search for the five airports that are closest to a
set of cities (where the fromtable is the set of cities and the totable is a set of airports), but we don't care
about airports that are farther away than 100 miles. This may result in less than five airports being returned
for a given city. This could also be used in conjunction with the All parameter, where we would find all
airports within 100 miles of a city.
Supplying a Max parameter can improve the performance of the Farthest statement, since it effectively
limits the number of totable objects that are searched.
The effective distances found are strictly greater than the min_value and less than or equal to the
max_value:
min_value < distance <= max_value
This can allow ranges or distances to be returned in multiple passes using the Farthest statement. For
example, the first pass may return all objects between 0 and 100 miles, and the second pass may return
all objects between 100 and 200 miles, and the results should not contain duplicates (for example, a
distance of 100 should only occur in the first pass and never in the second pass).
Type is the method used to calculate the distances between objects. It can either be Spherical or
Cartesian. The type of distance calculation must be correct for the coordinate system of the intotable or
an error will occur. If the Coordsys of the intotable is NonEarth and the distance method is Spherical,
then an error will occur. If the Coordsys of the intotable is Latitude/Longitude, and the distance method
is Cartesian, then an error will occur.
The Ignore clause limits the distances returned. Any distances found which are less than or equal to
min_value or greater than max_value are ignored. min_value and max_value are in the distance unit
signified by unitname. If unitname is not a valid distance unit, an error will occur. See Set Distance Units
statement for the list of available unit names. The entire Ignore clause is optional, as are the Min and
Max sub clauses within it.
Normally, if one object is contained within another object, the distance between the objects is zero. For
example, if fromtable is WorldCaps and totable is World, then the distance between London and the
United Kingdom would be zero. If the Contains keyword is used within the Ignore clause, then the distance will not be automatically be zero. Instead, the distance from London to the boundary of the United
Kingdom will be returned. In effect, this will treat all closed objects, such as regions, as polylines for the
purpose of this operation.
The Data clause can be used to mark which fromtable object and which totable object the result came
from.

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Data Clause
Data IntoColumn1=column1, IntoColumn2=column2
The IntoColumn on the left hand side of the equals sign must be a valid column in intotable. The column
name on the right hand side of the equals sign must be a valid column name from either totable or
fromtable. If the same column name exists in both totable and fromtable, then the column in totable will
be used (e.g., totable is searched first for column names on the right hand side of the equals sign).
To avoid any conflicts such as this, the column names can be qualified using the table alias. For example:
Data name1=states.state_name, name2=county.state_name
To fill a column in the intotable with the distance, we can either use the Table > Update Column functionality from the menu or use the Update statement.
See Also:
Nearest statement, CartesianObjectDistance( ) function, ObjectDistance( ) function, SphericalObjectDistance( ) function, CartesianConnectObjects( ) function, ConnectObjects( ) function,
SphericalConnectObjects( ) function

Fetch statement
Purpose
Sets a table's cursor position (for example, which row is the current row). You can issue this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Fetch { First | Last | Next | Prev | Rec n } From table
n is the number of the record to read.
table is the name of an open table.
Description
Use the Fetch statement to retrieve records from an open table. By issuing a Fetch statement, your
program places the table cursor at a certain row position in the table; this dictates which of the records
in the table is the "current" record.
Note: The term "cursor" is used here to signify a row's position in a table. This has nothing to do with
the on-screen mouse cursor.
After you issue a Fetch statement, you can retrieve data from the current row by using one of the following
expression types:

Reference

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Fetch statement
Syntax

Example

table.column

World.Country

table.col#

World.col1

table.col( number )

World.col( 1 )

A Fetch First statement positions the cursor at the first un-deleted row in the table.
A Fetch Last statement positions the cursor at the last un-deleted row in the table.
A Fetch Next statement moves the cursor forward to the next un-deleted row.
A Fetch Prev statement moves the cursor backward to the previous un-deleted row.
A Fetch Rec n statement positions the cursor on a specific row, even if that row is deleted.
Note: If the specified record is deleted, the statement generates run-time error 404.
Various MapInfo Professional and MapBasic operations (for example, Select, Update, and screen redraws)
automatically reset the current row. Accordingly, Fetch statements should be issued just before any
statements that make assumptions about which row is current.
Reading Past the End of the Table
After you issue a Fetch statement, you may need to call the EOT( ) function to determine whether you
fetched an actual row.
If the Fetch statement placed the cursor on an actual row, the EOT( ) function returns FALSE (meaning,
there is not an end-of-table condition).
If the Fetch statement attempted to place the cursor past the last row, the EOT( ) function returns TRUE
(meaning, there is an end-of-table condition; therefore there is no "current row").
The following example shows how to use a Fetch Next statement to loop through all rows in a table. As
soon as a Fetch Next statement attempts to read past the final row, the EOT( ) function returns TRUE,
causing the loop to halt.
Dim i As Integer
i = 0
Fetch First From world
Do While Not EOT(world)
i = i + 1
Fetch Next From world
Loop
Print "Number of undeleted records: " + i

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Examples
The following example shows how to fetch the 3rd record from the table States:
Open Table "states"
Fetch Rec 3 From states 'position at 3rd record
Note states.state_name 'display name of state
As illustrated in the example below, the Fetch statement can operate on a temporary table (for example,
Selection).
Select * From states Where pop_1990 < pop_1980
Fetch First From Selection
Note Selection.col1 + " has negative net migration"
See Also:
EOT( ) function, Open Table statement

FileAttr( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about an open file. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
FileAttr( filenum, attribute )
filenum is the number of a file opened through an Open File statement.
attribute is a code indicating which file attribute to return; see table below.
Return Value
Integer
Description
The FileAttr( ) function returns information about an open file. The attribute parameter must be one of
the codes in this table:
attribute parameter

ID

Return Value

FILE_ATTR_MODE

Small integer, indicating the mode in which the file was

opened. Return value will be one of the following:

FILE_ATTR_FILESIZE

Reference

MODE_INPUT (0)
MODE_OUTPUT (1)
MODE_APPEND (2)
MODE_RANDOM (3)
MODE_BINARY (4)

Integer, indicating the file size in bytes.

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FileExists( ) function
Error Conditions
ERR_FILEMGR_NOTOPEN (366) error is generated if the specified file is not open.
See Also:
EOF( ) function, Get statement, Open File statement, Put statement

FileExists( ) function
Purpose
Returns a logical value indicating whether or not a file exists. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
FileExists( filespec )
filespec is a string that specifies the file path and name.
Return Value
Logical: TRUE if the file already exists, otherwise FALSE.
Example
If FileExists("C:\MapInfo\TODO.TXT") Then
Open File "C:\MapInfo\TODO.TXT" For INPUT As #1
End If
See Also:
TempFileName$( ) function

FileOpenDlg( ) function
Purpose
Displays a File Open dialog box, and returns the name of the file the user selected. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
FileOpenDlg( path, filename, filetype, prompt )
path is a string value, indicating the directory or folder to choose files from.
filename is a string value, indicating the default file name for the user to choose.
filetype is a string value, three or four characters long, indicating a file type (for example, "TAB" to specify
tables).
prompt is a string title that appears on the bar at the top of the dialog box.

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Return Value
String value, representing the name of the file the user chose (or an empty string if the user cancelled).
Description
The FileOpenDlg( ) function displays a dialog box similar to the one that displays when the user chooses
File > Open.
To choose a file from the list that appears in the dialog box, the user can either click a file in the list and
click the OK button, or simply double-click a file in the list. In either case, the FileOpenDlg( ) function
returns a character string representing the full path and name of the file the user chose. Alternately, if
the user clicks the Cancel button instead of picking a file, the dialog returns a null string ("").
The FileOpenDlg( ) function does not actually open any files; it merely presents the user with a dialog
box, and lets the user choose a file. If your application then needs to actually open the file chosen by
the user, the application must issue a statement such as the Open Table statement. If you want your
application to display an Open dialog box, and then you want MapInfo Professional to automatically
open the selected file, you can issue a statement such as the Run Menu Command statement with
M_FILE_OPEN or M_FILE_ADD_WORKSPACE.
The path parameter specifies the directory or folder from which the user will choose an existing file. Note
that the path parameter only dictates the initial directory, it does not prevent the user from changing directories once the dialog box appears. If the path parameter is blank (a null string), the dialog box presents
a list of files in the current working directory.
The filename parameter specifies the default file name for the user to choose.
The filetype parameter is a string, usually three or four characters long, which indicates the type of files
that should appear in the dialog box. Some filetype settings have special meaning; for example, if the
filetype parameter is "TAB", the dialog box presents a list of MapInfo tables, and if the filetype parameter
is "WOR", the dialog box presents a list of MapInfo workspace files.
There are also a variety of other filetype values, summarized in the table below. If you specify one of
the special type values from the table below, the dialog box includes a control that lets the user choose
between seeing a list of table files or a list of all files ("*.*").
filetype parameter

Type of files that appear

"TAB"

MapInfo tables

"WOR"

MapInfo workspaces

"MIF"

MapInfo Interchange Format files, used for importing / exporting maps from
/ to ASCII text files.

"DBF"

dBASE or compatible data files

"WKS", "WK1"

Lotus spreadsheet files

"XLS", "XLSX"

Excel spreadsheet files

"DXF"

AutoCAD data interchange format files

"MMI", "MBI"

MapInfo for DOS interchange files

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FileSaveAsDlg( ) function
filetype parameter

Type of files that appear

"MB"

MapBasic source program files

"MBX"

Compiled MapBasic applications

"TXT"

Text files

"BMP"

Windows bitmap files

"WMF"

Windows metafiles

Each of the three-character file types listed above corresponds to an actual file extension; in other words,
specifying a filetype parameter of "WOR" tells MapBasic to display a list of files having the ".WOR" file
extension, because that is the extension used by MapInfo Professional workspaces.
To help you write portable applications, MapBasic lets you use the same three-character filetype settings
on all platforms. On Windows, a control in the lower left corner of the dialog box lets the user choose
whether to see a list of files with the .TAB extension, or a list of all files in the current directory. If the
FileOpenDlg( ) function specifies a filetype parameter which is not listed in the table of file extensions
above, the dialog box appears without that control.
Example
Dim s_filename As String
s_filename = FileOpenDlg("","","TAB","Open Table")
See Also:
FileSaveAsDlg( ) function, Open File statement, Open Table statement

FileSaveAsDlg( ) function
Purpose
Displays a Save As dialog box, and returns the name of the file the user entered. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
FileSaveAsDlg( path, filename, filetype, prompt )
path is a string value, indicating the default destination directory.
filename is a string value, indicating the default file name.
filetype is a string value, indicating the type of file that the dialog box lets the user choose.
prompt is a string title that appears at the top of the dialog box.
Return Value
String value, representing the name of the file the user entered (or an empty string if the user cancelled).

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Description
The FileSaveAsDlg( ) function displays a Save As dialog box, similar to the dialog box that displays
when the user chooses File > Save Copy As.
The user can type in the name of the file they want to save. Alternately, the user can double-click from
the list of grayed-out filenames that appears in the dialog box. Since each file name in the list represents
an existing file, MapBasic asks the user to verify that they want to overwrite the existing file.
If the user specifies a filename and clicks OK, the FileSaveAsDlg( ) function returns a character string
representing the full path and name of the file the user chose. If the user clicks the Cancel button instead
of picking a file, the function returns a null string ("").
The path parameter specifies the initial directory path. The user can change directories once the dialog
box appears. If the path parameter is blank (a null string), the dialog box presents a list of files in the
current directory.
The filename parameter specifies the default file name for the user to choose.
The filetype parameter is a three-character (or shorter) string which identifies the type of files that should
appear in the dialog box. To display a dialog box that lists workspaces, specify the string "WOR" as the
filetype parameter; to display a dialog box that lists table names, specify the string "TAB." See
FileOpenDlg( ) function for more information about three-character filetype codes.
The FileSaveAsDlg( ) function does not actually save any files; it merely presents the user with a dialog
box, and lets the user choose a file name to save. To save data under the file name chosen by the user,
issue a statement such as the Commit Table statement.
See Also:
Commit Table statement, FileOpenDlg( ) function

Find statement
Purpose
Finds a location in a mappable table. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Find address [ , region ] [ Interactive ]
address is a string expression representing the name of a map object to find; to find the intersection of
two streets, use the syntax: streetname && streetname.
region is the name of a region object which refines the search.
Description
The Find statement searches a mappable table for a named location (represented by the address
parameter). MapBasic stores the search results in system variables, which a program can then access
through the CommandInfo( ) function. If the Find statement includes the optional Interactive keyword,
and if MapBasic is unable to locate the specified address, a dialog box displays a list of "near matches."

Reference

305

Find statement
The Find statement can only search a mappable table (for example, a table which has graphic objects
attached). The table must already be open. The Find statement operates on whichever column is currently
chosen for searching. A MapBasic program can issue a Find Using statement to identify a specific
table column to search. If the Find statement is not preceded by a Find Using statement, MapBasic
searches whichever table was specified the last time the user chose MapInfo Professional's Query >
Find command.
The Find statement can optionally refine a search by specifying a region name in addition to the address
parameter. In other words, you could simply try to find a city name (for example, "Albany") by searching
a table of cities; or you could refine the search by specifying both a city name and a region name (for
example, "Albany", "CA"). The Find statement does not automatically add a symbol to the map to mark
where the address was found. To create such a symbol, call the CreatePoint( ) function or the Create
Point statement; see example below.
Determining Whether the Address Was Found
Following a Find statement, a MapBasic program can issue the function call CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_FIND_RC) to determine if the search was successful. If the search was successful,
call CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_X) to determine the x-coordinate of the queried location, and call
CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_Y) to determine the y-coordinate. To determine the row number that corresponds to the "found" address, call CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_FIND_ROWID).
The Find statement may result in an exact match, an approximate match, or a failure to match. If the
Find statement results in an exact match, the function call CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_FIND_RC) returns
a value of one (1). If the Find statement results in an approximate match, the function call returns a
value greater than one (1). If the Find statement fails to match the address, the function call returns a
negative value.

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The table below summarizes the Find-related information represented by the CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_FIND_RC) return value. The return value has up to three digits, and that each of the
three digits indicates the relative success or failure of a different part of the search.
Digit Values

Meaning

xx1

Exact match.

xx2

A substitution from the abbreviations file used.

xx3 ( - )

Exact match not found.

xx4 ( - )

No object name specified; match not found.

xx5 ( + )

The user chose a name from the Interactive dialog box.

x1x

Side of street undetermined.

x2x ( + / - )

Address number was within min/max range.

x3x ( + / - )

Address number was not within min/max range.

x4x ( + / - )

Address number was not specified.

x5x ( - )

Streets do not intersect.

x6x ( - )

The row matched does not have a map object.

x7x ( + )

The user chose an address number from the Interactive dialog box.

1xx ( + / - )

Name found in only one region other than specified region.

2xx ( - )

Name found in more than one region other than the specified region.

3xx ( + / - )

No refining region was specified, and one match was found.

4xx ( - )

No region was specified, and multiple matches were found.

5xx ( + )

Name found more than once in the specified region.

6xx ( + )

The user chose a region name from the Interactive dialog box.

Reference

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Find statement
The Mod operator is useful when examining individual digits from the Find result. For example, to determine the last digit of a number, use the expression number Mod 10. To determine the last two digits of
a number, use the expression number Mod 100; etc.
The distinction between exact and approximate matches is best illustrated by example. If a table of cities
contains one entry for "Albany", and the Find Using statement attempts to locate a city name without a
refining region name, and the Find statement specifies an address parameter value of "Albany", the
search results in an exact match. Following such a Find statement, the function call CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_FIND_RC) would return a value of 1 (one), indicating that an exact match was found.
Now suppose that the Find operation has been set up to refine the search with an optional region name;
in other words, the Find statement expects a city name followed by a state name (for example, "Albany",
"NY"). If a MapBasic program then issues a Find statement with "Albany" as the address and a null
string as the state name, that is technically not an exact match, because MapBasic expects the city
name to be followed by a state name. Nevertheless, if there is only one "Albany" record in the table,
MapBasic will be able to locate that record. Following such a Find operation, the function call CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_FIND_RC) would return a value of 301. The 1 digit signifies that the city name matched
exactly, while the 3 digit indicates that MapBasic was only partly successful in locating a correct refining
region.
If a table of streets contains "Main St", and a Find statement attempts to locate "Main Street", MapBasic
considers the result to be an approximate match (assuming that abbreviation file processing has been
enabled; see Find Using statement). Strictly speaking, the string "Main Street" does not match the
string "Main St". However MapBasic is able to match the two strings after substituting possible abbreviations from the MapInfo Professional abbreviations file (MAPINFOW.ABB). Following the Find statement,
the CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_FIND_RC) function call returns a value of 2.
If the Find operation presents the user with a dialog box, and the user enters text in the dialog box in
order to complete the find, then the return code will have a 1 (one) in the millions place.
Example
Include "mapbasic.def"
Dim x, y As Float, win_id As Integer
Open Table "states" Interactive
Map From States
win_id = FrontWindow( )
Find Using states(state)
Find "NY"
If CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_FIND_RC) >= 1 Then
x = CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_X)
y = CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_Y)
Set Map
Window win_id
Center (x, y)
' Now create a symbol at the location we found.
' Create the object in the Cosmetic layer.
Insert Into
WindowInfo( win_id, WIN_INFO_TABLE) (Object)
Values ( CreatePoint(x, y) )
Else
Note "Location not found."
End If
See Also:

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Find Using statement, CommandInfo( ) function

Find Using statement

Purpose
Dictates which table(s) and column(s) should be searched in subsequent Find operations. You can issue
this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Find Using table ( column )
[ Refine Using table ( column ) ]
[ Options
[ Abbrs { On | Off } ]
[ ClosestAddr { On | Off } ]
[ OtherBdy { On | Off } ]
[ Symbol symbol_style ]
[ Inset inset_value { Percent | Distance Units dist_unit} ]
[ Offset value ] [ Distance Units dist_unit ] ]
table is the name of an open table.
column is the name of a column in the table.
symbol_style is a Symbol variable or a function call that returns a Symbol value; this controls what type
of symbol is drawn on the map if the user chooses Query > Find.
inset_value is a positive integer value representing how far from the ends of the line to adjust the
placement of an address location.
value specifies the Offset value (the distance back from the street).
dist_unit is a string that represents the name of a distance unit (for example, "mi" for miles, "m" for meters.
Description
The Find Using statement specifies which table(s) and column(s) MapBasic will search when performing
a Find statement. Note that the column specified must be indexed.
The optional Refine clause specifies a second table, which will act as an additional search criterion; the
table must contain region objects. The specified column does not need to be indexed. If you omit the
Refine clause, subsequent Find statements expect a simple location name (for example, "Portland"). If
you include a Refine clause, subsequent Find statements expect a location name and a region name
(for example, "Portland", "OR").
The optional Abbrs clause dictates whether MapBasic will try substituting abbreviations from the abbreviations file in order to find a match. By default, this option is enabled (On); to disable the option, specify
the clause Abbrs Off.
The optional ClosestAddr clause dictates whether MapBasic will use the closest available address
number in cases where the address number does not match. By default, this option is disabled (Off); to
enable the option, specify the clause ClosestAddr On.

Reference

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Fix( ) function
The optional OtherBdy clause dictates whether MapBasic will match to a record found in a refining region
other than the refining region specified. By default, this option is disabled (Off); to enable the option,
specify the clause OtherBdy On.
MapInfo Professional saves the Inset and Offset settings specified the last time the user chose Query
> Find Options, Table > Geocode Options or executed a Find Using statement. Thus, the last specified
inset/offset options becomes the default settings for the next time.
If Percent is specified, it represents the percentage of the length of the line where the address is to be
placed. For Percent, valid values for inset_value are from 0 to 50. If Distance Units are specified, inset_value represents the distance from the ends of the line where the address is to be placed. For distance, valid values for inset_value are from 0 to 32,767. The inset takes the addresses that would normally
fall at the end of the street and moves them away from the end going in the direction towards the center.
The Offset value sets the addresses back from the street instead of right on the street. value is a positive
integer value representing how far to offset the placement of an address location back from the street.
Valid values are from 0 to 32,767.
Example
Find Using city_1k(city)
Refine Using states(state)
Find "Albany", "NY"
See Also:
Create Index statement, Find statement

Fix( ) function
Purpose
Returns an integer value, obtained by removing the fractional part of a decimal value. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Fix( num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression.
Return Value
Integer
Description
The Fix( ) function removes the fractional portion of a number, and returns the resultant integer value.
The Fix( ) function is similar to, but not identical to, the Int( ) function. The two functions differ in the
way that they treat negative fractional values. When passed a negative fractional number, Fix( ) returns
the nearest integer value greater than or equal to the original value; thus, the function call:
Fix(-2.3)

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returns a value of -2. But when the Int( ) function is passed a negative fractional number, it returns the
nearest integer value that is less than or equal to the original value. Thus, the function call:
Int(-2.3)
returns a value of -3.
Example
Dim i_whole As Integer
i_whole = Fix(5.999)
' i_whole now has the value 5.
i_whole = Fix(-7.2)
' i_whole now has the value -7.
See Also:
Int( ) function, Round( ) function

Font clause
Purpose
Specifies a text style. You can use this clause in the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Font font_expr
font_expr is a Font expression, for example:
MakeFont( fontname, style, size, fgcolor, bgcolor )
Description
The Font clause specifies a text style. Font is a clause, not a complete MapBasic statement. Various
object-related statements, such as the Create Text statement, allow you to specify a Font setting; this
lets you choose the typeface and point size of the new text object. If you omit the Font expression from
a Create Text statement, the new object uses MapInfo Professional's current Font. The keyword Font
may be followed by an expression that evaluates to a Font value.
This expression can be a Font variable:
Font font_var
or a call to a function (for example, CurrentFont( ) function or MakeFont( ) function) which returns a
Font value:
Font MakeFont("Helvetica", 1, 12, BLACK, WHITE)
With some MapBasic statements (for example, the Set Legend statement), the keyword Font can be
followed immediately by the five parameters that define a Font style (font name, style, point size, foreground color, and background color) within parentheses:
Font("Helvetica", 1, 12, BLACK, WHITE)
The following table summarizes the components that define a font:

Reference

311

Font clause
Component

Description

font name

A string that identifies a font. The set of available fonts depends on the user's
system and the hardware platform in use.

style

Integer value. Controls text attributes such as bold, italic, and underline. See
table below for details.

size

Integer value representing a point size. A point size of twelve is one-sixth of

an inch tall.

foreground color

Integer RGB color value, representing the color of the text. See Rnd( )
function.

background color

Integer RGB color value. If the halo style is used, this is the halo color; otherwise, this is the background fill color.
To specify a transparent background style in a Font clause, omit the background color. For example: Font( "Helvetica", 1, 12, BLACK). To
specify a transparent fill when calling the MakeFont( ) function, specify -1
as the background color.

The following table shows how the style parameter corresponds to font styles.
Style Value

Description of text style

Plain

Bold

Italic

Underline

Strikethrough

32

Shadow

256

Halo

512

All Caps

1024

Expanded

To specify two or more style attributes, add the values from the left column. For example, to specify both
the Bold and All Caps attributes, use a style value of 513.
Example
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Dim o_title As Object
Create Text
Into Variable o_title
"Your message could go HERE"
(73.5, 42.6) (73.67, 42.9)
Font MakeFont("Helvetica",1,12,BLACK,WHITE)

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See Also:
Alter Object statement, Chr$( ) function, Create Text statement, RGB( ) function

For...Next statement
Purpose
Defines a loop which will execute for a specific number of iterations.
Restrictions
You cannot issue a For...Next statement through the MapBasic window.
Syntax
For var_name = start_expr To end_expr [ Step inc_expr ]
statement_list
Next
var_name is the name of a numeric variable.
start_expr is a numeric expression.
end_expr is a numeric expression.
inc_expr is a numeric expression.
statement_list is the group of statements to execute with each iteration of the For loop.
Description
The For...Next statement provides loop control. This statement requires a numeric variable (identified
by the var_name parameter). A For...Next statement either executes a group of statements (the statement_list) a number of times, or else skips over the statement_list completely. The start_expr, end_expr,
and inc_expr values dictate how many times, if any, the statement_list will be carried out.
Upon encountering a For...Next statement, MapBasic assigns the start_expr value to the var_name
variable. If the variable is less than or equal to the end_expr value, MapBasic executes the group of
statements in the statement_list, and then adds the inc_expr increment value to the variable. If no Step
clause was specified, MapBasic uses a default increment value of one. MapBasic then compares the
current value of the variable to the end_expr expression; if the variable is currently less than or equal to
the end_expr value, MapBasic once again executes the statements in the statement_list. If, however,
the var_name variable is greater than the end_expr, MapBasic stops the For loop, and resumes execution
with the statement which follows the Next statement.
Conversely, the For...Next statement can also count downwards, by using a negative Step value. In
this case, each iteration of the For loop decreases the value of the var_name variable, and MapBasic
will only decide to continue executing the loop as long as var_name remains greater than or equal to
the end_expr.
Each For statement must be terminated by a Next statement. Any statements which appear between
the For and Next statements comprise the statement_list; this is the list of statements which will be
carried out upon each iteration of the loop.

Reference

313

ForegroundTaskSwitchHandler procedure
The Exit For statement allows you to exit a For loop regardless of the status of the var_name variable.
The Exit For statement tells MapBasic to jump out of the loop, and resume execution with the first
statement which follows the Next statement.
MapBasic permits you to modify the value of the var_name variable within the body of the For loop; this
can affect the number of times that the loop is executed. However, as a matter of programming style,
you should try to avoid altering the contents of the var_name variable within the loop.
Example
Dim i As Integer
' the next loop will execute a Note statement 5 times
For i = 1 to 5
Note "Hello world!"
Next
' the next loop will execute the Note statement 3 times
For i = 1 to 5 Step 2
Note "Hello world!"
Next
' the next loop will execute the Note statement 3 times
For i = 5 to 1 Step -2
Note "Hello world!"
Next
' MapBasic will skip the following For statement
' completely, because the initial start value is
' already larger than the initial end value
For i = 100 to 50 Step 5
Note "This note will never be executed"
Next
See Also:
Do...Loop statement, Exit For statement

ForegroundTaskSwitchHandler procedure
Purpose
A reserved procedure name, called automatically when MapInfo Professional receives the focus (becoming
the active application) or loses the focus (another application becomes active).
Syntax
Declare Sub ForegroundTaskSwitchHandler
Sub ForegroundTaskSwitchHandler
statement_list
End Sub
statement_list is a list of statements.

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Description
If the user runs an application containing a procedure named ForegroundTaskSwitchHandler, MapInfo
Professional calls the procedure automatically whenever MapInfo Professional receives or loses the focus.
Within the procedure, call the CommandInfo( ) function to determine whether MapInfo Professional
received or lost the focus.
Example
Sub ForegroundTaskSwitchHandler
If CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_TASK_SWITCH)
= SWITCHING_INTO_MAPINFO Then
' ... then MapInfo just became active
Else
' ... another app just became active
End If
End Sub
See Also:
CommandInfo( ) function

Format$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string representing a custom-formatted number. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Format$ ( value, pattern )
value is a numeric expression.
pattern is a string which specifies how to format the results.
Return Value
String
Description
The Format$( ) function returns a string representing a formatted number. Given a numeric value such
as 12345.67, Format$( ) can produce formatted results such as "$12,345.67".
The value parameter specifies the numeric value that you want to format.
The pattern parameter is a string of code characters, chosen to produce a particular type of formatting.
The pattern string should include one or more special format characters, such as #, 0, %, the comma

Reference

315

Format$( ) function
character (,), the period (.), or the semi-colon (;); these characters control how the results will look.
The table below summarizes the format characters.
pattern character

Role in formatting results:

The result will include one or more digits from the value.
If the pattern string contains one or more # characters to the left of the
decimal place, and if the value is between zero and one, the formatted result
string will not include a zero before the decimal place.

316

A digit placeholder similar to the # character. If the pattern string contains

one or more 0 characters to the left of the decimal place, and the value is
between zero and one, the formatted result string will include a zero before
the decimal place. See examples below.

. (period)

The pattern string must include a period if you want the result string to include
a "decimal separator." The result string will include the decimal separator
currently in use on the user's computer. To force the decimal separator to be
a period, use the Set Format statement.

, (comma)

The pattern string must include a comma if you want the result string to include
"thousand separators." The result string will include the thousand separator
currently set up on the user's computer. To force the thousand separator to
be a comma, use the Set Format statement.

The result will represent the value multiplied by one hundred; thus, a value
of 0.75 will produce a result string of "75%". If you wish to include a percent
sign in your result, but you do not want MapBasic to multiply the value by
one hundred, place a \ (back slash) character before the percent sign (see
below).

E+

The result is formatted with scientific notation. For example, the value 1234
produces the result "1.234e+03". If the exponent is positive, a plus sign appears after the "e". If the exponent is negative (which is the case for fractional
numbers), the results include a minus sign after the "e".

E-

This string of control characters functions just as the "E+" string, except that
the result will never show a plus sign following the "e".

; (semi-colon)

By including a semicolon in your pattern string, you can specify one format
for positive numbers and another format for negative numbers. Place the
semicolon after the first set of format characters, and before the second set
of format characters. The second set of format characters applies to negative
numbers. If you want negative numbers to appear with a minus sign, include
"-" in the second set of format characters.

If the back slash character appears in a pattern string, MapBasic does not
perform any special processing for the character which follows the back slash.
This lets you include special characters (for example, %) in the results, without
causing the special formatting actions described above.

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Error Conditions
ERR_FCN_INVALID_FMT (643) error generated if the pattern string is invalid.
Examples
The following examples show the results you can obtain by using various pattern strings. The results
are shown as comments in the code.
Note: You will obtain slightly different results if your computer is set up with non-US number formatting.
Format$( 12345,
Format$(-12345,
Format$( 12345,
Format$(-12345,

",#")
",#")
"$#")
"$#")

'
'
'
'

returns
returns
returns
returns

"12,345"
"-12,345"
"$12345"
"-$12345"

Format$( 12345.678, "$,#.##") ' returns "$12,345.68"

Format$(-12345.678, "$,#.##") ' returns "-$12,345.68"
Format$( 12345.678, "$,#.##;($,#.##)") 'returns "$12,345.68"
Format$(-12345.678, "$,#.##;($,#.##)") 'returns "($12,345.68)"
Format$(12345.6789, ",#.###") ' returns "12,345.679"
Format$(12345.6789, ",#.#") ' returns "12,345.7"
Format$(-12345.6789, "#.###E+00") ' returns "-1.235e+04"
Format$( 0.054321, "#.###E+00") ' returns "5.432e-02"
Format$(-12345.6789, "#.###E-00") ' returns "-1.235e04"
Format$( 0.054321, "#.###E-00") ' returns "5.432e-02"
Format$(0.054321, "#.##%") ' returns "5.43%"
Format$(0.054321, "#.##\%") ' returns ".05%"
Format$(0.054321, "0.##\%") ' returns "0.05%"
See Also:
Str$( ) function

FormatDate$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a date formatted in the short date style specified by the Control Panel. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Note: The FormatDate$( ) function is not configurable whereas the FormatTime$( ) function provides
full control of the output.

Syntax
FormatDate$( value )
value is a number or string representing the date in a YYYYMMDD format.
Return Value
String

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FormatNumber$( ) function
Description
The FormatDate$( ) function returns a string representing a date in the local system format as specified
by the Control Panel.
If you specify the year as a two-digit number (for example, 96), MapInfo Professional uses the current
century or the century as determined by the Set Date Window( ) statement.
Year can take two-digit year expressions. Use the Date window to determine which century should be
used. See DateWindow( ) function.
Examples
Assuming Control Panel settings are d/m/y for date order, '-' for date separator, and "dd-MMM-yyyy" for
short date format:
Dim d_Today As Date
d_Today = CurDate( )
Print d_Today 'returns "19970910"
Print FormatDate$( d_Today ) 'returns "10-Sep-1997"
Dim s_EnteredDate As String
s_EnteredDate = "03-02-61"
Print FormatDate$( s_EnteredDate ) 'returns "03-Feb-1961"
s_EnteredDate = "12-31-61"
Print FormatDate$( s_EnteredDate ) ' returns ERROR: not d/m/y ordering
s_EnteredDate = "31-12-61"
Print FormatDate$( s_EnteredDate ) ' returns 31-Dec-1961"
See Also:
FormatTime$( ) function, DateWindow( ) function, Set Date Window( ) statement

FormatNumber$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string representing a number, including thousands separators and decimal-place separators
that match the user's system configuration. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
FormatNumber$( num )
num is a numeric value or a string that represents a numeric value, such as "1234.56".
Return Value
String
Description
Returns a string that represents a number. If the number is large enough to need a thousands separators,
this function inserts thousands separators. MapInfo Professional reads the user's system configuration
to determine which characters to use as the thousands separator and decimal separator.

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Examples
The following table demonstrates how the FormatNumber$( ) function with a comma as the thousands
separator and period as the decimal separator (United States defaults):
Function Call

Result returned

FormatNumber$("12345.67")

"12,345.67" (inserted a thousands separator)

FormatNumber$("12,345.67")

"12,345.67" (no change)

If the user's computer is set up to use period as the thousands separator and comma as the decimal
separator, the following table demonstrates the results:
Function Call

Result returned

FormatNumber$("12345.67")

"12.345,67" (inserted a thousands separator, and

changed the decimal separator to match user's
setup)

FormatNumber$("12,345.67")

"12.345,67" (changed both characters to match the

user's setup)

See Also:
DeformatNumber$( ) function

FormatTime$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string representing a time using the format specified in the second argument. You can call
this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Note: The FormatDate$( ) function is not configurable whereas the FormatTime$( ) function provides
full control of the output.
The format string should follow the same Microsoft standards as for setting the locale time format:
Hours

Meaning

Hours without leading zeros for single-digit hours (12-hour clock).

hh

Hours with leading zeros for single-digit hours (12-hour clock).

Hours without leading zeros for single-digit hours (24-hour clock).

HH

Hours with leading zeros for single-digit hours (24-hour clock).

Minutes

Meaning

Minutes without leading zeros for single-digit minutes.

Reference

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FormatTime$( ) function
Hours

Meaning

mm

Minutes with leading zeros for single-digit minutes.

Seconds

Meaning

Seconds without leading zeros for single-digit seconds.

ss

Seconds with leading zeros for single-digit seconds.

Time marker

Meaning

One-character time marker string.

Note: Do not to use this format for certain languages, for example, Japanese
(Japan). With this format, the application always takes the first character from the time marker string, defined by LOCALE_S1159 (AM)
and LOCALE_S2359 (PM). Because of this, the application can create
incorrect formatting with the same string used for both AM and PM.

tt

Multi-character time marker string.

Source: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms776320.aspx
Note: In the preceding formats, the letters m, s, and t must be lowercase, and the letter h must be
lowercase to denote the 12-hour clock or uppercase to denote the 24-hour clock.
Our code follows the rules for specifying the system local time format. In addition, we also allow the user
to specify f, ff, or fff for tenths of a second, hundredths of a second, or milliseconds.
Syntax
FormatTime$( Time, String )
Return Value
String
Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function.
dim Z as time
Z = CurTime()
Print FormatTime$(Z, "hh:mm:ss.fff tt")
See Also:
FormatDate$( ) function, GetTime() function, NumberToDateTime( ) function

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FME Refresh Table statement

Purpose
Refreshes a Universal Data Source (FME) table from the original data source. You can issue this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
FME Refresh Table alias
alias is the an alias for an open registered Universal Data Source (FME) table.
Example
The following example refreshes the local table named watershed.
FME Refresh Table watershed

FrontWindow( ) function
Purpose
Returns the integer identifier of the active window. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
FrontWindow( )
Return Value
Integer
Description
The FrontWindow( ) function returns the integer ID of the foremost document window (Map, Browse,
Graph, or Layout). Note that immediately following a statement which creates a new window (for example,
Map, Browse, Graph, Layout), the new window is the foremost window.
Example
Dim map_win_id As Integer
Open Table "states"
Map From states
map_win_id = FrontWindow( )
See Also:
NumWindows( ) function, WindowID( ) function, WindowInfo( ) function

Reference

321

Function...End Function statement

Function...End Function statement

Purpose
Defines a custom function.
Restrictions
You cannot issue a Function...End Function statement through the MapBasic window.
Syntax
Function name ( [ [ ByVal ] parameter As datatype ]
[ , [ ByVal ] parameter As datatype... ] ) As return_type
statement_list
End Function
name is the function name.
parameter is the name of a parameter to the function.
datatype is a variable type, such as integer; arrays and custom Types are allowed.
return_type is a standard scalar variable type; arrays and custom Types are not allowed.
statement_list is the list of statements that the function will execute.
Description
The Function...End Function statement creates a custom, user-defined function. User-defined functions
may be called in the same fashion that standard MapInfo Professional functions are called.
Each Function...End Function definition must be preceded by a Declare Function statement.
A user-defined function is similar to a Sub procedure; but a function returns a value. Functions are more
flexible, in that any number of function calls may appear within one expression. For example, the following
statement performs an assignment incorporating two calls to the Proper$( ) function:
fullname = Proper$(firstname) + " " + Proper$(lastname)
Within a Function...End Function definition, the function name parameter acts as a variable. The value
assigned to the name "variable" will be the value that is returned when the function is called. If no value
is assigned to name, the function will always return a value of zero (if the function has a numeric data
type), FALSE (if the function has a logical data type), or a null string (if the function has a string data
type).
Restrictions on Parameter Passing
A function call can return only one "scalar" value at a time. In other words, a single function call cannot
return an entire array's worth of values, nor can a single function call return a set of values to fill in a
custom data Type variable. By default, every parameter to a user-defined function is a by-reference
parameter. This means that the function's caller must specify the name of a variable as the parameter.
If the function modifies the value of a by-reference parameter, the modified value will be reflected in the
caller's variable.

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Any or all of a function's parameters may be specified as by-value if the optional ByVal keyword precedes
the parameter name in the Function...End Function definition. When a parameter is declared by-value,
the function's caller can specify an expression for that parameter, rather than having to specify the name
of a single variable. However, if a function modifies the value of a by-value parameter, there is no way
for the function's caller to access the new value. You cannot pass arrays, custom Type variables, or
Alias variables as ByVal parameters to custom functions. However, you can pass any of those data
types as by-reference parameters. If your custom function takes no parameters, your Function...End
Function statement can either include an empty pair of parentheses, or omit the parentheses entirely.
However, every function call must include a pair of parentheses, regardless of whether the function takes
parameters. For example, if you wish to define a custom function called Foo, your Function...End
Function statement could either look like this:
Function Foo( )
' ... statement list goes here ...
End Function
or like this:
Function Foo
' ... statement list goes here ...
End Function
but all calls to the function would need to include the parentheses, in this fashion:
var_name = Foo( )
Availability of Custom Functions
The user may not incorporate calls to user-defined functions when filling in standard MapInfo Professional
dialog boxes. A custom function may only be called from within a compiled MapBasic application. Thus,
a user may not specify a user-defined function within the SQL Select dialog box; however, a compiled
MapBasic program may issue a Select statement which does incorporate calls to user-defined functions.
A custom function definition is only available from within the application that defines the function. If you
write a custom function which you wish to include in each of several MapBasic applications, you must
copy the Function...End Function definition to each of the program files.
Function Names
The Function...End Function statement's name parameter can match the name of a standard MapBasic
function, such as Abs or Chr$. Such a custom function will replace the standard MapBasic function by
the same name (within the confines of that MapBasic application). If a program defines a custom function
named Abs, any subsequent calls to the Abs function will execute the custom function instead of MapBasic's standard Abs( ) function.
When a MapBasic application redefines a standard function in this fashion, other applications are not
affected. Thus, if you are writing several separate applications, and you want each of your applications
to use your own, customized version of the Distance( ) function, each of your applications must include
the appropriate Function...End Function statement.
When a MapBasic application redefines a standard function, the re-definition applies throughout the
entire application. In every procedure of that program, all calls to the redefined function will use the
custom function, rather than the original.

Reference

323

Geocode statement
Example
The following example defines a custom function, CubeRoot, which returns the cube root of a number
(the number raised to the one-third power). Because the call to CubeRoot appears earlier in the program
than the CubeRoot Function...End Function definition, this example uses the Declare Function statement
to pre-define the CubeRoot function parameter list.
Declare Function CubeRoot(ByVal x As Float) As Float
Declare Sub Main
Sub Main
Dim f_result As Float
f_result = CubeRoot(23)
Note Str$(f_result)
End Sub
Function CubeRoot(ByVal x As Float) As Float
CubeRoot = x ^ 0.33333333333
End Function
See Also:
Declare Function statement, Declare Sub statement, Sub...End Sub statement

Geocode statement
Purpose
Geocodes a table or individual value using a remote geocode service through a connection created using
the Open Connection statement and set up using the Set Connection Geocode statement. You can
issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Geocode connection_number
Input
[ Table input_tablename ]
[ Country = Country_expr
[ Street = Street_expr,
[ IntersectingStreet = IntersectingStreet_expr ],
Municipality = Municipality_expr,
CountrySubdivision = CountrySubdiv_expr,
PostalCode = PostalCode_expr,
CountrySecondarySubdivision = CountrySecondarySubdiv_expr,
SecondaryPostalCode = SecondaryPostalCode_expr,
Placename = Placename_expr,
Street2 = Street2_expr,
MunicipalitySubdivision = MunicipalitySubdiv_expr ] ]
Output
[ Into
[ Table out_tablename [ Key out_keycolumn = in_keyexpr ] ] |
[ Variable variable_name ] ]
[ Point [ On | Off ] [ Symbol Symbol_expr ], ]
[ Street_column = Street,
Municipality_column = Municipality,
CountrySubdiv_column = CountrySubdivision,
PostalCode_column = PostalCode,

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CountrySecondarySubdiv_column = CountrySecondarySubdivision,
SecondaryPostalCode_column = SecondaryPostalCode,
Placename_column = Placename,
MunicipalitySubdiv_column = MunicipalitySubdivision,
Country_column = Country,
ResultCode_column = ResultCode,
Latitude_column = Latitude,
Longitude_column = Longitude
Columns colname = geocoder_keyname [ , ] ... ]
[ Interactive [ On
[ Max Candidates candidates_expr | All ]
[ CloseMatchesOnly [ On | Off ] ]
| Off [ First | None ] ] ]
connection_number is the number returned when the connection was created. See Open Connection
statement.
input_tablename is a table alias of an open table including result sets and selections.
Country_expr is a string expression representing the three letter ISO code for the country.
Street_expr is an expression that specifies a street address.
IntersectingStreet_expr is an expression that specifies a street that should intersect with the street specified in Street_expr.
Municipality_expr is an expression that specifies the name of a municipality.
CountrySubdivision_expr is an expression that specifies the name of a subdivision of a country. For example, in the US this specifies the name of a state. In Canada it specifies the name of a province.
PostalCode_expr is an expression that specifies a postal code.
CountrySecondarySubdiv_expr is an expression that specifies the name of a secondary subdivision for
a country. For example, in the US this corresponds to a county, in Canada this corresponds to a census
division.
SecondaryPostalCode_expr is an expression that specifies a secondary postal code system. In the US
this corresponds to a ZIP+4 extension on a ZIP Code.
Placename_expr is an expression that specifies the name of a well-known place, such as a large building
that may contain multiple addresses.
Street2_expr is an expression that specifies a secondary address line.
MunicipalitySubdiv_expr is an expression that specifies the name of a municipality subdivision.
out_tablename is a table alias of a table to be used as the holder of the data resulting from the geocode
operation.
out_keycolumn is a string representing the name of a key column in the output table that will be used to
hold some identifying "key" from the input records. This is used to identify the record from where the
geocode came.
in_keyexpr is an expression from (the input table) whose value is inserted in the output record.
variable_name is the name of a variable that can hold a single geometry.
Symbol_expr is an expression that specifies the symbol to use when displaying a Point from the geometry
column. See Symbol clause for more information.

Reference

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Geocode statement
Street_column is an alias that represents the name of the column to hold the Street result.
Municipality_column is a string the represents the name of the column to hold the Municipality result.
CountrySubdiv_column is a string the represents the name of the column to hold the Country Subdivision
result.
PostalCode_column is a string the represents the name of the column to hold the Postal Code result.
CountrySecondarySubdiv_column is a string the represents the name of the column to hold the Country
Secondary Subdivision result.
SecondaryPostalCode_column is a string the represents the name of the column to hold the Secondary
Postal Code result.
Placename_column is a string the represents the name of the column to hold the Placename result.
MunicipalitySubdiv_column is a string the represents the name of the column to hold the Municipality
Subdivision result.
Country_column is a string the represents the name of the column to hold the Country result.
ResultCode_column is a string the represents the name of the column to hold the Result Code generated
by the geocoder.
Latitude_column is a string the represents the name of the float or decimal column to hold the Latitude
result.
Longitude_column is a string the represents the name of the float or decimal column to hold the Longitude
result.
colname is a string the represents the name of the column for a geocoder-specific result.
geocoder_keyname is a string representing the name of a country-specific geocoder item. These items
are documented by the specific geocoder.
candidates_expr is an expression that specifies the number of candidates to be returned in an interactive
geocoding session.
Description
Every Geocode statement must include an Input clause and an Output clause. The input_tablename
is optional, however if a table is not specified, the resulting geocode operation would be performed on
a set of string inputs (variables or constants), so that only a single address is geocoded in each request.
The output_tablename is also optional. See Table vs. non-table- based input and output below.
Input clause
The Input clause is required as a geocode request needs some input data.
A Country must be specified either as an explicit argument or as a column in input_tablename. When
a single country is used, it can be a constant string if no data is available. ISO standard three letter
country codes must be used.
The list of fields to include from input_table to be geocoded must include at least one value. The more
expressions that are included, the more accurate your geocoding result will be.

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Output clause
The Output clause is required, as without it, the entire command returns nothing.
Into Table indicates that the Output clause refer to columns in output_table, which must be writable. If
not specified, the clauses refer to the input_table. Note that if the input columns are to be updated, they
must be specified both for input AND output.
Key is used with Into Table. This clause creates a relationship between the key columns in the input
and output table.
Variable specifies that the geometry result from the geocode operation is stored in a variable defined
in variable_name. When using this output option, note that if the input is a table only the first record is
processed and the remainder of the records are skipped.
Point specifies that the geographic result of the geocode is to be stored in either the table or the variable.
In the case of a table, this requires that the table be mappable.
To store the point stored into the object column, specify Point or Point On (default is on). The current
default symbol is used. To return the same using a specific symbol, specify Point On Symbol symbol_expr. If you do not want to store the point in the object column, specify Point Off. Whether you want the
object created or not, you can still store the x and y values in real number columns. To do this specify
those columns as Latitude = latitude_column Longitude = longitude_column.
The rest of the output data specifies columns in the output table where well known geocoder return values
are stored. In general, these may be more specific than the input. For example, it may be possible to
geocode an address with just a business name of "MapInfo" and a post code of "12180". However, much
more is returned in the output. The Columns extension allows for data to be returned that is geocoder
specific. The user must know the names of the keys as defined by the geocoders.
Table vs. non-table- based input and output
The Geocode statement can be used with any combination of table-based and non-table-based inputs
and outputs. If you choose to use a table-based input you can have your output placed into either a new
or existing table, or into a variable. If the output is a variable then only the first record is processed and
the only value stored is the geographic object.
If you choose non-table-based input, the values for the operation must either be expressions (not column
names), variables, or constant strings, the output can be placed either into a table or assigned to a
variable.
Interactive clause
Interactive [ On | Off ] is an optional keyword that controls whether a dialog box to be displayed in the
case of multiple candidates returned for each address. When this occurs, the user is prompted to choose,
respecify, skip, or cancel the operation.
is asked to decide which of the choices is best given the opportunity to skip this input. When On, the
dialog box displays in these situations. When Off, if multiple matches occur the choices are to accept
the first candidate or none, meaning that the record is skipped. The default is skipping the record.
If the Interactive keyword is not included, it is equivalent to Interactive Off None and no options can
be specified. If Interactive is specified, the default is On.

Reference

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GeocodeInfo( ) function
Interactive is equivalent to Interactive On. When no value is provided for Max the default is three (3)
candidates to be returned.
Interactive On Max Candidates All returns all candidates
Interactive On Max Candidates 4* myMBVariable/6 returns the number of candidates resulting
from the evaluation of the expression.
Interactive Off is equivalent to Interactive Off None.
Interactive Off First returns the first candidate in the list.
The CloseMatchesOnly setting sets the geocode service to only return close matches as defined by
the server. If CloseMatchesOnly is set to Off, all results are returned up to the number defined in Max
Candidates with the ones that are considered to be close marked as such.
Examples
The following example shows a geocode request using the nystreets table and specifying the use of the
city, Streetname, state, and postalcode.
Geocode connectionHandle Input Table nystreets municipality=city,
street=StreetName, countrysubdivision=state, postalcode=zip,
country="usa"
OUTPUT StreetName=street, address=municipality
This example shows a geocode request using the nystreets table and specifying a symbol for displaying
the output.
Geocode connectionHandle Input Table nystreets street=StreetName,
country="usa"
Output Point Symbol MakeFontSymbol(65, 255 ,24,"MapInfo
Cartographic",32,0), StreetName=street
This example sends a request with the Interactive set to On with the return value being placed into the
street column.
Geocode connectionHandle Input Table nystreets street=StreetName,
country="usa"
Output Point Symbol MakeFontSymbol(65, 255 ,24,"MapInfo
Cartographic",32,0),
StreetName=street Interactive on Max Candidates 5
The following example shows a Geocode request without using a table and outputting the results into a
variable:
Geocode connectionHandle Input street="1 Global View", country="usa",
countrysubdivison="NY", municipality="Troy"
Output Variable outvar
See Also:
Open Connection statement

GeocodeInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns any and all attributes that were set on a connection using the Set Connection Geocode
statement. In addition, GeocodeInfo( ) can also return some status values from the last geocode
command issued using each connection. There is also an attribute to handle the maximum number of

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addresses that the server will permit to be sent to the service at a time. You can call this function from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
GeoCodeInfo( connection_handle, attribute )
connection_handle is an Integer.
attribute is an Integer code, indicating which type of information should be returned.
Return Value
Float, Integer, SmallInt, Logical, or String, depending on the attribute parameter.
Description
The GeoCodeInfo( ) function returns the properties defaulted by the connection or the properties that
have been changed using Set GeoCode. Like many functions of this type in MapBasic, the return values
vary according to the attribute parameter. All the codes for these values are listed in MAPBASIC.DEF.
attribute Value

ID

GeoCodeInfo( ) Return Value

GEOCODE_STREET_NAME

Logical representing whether or not a match for StreetName is set.

GEOCODE_STREET_NUMBER

Logical representing whether or not a match for StreetNumber is set.

GEOCODE_MUNICIPALITY

Logical representing whether or not a match for municipality is set.

GEOCODE_MUNICIPALITY2

Logical representing whether or not a match for MunicipalitySubdivision is set.

GEOCODE_COUNTRY_SUBDIVISION

Logical representing whether a match for CountrySubdivision is set.

GEOCODE_COUNTRY_SUBDIVISION2

Logical representing whether or not a match for CountrySecondarySubdivision is set.

GEOCODE_POSTAL_CODE

Logical representing whether or not a match for

PostalCode is set.

GEOCODE_DICTIONARY

SmallInt value representing one of these five values:

GEOCODE_BATCH_SIZE

Reference

10

DICTIONARY_ALL
DICTIONARY_ADDRESS_ONLY
DICTIONARY_USER_ONLY
DICTIONARY_PREFER_ADDRESS
DICTIONARY_PREFER_USER

Integer value representing the batch size.

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GeocodeInfo( ) function
attribute Value

ID

GeoCodeInfo( ) Return Value

GEOCODE_FALLBACK_GEOGRAPH- 11
IC

Logical representing whether or not the geocoder should

fall back to a geographic centroid when other options fail.

GEOCODE_FALLBACK_POSTAL

12

Logical representing whether or not the geocoder should

fall back to a postal centroid when other options fail.

GEOCODE_OFFSET_CENTER

13

Float value representing the distance from the center of

the road that the point is returned.

GEOCODE_OFFSET_CENTER_UNITS

14

String value representing the units of the center of the

road values.

GEOCODE_OFFSET_END

15

Float value representing the distance from the end of the

road that the point is returned.

GEOCODE_OFFSET_END_UNITS

16

String value representing the units of the offset from end

of street value

GEOCODE_MIXED_CASE

17

Logical representing whether MapInfo Professional should

format the strings returned in mixed case or leave them
as uppercase. This option may not be available for all
countries. The option uses a country specific algorithm
that has knowledge of what address parts and what items
should be capitalized and what should be made lower
case.

GEOCODE_RESULT_MARK_MULTIPLE

18

Logical representing whether MapInfo Professional should

change the result code returned from the server by adding
an indicator to the result code that the result was based
on an arbitrary choice between multiple close matches.
This flag only affects the behavior under the following circumstances:
1. The geocoding was not interactive so no possibility of
presenting the candidates dialog was possible.
2. The non-interactive command flag was to pick the first
candidate returned rather than none. (see Geocode
command "First"). This forces MapInfo Professional
to pick one of the candidates.
3. The actual request returned more than one close
match for a particular record.

330

GEOCODE_COUNT_GEOCODED

19

Integer value representing the number of records geocoded during the last operation.

GEOCODE_COUNT_NOTGEOCODED

20

Integer value representing the number of records not

geocoded during the last operation.

GEOCODE_UNABLE_TO_CONVERT_DATA

21

Logical representing whether a column was not updated

during the last operation because of a data type problem.

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attribute Value

ID

GeoCodeInfo( ) Return Value

The case where this occurs is when integer columns are
erroneously specified for non-numeric postal codes.

GEOCODE_MAX_BATCH_SIZE

22

Integer value representing the maximum number of records (for example, addresses) that the server will permit
to be sent to the service at one time.

GEOCODE_PASSTHROUGH

100 Integer specifying the number of passthrough items set

on this connection. There are two items for each pair. This
value is used to know when to stop the enumeration of
these values without error.

GEOCODE_PASSTHROUGH + n

100 String values alternately representing name and value for

each passthrough pair. n is valid up to the value returned
via GEOCODE_INFO_PASSTHROUGH.

Example
The following MapBasic snippet will print the Envinsa Location Utility Constraints to the message window
in MapInfo Professional:
Include "MapBasic.Def"
declare sub main
sub main
dim iConnect as integer
Open Connection Service Geocode Envinsa
URL
"http://envinsa_server:8066/LocationUtility/services/LocationUtility"
User "john"
Password "green"
into variable iConnect
Print "Geocode Max Batch Size: " +
GeoCodeInfo(iConnect,GEOCODE_MAX_BATCH_SIZE)
end sub
See Also:
Open Connection statement, Set Connection Geocode statement

Get statement
Purpose
Reads from a file opened in Binary or Random access mode.
Syntax
Get [#] filenum, [ position ], var_name
filenum is the number of a file opened through an Open File statement.
position is the file position to read from.
var_name is the name of a variable where MapBasic will store results.

Reference

331

GetCurrentPath$( ) function
Description
The Get statement reads from an open file. The behavior of the Get statement and the set of parameters
which it expects are affected by the options specified in the preceding Open File statement.
If the Open File statement specified Random file access, the Get statement's Position clause can be
used to indicate which record of data to read. When the file is opened, the file position points to the first
record of the file (record 1). A Get automatically increments the file position, and thus the Position clause
does not need to be used if sequential access is being performed. However, you can use the Position
clause to set the record position before the record is read.
If the Open File statement specified Binary file access, one variable can be read at a time. What data
is read depends on the byte-order format of the file and the var_name variable being used to store the
results. If the variable type is integer, then 4 bytes of the binary file will be read, and converted to a
MapBasic variable. Variables are stored the following way:
Variable Type

Storage In File

Logical

One byte, either 0 or non-zero.

SmallInt

Two byte integer.

Integer

Four byte integer.

Float

Eight byte IEEE format.

String

Length of string plus a byte for a 0 string terminator.

Date

Four bytes: SmallInt year, byte month, byte day.

Other data types

Cannot be read.

With Binary file access, the position parameter is used to position the file pointer to a specific offset in
the file. When the file is opened, the position is set to one (the beginning of the file). As a Get is performed,
the position is incremented by the same amount read. If the Position clause is not used, the Get reads
from where the file pointer is positioned.
Note: The Get statement requires two commas, even if the optional position parameter is omitted.
If a file was opened in Binary mode, the Get statement cannot specify a variable-length string variable;
any string variable used in a Get statement must be fixed-length.
See Also:
Open File statement, Put statement

GetCurrentPath$( ) function
Purpose
Returns the path location used by a MapInfo Professional File dialog. Each type of table or file has its
own remembered location.
You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

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Syntax
GetCurrentPath$( current_path_id )
current_path_id is one of the following values:
PREFERENCE_PATH_TABLE (0)
PREFERENCE_PATH_WORKSPACE (1)
PREFERENCE_PATH_MBX (2)
PREFERENCE_PATH_IMPORT (3)
PREFERENCE_PATH_SQLQUERY (4)
PREFERENCE_PATH_THEMETHEMPLATE (5)
PREFERENCE_PATH_MIQUERY (6)
PREFERENCE_PATH_NEWGRID (7)
PREFERENCE_PATH_CRYSTAL (8)
PREFERENCE_PATH_GRAPHSUPPORT (9)
PREFERENCE_PATH_REMOTETABLE (10)
PREFERENCE_PATH_SHAPEFILE (11)
PREFERENCE_PATH_WFSTABLE (12)
PREFERENCE_PATH_WMSTABLE (13)
Return Value
String
Description
Given the ID of a special MapInfo Preference directory, the GetCurrentPath$( ) function returns the path
of the directory. An example of a special MapInfo directory is the default location to which MapInfo Professional writes out new native MapInfo tables.
Note: The return value changes each time a user changes the path location in the dialog and completes
the operation (cancels do not count).

Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function.
include "mapbasic.def"
declare sub main
sub main
dim sMiPrfFile as string
sMiPrfFile = GetCurrentPath$( PREFERENCE_PATH_WORKSPACE)
Print sMiPrfFile
end sub
See Also:
GetPreferencePath$( ) function

GetDate( ) function
Purpose
Returns the Date component of a DateTime. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.

Reference

333

GetFolderPath$( ) function
Syntax
GetDate( DateTime )
Return Value
Date, which is an integer value in four bytes: two bytes for the year, one byte for the month, one byte
for the day.
Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function.
dim dtX as datetime
dim Z as date
dtX = "03/07/2007 12:09:09.000 AM"
Z = GetDate(dtX)
Print FormatDate$(Z)
See Also:
GetTime() function

GetFolderPath$( ) function
Purpose
Returns the path of a special MapInfo Professional or Windows directory. You can call this function from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
GetFolderPath$( folder_id )
folder_id is one of the following values:
FOLDER_MI_APPDATA (-1)
FOLDER_MI_LOCAL_APPDATA (-2)
FOLDER_MI_PREFERENCE (-3)
FOLDER_MI_COMMON_APPDATA (-4)
FOLDER_APPDATA (26)
FOLDER_LOCAL_APPDATA (28)
FOLDER_COMMON_APPDATA (35)
FOLDER_COMMON_DOCS (46)
FOLDER_MYDOCS (5)
FOLDER_MYPICS (39)
Return Value
String
Description
Given the ID of a special MapInfo or Windows directory, GetFolderPath$( ) function returns the path of
the directory. An example of a special Windows directory is the My Documents directory. An example
of a special MapInfo directory is the preference directory; the default location to which MapInfo Professional writes out the preference file.

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The location of many of these directories varies between versions of Windows. They can also vary depending on which user is logged in. Note that FOLDER_MI_APPDATA (-1), FOLDER_MI_LOCAL_APPDATA (-2), and FOLDER_MI_COMMON_APPDATA (-4) may not exist. Before attempting to access
those directories, test for their existence by using FileExists( ) function. FOLDER_MI_PREFERENCE
(-3) always exists.
IDs beginning in FOLDER_MI return the path for directories specific to MapInfo Professional. The rest
of the IDs return the path for Windows directories and correspond to the IDs defined for WIN32 API
function SHGetFolderPath. The most common of these IDs have been defined for easy use in MapBasic
applications. Any ID valid to SHGetFolderPath will work with GetFolderPath$( ).
Example
include "mapbasic.def"
declare sub main
sub main
dim sMiPrfFile as string
sMiPrfFile = GetFolderPath$(FOLDER_MI_PREFERENCE)
Print sMiPrfFile
end subet128
See Also:
LocateFile$( ) function

GetGridCellValue( ) function
Purpose:
Determines the value of a grid cell if the cell is non-null.
Syntax:
GetGridCellValue( table_id, x_pixel, y_pixel )
table_id is a string representing a table name, a positive integer table number, or 0 (zero). The table
must be a grid table.
x_pixel is the integer number of the X coordinate of the grid cell. Pixel numbers start at 0. The maximum
pixel value is the (pixel_width-1), determined by calling
RasterTableInfo(...RASTER_TAB_INFO_WIDTH).
y_pixel is the integer number of the Y coordinate of the grid cell. Pixel numbers start at 0. The maximum
pixel value is the (pixel_height-1), determined by calling
RasterTableInfo(...RASTER_TAB_INFO_HEIGHT).
Return Value
A Float is returned, representing the value of a specified cell in the table if the cell is non-null. The IsGridCellNull() function should be used before calling this function to determine if the cell is null or if it contains
a value.
See Also:
Create Grid statement, GridTableInfo( ), IsGridCellNull( ) function, RasterTableInfo( ) function

Reference

335

GetMetadata$( ) function

GetMetadata$( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves metadata from a table. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
GetMetadata$( table_name, key_name )
table_name is the name of an open table, specified either as an explicit table name (for example, World)
or as a string representing a table name (for example, "World").
key_name is a string representing the name of a metadata key.
Return Value
String, up to 239 bytes long. If the key does not exist, or if there is no value for the key, MapInfo Professional returns an empty string.
Description
This function returns a metadata value from a table. For more information about querying a table's
metadata, see Metadata statement, or see the MapBasic User Guide.
Example
If the Parcels table has a metadata key called "\Copyright" then the following statement reads the key's
value:
Print GetMetadata$(Parcels, "\Copyright")
See Also:
Metadata statement

GetPreferencePath$( ) function
Purpose
Returns the path location stored in MapInfo Professional preferences for each type of table or files' dialog.
This path is used to initialize the dialog path the first time that dialog is used in a MapInfo Professional
session or after the path is changed in the Preferences dialog.
You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
GetPreferencePath$( preference_path_id )
preference_path_id is one of the following values:

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PREFERENCE_PATH_TABLE (0)
PREFERENCE_PATH_WORKSPACE (1)
PREFERENCE_PATH_MBX (2)
PREFERENCE_PATH_IMPORT (3)
PREFERENCE_PATH_SQLQUERY (4)
PREFERENCE_PATH_THEMETHEMPLATE (5)
PREFERENCE_PATH_MIQUERY (6)
PREFERENCE_PATH_NEWGRID (7)
PREFERENCE_PATH_CRYSTAL (8)
PREFERENCE_PATH_GRAPHSUPPORT (9)
PREFERENCE_PATH_REMOTETABLE (11)
PREFERENCE_PATH_WFSTABLE (12)
PREFERENCE_PATH_WMSTABLE (13)

Return Value
String
Description
Given the ID of a special MapInfo Preference directory, the GetPreferencePath$( ) function returns the
path of the directory. An example of a special MapInfo directory is the default location to which MapInfo
Professional writes out new native MapInfo tables.
Example
include "mapbasic.def"
declare sub main
sub main
dim sMiPrfFile as string
sMiPrfFile = GetPreferencePath$( PREFERENCE_PATH_WORKSPACE)
Print sMiPrfFile
end sub
See Also:
GetCurrentPath$( ) function, LocateFile$( ) function

GetSeamlessSheet( ) function
Purpose
Prompts the user to select one sheet from a seamless table, and then returns the name of the chosen
sheet. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
GetSeamlessSheet( table_name )
table_name is the name of a seamless table that is open.

Reference

337

GetTime() function
Return Value
String, representing a table name (or an empty string if user cancels).
Description
This function displays a dialog box listing all of the sheets that make up a seamless table. If the user
chooses a sheet and clicks OK, this function returns the table name the user selected. If the user cancels,
this function returns an empty string.
Example
Sub Browse_A_Table(ByVal s_tab_name As String)
Dim s_sheet As String
If TableInfo(s_tab_name, TAB_INFO_SEAMLESS) Then
s_sheet = GetSeamlessSheet(s_tab_name)
If s_sheet <> "" Then
Browse * From s_sheet
End If
Else
Browse * from s_tab_name
End If
End Sub
See Also:
Set Table statement, TableInfo( ) function

GetTime() function
Purpose
Returns the Time component of a DateTime. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
GetTime( DateTime )
Return Value
Time, which is an integer value in five bytes: 2 for millisec, 1 for sec, 1 for min, 1 for hour.
Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function.
dim dtX as datetime
dim Z as time
dtX = "03/07/2007 12:09:09.000 AM"
Z = GetTime(dtX)
Print FormatTime$(Z,"hh:mm:ss.fff tt")
See also:

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FormatDate$( ) function, FormatTime$( ) function, NumberToDateTime( ) function,GetDate( )
function

Global statement
Purpose
Defines one or more global variables.
Syntax
Global var_name [ , var_name... ] As var_type
[ , var_name... ] As var_type... ]
var_name is the name of a global variable to define.
var_type is integer, float, date, logical, string, or a custom variable Type.
Description
A Global statement defines one or more global variables. Global statements may only appear outside
of a sub procedure.
The syntax of the Global statement is identical to the syntax of the Dim statement; the difference is
that variables defined through a Global statement are global in scope, while variables defined through
a Dim statement are local. A local variable may only be examined or modified by the sub procedure
which defined it, whereas any sub procedure in a program may examine or modify any global variable.
A sub procedure may define local variables with names which coincide with the names of global variables.
In such a case, the sub procedure's own local variables take precedence (for example, within the sub
procedure, any references to the variable name will utilize the local variable, not the global variable by
the same name). Global array variables may be re-sized with the ReDim statement. Windows, global
variables are "visible" to other Windows applications through DDE conversations.
Example
Declare Sub testing( )
Declare Sub Main( )
Global gi_var As Integer
Sub Main( )
Call testing
Note Str$(gi_var) ' this displays "23"
End Sub
Sub testing( )
gi_var = 23
End Sub
See Also:
Dim statement, ReDim statement, Type statement, UBound( ) function

Reference

339

Goto statement

Goto statement
Purpose
Jumps to a different spot (in the same procedure), identified by a label.
Restrictions
You cannot issue a Goto statement through the MapBasic window.
Syntax
Goto label
label is a label appearing elsewhere in the same procedure.
Description
The Goto statement performs an unconditional jump. Program execution continues at the statement line
identified by the label. The label itself should be followed by a colon; however, the label name should
appear in the Goto statement without the colon.
Generally speaking, the Goto statement should not be used to exit a loop prematurely. The Exit Do
statement and Exit For statement provide the ability to exit a loop. Similarly, you should not use a Goto
statement to jump into the body of a loop.
A Goto statement may only jump to a label within the same procedure.
Example
Goto endproc
...
endproc: End Program
See Also:
Do Case...End Case statement, Do...Loop statement, For...Next statement, OnError statement,
Resume statement

Graph statement
Purpose
Opens a new Graph window. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Graph
label_column, expr ["label_text"][ , ... ]
From table

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[
[
[
[
[

Position ( x, y ) [ Units paperunits ] ]

Width window_width [ Units paperunits ] ]
Height window_height [ Units paperunits ] ]
Min | Max ]
Using template_file [ Restore ] [ Series In Columns ] ]

label_column is the name of the column to use for labeling the y-axis.
expr is an expression providing values to be graphed.
label_text is the text that displays for each label column instead of the column name
table is the name of an open table.
paperunits is the name of a paper unit (for example, "in").
x, y specifies the position of the upper left corner of the Grapher, in paper units. For details about paper
units, see Set Paper Units statement.
window_width and window_height specify the size of the Grapher, in paper units. For a list of paper unit
names, see Set Paper Units statement.
template_file is a valid graph template file.
Description
If the Using clause is present and template_file specifies a valid graph template file, then a graph is
created based on the specified template file. Otherwise a 5.0 graph is created. If the Restore clause is
included, then title text in the template file is used in the graph window. Otherwise default text is used
for each title in the graph. The Restore keyword is included when writing the Graph command to a
workspace, so when the workspace is opened the title text is restored exactly as is was when the workspace was saved. The Restore keyword is not used in the Graph command constructed by the Create
Graph wizard, so the default text is used for each title. If Series In Columns is included, then the graph
series are based on the table columns. Otherwise the series are based on the table rows.
The Graph statement adds a new Grapher window to the screen, displaying the specified table. The
graph will appear as a rotated bar chart; subsequent Set Graph statements can re-configure the specifics
of the graph (for example, the graph rotation, graph type, title, etc.).
MapInfo Professional 's Window > Graph dialog box is limited in that it only allows the user to choose
column names to graph. MapBasic's Graph statement, however, is able to graph full expressions which
involve column names. Similarly, although the Graph dialog box only allows the user to choose four
columns to graph, the Graph statement can construct a graph with up to 255 columns.
If the Graph statement includes the optional Max keyword, the resultant Grapher window is maximized,
taking up all of the screen space available to MapInfo Professional. Conversely, if the Graph statement
includes the Min keyword, the window is minimized.
Example (5.5 and later graphs)
Graph State_Name, Pop_1980, Pop_1990, Num_Hh_80 From States Using
"C:\Program Files\MapInfo\GRAPHSUPPORT\Templates\Column\Percent.3tf"
Graph City, Tot_hu, Tot_pop From City_125 Using "C:\Program
Files\MapInfo\GRAPHSUPPORT\Templates\Bar\Clustered.3tf" Series In Columns

Reference

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GridTableInfo( ) function
Example (pre-5.5 graphs)
Graph Country, Population From Selection
See Also:
Set Graph statement

GridTableInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a grid table.
Syntax
GridTableInfo( table_id, attribute )
table_id is a string representing a table name, a positive integer table number, or 0 (zero). The table
must be a grid table.
attribute is an integer code indicating which aspect of the grid table to return.
Return Value
String, SmallInt, Integer or Logical, depending on the attribute parameter specified.
The attribute parameter can be any value from the table below. Codes in the left column (for example,
GRID_TAB_INFO_) are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
attribute code

ID

GridTableInfo() returns:

GRID_TAB_INFO_MIN_VALUE

Float result, representing the minimum grid cell value in

the file

GRID_TAB_INFO_MAX_VALUE

Float result, representing the maximum grid cell value in

the file

GRID_TAB_INFO_HAS_HILLSHADE 3

Logical result, TRUE if the grid file has hillshade/relief

shade information. This flag does not depend on whether
the file is displayed using the hillshading.

See Also:
Create Grid statement, GetGridCellValue( ) function, IsGridCellNull( ) function, RasterTableInfo(
) function

GroupLayerInfo function
Purpose
This function returns information about a specific group layer in the map.

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Syntax
GroupLayerInfo ( map_window_id, group_layer_id, attribute )
map_window_id is a Map window identifier.
group_layer_id is the number of a group layer in the Map window (for example, 1 for the top group layer)
or a name of a group layer in the map. To determine the number of group layers in a Map window, call
the MapperInfo( ) function.
attribute is a code indicating the type of information to return; see table below.
Return Value
Depends on the attribute parameter.
Description
The attributes are:
Value of window_id, attribute

ID

Description

GROUPLAYER_INFO_NAME

Returns a string value, which is the name of the group

layer.

GROUPLAYER_INFO_LAYERLIST_ID

Returns a numeric value, the ID of the group layer in the

layer list (position of the group layer in the layer list).

GROUPLAYER_INFO_DISPLAY

Returns the boolean value

GROUPLAYER_INFO_DISPLAY_ON (true if the layer
is visible (0))
GROUPLAYER_INFO_DISPLAY_OFF (false if the layer
is not visible (non-zero))

GROUPLAYER_INFO_LAYERS

Returns the count of graphical layers in the group. It will

ignore group layers but include all nested graphical layers.

GROUPLAYER_INFO_ALL_LAYERS 5

Returns the count of layers and group layers (includes all

nested layers and group layers).

GROUPLAYER_INFO_TOPLEVEL_LAYERS

Returns the count of graphical or group layers at the top

level of the group's layer list.

GROUPLAYER_INFO_PARENT_GROUP_ID

Returns the group layer ID of the immediate group containing this group, will return zero (0) if group layer is in the
top level list.

Group layer ID's are from zero (0) to n, where n is the number of group layers in the list and zero (0)
refers to top level, or "root" of the layer list. All the group layer info attributes will apply to the root of the
list with the exception of GROUPLAYER_INFO_DISPLAY (3). GROUPLAYER_INFO_NAME (1) will
return the map's name (same as its window title). The cosmetic layer will be included in any of the attributes that count graphical layers.

Reference

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HomeDirectory$( ) function
Specifying a map window ID of zero (0) returns the name of the map window, and returns the name of
the Cosmetic Layer as "cosmetic1", "cosmetic2".
See Also:
LayerInfo( ) function, MapperInfo( ) function

HomeDirectory$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string indicating the user's home directory path. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
HomeDirectory$( )
Return Value
String
Description
The HomeDirectory$( ) function returns a string which indicates the user's home directory path.
The significance of a home directory path depends on the hardware platform on which the user is running.
The table below summarizes the platform-dependent home directory path definitions.
Environment

Definition of "Home Directory"

Windows

The directory path to the user's Windows directory.

Example
Dim s_home_dir As String
s_home_dir = HomeDirectory$( )
See Also:
ApplicationDirectory$( ) function, ProgramDirectory$( ) function, SystemInfo( ) function

HotlinkInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a HotLink definition in a map layer. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
HotlinkInfo ( map_window_id, layer_number, hotlink_number, attribute )
map_window_id is a Map window identifier.

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layer_number is the number of a layer in the current Map window (for example, 1 for the top layer); to
determine the number of layers in a Map window, call the MapperInfo( ) function.
hotlink_number - the index of the hotlink definition being queried. The first hotlink definition in a layer
has index of 1.
attribute - the following attribute values are allowed:
Hotlink Name

ID

Description

HOTLINK_INFO_EXPR

Returns the filename expression for this hotlink definition.

HOTLINK_INFO_MODE

Returns the mode for this hotlink definition, one of the

following predefined values:
HOTLINK_MODE_LABEL (0)
HOTLINK_MODE_OBJ (1)
HOTLINK_MODE_BOTH (2)

HOTLINK_INFO_RELATIVE

Returns TRUE if the relative path option is on for this

hotlink definition.

HOTLINK_INFO_ENABLED

Returns TRUE if this hotlink definition is enabled.

HOTLINK_INFO_ALIAS

Returns TRUE if this hotlink definition is an alias.

See Also:
Set Map statement, LayerInfo( ) function

Hour( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves the hour component of a Time value as an integer (0-23). You can call this function from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Hour ( Time )
Return Value
SmallInt
Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function.
dim Z as time
dim iHour as integer
Z = CurDateTime()
iHour = Hour(Z)
Print iHour

Reference

345

If...Then statement
See Also:
Minute( ) function, Second( ) function

If...Then statement
Purpose
Decides which block of statements to execute (if any), based on the current value of one or more expressions.
Syntax
If if_condition Then
if_statement_list
[ ElseIf elseif_condition Then
elseif_statement_list ]
[ ElseIf ... ]
[ Else
else_statement_list ]
End If
condition is a condition which will evaluate to TRUE or FALSE.
statement_list is a list of zero or more statements.
Restrictions
You cannot issue an If...Then statement through the MapBasic window.
Description
The If...Then statement allows conditional execution of different groups of statements.
In its simplest form, the If statement does not include an ElseIf clause, nor an Else clause:
If if_condition Then
if_statement_list
End If
With this arrangement, MapBasic evaluates the if_condition at run-time. If the if_condition is TRUE,
MapBasic executes the if_statement_list; otherwise, MapBasic skips the if_statement_list.
An If statement may also include the optional Else clause:
If if_condition Then
if_statement_list
Else
else_statement_list
End If
With this arrangement, MapBasic will either execute the if_statement_list (if the condition is TRUE) or
the else_statement_list (if the condition is FALSE).
Additionally, an If statement may include one or more ElseIf clauses, following the If clause (and preceding
the optional Else clause):
If if_condition Then
if_statement_list

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ElseIf elseif_condition Then
elseif_statement_list
Else
else_statement_list
End If
With this arrangement, MapBasic tests a series of two or more conditions, continuing until either one of
the conditions turns out to be TRUE or until the Else clause or the End If is reached. If the if_condition
is TRUE, MapBasic will perform the if_statement_list, and then jump down to the statement which follows
the End If. But if that condition is FALSE, MapBasic then evaluates the else_if_condition; if that condition
is TRUE, MapBasic will execute the elseif_statement_list.
An If statement may include two or more ElseIf clauses, thus allowing you to test any number of possible
conditions. However, if you are testing for one out of a large number of possible conditions, the Do
Case...End Case statement is more elegant than an If statement with many ElseIf clauses.
Example
Dim today As Date
Dim today_mon, today_day, yearcount As Integer
today = CurDate( ) ' get current date
today_mon = Month(today) ' get the month value
today_day = Day(today) ' get the day value (1-31)
If today_mon = 1 And today_day = 1 Then
Note "Happy New Year!"
yearcount = yearcount + 1
ElseIf today_mon = 2 And today_day = 14 Then
Note "Happy Valentine's Day!"
ElseIf today_mon = 12 And today_day = 25 Then
Note "Merry Christmas!"
Else
Note "Good day."
End If
See Also:
Do Case...End Case statement

Import statement
Purpose
Creates a new MapInfo Professional table by importing an exported file, such as a GML or DXF file. You
can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
See Importing MIF/MID, PICT, or MapInfo for DOS Files, Importing DXF Files, Importing GML Files,
or Importing GML 2.1 Files.

Importing MIF/MID, PICT, or MapInfo for DOS Files

Syntax
Import file_name
[ Type file_type ]

Reference

347

Import statement
[ Into table_name ]
[ Overwrite ]
file_name is a string that specifies the name of the file to import.
file_type is a string that specifies the import file format (MIF, MBI, MMI, IMG, or PICT).
table_name specifies the name of the new table to create.
Description
The Import statement creates a new MapInfo table by importing the contents of an existing file.
Note: To create a MapInfo table based on a spreadsheet or database file, use the Register Table
statement, not the Import statement.
The optional Type clause specifies the format of the file you want to import. The Type clause can take
one of the following forms:
Type clause

File Format Specified

Type "DXF"

DXF file (a format supported by CAD packages,

such as AutoCAD). See Importing DXF Files.

Type "MIF"

MIF/MID file pair, created by exporting a MapInfo

table.

Type "MBI"

MapInfo Boundary Interchange, created by MapInfo

for DOS.

Type "MMI"

MapInfo Map Interchange, created by MapInfo for

DOS.

Type "IMG"

MapInfo Image file, created by MapInfo for DOS.

Type "GML"

GML files. See Importing GML Files.

Type "GML21"

GML 2.1 files. See Importing GML 2.1 Files.

If you omit the Type clause, MapInfo Professional assumes that the file's extension indicates the file
format. For example, a file named "PARCELS.DXF" is assumed to be a DXF file. (For more about DXF,
see Importing DXF Files.)
The Into clause lets you override the name and location of the MapInfo table that is created. If no Into
clause is specified, the new table is created in the same directory location as the original file, with a
corresponding file name. For example, on Windows, if you import the text file "WORLD.MIF", the new
table's default name is "WORLD.TAB".
If you include the optional Overwrite keyword, MapInfo Professional creates a new table, regardless of
whether a table by that name already exists; the new table replaces the existing table. If you omit the
Overwrite keyword, and the table already exists, MapInfo Professional does not overwrite the table.

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Example
Sample importing using current MapInfo style:
Import "D:\midata\GML\test.gml" Type "GML" layer "TopographicLine" style
auto off Into "D:\midata\GML\test_TopographicLine.TAB" Overwrite
The following example imports a MIF (MapInfo Interchange Format) file:
Import "WORLD.MIF"
Type "MIF"
Into "world_2.tab"
Map From world_2

Importing DXF Files

Syntax
Import file_name
[ Type "DXF" ]
[ Into table_name ]
[ Overwrite ]
[ Warnings { On | Off } ]
[ Preserve
[ AttributeData ] [ Preserve ] [ Blocks As MultiPolygonRgns ] ]
[ CoordSys... ]
[ Autoflip ]
[ Transform
( DXF_x1, DXF_y1 ) ( DXF_x2, DXF_y2 )
( MI_x1, MI_y1 ) ( MI_x2, MI_y2 ) ]
[ Read
[ Integer As Decimal ] [ Read ] [ Float As Decimal ] ]
[ Store [ Handles ] [ Elevation ] [ VisibleOnly ] ]
[ Layer DXF_layer_name
[ Into table_name ]
[ Preserve
[ AttributeData ] [ Preserve ] [ Blocks As MultiPolygonRgns ] ] ]
[ Layer... ]
file_name is a string that specifies the name of the file to import.
table_name specifies the name of the new table to create.
DXF_x1, DXF_y1, etc. are numbers that represent coordinates in the DXF file.
MI_x1, MI_y1, etc. are numbers that represent coordinates in the MapInfo table.
DXF_layer_name is a string representing the name of a layer in the DXF file.
Description
If you import a DXF file, the Import statement can include the following DXF-specific clauses.
Note: The order of the clauses is important; placing the clauses in the wrong order can cause compilation errors.
Warnings On or Warnings Off - Controls whether warning messages are displayed during the import
operation. By default, warnings are off.

Reference

349

Import statement
Preserve AttributeData - Include this clause if you want MapInfo Professional to preserve the attribute
data from the DXF file.
Preserve Blocks As MultiPolygonRgns - Include this clause if you want MapInfo Professional to store
all of the polygons from a DXF block record into one multiple-polygon region object. If you omit this
clause, each DXF polygon becomes a separate MapInfo Professional region object.
CoordSys - Controls the projection and coordinate system of the table. For details, see CoordSys
clause.
Autoflip - Include this option if you want the map's x-coordinates to be flipped around the center line of
the map. This option is only allowed if you specify a non-Earth coordinate system.
Transform - Specifies a coordinate transformation. In the Transform clause, you specify the minimum
and maximum x- and y-coordinates of the imported file, and you specify the minimum and maximum
coordinates that you want to have in the MapInfo table.
Read Integer As Decimal - Include this clause if you want to store whole numbers from the DXF file in
a decimal column in the new table. This clause is only allowed when you include the Preserve AttributeData clause.
Read Float As Decimal - Include this clause if you want to store floating-point numbers from the DXF
file in a decimal column in the new table. This clause is only allowed when you include the Preserve
AttributeData clause.
Store [Handles] [Elevation] [VisibleOnly] - If you include Handles, the MapInfo table stores handles
(unique ID numbers of objects in the drawing) in a column called _DXFHandle. If you include Elevation,
MapInfo Professional stores each object's center elevation in a column called _DXFElevation. (For lines,
MapInfo Professional stores the elevation at the center of the line; for regions, MapInfo Professional
stores the average of the object's elevation values.) If you include VisibleOnly, MapInfo Professional
ignores invisible objects.
Layer clause - If you do not include any Layer clauses, all objects from the DXF file are imported into
a single MapInfo table. If you include one or more Layer clauses, each DXF layer that you name becomes
a separate MapInfo table.
If your DXF file contains multiple layers, and if your Import statement includes one or more Layer clauses,
MapInfo Professional only imports the layers that you name. For example, suppose your DXF file contains
four layers (layers 0, 1, 2, and 3). The following Import statement imports all four layers into a single
MapInfo table:
Import "FLOORS.DXF"
Into "FLOORS.TAB"
Preserve AttributeData
The following statement imports layers 1 and 3, but does not import layers 0 or 2:
Import "FLOORS.DXF"
Layer "1"
Into "FLOOR_1.TAB"
Preserve AttributeData
Layer "3"
Into "FLOOR_3.TAB"
Preserve AttributeData

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Importing GML Files

Syntax
Import file_name
[ Type "GML" ]
[ Layer layer_name ]
[ Into table_name ]
[ Style Auto [ On | Off ] ]
file_name is a string that specifies the name of the file to import.
layer_name is a string representing the name of a layer in the GML file.
table_name specifies the name of the new table to create.
Description
Type is "GML" for GML files.
MapInfo Professional supports importing OSGB (Ordnance Survey of Great Britain) GML files. Cartographic Symbol, Topographic Point, Topographic Line, Topographic Area, and Boundary Line are supported; Cartographic Text is not supported. Topographic Area can be distributed in two forms; MapInfo
Professional supports the non-topological form. If the files contains XLINKS, MapInfo Professional only
imports attribute data, and does not import spatial objects. These XLINKs are stored in the GML file as
"xlink:href=". If topological objects are included in the file, a warning displays indicating that spatial objects
cannot be imported. Access the Browser view to see the display of attribute data.
Example
Sample importing using GML style:
Import "D:\midata\GML\est.gml" Type "GML" layer "LandformArea" style auto
on Into "D:\midata\GML\est_LandformArea.TAB" Overwrite

Importing GML 2.1 Files

Syntax
Import file_name
[ Type "GML21" ]
[ Layer layer_name]
[ Into table_name ]
[ Overwrite ]
[ CoordSys... ]
file_name is the name of the GML 2.1 file to import.
layer_name is the name of the GML layer.
table_name is the MapInfo table name.
Description
Type is "GML21" for GML 2.1 files.

Reference

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Include statement
Overwrite causes the TAB file to be automatically overwritten. If Overwrite is not specified, an error will
result if the TAB file already exists.
The Coordsys clause is optional. If the GML file contains a supported projection and the Coordsys
clause is not specified, the projection from the GML file will be used. If the GML file contains a supported
projection and the Coordsys clause is specified, the projection from the Coordsys clause will be used.
If the GML file does not contain a supported projection, the Coordsys clause must be specified.
Note: If the Coordsys clause does not match the projection of the GML file, your data may not import
correctly. The coordinate system must match the coordinate system of the data in the GML file.
It will not transform the data from one projection to another.

Example
Sample importing using GML21 style:
Import "D:\midata\GML\GML2.1\mi_usa.xml" Type "GML21" layer "USA" Into
"D:\midata\GML\GML2.1\mi_usa_USA.TAB" Overwrite CoordSys Earth Projection
1, 104
See Also:
Export statement

Include statement
Purpose
Incorporates the contents of a separate text file as part of a MapBasic program. Issuing this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional does not work.
Syntax
Include "filename"
filename is the name of an existing text file.
Restrictions
You cannot issue an Include statement through the MapBasic window.
Description
When MapBasic is compiling a program file and encounters an Include statement, the entire contents
of the included file are inserted into the program file. The file specified by an Include statement should
be a text file, containing only legitimate MapBasic statements.
If the filename parameter does not specify a directory path, and if the specified file does not exist in the
current directory, the MapBasic compiler looks for the file in the program directory. This arrangement
allows you to leave standard definitions files, such as MAPBASIC.DEF, in one directory, rather than
copying the definitions files to the directories where you keep your program files.

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The most common use of the Include statement is to include the file of standard MapBasic definitions,
MAPBASIC.DEF. This file, which is provided with MapBasic, defines a number of important identifiers,
such as TRUE and FALSE.
Whenever you change the contents of a file that you use through an Include statement, you should then
recompile any MapBasic programs which Include that file.
Example
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"

Input # statement
Purpose
Reads data from a file, and stores the data in variables.
Syntax
Input # filenum, var_name [ , var_name... ]
filenum is the number of a file opened through the Open File statement.
var_name is the name of a variable.
Description
The Input # statement reads data from a file which was opened in a sequential mode (for example, INPUT
mode), and stores the data in one or more MapBasic variables.
The Input # statement reads data (up to the next end-of-line) into the variable(s) indicated by the var_name
parameter(s). MapInfo Professional treats commas and end-of-line characters as field delimiters. To
read an entire line of text into a single string variable, use Line Input statement.
MapBasic automatically converts the data to the type of the variable(s). When reading data into a string
variable, the Input # statement treats a blank line as an empty string. When reading data into a numeric
variable, the Input # statement treats a blank line as a zero value.
After issuing an Input # statement, call the EOF( ) function to determine if MapInfo Professional was
able to read the data. If the input was successful, the EOF( ) function returns FALSE; if the end-of-file
was reached before the input was completed, the EOF( ) function returns TRUE.
For an example of the Input # statement, see the sample program NVIEWS (Named Views).
The following data types are not available with the Input # statement:

Alias
Pen
Brush
Font
Symbol
Object

Reference

353

Insert statement
See Also:
EOF( ) function, Line Input statement, Open File statement, Write # statement

Insert statement
Purpose
Appends new rows to an open table. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Insert Into table
[ ( columnlist ) ]
{ Values ( exprlist ) | Select columnlist From table }
table is the name of an open table.
columnlist is a list of column expressions, comma-separated.
exprlist is a list of one or more expressions, comma-separated.
Description
The Insert statement inserts new rows into an open table. There are two main forms of this statement,
allowing you to either add one row at a time, or insert groups of rows from another table (via the Select
clause). In either case, the number of column values inserted must match the number of columns in the
column list. If no column list is specified, all fields are assumed. Note that you must use a Commit Table
statement if you want to permanently save newly-inserted records to disk.
If you know exactly how many columns are in the table you are modifying, and if you have values to
store in each of those columns, then you do not need to specify the optional columnlist clause.
In the following example, we know that the table has four columns (Name, Address, City, and State),
and we provide MapBasic with a value for each of those columns.
Insert Into customers
Values ("Mary Ryan", "23 Main St", "Dallas", "TX")
The preceding statement would generate an error at run-time if it turned out that the table had fewer
than (or more than) four columns. In cases where you do not know exactly how many columns are in a
table or the exact order in which the columns appear, you should use the optional columnlist clause.
Examples
The following example inserts a new row into the customer table, while providing only one column value
for the new row; thus, all other columns in the new row will initially be blank. Here, the one value specified
by the Values clause will be stored in the "Name" column, regardless of how many columns are in the
table, and regardless of the position of the "Name" column in the table structure.
Insert Into customers (Name)
Values ("Steve Harris")

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The following statement creates a point object and inserts the object into a new row of the Sites table.
Note that Obj is a special column name representing the table's graphical objects.
Insert Into sites (Obj)
Values ( CreatePoint(-73.5, 42.8) )
The following example illustrates how the Insert statement can append records from one table to another.
In this example, we assume that the table NY_ZIPS contains ZIP Code boundaries for New York state,
and NJ_ZIPS contains ZIP Code boundaries for New Jersey. We want to put all ZIP Code boundaries
into a single table, for convenience's sake (since operations such as Find can only work with one table
at a time).
Accordingly, the Insert statement below appends all of the records from the New Jersey table into the
New York table.
Insert Into NY_ZIPS
Select * From NJ_ZIPS
In the following example, we select the graphical objects from the table World, then insert each object
as a new record in the table Outline.
Open Table "world"
Open Table "outline"
Insert Into outline (Obj)
Select Obj From World
See Also:
Commit Table statement, Delete statement, Rollback statement

InStr( ) function
Purpose
Returns a character position, indicating where a substring first appears within another string. You can
call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
InStr( position, string, substring )
position is a positive integer, indicating the start position of the search.
string is a string expression.
substring is a string expression which we will try to locate in string.
Return Value
Integer
Description
The InStr( ) function tests whether the string expression string contains the string expression substring.
MapBasic searches the string expression, starting at the position indicated by the position parameter;
thus, if the position parameter has a value of one, MapBasic will search from the very beginning of the
string parameter.

Reference

355

Int( ) function
If string does not contain substring, the InStr( ) function returns a value of zero.
If string does contain substring, the InStr( ) function returns the character position where the substring
appears. For example, if the substring appears at the very start of the string, InStr( ) will return a value
of one.
If the substring parameter is a null string, the InStr( ) function returns zero.
The InStr( ) function is case-sensitive. In other words, the InStr( ) function cannot locate the substring
"BC" within the larger string "abcde", because "BC" is upper-case.
Error Conditions
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error generated if an argument is outside of the valid range
Example
Dim fullname As String, pos As Integer
fullname = "New York City"
pos = InStr(1, fullname, "York")
' pos will now contain a value of 5 (five)
pos = InStr(1, fullname, "YORK")
' pos will now contain a value of 0;
' YORK is uppercase, so InStr will not locate it
' within the string "New York City"
See Also:
Mid$( ) function

Int( ) function
Purpose
Returns an integer value obtained by removing the fractional part of a decimal value. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Int( num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression.
Return Value
Integer
Description
The Int( ) function returns the nearest integer value that is less than or equal to the specified num_expr
expression. The Fix( ) function is similar to, but not identical to, the Int( ) function. The two functions
differ in the way that they treat negative fractional values. When passed a negative fractional number,
Fix( ) function will return the nearest integer value greater than or equal to the original value; so, the
function call Fix(-2.3) will return a value of -2. But when the Int( ) function is passed a negative frac-

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tional number, it returns the nearest integer value that is less than or equal to the original value. So, the
function call Int(-2.3) returns a value of -3.
Example
Dim whole As Integer
whole = Int(5.999)
' whole now has the value 5
whole = Int(-7.2)
' whole now has the value -8
See Also:
Fix( ) function, Round( ) function

IntersectNodes( ) function
Purpose
Calculates the set of points at which two objects intersect, and returns a polyline object that contains
each of the points of intersection. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
IntersectNodes( object1, object2, points_to_include )
object1 and object2 are object expressions; may not be point or text objects.
points_to_include is one of the following SmallInt values:
INCL_CROSSINGS returns points where segments cross.
INCL_COMMON returns end-points of segments that overlap.
INCL_ALL returns points where segments cross and points where segments overlap.
Return Value
A polyline object that contains the specified points of intersection.
Description
The IntersectNodes( ) function returns a polyline object that contains all nodes at which two objects
intersect.

IsGridCellNull( ) function
Purpose
Returns a Logical. Returns TRUE if the cell value location (x, y) is valid for the table, and is a null cell (a
cell that does not have an assigned value). Returns FALSE if the cell contains a value that is non-null.
The GetCellValue() function can be used to retrieve the value.

Reference

357

IsogramInfo( ) function
Syntax
IsGridCellNull( table_id, x_pixel, y_pixel )
table_id is a string representing a table name, a positive integer table number, or 0 (zero). The table
must be a grid table.
x_pixel is the integer pixel number of the X coordinate of the grid cell. Pixel numbers start at 0. The
maximum pixel value is the (pixel_width-1), determined by calling
RasterTableInfo(...RASTER_TAB_INFO_WIDTH)
y_pixel is the integer pixel number of the Y coordinate of the grid cell. Pixel numbers start at 0. The
maximum pixel value is the (pixel_height-1), determined by calling
RasterTableInfo(...RASTER_TAB_INFO_HEIGHT).
Return Value
A Logical is returned, representing whether the specified cell in the table is null, or non-null. If the grid
cell is non-null (IsGridCellNull() returns FALSE), then the GetGridCellValue() function can be called to
retrieve the value for that grid pixel.
See Also:
Create Grid statement, GetGridCellValue( ) function, GridTableInfo( ), RasterTableInfo( ) function

IsogramInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns any and all attributes that were set on a connection using the Set Connection Isogram statement. Includes attributes to handle the maximum number of records for server, time, and distance values.
You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
IsogramInfo( connection_handle, attribute )
connection_handle is an integer signifying the number of the connection returned from the Open Connection statement.
attribute is an Integer code, indicating which type of information should be returned.
Return Value
Float, Logical, or String, depending on the attribute parameter.
Description
This function returns the properties defaulted by the connection or the properties that have been changed
using the Set Connection Isogram statement.
There are several attributes that IsogramInfo( ) can return. Codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.

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attribute setting

ID

IsogramInfo( ) Return Value

ISOGRAM_BANDING

Logical representing the Banding option.

ISOGRAM_MAJOR_ROADS_ONLY 2

Logical representing the MajorRoadsOnly option.

ISOGRAM_RETURN_HOLES

Logical representing the choice of returning regions with

holes or not.

ISOGRAM_MAJOR_POLYGON_ONLY

Logical representing the choice of returning only the main

polygon of a region.

ISOGRAM_MAX_OFF_ROAD_DISTANCE

Float value representing the Maximum off Road Distance

value.

ISOGRAM_MAX_OFF_ROAD_DISTANCE_UNITS

The unit string associated with the value

ISOGRAM_SIMPLIFICATION_FACTOR

Float value representing the Simplification Factor. (a percent value represented as a value between 0 and 1.

ISOGRAM_DEFAULT_AMBIENT_SPEED

Float value representing the default ambient speed.

ISOGRAM_DEFAULT_AMBIENT_SPEED_DISTANCE_UNIT

String value representing the distance unit ("mi", "km").

ISOGRAM_DEFAULT_AMBIENT_SPEED_TIME_UNIT

10

String value representing the time unit ("hr", "min", "sec").

ISOGRAM_DEFAULT_PROPAGATION_FACTOR

11

Determines the off-road network percentage of the remaining cost (distance) for which off network travel is allowed
when finding the Distance boundary. Roads not identified
in the network can be driveways or access roads, among
others. The propagation factor is a percentage of the cost
used to calculate the distance between the starting point
and the Distance. The default value for this property is
0.16.

ISOGRAM_BATCH_SIZE

12

Integer value representing the maximum number of records that are sent to the service at one time.

ISOGRAM_POINTS_ONLY

13

Logical representing the whether or not records that contain non-point objects should be skipped.

ISOGRAM_RECORDS_INSERTED

14

Integer value representing the number of records inserted

in the last command.

ISOGRAM_RECORDS_NOTINSER- 15
TED

Integer value representing the number of records NOT

inserted in the last command.

ISOGRAM_MAX_BATCH_SIZE

Integer value representing the maximum number of records (for example, points) that the server will permit to
be sent to the service at one time.

Reference

16

359

IsPenWidthPixels( ) function
attribute setting

ID

IsogramInfo( ) Return Value

ISOGRAM_MAX_BANDS

17

Integer value representing the maximum number of Iso

bands (for example, distances or times) allowed.

ISOGRAM_MAX_DISTANCE

18

Float value representing the maximum distance permitted

for an Isodistance request. The distance units are specified
by ISOGRAM_MAX_DISTANCE_UNITS.

ISOGRAM_MAX_DISTANCE_UNITS 19

String value representing the units for ISOGRAM_MAX_DISTANCE.

ISOGRAM_MAX_TIME

20

Float value representing the maximum time permitted for

an Isochrone request. The time units are specified by
ISOGRAM_MAX_TIME_UNITS.

ISOGRAM_MAX_TIME_UNITS

21

String value representing the units for ISOGRAM_MAX_TIME.

Example
The following MapBasic snippet will print the Envinsa Routing Constraints to the message window in
MapInfo Professional:
Include "MapBasic.Def"
declare sub main
sub main
dim iConnect as integer
Open Connection Service Isogram
URL "http://envinsa_server:8062/Route/services/Route"
User "john"
Password "green"
into variable iConnect
Print "Isogram_Max_Batch_Size: " +
IsogramInfo(iConnect,Isogram_Max_Batch_Size)
Print "Isogram_Max_Bands: " + IsogramInfo(iConnect, Isogram_Max_Bands)
Print "Isogram_Max_Distance: " + IsogramInfo(iConnect,
Isogram_Max_Distance)
Print "Isogram_Max_Distance_Units: " + IsogramInfo(iConnect,
Isogram_Max_Distance_Units)
Print "Isogram_Max_Time: " + IsogramInfo(iConnect,Isogram_Max_Time)
Print "Isogram_Max_Time_Units: " +
IsogramInfo(iConnect,Isogram_Max_Time_Units)
Close Connection iConnect
end sub
See Also:
Create Object statement, Open Connection statement, Set Connection Isogram statement

IsPenWidthPixels( ) function
Purpose
The IsPenWidthPixels function determines if a pen width is in pixels or in points. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

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Syntax
IsPenWidthPixels( penwidth )
penwidth is a small integer representing the pen width.
Return Value
True if the width value is in pixels. False if the width value is in points.
Description
The IsPenWidthPixels( ) function will return TRUE if the given pen width is in pixels. The pen width for
a line may be determined using the StyleAttr( ) function.
Example
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Dim CurPen As Pen
Dim Width As Integer
Dim PointSize As Float
CurPen = CurrentPen( )
Width = StyleAttr(CurPen, PEN_WIDTH)
If Not IsPenWidthPixels(Width) Then
PointSize = PenWidthToPoints(Width)
End If
See Also:
CurrentPen( ) function, MakePen( ) function, Pen clause, PenWidthToPoints( ) function, StyleAttr(
) function

Kill statement
Purpose
Deletes a file. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Kill filespec
filespec is a string which specifies a filename (and, optionally, the file's path).
Return Value
String
Description
The Kill statement deletes a file from the disk. There is no "undo" operation for a Kill statement.
Therefore, the Kill statement should be used with caution.
Example
Kill "C:\TEMP\JUNK.TXT"

Reference

361

LabelFindByID( ) function
See Also:
Open File statement

LabelFindByID( ) function
Purpose
Initializes an internal label pointer, so that you can query the label for a specific row in a map layer. You
can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
LabelFindByID( map_window_id, layer_number, row_id, table, b_mapper )
map_window_id is an integer window id, identifying a Map window.
layer_number is the number of a layer in the current Map window (for example, 1 for the top layer).
row_id is a positive integer value, indicating the row number of the row whose label you wish to query.
table is a table name or an empty string (""): when you query a table that belongs to a seamless table,
specify the name of the member table; otherwise, specify an empty string.
b_mapper is a logical value. Specify TRUE to query the labels that appear when the Map is active;
specify FALSE to query the labels that appear when the map is inside a Layout.
Return Value
Logical value: TRUE means that a label exists for the specified row.
Description
Call LabelFindByID( ) when you want to query the label for a specific row in a map layer. If the return
value is TRUE, then a label exists for the row, and you can query the label by calling the LabelInfo( )
function.
Example
The following example maps the World table, displays automatic labels, and then determines whether
a label was drawn for a specific row in the table.
Include "mapbasic.def"
Dim b_morelabels As Logical
Dim i_mapid As Integer
Dim obj_mytext As Object
Open Table "World" Interactive As World
Map From World
i_mapid = FrontWindow( )
Set Map Window i_mapid Layer 1 Label Auto On
' Make sure all labels draw before we continue...
Update Window i_mapid
' Now see if row # 1 was auto-labeled
b_morelabels = LabelFindByID(i_mapid, 1, 1, "", TRUE)
If b_morelabels Then
' The object was labeled; now query its label.
obj_mytext = LabelInfo(i_mapid, 1, LABEL_INFO_OBJECT)

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' At this point, you could save the obj_mytext object
' in a permanent table; or you could query it by
' calling ObjectInfo( ) or ObjectGeography( ).
End If
See Also:
LabelFindFirst( ) function, LabelFindNext( ) function, LabelInfo( ) function

LabelFindFirst( ) function
Purpose
Initializes an internal label pointer, so that you can query the first label in a map layer. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
LabelFindFirst( map_window_id, layer_number, b_mapper )
map_window_id is an integer window id, identifying a Map window.
layer_number is the number of a layer in the current Map window (for example, 1 for the top layer).
b_mapper is a logical value. Specify TRUE to query the labels that appear when the Map is active;
specify FALSE to query the labels that appear when the map is inside a Layout.
Return Value
Logical value: TRUE means that labels exist for the specified layer (either labels are currently visible, or
the user has edited labels, and those edited labels are not currently visible).
Description
Call LabelFindFirst( ) when you want to loop through a map layer's labels to query the labels. Querying
labels is a two-step process:
1. Set MapBasic's internal label pointer by calling the LabelFindFirst( ) function, the LabelFindNext(
) function, or the LabelFindByID( ) function.
2. If the function you called in step 1 did not return FALSE, you can query the current label by calling
the LabelInfo( ) function.
To continue querying additional labels, return to step 1.
Example
For an example, see LabelInfo( ) function.
See Also:
LabelFindByID( ) function, LabelFindNext( ) function, LabelInfo( ) function

Reference

363

LabelFindNext( ) function

LabelFindNext( ) function
Purpose
Advances the internal label pointer, so that you can query the next label in a map layer. You can call
this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
LabelFindNext( map_window_id, layer_number )
map_window_id is an integer window id, identifying a Map window.
layer_number is the number of a layer in the current Map window (for example, 1 for the top layer).
Return Value
Logical value: TRUE means the label pointer was advanced to the next label; FALSE means there are
no more labels for this layer.
Description
After you call the LabelFindFirst( ) function to begin querying labels, you can call LabelFindNext( ) to
advance to the next label in the same layer.
Example
For an example, see LabelInfo( ) function.
See Also:
LabelFindByID( ) function, LabelFindFirst( ) function, LabelInfo( ) function

LabelInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a label in a map. LabeIInfo can return a label as text object and the text object
returned can be curved or can be returned as rotated straight text. However, if the label is curved, it will
be returned as rotated flat text. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Labelinfo( map_window_id, layer_number, attribute )
map_window_id is an integer window id, identifying a Map window.
layer_number is the number of a layer in the current Map window (for example, 1 for the top layer).
attribute is a code indicating the type of information to return; see table below.

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Return Value
Return value depends on attribute.
Description
The Labelinfo( ) function returns information about a label in a Map window.
Note: Labels are different than text objects. To query a text object, call functions such as ObjectInfo(
) function or ObjectGeography( ) function.
Before calling Labelinfo( ), you must initialize MapBasic's internal label pointer by calling the LabelFindFirst( ) function, the LabelFindNext( ) function, or the LabelFindByID( ) function. See the example
below.
The attribute parameter must be one of the codes from the following table; codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
attribute code

ID

Labelinfo( ) Return Value

LABEL_INFO_OBJECT

Text object is returned, which is an approximation of the

label. This feature allows you to convert a label into a text
object, which you can save in a permanent table.
Note: LABEL_INFO_OBJECT returns a text object, but
if the label is curved, it will return a label with a
Parallel orientation. MapBasic does not support
curved labels as text objects.

LABEL_INFO_POSITION

Integer value between 0 and 8, indicating the label's position relative to its anchor location. The return value will
match one of these codes:

LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_AUTO (-1),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CC (0),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TL (1),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TC (2),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TR (3),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CL (4),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CR (5),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BL (6),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BC (7),
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BR (8).

For example, if the label is Below and to the Right of the

anchor, its position is 8; if the label is Centered horizontally
and vertically over its anchor, its position is zero. If the
label is being auto positioned, its position is -1.

Reference

365

LabelInfo( ) function
attribute code

ID

Labelinfo( ) Return Value

LABEL_INFO_ANCHORX

Float value, indicating the x-coordinate of the label's anchor location.

LABEL_INFO_ANCHORY

Float value, indicating the y-coordinate of the label's anchor location.

LABEL_INFO_OFFSET

Integer value between 0 and 200, indicating the distance

(in points) the label is offset from its anchor location.

LABEL_INFO_ROWID

Integer value, representing the ID number of the row that

owns this label; returns zero if no label exists.

LABEL_INFO_TABLE

String value, representing the name of the table that owns

this label. Useful if you are using seamless tables and you
need to know which member table owns the label.

LABEL_INFO_EDIT

Logical value; TRUE if label has been edited.

LABEL_INFO_EDIT_VISIBILITY

Logical value; TRUE if label visibility has been set to OFF.

LABEL_INFO_EDIT_ANCHOR

10

Logical value; TRUE if label has been moved.

LABEL_INFO_EDIT_OFFSET

11

Logical value; TRUE if label's offset has been modified.

LABEL_INFO_EDIT_FONT

12

Logical value; TRUE if label's font has been modified.

LABEL_INFO_EDIT_PEN

13

Logical value; TRUE if callout line's Pen style has been

modified.

LABEL_INFO_EDIT_TEXT

14

Logical value; TRUE if label's text has been modified.

LABEL_INFO_EDIT_TEXTARROW

15

Logical value; TRUE if label's text arrow setting has been

modified.

LABEL_INFO_EDIT_ANGLE

16

Logical value; TRUE if label's rotation angle has been

modified.

LABEL_INFO_EDIT_POSITION

17

Logical value; TRUE if label's position (relative to anchor)

has been modified.

LABEL_INFO_EDIT_TEXTLINE

18

Logical value; TRUE if callout line has been moved.

LABEL_INFO_SELECT

19

Logical value; TRUE if label is selected.

LABEL_INFO_DRAWN

20

Logical value; TRUE if label is currently visible.

LABEL_INFO_ORIENTATION

21

Returns Smallint value indicating the 'current' label's orientation. The current label is initialized by using one of
the following Label functions: LabelFindFirst, LabelFindByID, or LabelFindNext. The Return value will be one of
these:
LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_HORIZONTAL (label
has angle equal to 0)

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attribute code

ID

Labelinfo( ) Return Value

LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_PARALLEL (label has
non-zero angle)
LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_CURVED (label is
curved)

Example
The following example shows how to loop through all of the labels for a row, using the Labelinfo( )
function to query each label.
Dim b_morelabels As Logical
Dim i_mapid, i_layernum As Integer
Dim obj_mytext As Object
' Here, you would assign a Map window's ID to i_mapid,
' and assign a layer number to i_layernum.
b_morelabels = LabelFindFirst(i_mapid, i_layernum, TRUE)
Do While b_morelabels
obj_mytext = LabelInfo(i_mapid, i_layernum, LABEL_INFO_OBJECT)
' At this point, you could save the obj_mytext object
' in a permanent table; or you could query it by
' calling ObjectInfo( ) or ObjectGeography( ).
b_morelabels = LabelFindNext(i_mapid, i_layernum)
Loop
See Also:
LabelFindByID( ) function, LabelFindFirst( ) function, LabelFindNext( ) function

LabelOverrideInfo( ) function
Returns information about a specific label override.
Syntax
LabelOverrideInfo (
window_id, layer_number, labeloverride_index, attribute )
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_number is the number of a layer in the current Map window (for example, 1 for the top layer); to
determine the number of layers in a Map window, call the MapperInfo( ) function.
labeloverride_index is an integer index (1-based) for the override definition within the layer. Each label
override is tied to an zoom range and is ordered so that the smallest zoom range value is on top (index
1).
attribute is a code indicating the type of information to return; see table below.
Return Value
Return value depends on attribute parameter.

Reference

367

LabelOverrideInfo( ) function
Description
The LabelOverrideInfo( ) function returns label information for a specific label override for one layer
in an existing Map window. The layer_number must be a valid layer (1 is the topmost table layer, and
so on). The attribute parameter must be one of the codes from the following table; codes are defined in
MAPBASIC.DEF.
Attribute Code

ID

LabelOverrideInfo( ) Return Value

LBL_OVR_INFO_NAME

Label override name.

LBL_OVR_INFO_VISIBILITY

Smallint value, indicating whether the override label are

visible. The return value will be one of:
LBL_OVR_INFO_VIS_OFF (0)
override label is disabled/off; never visible
LBL_OVR_INFO_VIS_ON (1)
override label is currently visible in the map
LBL_OVR_INFO_VIS_OFF_ZOOM (2)
override label is currently not visible because it's outside
the map zoom range

LBL_OVR_INFO_ZOOM_MIN

Float value, indicating the minimum zoom value (in MapBasic's current distance units) at which the label override
displays.

LBL_OVR_INFO_ZOOM_MAX

Float value, indicating the maximum zoom value at which

the label override displays.

LBL_OVR_INFO_EXPR

String value, the expression used in labels.

LBL_OVR_INFO_LT

SmallInt value, indicating what type of line, if any, connects

a label to its original location after you move the label. The
return value will match one of these values:
LAYER_INFO_LBL_LT_NONE (0)
no line
LAYER_INFO_LBL_LT_SIMPLE (1)
simple line
LAYER_INFO_LBL_LT_ARROW (2)
line with an arrowhead

368

LBL_OVR_INFO_FONT

Font style used in labels.

LBL_OVR_INFO_PARALLEL

Logical value, TRUE if layer is set for parallel labels.

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Attribute Code

ID

LabelOverrideInfo( ) Return Value

LBL_OVR_INFO_POS

SmallInt value, indicating label position. Return value will

match one of these values (T=Top, B=Bottom, C=Center,
R=Right, L=Left):

LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CC (0)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TL (1)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TC (2)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TR (3)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CL (4)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CR (5)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BL (6)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BC (7)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BR (8)

LBL_OVR_INFO_OVERLAP

10

Logical value, TRUE if overlapping labels are allowed.

LBL_OVR_INFO_DUPLICATES

11

Logical value, TRUE if duplicate labels are allowed.

LBL_OVR_INFO_OFFSET

12

SmallInt value from 0 to 50, indicating how far the labels

are offset from object centroids. The offset value represents a distance, in points.

LBL_OVR_INFO_MAX

13

Integer value, indicating the maximum number of labels

allowed for this label layer override. If no maximum has
been set, return value is 2,147,483,647.

LBL_OVR_INFO_PARTIALSEGS

14

Logical value, TRUE if the Label Partial Objects check

box is checked for this layer.

LBL_OVR_INFO_ORIENTATION

15

Returns Smallint value, indicating the setting for the layer's

auto label orientation. Return value will be one of these
values:
LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_HORIZONTAL
labels have angle equal to 0
LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_PARALLEL
labels have non-zero angle
LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_CURVED labels are
curved
If LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_PARALLEL is returned
then LBL_OVR_INFO_PARALLEL returns TRUE.

LBL_OVR_INFO_ALPHA

16

SmallInt value, representing the alpha factor for the labels

of the specified layer.
0=fully transparent.
255=fully opaque.

Reference

369

LabelOverrideInfo( ) function
Attribute Code

ID

LabelOverrideInfo( ) Return Value

To turn set the translucency or alpha for a layer, use the
Set Map label clause statement, see Managing Individual
Label Properties..

370

LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTODISPLAY

17

Logical value, TRUE if this label override is set to display

labels automatically.

LBL_OVR_INFO_POS_RETRY

18

Logical value, TRUE if label overlaps with others, try

multiple label positions until a position is found that does
not overlap any other labels, or until all position are exhausted.

LBL_OVR_INFO_LINE_PEN

19

Pen style used for displaying the label line.

LBL_OVR_INFO_PERCENT_OVER 20

SmallInt value, max percentage curved label can overhang

polyline.

LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTO_POSITION 21

Logical value, TRUE if the advanced region labeling option

for the label override is on or off.

LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTO_SIZES

22

Integer value, indicates the number of font sizes that can

be used when attempting to fit labels within regions for
the label override. The number of fonts can range from 1
to 10. A 0 (zero) value indicates that Default is chosen,
so that MapInfo Professional defines the number of fonts
to use.

LBL_OVR_INFO_SUPPRESS_IF_NO_FIT

23

Logical value: TRUE if this labeling option is On. If after

applying the optional font size step-downs the label still
does not fit in the region, then the label is not drawn.

LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTO_SIZE_STEP 24

Integer value, defines the overall percentage font size

step used for automatically resizing the label font to make
a label fit for label override. If the original font size is 24
pt and the size step is defined as 66, then the smallest
font will be 66% smaller than 24 pt (the smallest font will
be 8pt).

LBL_OVR_INFO_CURVED_BEST_PO- 25
SITION

Logical value, indicates if the auto positioning for curved

labels is on or off.

LBL_OVR_INFO_CURVED_FALLBACK

26

Logical value, indicates if the option to fallback to create

a rotated label is on or off.

LBL_OVR_INFO_USE_ABBREVIATION

27

Logical value, indicates if use of abbreviations is on or off.

LBL_OVR_INFO_ABBREVIATION_EXPR

28

Returns the field expression used for abbreviated labels.

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Attribute Code

ID

LabelOverrideInfo( ) Return Value

LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTO_CALLOUT

29

Logical value, TRUE if the advanced region labeling option

of rendering a callout for the label override is on.

Example
LabelOverrideInfo(nMID, nLayer, nOverride, LBL_OVR_INFO_ORIENTATION)
See Also:
StyleOverrideInfo( ) function, LayerStyleInfo( ) function, Set Map statement, LayerInfo( ) function

LayerControlInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about the Layer Control window.
Syntax
LayerControlInfo( attribute )
attribute is a code indicating the type of information to return; see table below.
Description
The attribute parameter is a value from the table below. Codes in the left column are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
attribute code

ID

TableInfo( ) returns

LC_INFO_SEL_COUNT

Smallint result, indicating the number of selected items.

Example
LayerControlInfo(LC_INFO_SEL_COUNT)
See Also:
LayerControlSelectionInfo( ) function

LayerControlSelectionInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a selected item in the Layer Control window.
Syntax
LayerControlSelectionInfo( selection_index, attribute )
selection_id is the index of a selected item in Layer Control.

Reference

371

LayerInfo( ) function
attribute is a code indicating the type of information to return; see table below.
Description
The attribute parameter can be any value from the table below. Codes in the left column are defined in
MAPBASIC.DEF.
attribute code

ID

TableInfo( ) returns

LC_SEL_INFO_NAME

String result, representing the name of the selected.

LC_SEL_INFO_TYPE

Smallint result, indicating the type of selected item. Return

value will be one of the values:

LC_SEL_INFO_TYPE_MAP (0)
LC_SEL_INFO_TYPE_LAYER (1)
LC_SEL_INFO_TYPE_GROUPLAYER (2)
LC_SEL_INFO_TYPE_STYLE_OVR (3)
LC_SEL_INFO_TYPE_LABEL_OVR (4)

LC_SEL_INFO_MAPWIN_ID

Integer value, representing the window id of the mapper

associated with the selected item.

LC_SEL_INFO_LAYER_ID

Smallint value, indicating the ID of the layer associated

with the selected item. If you query this value when a map
item is selected, the return value is -1.

LC_SEL_INFO_OVR_ID

Smallint value, indicating the index of the override associated with the selected item. If you query this value when
a map, layer, or grouplayer item is selected, the return
value is -1.

Example
LayerControlSelectionInfo(layer_number, LC_SEL_INFO_NAME)
See Also:
LayerControlInfo( ) function

LayerInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a layer in a Map window. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
LayerInfo( window_id, layer_number, attribute )
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.

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layer_number is the number of a layer in the current Map window (for example, 1 for the top layer); to
determine the number of layers in a Map window, call the MapperInfo( ) function.
attribute is a code indicating the type of information to return; see table below.
Return Value
Return value depends on attribute parameter.
Restrictions
Many of the settings that you can query using LayerInfo( ) function only apply to conventional map
layers (as opposed to Cosmetic map layers, thematic map layers, and map layers representing raster
image tables). See example below.
Description
The LayerInfo( ) function returns information about one layer in an existing Map window. The layer_number must be a valid layer (1 is the topmost table layer, and so on). The attribute parameter must be one
of the codes from the following table; codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF. From here you can also
query the Hotlink options using the LAYER_HOTLINK_* attributes.
Attribute Code

ID

LayerInfo( ) Return Value

LAYER_INFO_NAME

String indicating the name of the table associated with

this map layer. If the specified layer is the map's Cosmetic
layer, the string will be a table name such as "Cosmetic1";
this table name can be used with other statements (for
example, Select statement).

LAYER_INFO_EDITABLE

Logical value, TRUE if the layer is editable.

LAYER_INFO_SELECTABLE

Logical value, TRUE if the layer is selectable.

LAYER_INFO_ZOOM_LAYERED

Logical, TRUE if zoom-layering is enabled.

LAYER_INFO_ZOOM_MIN

Float value, indicating the minimum zoom value (in MapBasic's current distance units) at which the layer displays.
(To set MapBasic's distance units, use Set Distance Units
statement.)

LAYER_INFO_ZOOM_MAX

Float value, indicating the maximum zoom value at which

the layer displays.

LAYER_INFO_COSMETIC

Logical, TRUE if this is the Cosmetic layer.

LAYER_INFO_PATH

String value, representing the full directory path of the

table associated with the map layer.

LAYER_INFO_DISPLAY

SmallInt, indicating how and whether this layer is displayed; return value will be one of these values:
LAYER_INFO_DISPLAY_OFF (0)

Reference

373

LayerInfo( ) function
Attribute Code

ID

LayerInfo( ) Return Value

the layer is not displayed
LAYER_INFO_DISPLAY_GRAPHIC (1)
objects in this layer appear in their "default" style-the
style saved in the table
LAYER_INFO_DISPLAY_GLOBAL (2)
objects in this layer are displayed with a "style override"
specified in Layer Control
LAYER_INFO_DISPLAY_VALUE (3)
objects in this layer appear as thematic shading

LAYER_INFO_OVR_LINE

10

Pen style used for displaying linear objects. If the base

set of layer properties includes a stacked style, the pen
returned is the first pass of the stacked style.

LAYER_INFO_OVR_PEN

11

Pen style used for displaying the borders of filled objects.

If the base set of layer properties includes a stacked style,
the pen returned is the first pass of the stacked style.

LAYER_INFO_OVR_BRUSH

12

Brush style used for displaying filled objects. If the base

set of layer properties includes a stacked style, the brush
returned is the first pass of the stacked style.

LAYER_INFO_OVR_SYMBOL

13

Symbol style used for displaying point objects. If the base

set of layer properties includes a stacked style, the symbol
returned is the first pass of the stacked style.

LAYER_INFO_OVR_FONT

14

Font style used for displaying text objects. If the base set
of layer properties includes a stacked style, the font returned is the first pass of the stacked style.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_EXPR

15

String value, the expression used in labels.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_LT

16

SmallInt value, indicating what type of line, if any, connects

a label to its original location after you move the label. The
return value will match one of these values:
LAYER_INFO_LBL_LT_NONE (0)
no line
LAYER_INFO_LBL_LT_SIMPLE (1)
simple line
LAYER_INFO_LBL_LT_ARROW (2)
line with an arrowhead

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Attribute Code

ID

LayerInfo( ) Return Value

LAYER_INFO_LBL_CURFONT

17

For applications compiled with MapBasic 3.x, this query

returns the following values:
Logical value: TRUE if layer is set to use the current font,
or FALSE if layer is set to use the custom font (see LAYER_INFO_LBL_FONT).
For applications compiled with MapBasic 4.0 or later, this
query always returns FALSE.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_FONT

18

Font style used in labels.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_PARALLEL

19

Logical value, TRUE if layer is set for parallel labels.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS

20

SmallInt value, indicating label position. Return value will

match one of these values (T=Top, B=Bottom, C=Center,
R=Right, L=Left):

LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TL (1)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TC (2)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TR (3)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CL (4)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CC (0)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CR (5)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BL (6)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BC (7)
LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BR (8)

LAYER_INFO_ARROWS

21

Logical value, TRUE if layer displays direction arrows on

linear objects.

LAYER_INFO_NODES

22

Logical value, TRUE if layer displays object nodes.

LAYER_INFO_CENTROIDS

23

Logical value, TRUE if layer displays object centroids.

LAYER_INFO_TYPE

24

SmallInt value, indicating this layer's file type:

LAYER_INFO_TYPE_NORMAL (0)
for a normal layer
LAYER_INFO_TYPE_COSMETIC (1)
for the Cosmetic layer;
LAYER_INFO_TYPE_IMAGE (2)
for a raster image layer
LAYER_INFO_TYPE_THEMATIC (3)
for a thematic layer
LAYER_INFO_TYPE_GRID (4)
for a grid image layer

Reference

375

LayerInfo( ) function
Attribute Code

ID

LayerInfo( ) Return Value

LAYER_INFO_TYPE_WMS (5)
for a layer from a Web Service Map
LAYER_INFO_TYPE_TILESERVER (6)
for a layer from a Tile Server

LAYER_INFO_LBL_VISIBILITY

25

SmallInt value, indicating whether labels are visible; see

the Visibility clause of the Set Map statement. Return
value will be one of these values:
LAYER_INFO_LBL_VIS_ON (3)
labels always visible
LAYER_INFO_LBL_VIS_OFF (1)
labels never visible
LAYER_INFO_LBL_VIS_ZOOM (2)
labels visible when in zoom range

LAYER_INFO_LBL_ZOOM_MIN

26

Float value, indicating the minimum zoom distance for this

layer's labels.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_ZOOM_MAX

27

Float value, indicating the maximum zoom distance for

this layer's labels.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTODISPLAY

28

Logical value, TRUE if this layer is set to display labels

automatically. See the Auto clause of the Set Map
statement.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_OVERLAP

29

Logical value, TRUE if overlapping labels are allowed.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_DUPLICATES

30

Logical value, TRUE if duplicate labels are allowed.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_OFFSET

31

SmallInt value from 0 to 50, indicating how far the labels

are offset from object centroids. The offset value represents a distance, in points.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_MAX

32

Integer value, indicating the maximum number of labels

allowed for this layer. If no maximum has been set, return
value is 2,147,483,647.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_PARTIALSEGS

33

Logical value, TRUE if the Label Partial Objects check

box is checked for this layer.

LAYER_INFO_HOTLINK_EXPR

34

Returns the layer's Hotlink filename expression. Can return

empty string ("")

LAYER_INFO_HOTLINK_MODE

35

Returns the layer's Hotlink mode, one of the following

predefined values:
HOTLINK_MODE_LABEL (0) default

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Attribute Code

ID

LayerInfo( ) Return Value

HOTLINK_MODE_OBJ (1)
HOTLINK_MODE_BOTH (2)

LAYER_INFO_HOTLINK_RELATIVE 36

Returns TRUE if the relative path option is on, FALSE

otherwise. FALSE is default.

LAYER_INFO_HOTLINK_COUNT

37

Allows you to query the number of hotlink definitions in a

layer.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_ORIENTATION* 38

Smallint value, indicating the setting for the layer's auto

label orientation. Return value will be one of these values:
LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_HORIZONTAL
labels have angle equal to 0
LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_PARALLEL
labels have non-zero angle
LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_CURVED labels are
curved
If LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_PARALLEL is returned
then LBL_OVR_INFO_PARALLEL returns TRUE.

LAYER_INFO_LAYER_ALPHA

39

SmallInt value, representing the alpha factor for the specified layer.
0=fully transparent.
255=fully opaque.
To set the translucency or alpha for a layer, use the Set
Map statement.

LAYER_INFO_LAYER_TRANSLUCENCY

40

SmallInt value, representing the translucency percentage

for the specified layer.
100=fully transparent.
0=fully opaque.
To set the translucency or alpha for a layer, use the Set
Map statement.

LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ALPHA

41

SmallInt value, representing the alpha factor for the labels

of the specified layer.
0=fully transparent.
255=fully opaque.
To set the translucency or alpha for a layer, use the Set
Map LABELCLAUSE statement.

Reference

377

LayerInfo( ) function

378

Attribute Code

ID

LayerInfo( ) Return Value

LAYER_INFO_LAYERLIST_ID

42

Returns the overall numeric ID of the layer in the current

layer list. For example, a layer may be the first group layer
from the top down in the map layer list (its group layer ID
would be 1), but it may be the 4th layer from the top. Thus
its layer list ID would be 4. This ID can be used with the
LayerListInfo( ) function.

LAYER_INFO_PARENT_GROUP_ID 43

Returns the group layer ID of the immediate group containing this layer, returns 0 if layer is in the top level list.

LAYER_INFO_OVR_STYLE_COUNT 44

Smallint value, indicates the number of display style

overrides.

LAYER_INFO_OVR_LBL_COUNT

45

Smallint value; indicates the number of label overrides.

LAYER_INFO_OVR_STYLE_CURRENT

46

Smallint value, indicates display style override index in

current zoom range, 0 means no override.

LAYER_INFO_OVR_LBL_CURRENT 47

Smallint value, indicates label override index in current

zoom range, 0 means no override.

LAYER_INFO_OVR_LINE_COUNT

48

Smallint value, indicates the number of Pen styles defined

for displaying linear objects for the layer's base set of
properties.

LAYER_INFO_OVR_PEN_COUNT

49

Smallint value, indicates the number of Pen styles defined

for displaying borders of filled objects for the layer's base
set of properties.

LAYER_INFO_OVR_BRUSH_COUNT 50

Smallint value, indicates the number of brush styles

defined for displaying filled objects for the layer's base set
of properties.

LAYER_INFO_OVR_SYMBOL_COUNT

Smallint value, indicates the number of symbol styles

defined for displaying point objects for the layer's base
set of properties.

51

LAYER_INFO_OVR_FONT_COUNT 52

Smallint value, indicates the number of font styles defined

for displaying text objects for the layer's base set of properties. This always returns 1, because font style is not
supported by stacked styles.

LAYER_INFO_TILE_SERVER_LEVEL

53

Smallint value, representing the tile server level used to

display the layer in the current map view. -1 for non-tile
server layers.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTO_POSITION

54

Logical value, indicates if the advanced region labeling

option for the layer is on or off.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTO_SIZES

55

Logical value, defines the number of font sizes that can

be used when attempting to fit labels within regions. The

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Attribute Code

ID

LayerInfo( ) Return Value

number of fonts can range from 1 to 10. A 0 (zero) value
indicates that Default is chosen, so that MapInfo Professional defines the number of fonts to use.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_SUPPRESS_IF_NO_FIT

56

Logical value, indicates if this labeling option is On or Off.

If after applying the optional font size step-downs the label
still does not fit in the region, then the label is not drawn.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTO_SIZE_STEP

57

Smallint value, defines the overall percentage font size

step used for automatically resizing the label font to make
a label fit. If the original font size is 24pt and the size step
is defined as 66, then the smallest font will be 66% smaller
than 24pt (the smallest font will be 8pt).

LAY58
ER_INFO_LBL_CURVED_BEST_POSITION

Logical value, indicates if auto positioning for curved labels

is on or off.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_CURVED_FALL- 59
BACK

Logical value, indicates if the option to fallback to create

a rotated label is on or off.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_USE_ABBREVI- 60
ATION

Logical value, indicates if use of abbreviations is on or off.

LAYER_INFO_ABBREVIATION_EX- 61
PR

Returns the field expression used for abbreviated labels.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTO_CALLOUT 62

Logical value, indicates if the advanced region labeling

option of rendering a callout for the layer is on or off.

LAYER_INFO_LBL_ORDER

Smallint value, a layer's labeling order.

63

Hotlinks
For backwards compatibility, the original set of attributes before version 10.0 still work, and will return
the values for the layer's first hotlink definition. If no hotlinks are defined when the function is called, then
the following values are returned:
LAYER_INFO_HOTLINK_EXPR - empty string ("")
LAYER_INFO_HOTLINK_MODE - returns default value HOTLINK_MODE_LABEL
LAYER_INFO_HOTLINK_RELATIVE - returns default value FALSE
Examples
Many of the settings that you can query using LayerInfo( ) only apply to conventional map layers (as
opposed to cosmetic map layers, thematic map layers, and map layers representing raster image tables).
To determine whether a map layer is a conventional layer, use the LAYER_INFO_TYPE setting, as
shown below:
i_lay_type = LayerInfo( map_id, layer_number, LAYER_INFO_TYPE)

Reference

379

LayerListInfo( ) function
If i_lay_type = LAYER_INFO_TYPE_NORMAL Then
'
' ... then this is a "normal" layer
'
End If
The folowing example illustrates layer priority. If the label priority order is set as:
Set Map Window FrontWindow() LabelPriority 5, 1, 2, 4, 3
Then the following returns a value of 1, because the default draw order for labels is the same as the
draw order for map layers (which is bottom up).
LayerInfo(FrontWindow(), 5, LAYER_INFO_LBL_ORDER)
See Also:
GroupLayerInfo function, LayerListInfo( ) function, MapperInfo( ) function, Set Map statement

LayerListInfo( ) function
Purpose
This function helps to enumerate a map's list of layers and can refer to both group and graphical layers.
Syntax
LayerListInfo( map_window_id, numeric_counter, attribute )
map_window_id is a Map window identifier.
numeric_counter is value from zero (0) to MAPPER_INFO_ALL_LAYERS, which is the number of layers
in the Map window excluding the cosmetic layer. For details about MAPPER_INFO_ALL_LAYERS, see
MapperInfo( ) function.
attribute is a code indicating the type of information to return; see table below.
Return Value
Depends on the attribute parameter.
Description
This function can be used to iterate over all the components of the map's layer list where numeric_counter
goes from zero (0) to MAPPER_INFO_ALL_LAYERS.
The attributes are:
Value of window_id, attribute

ID

Description

LAYERLIST_INFO_TYPE

The type of layer in the list:

LAYERLIST_INFO_TYPE_LAYER (0)
LAYERLIST_INFO_TYPE_GROUP (1)

LAYERLIST_INFO_NAME

380

Returns a string value, which is the name of the layer or

group layer.

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Value of window_id, attribute

ID

Description

LAYERLIST_INFO_LAYER_ID

Returns a numeric value, Layer-ID of the layer. Use this

value to query the layer further using the LayerInfo( )
function.

LAYERLIST_INFO_GROUPLAYER_ID

Returns a numeric value, GroupLayer-ID of GroupLayer.

Use this value to query the group layer further using the
GroupLayerInfo function.

If the type returns a graphical layer, then use LayerInfo to get attributes. If it is a group layer then use
GroupLayerInfo to get attributes. To loop through this flattened view of the layer list, use MAPPER_INFO_ALL_LAYERS as the looping limit.
Specifying a map window ID of zero (0) returns information about the Cosmetic Layer.
See Also:
GroupLayerInfo function, LayerInfo( ) function, MapperInfo( ) function

LayerStyleInfo( ) function
Returns style information for a stacked style (a style composed of one or more style definitions).
Syntax
LayerStyleInfo (
window_id, layer_number, override_index, pass_index, attribute )
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_number is the number of a layer in the current Map window (for example, 1 for the top layer); to
determine the number of layers in a Map window, call the MapperInfo( ) function.
override_index is an integer index (0-based, where 0 for the layer's base set of properties) and 1 or
higher is for a style override.
pass_index is an integer index (1-based) where the index corresponds to a pass within the stacked style.
The first pass is the part of the style drawn first, the second pass is the part of the style drawn next, and
so on.
attribute is a code indicating the type of information to return; see table below.
Return Value
Return value depends on attribute parameter.
Description
The LayerStyleInfo( ) function returns style information for a stacked style. A stacked style is made up
of one or more style definitions. For example, a line style drawn with two separate styles; a thin light red
line drawn on top of a thicker dark red line would be descried as follows using MapBasic syntax:
Line (7,2,12582912), Line (3,2,16736352)
The thicker dark red line in this example is drawn first.

Reference

381

Layout statement
The layer_number must be a valid layer (1 is the topmost table layer, and so on). The attribute parameter
must be one of the codes from the following table; codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
Attribute Code

ID

LayerStyleInfo( ) Return Value

STYLE_OVR _INFO_LINE

10

Pen style used for displaying the specified pass for linear
objects.

STYLE_OVR _INFO_PEN

11

Pen style used for displaying the specified pass for the
borders of filled objects.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_BRUSH

12

Brush style used for displaying the specified pass for filled
objects.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_SYMBOL

13

Symbol style used for displaying the specified pass for

point objects.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_FONT

14

Font style used for displaying the specified pass for text
objects.

Example
LayerStyleInfo(nMID, nLayer, nOverride, nPass, STYLE_OVR_INFO_PEN)
See Also:
StyleOverrideInfo( ) function, LabelOverrideInfo( ) function, Set Map statement, LayerInfo( )
function

Layout statement
Purpose
Opens a new layout window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Layout
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paperunits ] ]
[ Width window_width [ Units paperunits ] ]
[ Height window_height [ Units paperunits ] ]
[ { Min | Max } ]
paperunits is a string representing the name of a paper unit (for example, "in" or "mm").
x, y specifies the position of the upper left corner of the Layout, in paper units, where 0,0 represents the
upper-left corner of the MapInfo Professional window. For details about paper units, see Set Paper Units
statement.
window_width and window_height dictate the size of the window, in Paper units.

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Description
The Layout statement opens a new Layout window. If the statement includes the optional Min keyword,
the window is minimized before it is displayed. If the statement includes the optional Max keyword, the
window appears maximized, filling all of MapInfo Professional's screen space.
The Width and Height clauses control the size of the Layout window, not the size of the page layout itself.
The page layout size is controlled by the paper size currently in use and the number of pages included
in the Layout.
See Set Layout statement for more information on setting the number of pages in a Layout.
MapInfo Professional assigns a special hidden table name to each Layout window. The first Layout
window opened has the table name Layout1, the next Layout window that is opened has the table name
Layout2, etc.
A MapBasic program can create, select, or modify objects on a Layout window by issuing statements
which refer to these table names. For example, the following statement selects all objects from a Layout
window:
Select * From Layout1
Example
The following example creates a Layout window two inches wide by four inches high, located at the upperleft corner of the MapInfo Professional workspace.
Layout Position (0, 0) Width 2 Height 4
See Also:
Open Window statement, Set Layout statement

LCase$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a lower-case equivalent of a string. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
LCase$( string_expr )
string_expr is a string expression.
Return Value
String
Description
The LCase$( ) function returns the string which is the lower-case equivalent of the string expression
string_expr.

Reference

383

Left$( ) function
Conversion from upper- to lower-case only affects alphabetic characters (A through Z); numeric digits,
and punctuation marks are not affected. Thus, the function call:
LCase$( "A#12a" )
returns the string value "a#12a".
Example
Dim regular, lower_case As String
regular = "Los Angeles"
lower_case = LCase$(regular)
'
' Now, lower_case contains the value "los angeles"
'
See Also:
Proper$( ) function, UCase$( ) function

Left$( ) function
Purpose
Returns part or all of a string, beginning at the left end of the string. You can call this function from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Left$( string_expr, num_expr )
string_expr is a string expression.
num_expr is a numeric expression, zero or larger.
Return Value
String
Description
The Left$( ) function returns a string which consists of the leftmost num_expr characters of the string
expression string_expr.
The num_expr parameter should be an integer value, zero or larger. If num_expr has a fractional value,
MapBasic rounds to the nearest integer. If num_expr is zero, Left$( ) returns a null string. If the
num_expr parameter is larger than the number of characters in the string_expr string, Left$( ) returns a
copy of the entire string_expr string.
Example
Dim whole, partial As String
whole = "Afghanistan"
partial = Left$(whole, 6)
' at this point, partial contains the string: "Afghan"

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See Also:
Mid$( ) function, Right$( ) function

LegendFrameInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a frame within a legend. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
LegendFrameInfo( window_id, frame_id, attribute )
window_id is a number that specifies which legend window you want to query.
frame_id is a number that specifies which frame within the legend window you want to query. Frames
are numbered 1 to n where n is the number of frames in the legend.
attribute is an integer code indicating which type of information to return.
Return Value
Depends on the attribute parameter.
Attribute codes

ID

LegendFrameInfo( ) Return Value

FRAME_INFO_TYPE

Returns one of the following predefined constant indicating

frame type:
FRAME_TYPE_STYLE (1)
FRAME_TYPE_THEME (2)

FRAME_INFO_MAP_LAYER_ID

Returns the ID of the layer to which the frame corresponds.

FRAME_INFO_REFRESHABLE

Returns TRUE if the frame was created without the

Norefresh keyword. Always returns TRUE for theme
frames.

FRAME_INFO_POS_X

Returns the distance of the frame's upper left corner from

the left edge of the legend canvas (in paper units).

FRAME_INFO_POS_Y

Returns the distance of the frame's upper left corner from

the top edge of the legend canvas (in paper units).

FRAME_INFO_WIDTH

Returns the width of the frame (in paper units). For details
about paper units, see Set Paper Units statement.

FRAME_INFO_HEIGHT

Returns the height of the frame (in paper units).

FRAME_INFO_TITLE

Returns the title of a style frame or theme frame.

FRAME_INFO_TITLE_FONT

Returns the font of a legend frame title. If the frame has

no title, returns the default title font.

Reference

385

LegendInfo( ) function
Attribute codes

ID

LegendFrameInfo( ) Return Value

FRAME_INFO_SUBTITLE

10

Returns the subtitle of a style frame or theme frame.

FRAME_INFO_SUBTITLE_FONT

11

Same as FRAME_INFO_TITLE_FONT (9)

FRAME_INFO_BORDER_PEN

12

Returns the pen used to draw the border in a Cartographic

Legend or Theme Legend window.
This is not supported with Legend Designer windows and
returns a hollow (invisible) pen style: Pen (0, 1, 0).

FRAME_INFO_NUM_STYLES

13

Returns the number of styles in a frame.

FRAME_INFO_VISIBLE

14

Returns TRUE if the frame is visible (theme frames can

be invisible).

FRAME_INFO_COLUMN

15

Returns the legend attribute column name as a string if

there is one. Returns an empty string for a theme frame.

FRAME_INFO_LABEL

16

Returns the label expression as a string if there is one.

Returns an empty string for a theme frame.

FRAME_INFO_COLUMNS

17

Returns the number of columns in a legend frame. Returns

-1 for a Cartographic Legend window.

FRAME_INFO_NUM_VISIBLE_ROWS

18

Returns the number of visible rows in a legend frame. For

Cartographic Legend windows (prior to version 11.5),
returns -1.

FRAME_INFO_LINE_SAMPLE_WIDTH 19

Returns line sample width in MapBasic paper units. Returns -1 for Cartographic Legend window.

FRAME_INFO_REGION_SAMPLE_WIDTH

20

Returns region sample width in MapBasic paper units.

Returns -1 for Cartographic Legend window. For details
about paper units, see Set Paper Units statement.

FRAME_INFO_REGION_SAMPLE_HEIGHT

21

Returns region sample height in MapBasic paper units.

Returns -1 for Cartographic Legend window. For details
about paper units, see Set Paper Units statement.

See Also:
LegendInfo( ) function, LegendTextFrameInfo( ) function, LegendStyleInfo( ) function

LegendInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a legend. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.

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Syntax
LegendInfo( window_id, attribute )
window_id is a number that specifies which legend window you want to query.
attribute is an integer code indicating which type of information to return.
Return Value
Depends on the attribute parameter.
Attribute Code

ID

LegendInfo( ) Return Value

LEGEND_INFO_MAP_ID

Returns the ID of the parent map window (can also get

this value by calling the WindowInfo( ) function with the
WIN_INFO_TABLE code).

LEGEND_INFO_ORIENTATION

Returns predefined value to indicate the layout of the legend:

ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT (1)
ORIENTATION_LANDSCAPE (2)
ORIENTATION_CUSTOM (3)

LEGEND_INFO_NUM_FRAMES

Returns the number of frames in the legend.

LE4
GEND_INFO_STYLE_SAMPLE_SIZE

Returns 0 for small legend sample size style or 1 for large

legend sample size style. Returns -1 for a Legend Designer window.

LE5
GEND_INFO_LINE_SAMPLE_WIDTH

Returns line sample width in MapBasic paper units. Returns -1 for Cartographic Legend window. For details about
paper units, see Set Paper Units statement.

LEGEND_INFO_REGION_SAMPLE_WIDTH

Returns region sample width in MapBasic paper units.

Returns -1 for Cartographic Legend window.

LEGEND_INFO_REGION_SAMPLE_HEIGHT

Returns region sample height in MapBasic paper units.

Returns -1 for Cartographic Legend window.

LEGEND_INFO_NUM_TEXTFRAMES 8

Returns the number of Text Frames in the current Legend

Designer.

Example
dim wndLegend, wndMap as integer
for i = 1 to NumWindows()
If WindowInfo(WindowID(i), WIN_INFO_TYPE) = WIN_MAPPER then
wndMap = WindowInfo(WindowID(i), WIN_INFO_WINDOWID)
end if
if WindowInfo(WindowID(i), WIN_INFO_TYPE) = WIN_LEGEND_DESIGNER then
wndLegend = WindowInfo(WindowID(i), WIN_INFO_WINDOWID)
end if
next

Reference

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LegendStyleInfo( ) function
This example illustrates how to see which map window ID was used for creating the Legend Designer
Window.
If LegendInfo(wndLegend, LEGEND_INFO_MAP_ID) = wndMap then
Print "Map ID: " + str$(MapID) + " was correct"
End if
See Also:
LegendFrameInfo( ) function, LegendTextFrameInfo( ) function, LegendStyleInfo( ) function

LegendStyleInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a style item within a legend frame. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
LegendStyleInfo( window_id, frame_id, style_id, attribute )
window_id is a number that specifies which legend window you want to query.
frame_id is a number that specifies which frame within the legend window you want to query. Frames
are numbered 1 to n where n is the number of frames in the legend.
style_id is a number that specifies which style within a frame you want to query. Styles are numbered 1
to n where n is the number of styles in the frame.
attribute is an integer code indicating which type of information to return.
Return Value
Attribute Code

ID

LegendStyleInfo( ) Return Values

LEGEND_STYLE_INFO_TEXT

Returns the text of the style.

LEGEND_STYLE_INFO_FONT

Returns the font of the style.

LEGEND_STYLE_INFO_OBJ

Returns the object of the style. For legend theme type,

possible values are:

LEGEND_STYLE_INFO_ROW_VIS- 4
IBLE

388

Ranged theme Rectangle, Line or Point

Bar Theme Rectangle
Grid theme Rectangle
Graduated Theme Point
DotDensity theme Rectangle
Pie theme Rectangle

Returns whether the style row is visible in the legend. For

Cartographic Legend windows (prior to version 11.5),
returns true.

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Error Conditions
Generates an error when issued on a frame that has no styles (theme frame).
Example
The following example highlights how to call the LegendStyleInfo( ) function to only return style information for thematic frame styles in the Legend Designerwindow. This example assumes that the Legend
Designer window is the front-most window. It obtains style information from a Ranged Theme Frame
#1, Style Sample 1.
dim
dim
dim
dim
dim
dim

objStyle as object
tBrush as Brush
tPen as Pen
tSymbol as Symbol
tFont as Font
strSampleText as string

objStyle = LegendStyleInfo(FrontWindow(), 1, 1, LEGEND_STYLE_INFO_OBJ)

tFont = LegendStyleInfo(FrontWindow(), 1, 1, LEGEND_STYLE_INFO_FONT)
strSampleText = LegendStyleInfo(FrontWindow(), 1, 1, LEGEND_STYLE_INFO_TEXT)
Do Case ObjectInfo(objStyle, OBJ_INFO_TYPE)
Case OBJ_TYPE_POINT
tSymbol = ObjectInfo(objStyle, OBJ_INFO_SYMBOL)
Print tSymbol
'or use StyleAttr() to return specific properties of the Symbol Style, for
example: StyleAttr(tSymbol, SYMBOL_FONT_NAME)
Case OBJ_TYPE_LINE
tPen = ObjectInfo(objStyle, OBJ_INFO_PEN)
Print tPen
'or use StyleAttr() to return specific properties of the Pen\Line Style, for
example: StyleAttr(tPen, PEN_COLOR)
Case OBJ_TYPE_RECT
tBrush = ObjectInfo(objStyle, OBJ_INFO_BRUSH)
Print tBrush
'or use StyleAttr() to return specific properties of the Brush\Region Style,
for example: StyleAttr(tBrush, BRUSH_FORECOLOR)
Case Else
Note "Unexpected Object type"
End Case
Print tFont

'for example: Font ("Arial",0,8,0,0)

Use the StyleAttr() function to return specific properties of the Font Style, such as:
StyleAttr(tFont, FONT_NAME)
and print text of the first thematic range value (such as 5,700,000 to 23,700,000).
Print strSampleText
See Also:
StyleAttr() function

Reference

389

LegendTextFrameInfo( ) function

LegendTextFrameInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a text frame within a a Legend Designer window. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
LegendTextFrameInfo( window_id, frame_id, attribute )
window_id is a number that specifies which legend window you want to query.
frame_id is a number that specifies which frame within the legend window you want to query. Frames
are numbered 1 to n where n is the number of frames in the legend.
attribute is an integer code indicating which type of information to return.
Return Value
Depends on the attribute parameter.
Attribute codes

ID

LegendTextFrameInfo( ) Return Value

FRAME_INFO_POS_X

Returns the distance of the frame's upper left corner from

the left edge of the legend canvas (in paper units).

FRAME_INFO_POS_Y

Returns the distance of the frame's upper left corner from

the top edge of the legend canvas (in paper units).

FRAME_INFO_WIDTH

Returns the width of the frame (in paper units). For details
about paper units, see Set Paper Units statement.

FRAME_INFO_HEIGHT

Returns the height of the frame (in paper units). For details
about paper units, see Set Paper Units statement.

FRAME_INFO_TEXT

Returns the text of a text frame.

FRAME_INFO_TEXT_FONT

Returns the font of the Text Frame text.

See Also:
LegendInfo( ) function, LegendFrameInfo( ) function, LegendStyleInfo( ) function

Len( ) function
Purpose
Returns the number of characters in a string or the number of bytes in a variable. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

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Syntax
Len( expr )
expr is a variable expression. expr cannot be a Pen, Brush, Symbol, Font, or Alias.
Return Value
SmallInt
Description
The behavior of the Len( ) function depends on the data type of the expr parameter.
If the expr expression represents a character string, the Len( ) function returns the number of characters
in the string.
Otherwise, if expr is a MapBasic variable, Len( ) returns the size of the variable, in bytes. Thus, if you
pass an integer variable, Len( ) will return the value 4 (because each integer variable occupies 4 bytes),
while if you pass a SmallInt variable, Len( ) will return the value 2 (because each SmallInt variable occupies 2 bytes).
Example
Dim name_length As SmallInt
name_length = Len("Boswell")
' name_length now has the value: 7
See Also:
ObjectLen( ) function

LibraryServiceInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about the Library Services, such as the current mode of operation, version, or default
URL for the Library Service. It also gives the list of CSW URL's exposed by the MapInfo Manager server.
Syntax
LibraryServiceInfo( attribute )
attribute is a code indicating the type of information to return; see table below.
Description
The LibraryServiceInfo( ) function returns one piece of information about the Library Services.
The attribute parameter is a value from the table below. Codes in the left column are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.

Reference

391

Like( ) function
attribute code

ID

LibraryServiceInfo( ) returns

LIBSRVC_INFO_LIBSRVCMODE

Integer result, indicating the current mode of operation of

the Library Service.

LIBSRVC_INFO_LIBVERSION

String result, indicating the version of the Library Service.

The default Library Service URL should be set before
calling this function.

LIBSRVC_INFO_DEFURLPATH

String result, indicating the default URL for the Library

Service. The default value for the Library URL is an empty
string.

LIBSRVC_INFO_LISTCSWURL

String result, gives the list of CSW URL's exposed by the

MapInfo Manager sever as a single string delimited by a
semi-colon ( ; ).

Example
The following example shows how to use this function:
include "mapbasic.def"
declare sub main
sub main
dim liburlpath as string
dim libversion as string
liburlpath = LibraryServiceInfo(LIBSRVC_INFO_DEFURLPATH)if
StringCompare(liburlpath, "") == 0 then
Set LibraryServiceInfo URL
"http://localhost:8080/LibraryService/LibraryService"
endif
libversion = LibraryServiceInfo(LIBSRVC_INFO_LIBVERSION)
end sub
See Also:
Set LibraryServiceInfo statement

Like( ) function
Purpose
Returns TRUE or FALSE to indicate whether a string satisfies pattern-matching criteria. You can call
this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Like( string, pattern_string, escape_char )
string is a string expression to test.
pattern_string is a string that contains regular characters or special wild-card characters.
escape_char is a string expression defining an escape character. Use an escape character (for example,
"\") if you need to test for the presence of one of the wild-card characters ("%" and "_") in the string expression. If no escape character is desired, use an empty string ("").

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Return Value
Logical value (TRUE if string matches pattern_string).
Description
The Like( ) function performs string pattern-matching. This string comparison is case-sensitive; to perform
a comparison that is case-insensitive, use the Like operator.
The pattern_string parameter can contain the following wildcard characters:
_ (underscore)

matches a single character.

% (percent)

matches zero or more characters.

To search for instances of the underscore or percent characters, specify an escape_char parameter, as
shown in the table below.
To determine if a string...

Specify these parameters:

starts with "South"

Like( string_var, "South%", "")

ends with "America"

Like( string_var, "%America", "")

contains "ing" at any point

Like( string_var, "%ing%", "" )

starts with an underscore

Like( string_var, "\_%", "\")

See Also:
Len( ) function, StringCompare( ) function

Line Input statement

Purpose
Reads a line from a sequential text file into a variable.
Syntax
Line Input [#] filenum, var_name
filenum is an integer value, indicating the number of an open file.
var_name is the name of a string variable.
Description
The Line Input statement reads an entire line from a text file, and stores the results in a string variable.
The text file must already be open, in Input mode.

Reference

393

LocateFile$( ) function
The Line Input statement treats each line of the file as one long string. If each line of a file contains a
comma-separated list of expressions, and you want to read each expression into a separate variable,
use the Input # statement instead of Line Input.
Example
The following program opens an existing text file, reads the contents of the text file one line at a time,
and copies the contents of the file to a separate text file.
Dim str As String
Open File "original.txt" For Input As #1
Open File "copy.txt" For Output As #2
Do While Not EOF(1)
Line Input #1, str
If Not EOF(1) Then
Print #2, str
End If
Loop
Close File #1
Close File #2
See Also:
Input # statement, Open File statement, Print # statement

LocateFile$( ) function
Purpose
Return the path to one of the MapInfo application data files. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
LocateFile$( file_id )
file_id is one of the following values

394

Value

ID

Description

LOCATE_PREF_FILE

Preference file (MAPINFOW.PRF).

LOCATE_DEF_WOR

Default workspace file (MAPINFOW.WOR).

LOCATE_CLR_FILE

Color file (MAPINFOW.CLR).

LOCATE_PEN_FILE

Pen file (MAPINFOW.PEN).

LOCATE_FNT_FILE

Symbol file (MAPINFOW.FNT).

LOCATE_ABB_FILE

Abbreviation file (MAPINFOW.ABB).

LOCATE_PRJ_FILE

Projection file (MAPINFOW.PRJ).

LOCATE_MNU_FILE

Menu file (MAPINFOW.MNU).

LOCATE_CUSTSYMB_DIR

Custom symbol directory (CUSTSYMB).

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Value

ID

Description

LOCATE_THMTMPLT_DIR

Theme template directory (THMTMPL).

LOCATE_GRAPH_DIR

10

Graph support directory (GRAPHSUPPORT).

LOCATE_WMS_SERVERLIST

11

XML list of WMS servers (MIWMSSERVERS.XML).

LOCATE_WFS_SERVERLIST

12

XML list of WFS servers (MIWFSSERVERS.XML).

LOCATE_GEOCODE_SERVERLIST 13

XML list of geocode servers (MIGEOCODESERVERS.XML).

LOCATE_ROUTING_SERVERLIST

XML list of routing servers (MIROUTINGSERVERS.XML).

14

LOCATE_LAYOUT_TEMPLATE_DIR 15

Layout template directory (LAYOUTTEMPLATE)

Return Value
String
Description
Given the ID of a MapInfo Professional application data file, this function returns the location where
MapInfo Professional found that file. MapInfo Professional installs these files under the user's Application
Data directory, but there are several valid locations for these files, including the program directory.
MapBasic applications should not assume the location of these files, instead LocateFile$( ) should be
used to determine the actual location.
Example
include "mapbasic.def"
declare sub main
sub main
dim sGraphLocations as string
sGraphLocations = LocateFile$(LOCATE_GRAPH_DIR)
Print sGraphLocations
end sub
See Also:
GetFolderPath$( ) function

LOF( ) function
Purpose
Returns the length of an open file.
Syntax
LOF( filenum )
filenum is the number of an open file.

Reference

395

Log( ) function
Return Value
Integer
Description
The LOF( ) function returns the length of an open file, in bytes.
The file parameter represents the number of an open file; this is the same number specified in the As
clause of the Open File statement.
Error Conditions
ERR_FILEMGR_NOTOPEN (366) error generated if the specified file is not open.
Example
Dim size As Integer
Open File "import.txt" For Binary As #1
size = LOF(1)
' size now contains the # of bytes in the file
See Also:
Open File statement

Log( ) function
Purpose
Returns the natural logarithm of a number. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Log( num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression.
Return Value
Float
Description
The Log( ) function returns the natural logarithm of the numeric expression specified by the num_expr
parameter.
The natural logarithm represents the number to which the mathematical value e must be raised in order
to obtain num_expr. e has a value of approximately 2.7182818.
The logarithm is only defined for positive numbers; accordingly, the Log( ) function will generate an error
if num_expr has a negative value.

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You can calculate logarithmic values in other bases (for example, base 10) using the natural logarithm.
To obtain the base-10 logarithm of the number n, divide the natural log of n ( Log( n ) ) by the natural
logarithm of 10 ( Log( 10 ) ).
Example
Dim original_val, log_val As Float
original_val = 2.7182818
log_val = Log(original_val)
' log_val will now have a value of 1 (approximately),
' since E raised to the power of 1 equals
' 2.7182818 (approximately)
See Also:
Exp( ) function

LTrim$( ) function
Purpose
Trims space characters from the beginning of a string and returns the results. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
LTrim$( string_expr )
string_expr is a string expression.
Return Value
String
Description
The LTrim$( ) function removes any spaces from the beginning of the string_expr string, and returns
the resultant string.
Example
Dim name As String
name = " Mary Smith"
name = LTrim$(name)
' name now contains the string "Mary Smith"
See Also:
RTrim$( ) function

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Main procedure

Main procedure
Purpose
The first procedure called when an application is run.
Syntax
Declare Sub Main
Sub Main
statement_list
End Sub
statement_list is a list of statements to execute when an application is run.
Description
Main is a special-purpose MapBasic procedure name. If an application contains a sub procedure called
Main, MapInfo Professional runs that procedure automatically when the application is first run. The Main
procedure can then take actions (for example, issuing Call statements) to cause other sub procedures
to be executed.
However, you are not required to explicitly declare the Main procedure. Instead of declaring a procedure
named Main, you can simply place one or more statements at or near the top of your program file, outside
of any procedure declaration. MapBasic will then treat that group of statements as if they were in a Main
procedure. This is known as an "implicit" Main procedure (as opposed to an "explicit" Main procedure).
Example
A MapBasic program can be as short as a single line. For example, you could create a MapBasic program
consisting only of the following statement:
Note "Testing, one two three."
If the statement above comprises your entire program, MapBasic considers that program to be in an
implicit Main procedure. When you run that application, MapBasic will execute the Note statement.
Alternately, the following example explicitly declares the Main procedure, producing the same results
(for example, a Note statement).
Declare Sub Main
Sub Main
Note "Testing, one two three."
End Sub
The next example contains an implicit Main procedure, and a separate sub procedure called Talk. The
implicit Main procedure calls the Talk procedure through the Call statement.
Declare Sub Talk(ByVal msg As String)
Call Talk("Hello")
Call Talk("Goodbye")
Sub Talk(ByVal msg As String)
Note msg
End Sub

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The next example contains an explicit Main procedure, and a separate sub procedure called Talk. The
Main procedure calls the Talk procedure through the Call statement.
Declare Sub Main
Declare Sub Talk(ByVal msg As String)
Sub Main
Call Talk("Hello")
Call Talk("Goodbye")
End Sub
Sub Talk(ByVal msg As String)
Note msg
End Sub
See Also:
EndHandler procedure, RemoteMsgHandler procedure, SelChangedHandler procedure, Sub...End
Sub statement, ToolHandler procedure, WinClosedHandler procedure

MakeBrush( ) function
Purpose
Returns a Brush value. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
MakeBrush( pattern, forecolor, backcolor)
pattern is an integer value from 1 to 8 or from 12 to 186, dictating a fill pattern. See Brush clause for a
listing of the patterns.
forecolor is the integer RGB color value of the foreground of the pattern. See RGB( ) function for details.
backcolor is the integer RGB color value of the background of the pattern. To make the background
transparent, specify -1 as the background color, and specify a pattern of 3 or greater.
Return Value
Brush
Description
The MakeBrush( ) function returns a Brush value. The return value can be assigned to a Brush variable,
or may be used as a parameter within a statement that takes a Brush setting as a parameter (such as
Create Ellipse, Set Map, Set Style, or Shade).
See Brush clause for more information about Brush settings.
Example
Include "mapbasic.def"
Dim b_water As Brush
b_water = MakeBrush(64, CYAN, BLUE)
See Also:

Reference

399

MakeCustomSymbol( ) function
Brush clause, CurrentBrush( ) function, RGB( ) function, StyleAttr( ) function

MakeCustomSymbol( ) function
Purpose
Returns a Symbol value based on a bitmap file. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
MakeCustomSymbol( filename, color, size, customstyle )
filename is a string up to 31 characters long, representing the name of a bitmap file. The file must be in
the CustSymb directory inside the user's MapInfo directory.
color is an integer RGB color value; see RGB( ) function for details.
size is an integer point size, from 1 to 48.
customstyle is an integer code controlling color and background attributes. See table below.
Return Value
Symbol
Description
The MakeCustomSymbol( ) function returns a Symbol value based on a bitmap file. See Symbol clause
for information about other symbol types.
The following table describes how the customstyle argument controls the symbol's style:

400

customstyle value

Symbol Style

The Show Background, the Apply Color, and the Display at Actual Size settings are off; the symbol appears in its default state at the point size specified
by the size parameter. White pixels in the bitmap are displayed as transparent,
allowing whatever is behind the symbol to show through.

The Show Background setting is on; white pixels in the bitmap are opaque.

The Apply Color setting is on; non-white pixels in the bitmap are replaced
with the symbol's color setting.

Both Show Background and Apply Color are on.

The Display at Actual Size setting is on; the bitmap image is rendered at its
native width and height in pixels.

The Show Background and Display at Actual Size settings are on.

The Show Background, the Apply Color, and the Display at Actual Size settings are on.

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Example
Include "mapbasic.def"
Dim sym_marker As Symbol
sym_marker = MakeCustomSymbol("CAR1-64MP", BLUE, 18, 0)
See Also:
CurrentSymbol( ) function, MakeFontSymbol( ) function, MakeSymbol( ) function, StyleAttr( )
function, Symbol clause

MakeDateTime( ) function
Purpose
Returns a DateTime made from the specified Date and Time. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
MakeDateTime( Date, Time )
Return Value
DateTime, which is an integer value DateTime in nine bytes: 4 bytes for date, 5 bytes for time. Five bytes
for time include: 2 for millisec, 1 for sec, 1 for min, 1 for hour.
Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function.
dim tX as time
dim dX as date
dim dtX as datetime
tX = 105604123
dX = 20070908
dtX = MakeDateTime(dX,tX)
Print FormatDate$(GetDate(dtX))
Print FormatTime$(GetTime(dtX), "hh:mm:ss.fff tt")
See Also:
DateWindow( ) function, Set Date Window( ) statement

MakeFont( ) function
Purpose
Returns a Font value. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
MakeFont( fontname, style, size, forecolor, backcolor )
fontname is a text string specifying a font (for example, "Arial"). This argument is case sensitive.
style is a positive integer expression; 0 = plain text, 1 = bold text, etc. See Font clause for details.

Reference

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MakeFontSymbol( ) function
size is an integer point size, one or greater.
forecolor is the RGB color value for the text. See RGB( ) function.
backcolor is the RGB color value for the background (or the halo color, if the style setting specifies a
halo). To make the background transparent, specify -1 as the background color.
Return Value
Font
Description
The MakeFont( ) function returns a Font value. The return value can be assigned to a Font variable, or
may be used as a parameter within a statement that takes a Font setting as a parameter (such as Create
Text statement or Set Style statement).
See Font clause for more information about Font settings.
Example
Include "mapbasic.def"
Dim big_title As Font
big_title = MakeFont("Arial", 1, 20,BLACK,WHITE)
See Also:
CurrentFont( ) function, Font clause, StyleAttr( ) function

MakeFontSymbol( ) function
Purpose
Returns a Symbol value, using a character from a TrueType font as the symbol. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
MakeFontSymbol( shape, color, size, fontname, fontstyle, rotation )
shape is a SmallInt value, 31 or larger (31 is invisible), specifying a character code from a TrueType
font.
color is an integer RGB color value; see RGB( ) function for details.
size is a SmallInt value from 1 to 48, dictating the point size of the symbol.
fontname is a string representing the name of a TrueType font (for example, "WingDings"). This argument
is case sensitive.
fontstyle is a numeric code controlling bold, outline, and other attributes; see below.
rotation is a floating-point number indicating the symbol's rotation angle, in degrees.
Return Value
Symbol

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Description
The MakeFontSymbol( ) function returns a Symbol value based on a character in a TrueType font. See
Symbol clause for information about other symbol types.
The following table describes how the fontstyle parameter controls the symbol's style:
fontstyle value

Symbol Style

Plain

Bold

16

Border (black outline)

32

Drop Shadow

256

Halo (white outline)

To specify two or more style attributes, add the values from the left column. For example, to specify both
the Bold and the Drop Shadow attributes, use a fontstyle value of 33. Border and Halo are mutually exclusive.
Example
Include "mapbasic.def"
Dim sym_marker As Symbol
sym_marker = MakeFontSymbol(65,RED,24,"WingDings",32,0)
See Also:
CurrentSymbol( ) function, MakeCustomSymbol( ) function, MakeSymbol( ) function, StyleAttr(
) function, Symbol clause

MakePen( ) function
Purpose
Returns a Pen value. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
MakePen( width, pattern, color )
width specifies a pen width.
pattern specifies a line pattern; see Pen clause for a listing.
color is the RGB color value; see RGB( ) function for details.
Return Value
Pen

Reference

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MakeSymbol( ) function
Description
The MakePen( ) function returns a Pen value, which defines a line style. The return value can be assigned
to a Pen variable, or may be used as a parameter within a statement that takes a Pen setting as a
parameter (such as Create Line statement, Create Pline statement, Set Style statement, or Set Map
statement).
See Pen clause for more information about Pen settings.
Example
Include "mapbasic.def"
Dim p_bus_route As Pen
p_bus_route = MakePen(3, 9, RED)
See Also:
CurrentPen( ) function, Pen clause, StyleAttr( ) function, RGB( ) function

MakeSymbol( ) function
Purpose
Returns a Symbol value, using a character from the MapInfo 3.0 symbol set. The MapInfo 3.0 symbol
set is the symbol set that was originally published with MapInfo for Windows 3.0 and has been maintained
in subsequent versions of MapInfo Professional. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
MakeSymbol( shape, color, size )
shape is a SmallInt value, 31 or larger (31 is invisible), specifying a symbol shape; standard symbol set
provides symbols 31 through 67; see Symbol clause for a listing.
color is an integer RGB color value; see RGB( ) function for details.
size is a SmallInt value from 1 to 48, dictating the point size of the symbol.
Return Value
Symbol
Description
The MakeSymbol( ) function returns a Symbol value. The return value can be assigned to a Symbol
variable, or may be used as a parameter within a statement that takes a Symbol clause as a parameter
(such as Create Point statement, Set Map statement, Set Style statement, or Shade statement).
To create a symbol from a character in a TrueType font, call the MakeFontSymbol( ) function.
To create a symbol from a bitmap file, call the MakeCustomSymbol( ) function.
See Symbol clause for more information about Symbol settings.

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Example
Include "mapbasic.def"
Dim sym_marker As Symbol
sym_marker = MakeSymbol(44, RED, 16)
See Also:
CurrentSymbol( ) function, MakeCustomSymbol( ) function, MakeFontSymbol( ) function,
StyleAttr( ) function, Symbol clause

Map statement
Purpose
Opens a new Map window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Map From item [ , item ... ]
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paperunits ] ]
[ Width window_width [ Units paperunits ] ]
[ Height window_height [ Units paperunits ] ]
[ { Min | Max } ]
where item = table | [GroupLayer ("friendly_name" [ , item ...])
item is either the name of an open table, or a group layer
friendly_name for each group layer is required but does not have to be unique, group layers may contain
other group layers and/or tables, or be empty (no tables).
paperunits is the name of a paper unit (for example, "in").
x, y specifies the position of the upper left corner of the Map window, in paper units. For details about
paper units, see Set Paper Units statement.
window_width and window_height specify the size of the Map window, in paper units.
Description
The Map statement opens a new Map window. After you open a Map window, you can modify the window
by issuing Set Map statement.
A GroupLayer keyword has been added to create nested group layers. Group layers are a special type
of layer that allow users to organize other map layers into groups, similar to the way that folders and
subfolders allow users to organize files. Group layers will make it easier to manage maps that have many
layers. There are two main benefits to using groups:
1. Organizational benefits - layer lists are more manageable if they are organized into meaningful
groups.
2. Efficiency benefits - once layers are organized into groups, subsequent operations such as "turn off
all the street layers" can be performed in fewer clicks / fewer steps.
The table name specified must already be open. The table must also be mappable; in other words, the
table must be able to have graphic objects associated with the records. The table does not need to ac-

Reference

405

Map statement
tually contain any graphical objects, but the structure of the table must specify that objects may be attached.
The Map statement must specify at least one table, regardless of whether it is part of a group layer or
not, since any Map window must contain at least one layer. Optionally, the Map statement can specify
multiple table names (separated by commas) to open a multi-layer Map window. The first table name in
the Map statement will be drawn last whenever the Map window is redrawn; thus, the first table in the
Map statement will always appear on top. Typically, tables with point objects appear earlier in Map
statements, and tables with region (boundary) objects appear later in Map statements.
The default size of the resultant Map window is roughly a quarter of the screen size; the default position
of the window depends on how many windows are currently on the screen. Optional Position, Height,
and Width clauses allow you to control the size and position of the new Map window. The Height and
Width clauses dictate the window size, in inches. Note that the Position clause specifies a position relative to the upper left corner of the MapInfo Professional application, not relative to the upper left corner
of the screen.
If the Map statement includes the optional Max keyword, the new Map window is maximized, taking up
all of the screen space available to MapInfo Professional. Conversely, if the Map statement includes the
Min keyword, the window is minimized immediately.
Each Map window can have its own projection. MapInfo Professional decides a Map window's initial
projection based on the native projection of the first table mapped. A user can change a map's projection
by choosing the Map > Options command. A MapBasic program can change the projection by issuing
a Set Map statement.
Examples
The following example opens a Map window three inches wide by two inches high, inset one inch from
the upper left corner of the MapInfo Professional application. The map has two layers.
Open Table "world"
Open Table "cust1994" As customers
Map from customers, world
Position (1,1) Width 3 Height 2
The following example opens a Map window that has group layers, some of which are nested (assume
all tables have been opened first).
Map From
GroupLayer (
"Grid",
GroupLayer ("Tropics", Tropic_Of_Capricorn, Tropic_Of_Cancer),
Wgrid15
),
GroupLayer (
"World Places", WorldPlaces, WorldPlacesMajor, WorldPlaces_Capitals
),
Airports,
GroupLayer ("World Boundaries", world_Border),
GroupLayer (
"Roads", Roads, US_Primary_Roads, US_Secondary_Roads, US_Major_Roads
),
GroupLayer ("Countries" Countries_small, Countries_large),
Ocean

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Groups layers have unique IDs like layers. Layer IDs may be numeric or table names. When numeric,
they represent the order (reverse draw order) of the layer in the list from the top down. Group layers
have numeric IDs that are part of a different sequence, but will also increase sequentially from the top
down. In the example above the group layer and layer IDs would be as follows:
Group Layer

Layer ID

GroupLayer "Grid"

group 1

GroupLayer "Tropics"

group 2

Tropic_Of_Capricorn

layer 1

Tropic_Of_Cancer

layer 2

Wgrid15

layer 3

GroupLayer "World Places"

group 3

WorldPlaces

layer 4

WorldPlacesMajor

layer 5

WorldPlaces_Capitals

layer 6

Airports

layer 7

GroupLayer "World Boundaries"

group 4

world_Border

layer 8

GroupLayer "Roads"

group 5

Roads

layer 19

US_Primary_Roads

layer 10

US_Secondary_Roads

layer 11

US_Major_Roads

layer 12

GroupLayer "Countries"

group 6

Countries_small

layer 13

Countries_large

layer 14

Ocean

layer 15

See Also:
Add Map statement, Remove Map statement, Set Map statement, Set Shade statement, Shade
statement

Reference

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Map3DInfo( ) function

Map3DInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns properties of a 3DMap window. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Map3DInfo( window_id, attribute )
window_id is an integer window identifier.
attribute is an integer code, indicating which type of information should be returned.
Return Value
Float, logical, or string, depending on the attribute parameter.
Description
The Map3DInfo( ) function returns information about a 3DMap window.
The window_id parameter specifies which 3DMap window to query. To obtain a window identifier, call
the FrontWindow( ) function immediately after opening a window, or call the WindowID( ) function at
any time after the window's creation.
There are several numeric attributes that Map3DInfo( ) can return about any given 3DMap window. The
attribute parameter tells the Map3DInfo( ) function which Map window statistic to return. The attribute
parameter should be one of the codes from the following table; codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.

408

Attribute

ID

Return Value

MAP3D_INFO_SCALE

Float result representing the 3DMaps scale factor.

MAP3D_INFO_RESOLUTION_X

Integer result representing the X resolution of the grid(s)

in the 3DMap window.

MAP3D_INFO_RESOLUTION_Y

Integer result representing the Y resolution of the grid(s)

in the 3DMap window.

MAP3D_INFO_BACKGROUND

Integer result representing the background color, see the

RGB function.

MAP3D_INFO_UNITS

String representing the map's abbreviated area unit name,

for example, "mi" for miles.

MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_X

Float result representing the x-coordinate of the Light in

the scene.

MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_Y

Float result representing the y-coordinate of the Light in

the scene.

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Attribute

ID

Return Value

MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_Z

Float result representing the z-coordinate of the Light in

the scene.

MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_COLOR

Integer result representing the Light color, see RGB( )

function.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_X

10

Float result representing the x-coordinate of the Camera

in the scene.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_Y

11

Float result representing the y-coordinate of the Camera

in the scene.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_Z

12

Float result representing the z-coordinate of the Camera

in the scene.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_X 13

Float result representing the x-coordinate of the Cameras

FocalPoint in the scene.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Y 14

Float result representing the y-coordinate of the Cameras

FocalPoint in the scene.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Z 15

Float result representing the z-coordinate of the Cameras

FocalPoint in the scene.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VU_1

16

Float result representing the first value of the ViewUp Unit

Normal Vector.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VU_2

17

Float result representing the second value of the ViewUp

Unit Normal Vector.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VU_3

18

Float result representing the third value of the ViewUp

Unit Normal Vector.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_1

19

Float result representing the first value of the ViewPlane

Unit Normal Vector.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_2

20

Float result representing the second value of the ViewPlane Unit Normal Vector.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_3

21

Float result representing the third value of the ViewPlane

Unit Normal Vector.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_NEAR

22

Float result representing the cameras near clipping plane.

MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_FAR 23

Float result representing the cameras far clipping plane.

Example
Prints out all the state variables specific to the 3DMap window:
include "Mapbasic.def"
Print "MAP3D_INFO_SCALE: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ), MAP3D_INFO_SCALE)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_RESOLUTION_X: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),

Reference

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MapperInfo( ) function
MAP3D_INFO_RESOLUTION_X)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_RESOLUTION_Y: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_RESOLUTION_Y)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_BACKGROUND: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_BACKGROUND)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_UNITS: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ), MAP3D_INFO_UNITS)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_X : " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_X )
Print "MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_Y : " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_Y )
Print "MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_Z: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_Z)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_COLOR: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_COLOR)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_X: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_X)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_Y : " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_Y )
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_Z : " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_Z )
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_X: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_X)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Y: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Y)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Z: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Z)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VU_1: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VU_1)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VU_2: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VU_2)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VU_3: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VU_3)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_1: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_1)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_2: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_2)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_3: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_3)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_NEAR: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_NEAR)
Print "MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_FAR: " + Map3DInfo(FrontWindow( ),
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_FAR)
See Also:
Create Map3D statement, Set Map3D statement

MapperInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns coordinate or distance information about a Map window. You can call this function from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
MapperInfo( window_id, attribute )
window_id is an integer window identifier.

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attribute is an integer code, indicating which type of information should be returned. See table below for
values.
Return Value
Float, logical, or string, depending on the attribute parameter.
Description
The MapperInfo( ) function returns information about a Map window.
The window_id parameter specifies which Map window to query. To obtain a window identifier, call the
FrontWindow( ) function immediately after opening a window, or call the WindowID( ) function at any
time after the window's creation.
There are several numeric attributes that MapperInfo( ) can return about any given Map window. The
attribute parameter tells the MapperInfo( ) function which Map window statistic to return. The attribute
parameter should be one of the codes from the following table; codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
attribute setting

ID

MapperInfo( ) Return Value

MAPPER_INFO_ZOOM

The Map window's current zoom value (for example, the

East-West distance currently displayed in the Map window), specified in MapBasic's current distance units; see
Set Distance Units statement.

MAPPER_INFO_SCALE

The Map window's current scale, defined in terms of the

number of map distance units (for example, Miles) per
paper unit (for example, Inches) displayed in the window.
This returns a value in MapBasic's current distance units.

MAPPER_INFO_CENTERX

The x-coordinate of the Map window's center.

MAPPER_INFO_CENTERY

The y-coordinate of the Map window's center.

MAPPER_INFO_MINX

The smallest x-coordinate shown in the window.

MAPPER_INFO_MINY

The smallest y-coordinate shown in the window.

MAPPER_INFO_MAXX

The largest x-coordinate shown in the window.

MAPPER_INFO_MAXY

The largest y-coordinate shown in the window.

MAPPER_INFO_LAYERS

Returns number of layers in the Map window as a SmallInt

(excludes the cosmetic layer and group layers).

MAPPER_INFO_EDIT_LAYER

10

A SmallInt indicating the number of the currently-editable

layer. A value of zero means that the Cosmetic layer is
editable. A value of -1 means that no layer is editable.

MAPPER_INFO_XYUNITS

11

String representing the map's abbreviated coordinate unit

name, for example, "degree".

MAPPER_INFO_DISTUNITS

12

String representing the map's abbreviated distance unit

name, for example, "mi" for miles.

Reference

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MapperInfo( ) function
attribute setting

ID

MapperInfo( ) Return Value

MAPPER_INFO_AREAUNITS

13

String representing the map's abbreviated area unit name,

for example, "sq mi" for square miles.

MAPPER_INFO_SCROLLBARS

14

Logical value indicating whether the Map window shows

scrollbars.

MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY

15

Small integer, indicating what aspect of the map is displayed on the status bar. Corresponds to Set Map Display. Return value will be one of these:

MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_SCALE (0)
MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_ZOOM (1)
MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_POSITION (2)
MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_CARTOGRAPHIC_SCALE
(3)

MAPPER_INFO_NUM_THEMATIC

16

Small integer, indicating the number of thematic layers in

this Map window.

MAPPER_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE

17

string result, indicating the window's CoordSys clause.

MAPPER_INFO_COORDSYS_NAME 18

String result, representing the name of the map's CoordSys as listed in MAPINFOW.PRJ (but without the optional
"\p..." suffix that appears in MAPINFOW.PRJ). Returns
empty string if CoordSys is not found in MAPINFOW.PRJ.

MAPPER_INFO_MOVE_DUPLICATE_NODES

19

Small integer, indicating whether duplicate nodes should

be moved when reshaping objects in this Map window. If
the value is 0, duplicate nodes are not moved. If the value
is 1, any duplicate nodes within the same layer will be
moved. To return to using the default from the map preferences, call Set Map Move Nodes Default.

MAPPER_INFO_DIST_CALC_TYPE 20

Small integer, indicating type of calculation to use for distance, length, perimeter, and area calculations for mapper.
Corresponds to Set Map Distance Type. Return values
include:
MAPPER_INFO_DIST_SPHERICAL (0)
MAPPER_INFO_DIST CARTESIAN (1)

MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_DMS

21

Small integer, indicating whether the map displays coordinates in decimal degrees, DMS (degrees, minutes,
seconds), or Military Grid Reference System or USNG
(US National Grid) format. Return value is one of the following:
MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_DECIMAL (0)

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attribute setting

ID

MapperInfo( ) Return Value

MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_DEGMINSEC (1)
MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_MGRS (2)
Military Grid Reference System
MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_USNG_WGS84 (3)
US National Grid NAD 83/WGS 84
MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_USNG_NAD27 (4)
US National Grid NAD 27

MAPPER_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE_WITH_BOUNDS

22

String result, indicating the window's CoordSys clause

including the bounds.

MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_TYPE

23

The type of clipping being implemented. Choices include:

MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_DISPLAY_ALL (0)
MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_DISPLAY_POLYOBJ (1)
MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_OVERLAY (2)

MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_REGION

24

Returns a string to indicate if a clip region is enabled.

Returns the string "on" if a clip region is enabled in the
Mapper window. Otherwise, it returns the string "off".

MAPPER_INFO_REPROJECTION

25

String value indicating the current value of the reprojection

mode. The value can be either:
None - Never reproject the map.
Always - Always reproject the map.
Auto - Optimize whether or not to reproject the map;
allow MapInfo Professional to decide.

MAPPER_INFO_RESAMPLING

26

String value indicating the method for calculating the pixel

values of the source image being reprojected. The value
can be either:
CubicConvolution
NearestNeighbor

MAPPER_INFO_MERGE_MAP

27

String value: the string of MapBasic statements that a user

needs to merge one map window into the current map
window.

MAPPER_INFO_ALL_LAYERS

28

This will return the count of layers and group layers (includes all nested layers and group layers)

MAPPER_INFO_GROUPLAYERS

29

This will return the count of all group layers (includes

nested group layers)

Reference

413

MapperInfo( ) function
attribute setting

ID

MAPPER_INFO_LABELS_SELECT- 30
ABLE

MapperInfo( ) Return Value

Logical value indicating whether labels can be selected
in the Map window.

MAPPER_INFO_NUM_ADORNMENTS

200 This will return an integer representing the number of adornments associated with a mapper. Use some value
suitably outside the normal range for MapperInfo, such
as 100.

MAPPER_INFO_ADORNMENT+n

200 This will return the WindowID of a given adornment associated with the Mapper.

When you call MapperInfo( ) to obtain coordinate values (for example, by specifying MAPPER_INFO_CENTERX as the attribute), the value returned represents a coordinate in MapBasic's current
coordinate system, which may be different from the coordinate system of the Map window. Use the Set
CoordSys statement to specify a different coordinate system.
A setting for each Map window and providing MapBasic support to set and get the current setting for
each mapper. During Reshape, the move duplicate nodes can be set to none or move all duplicates
within the same layer.
Whenever a new Map window is created, the initial move duplicate nodes setting will be retrieved from
the mapper preference (Options / Preference / Map Window / Move Duplicate Nodes in).
An existing Map window can be queried for its current Move Duplicate Nodes setting using a new attribute
in MapperInfo( ) function.
The current state can be changed for a mapper window using the Set Map statement.
Coordinate Value Returns
MapperInfo( ) does not return coordinates (for example MINX, MAXX, MINY, MAXY) in the units set for
the map window. Instead, the coordinate values are returned in the units of the internal coordinate system
of the MapInfo Professional session or the MapBasic application that calls the function (if the coordinate
system was changed within the application). Also, the MAPPER_INFO_XYUNITS attribute returns the
units that are used to display the cursor location in the Status Bar (set by using Set Map Window
Frontwindow( ) XY Units).
Clip Region Information
Beginning with MapInfo Professional 6.0, there are three methods that are used for Clip Region functionality. The MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_OVERLAY (2) method is the method that has been the only option
until MapInfo Professional 6.0. Using this method, the Overlap( ) function (Object > Erase Outside)
is used internally. Since the Overlap( ) function cannot produce result with Text objects, text objects
are never clipped. For Point objects, a simple point in region test is performed to either include or exclude
the Point. Label objects are treated similar to Point objects and are either completely displayed (is the
label point is inside the clip region object) or ignored. Since the clipping is done at the spatial object level,
styles (wide lines, symbols, text) are never clipped.

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The MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_DISPLAY_ALL (0) method uses the Windows Display to perform the clipping.
All object types are clipped. Thematics, rasters, and grids are also clipped. Styles (wide lines, symbols,
text) are always clipped. This is the default clipping type.
The MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_DISPLAY_POLYOBJ (1) uses the Windows Display to selectively perform
clipping which mimics the functionality produced by MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_OVERLAY (2). Windows
Display Clipping is used to clip all Poly Objects (Regions and Polylines) and objects than can be converted
to Poly Objects (rectangles, rounded rectangles, ellipses, and arcs). These objects will always have their
symbology clipped. Points, Labels, and Text are treated as they would be in the MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_OVERLAY (2) method. In general, this method should provide better performance
that the MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_OVERLAY (2) method.
Error Conditions
ERR_BAD_WINDOW (590) error generated if parameter is not a valid window number.
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error generated if an argument is outside of the valid range.
ERR_WANT_MAPPER_WIN (313) error generated if window id is not a Map window.
See Also:
LayerInfo( ) function, Set Distance Units statement, Set Map statement

Maximum( ) function
Purpose
Returns the larger of two numbers. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Maximum( num_expr, num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression.
Return Value
Float
Description
The Maximum( ) function returns the larger of two numeric expressions.
Example
Dim
x =
y =
z =

x, y, z As Float
42
27
Maximum(x, y)

' z now contains the value: 42

See Also:

Reference

415

MBR( ) function
Minimum( ) function

MBR( ) function
Purpose
Returns a rectangle object, representing the minimum bounding rectangle (MBR) of another object. You
can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
MBR( obj_expr )
obj_expr is an object expression.
Return Value
Object (a rectangle)
Description
The MBR( ) function calculates the minimum bounding rectangle (MBR) which encompasses the specified
obj_expr object.
A minimum bounding rectangle is defined as being the smallest rectangle which is large enough to encompass a particular object. In other words, the MBR of the United States extends east to the eastern
tip of Maine, south to the southern tip of Hawaii, west to the western tip of Alaska, and north to the
northern tip of Alaska.
The MBR of a point object has zero width and zero height.
Example
Dim o_mbr As Object
Open Table "world"
Fetch First From world
o_mbr = MBR(world.obj)
See Also:
Centroid( ) function, CentroidX( ) function, CentroidY( ) function

Menu Bar statement

Purpose
Shows or hides the menu bar. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Menu Bar { Hide | Show }

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Description
The Menu Bar statement shows or hides MapInfo Professional's menu bar. An application might hide
the menu bar in order to provide more screen room for windows.
Following a Menu Bar Hide statement, the menu bar remains hidden until a Menu Bar Show statement
is executed. Since users can be severely handicapped without the menu bar, you should be very careful
when using the Menu Bar Hide statement. Every Menu Bar Hide statement should be followed (eventually) by a Menu Bar Show statement.
While the menu bar is hidden, MapInfo Professional ignores any menu-related hotkeys. For example,
an MapInfo Professional user might ordinarily press Ctrl+O to bring up the Open dialog box; but while
the menu bar is hidden, MapInfo Professional ignores the Ctrl+O hotkey.
See Also:
Alter Menu Bar statement, Create Menu Bar statement

MenuItemInfoByHandler( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a MapInfo Professional menu item.
Syntax
MenuItemInfoByHandler( handler, attribute )
handler is either a string (containing the name of a handler procedure specified in a Calling clause) or
an integer (which was specified as a constant in a Calling clause).
attribute is an integer code indicating which attribute to return; see table below.
Description
The handler parameter can be an integer or a string. If you specify a string (a procedure name), and if
two or more menu items call that procedure, MapInfo Professional returns information about the first
menu item that calls the procedure. If you need to query multiple menu items that call the same handler
procedure, give each menu item an ID number (for example, using the optional ID clause in the Create
Menu statement), and call MenuItemInfoByID( ) function instead of calling MenuitemInfoByHandler(
).
The attribute parameter is a numeric code (defined in MAPBASIC.DEF) from the following table:
attribute setting

ID

Return value

MENUITEM_INFO_ENABLED

Logical: TRUE if the menu item is enabled.

MENUITEM_INFO_CHECKED

Logical: TRUE if the menu item is checkable and currently

checked; also return TRUE if the menu item has alternate
menu text (for example, if the menu item toggles between
Show... and Hide...), and the menu item is in its "show"
state. Otherwise, return FALSE.

Reference

417

MenuItemInfoByID( ) function
attribute setting

ID

Return value

MENUITEM_INFO_CHECKABLE

Logical: TRUE if this menu item is checkable (specified

by the "!" prefix in the menu text).

MENUITEM_INFO_SHOWHIDEABLE 4

Logical: TRUE if this menu item has alternate menu text

(for example, if the menu item toggles between Show...
and Hide...). An item has alternate text if it was created
with "!" at the beginning of the menu item text (in a Create
Menu statement or Alter Menu statement) and it has a
caret (^) in the string.

MENUITEM_INFO_ACCELERATOR 5

String: The code sequence for the menu item's accelerator

(for example, "/W^Z" or "/W#%119") or an empty string if
the menu item has no accelerator. For details on menu
accelerators, see Create Menu statement.

MENUITEM_INFO_TEXT

String: the full text used (for example, in a Create Menu

statement) to create the menu item.

MENUITEM_INFO_HELPMSG

String: the menu item's help message (as specified in the

HelpMsg clause in Create Menu statement) or empty
string if the menu item has no help message.

MENUITEM_INFO_HANDLER

Integer: The menu item's handler number. If the menu

item's Calling clause specified a numeric constant (for
example, Calling M_FILE_SAVE), this call returns the
value of the constant. If the Calling clause specified
"OLE", "DDE", or the name of a procedure, this call returns
a unique integer (an internal handler number) which can
be used in subsequent calls to MenuitemInfoByHandler(
) or in the Run Menu Command statement.

MENUITEM_INFO_ID

Integer: The menu ID number (specified in the optional

ID clause in a Create Menu statement), or 0 if the menu
item has no ID.

See Also:
MenuItemInfoByID( ) function

MenuItemInfoByID( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a MapInfo Professional menu item.
Syntax
MenuItemInfoByID( menuitem_ID, attribute )
menuitem_ID is an integer menu ID (specified in the ID clause in Create Menu).

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attribute is an integer code indicating which attribute to return.
Description
This function is identical to the MenuItemInfoByHandler( ) function, except that the first argument to
this function is an integer ID.
Call this function to query the status of a menu item when you know the ID of the menu item you need
to query. Call the MenuItemInfoByHandler( ) function to query the status of a menu item if you would
rather identify the menu item by its handler.
The attribute argument is a code from MAPBASIC.DEF, such as MENUITEM_INFO_CHECKED (2). For
a listing of codes you can use, see MenuItemInfoByHandler( ) function.
See Also:
MenuItemInfoByHandler( ) function

Metadata statement
Purpose
Manages a table's metadata. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax 1
Metadata Table table_name
{ SetKey key_name To key_value |
DropKey key_name [ Hierarchical ] |
SetTraverse starting_key_name [ Hierarchical ]
Into ID traverse_ID_var }
table_name is the name of an open table.
key_name is a string, representing the name of a metadata key. The string must start with a backslash
("\"), and it cannot end with a backslash.
key_value is a string up to 239 characters long, representing the value to assign to the key.
starting_key_name is a string representing the first key name to retrieve from the table. To set up the
traversal at the very beginning of the list of keys, specify "\" (backslash).
traverse_ID_var is the name of an integer variable; MapInfo Professional stores a traversal ID in the
variable, which you can use in subsequent Metadata Traverse... statements.
Syntax 2
Metadata Traverse traverse_ID
{ Next Into Key key_name_var In key_value_var |
Destroy }
traverse_ID is an integer value (such as the value of the traverse_ID_var variable described above).
key_name_var is the name of a string variable; MapInfo Professional stores the fetched key's name in
this variable.

Reference

419

Metadata statement
key_value_var is the name of a string variable; MapInfo Professional stores the fetched key's value in
this variable.
Description
The Metadata statement manages the metadata stored in MapInfo tables. Metadata is information that
is stored in a table's .TAB file, instead of being stored as rows and columns.
Each table can have zero or more keys. Each key represents an information category, such as an author's
name, a copyright notice, etc. Each key has a string value associated with it. For example, a key called
"\Copyright" might have the value "Copyright 2001 Pitney Bowes Software Inc. Corporation." For more
information about Metadata, see the MapBasic User Guide.
Modifying a Table's Metadata
To create, modify, or delete metadata, use Syntax 1. The following clauses apply:
SetKey
Assigns a value to a metadata key. If the key already exists, MapInfo Professional assigns it a new value.
If the key does not exist, MapInfo Professional creates a new key. When you create a new key, the
changes take effect immediately; you do not need to perform a Save operation.
MetaData Table Parcels SetKey "\Info\Date" To Str$(CurDate( ))
Note: MapInfo Professional automatically creates a metadata key called "\IsReadOnly" (with a default
value of "FALSE") the first time you add a metadata key to a table. The \IsReadOnly key is a
special key, reserved for internal use by MapInfo Professional.
DropKey
Deletes the specified key from the table. If you include the Hierarchical keyword, MapInfo Professional
deletes the entire metadata hierarchy at and beneath the specified key. For example, if a table has the
keys "\Info\Author" and "\Info\Date" you can delete both keys with the following statement:
MetaData Table Parcels DropKey "\Info" Hierarchical
Reading a Table's Metadata
To read a table's metadata values, use the SetTraverse clause to initialize a traversal, and then use the
Next clause to fetch key values. After you are finished fetching key values, use the Destroy clause to
free the memory used by the traversal. The following clauses apply:
SetTraverse
Prepares to traverse the table's keys, starting with the specified key. To start at the beginning of the list
of keys, specify "\" as the starting key name. If you include the Hierarchical keyword, the traversal can
hierarchically fetch every key. If you omit the Hierarchical keyword, the traversal is flat, meaning that
MapInfo Professional will only fetch keys at the root level (for example, the traversal will fetch the "\Info"
key, but not the "\Info\Date" key).
Next Into Key... Into Value...
Attempts to read the next key. If there is a key to read, MapInfo Professional stores the key's name in
the key_name_var variable, and stores the key's value in the key_value_var variable. If there are no
more keys to read, MapInfo Professional stores empty strings in both variables.

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Destroy
Ends the traversal, and frees the memory that was used by the traversal.
Note: A hierarchical metadata traversal can traverse up to ten levels of keys (for example,
"\One\Two\Three\Four\Five\Six\Seven\Eight\Nine\Ten") if you begin the traversal at the root level
("\"). If you need to retrieve a key that is more than ten levels deep, begin the traversal at a
deeper level (for example, begin the traversal at "\One\Two\Three\Four\Five").

Example
The following procedure reads all metadata values from a table; the table name is specified by the caller.
This procedure prints the key names and key values to the Message window.
Sub Print_Metadata(ByVal table_name As String)
Dim i_traversal As Integer
Dim s_keyname, s_keyvalue As String
' Initialize the traversal:
Metadata Table table_name
SetTraverse "\" Hierarchical Into ID i_traversal
' Attempt to fetch the first key:
Metadata Traverse i_traversal
Next Into Key s_keyname Into Value s_keyvalue
' Now loop for as long as there are key values;
' with each iteration of the loop, retrieve
' one key, and print it to the Message window.
Do While s_keyname <> ""
Print " "
Print "Key name: " & s_keyname
Print "Key value: " & s_keyvalue
Metadata Traverse i_traversal
Next Into Key s_keyname Into Value s_keyvalue
Loop
' Release this traversal to free memory:
MetaData Traverse i_traversal Destroy
End Sub
See Also:
GetMetadata$( ) function, TableInfo( ) function

MGRSToPoint( ) function
Purpose
Converts a string representing an MGRS (Military Grid Reference System) coordinate into a point object
in the current MapBasic coordinate system. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.

Reference

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MGRSToPoint( ) function
Syntax
MGRSToPoint( string )
string is a string expression representing an MGRS coordinate.
The default Longitude/Latitude coordinate system is used as the initial selection.
Return Value
Object
Description
The returned point will be in the current MapBasic coordinate system, which by default is Long/Lat (no
datum). For the most accurate results when saving the resulting points to a table, set the MapBasic coordinate system to match the destination table's coordinate system before calling MGRSToPoint( ). This
will prevent MapInfo Professional from doing an intermediate conversion to the datumless Long/Lat coordinate system, which can cause a significant loss of precision.
Example
Example 1:
dim obj1 as Object
dim s_mgrs As String
dim obj2 as Object
obj1 = CreatePoint(-74.669, 43.263)
s_mgrs = PointToMGRS$(obj1)
obj2 = MGRSToPoint(s_mgrs)
Example 2:
Open Table "C:\Temp\MyTable.TAB" as MGRSfile
' When using the PointToMGRS$( ) or MGRSToPoint( ) functions,
' it is very important to make sure that the current MapBasic
' coordsys matches the coordsys of the table where the
' point object is being stored.
'Set the MapBasic coordsys to that of the table used
Set CoordSys Table MGRSfile
'Update a Character column (for example COL2) with MGRS strings from
'a table of points
Update MGRSfile
Set Col2 = PointToMGRS$(obj)
'Update two float columns (Col3 & Col4) with
'CentroidX & CentroidY information
'from a character column (Col2) that contains MGRS strings.
Update MGRSfile
Set Col3 = CentroidX(MGRSToPoint(Col2))
Update mgrstestfile ' MGRSfile
Set Col4 = CentroidY(MGRSToPoint(Col2))
Commit Table MGRSfile
Close Table MGRSfile
See Also:
PointToMGRS$( ) function

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Mid$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string extracted from the middle of another string. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Mid$( string_expr, position, length )
string_expr is a string expression.
position is a numeric expression, indicating a starting position in the string.
length is a numeric expression, indicating the number of characters to extract.
Return Value
String
Description
The Mid$( ) function returns a substring copied from the specified string_expr string.
Mid$( ) copies length characters from the string_expr string, starting at the character position indicated
by position. A position value less than or equal to one tells MapBasic to copy from the very beginning
of the string_expr string.
If the string_expr string is not long enough, there may not be length characters to copy; thus, depending
on all of the parameters, the Mid$( ) may or may not return a string length characters long. If the position
parameter represents a number larger than the number of characters in string_expr, Mid$( ) returns a
null string. If the length parameter is zero, Mid$( ) returns a null string. If the length or position parameters
are fractional, MapBasic rounds to the nearest integer.
Example
Dim str_var, substr_var As String
str_var = "New York City"
substr_var = Mid$(str_var, 10, 4)
' substr_var now contains the string "City"
See Also:
InStr( ) function, Left$( ) function, Right$( ) function

MidByte$( ) function
Purpose
Accesses individual bytes of a string on a system with a double-byte character system. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

423

Minimum( ) function
Syntax
MidByte$( string_expr, position, length )
string_expr is a string expression.
position is an integer numeric expression, indicating a starting position in the string.
length is an integer numeric expression, indicating the number of bytes to return.
Return Value
String
Description
The MidByte$( ) function returns individual bytes of a string.
Use the MidByte$( ) function when you need to extract a range of bytes from a string, and the application
is running on a system that uses a double-byte character set (DBCS systems). For example, the Japanese
version of Microsoft Windows uses a double-byte character system.
On systems with single-byte character sets, the results returned by the MidByte$( ) function are
identical to the results returned by the Mid$( ) function.
See Also:
InStr( ) function, Left$( ) function, Right$( ) function

Minimum( ) function
Purpose
Returns the smaller of two numbers. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Minimum( num_expr, num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression.
Return Value
Float
Description
The Minimum( ) function returns the smaller of two numeric expressions.
Example
Dim
x =
y =
z =

424

x, y, z As Float
42
-100
Minimum(x, y)

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' z now contains the value: -100

See Also:
Maximum( ) function

Minute( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves the minute part of a Time value as an integer (0-59). You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Minute( Time )
Return Value
SmallInt
Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function.
dim X as time
dim iMin as integer
X = CurDateTime()
iMin = Minute(X)
Print iMin
See Also:
Hour( ) function, Second( ) function

Month( ) function
Purpose
Returns the month component (1 - 12) of a date value. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Month( date_expr )
date_expr is a date expression.
Return Value
SmallInt value from 1 to 12, inclusive.

Reference

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Nearest statement
Description
The Month( ) function returns an integer, representing the month component (one to twelve) of the
specified date.
Examples
The following example shows how you can extract just the month component from a particular date
value, using the Month( ) function.
If Month(CurDate( )) = 12 Then
'
' ... then it is December...
'
End If
You can also use the Month( ) function within the SQL Select statement. The following Select statement
extracts only particular rows from the Orders table. This example assumes that the Orders table has a
Date column, called Order_Date. The Select statement's Where clause tells MapInfo Professional to
only select the orders from December of 1993.
Open Table "orders"
Select *
From orders
Where Month(orderdate) = 12 And Year(orderdate) = 1993
See Also:
CurDate( ) function, Day( ) function, Minute( ) function, Month( ) function, Second( ) function,
Weekday( ) function, Year( ) function

Nearest statement
Purpose
Find the object in a table that is closest to a particular object. The result is a 2-point Polyline object representing the closest distance. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Nearest [ N | All ]
From { Table fromtable | Variable fromvar }
To totable Into intotable
[ Type { Spherical | Cartesian }]
[ Ignore [ Contains ] [ Min min_value ] [ Max max_value ]
Units unitname ] [ Data clause ]
N is an optional parameter representing the number of "nearest" objects to find. The default is 1. If All
is used, then a distance object is created for every combination.
fromtable represents a table of objects that you want to find closest distances from.
fromvar represents a MapBasic variable representing an object that you want to find the closest distances
from.
totable represents a table of objects that you want to find closest distances to.

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intotable represents a table to place the results into.
min_value is the minimum distance to include in the results.
max_value is the maximum distance to include in the results.
unitname is string representing the name of a distance unit (for example, "km") used for min_value and/or
max_value.
clause is an expression that specifies the tables that the results come from.
Description
The Nearest statement finds all the objects in the fromtable that are nearest to a particular object. Every
object in the fromtable is considered. For each object in the fromtable, the nearest object in the totable
is found. If N is defined, then the N nearest objects in totable are found. A two-point Polyline object representing the closest points between the fromtable object and the chosen totable object is placed in the
intotable. If All is specified, then an object is placed in the intotable representing the distance between
the fromtable object and each totable object.
If there are multiple objects in the totable that are the same distance from a given fromtable object, then
only one of them may be returned. If multiple objects are requested (for example, if N is greater than 1),
then objects of the same distance will fill subsequent slots. If the tie exists at the second closest object,
and three objects are requested, then the object will become the third closest object.
The types of the objects in the fromtable and totable can be anything except Text objects. For example,
if both tables contain Region objects, then the minimum distance between Region objects is found, and
the two-point Polyline object produced represents the points on each object used to calculate that distance.
If the Region objects intersect, then the minimum distance is zero, and the two-point Polyline returned
will be degenerate, where both points are identical and represent a point of intersection.
The distances calculated do not take into account any road route distance. It is strictly a "as the bird
flies" distance.
Type is the method used to calculate the distances between objects. It can either be Spherical or
Cartesian. The type of distance calculation must be correct for the coordinate system of the intotable
or an error will occur. If the coordinate system of the intotable is NonEarth and the distance method is
Spherical, then an error will occur. If the coordinate system of the intotable is Latitude/Longitude, and
the distance method is Cartesian, then an error will occur.
The Ignore clause limits the distances returned. Any distances found which are less than or equal to
min_value or greater than max_value are ignored. min_value and max_value are in the distance unit
signified by unitname. If unitname is not a valid distance unit, an error will occur. One use of the Min
distance could be to eliminate distances of zero. This may be useful in the case of two point tables to
eliminate comparisons of the same point. For example, if there are two point tables representing Cities,
and we want to find the closest cities, we may want to exclude cases of the same city. The entire Ignore
clause is optional, as are the Min and Max subclauses within it.
The Max distance can be used to limit the objects to consider in the totable. This may be most useful in
conjunction with N or All. For example, we may want to search for the five airports that are closest to a
set of cities (where the fromtable is the set of cities and the totable is a set of airports), but we don't care
about airports that are farther away than 100 miles. This may result in less than five airports being returned
for a given city. This could also be used in conjunction with the All parameter, where we would find all

Reference

427

Nearest statement
airports within 100 miles of a city. Supplying a Max parameter can improve the performance of the
Nearest statement, since it effectively limits the number of totable objects that are searched.
The effective distances found are strictly greater than the min_value and less than or equal to the
max_value:
min_value < distance <= max_value
This can allow ranges or distances to be returned in multiple passes using the Nearest statement. For
example, the first pass may return all objects between 0 and 100 miles, and the second pass may return
all objects between 100 and 200 miles, and the results should not contain duplicates (for example, a
distance of 100 should only occur in the first pass and never in the second pass).
Normally, if one object is contained within another object, the distance between the objects is zero. For
example, if the fromtable is WorldCaps and the totable is World, then the distance between London and
the United Kingdom would be zero. If the Contains flag is set within the Ignore clause, then the distance
will not be automatically be zero. Instead, the distance from London to the boundary of the United
Kingdom will be returned. In effect, this will treat all closed objects, such as regions, as polylines for the
purpose of this operation.
Data Clause
The Data clause can be used to mark which fromtable object and which totable object the result came
from.
Data IntoColumn1=column1, IntoColumn2=column2
The IntoColumn on the left hand side of the equals must be a valid column in intotable. The column
name on the right hand side of the equals sign must be a valid column name from either totable or
fromtable. If the same column name exists in both totable and fromtable, then the column in totable will
be used (e.g., totable is searched first for column names on the right hand side of the equals sign). To
avoid any conflicts such as this, the column names can be qualified using the table alias:
Data name1=states.state_name, name2=county.state_name
To fill a column in the intotable with the distance, we can either use the Table > Update Column functionality from the menu or use the Update statement.
Examples
Assume that we have a point table representing locations of ATM machines and that there are at least
two columns in this table: Business, which represents the name of the business which contains the ATM;
and Address, which represents the street address of that business. Assume that the current selection
represents our current location. Then the following will find the closest ATM to where we currently are:
Nearest From Table selection To atm Into result Data
where=Business,address=Address
If we wanted to find the closest five ATM machines to our current location:
Nearest 5 From Table selection To atm Into result Data
where=Business,address=Address
If we want to find all ATM machines within a 5 mile radius:
Nearest All From Table selection To atm Into result Ignore Max 5 Units
"mi" Data where=buisness,address=address

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Assume we have a table of house locations (the fromtable) and a table representing the coastline (the
totable). To find the distance from a given house to the coastline:
Nearest From Table customer To coastline Into result Data
who=customer.name,
where=customer.address,coast_loc=coastline.county,type=coastline.designat
ion
If we don't care about customer locations which are greater than 30 miles from any coastline:
Nearest From Table customer To coastline Into result Ignore Max 30 Units
"mi" Data who=customer.name,
where=customer.address,coast_loc=coastline.county,
type=coastline.designation
Assume we have a table of cities (the fromtable) and another table of state capitals (the totable), and
we want to find the closest state capital to each city, but we want to ignore the case where the city in
the fromtable is also a state capital:
Nearest From Table uscty_1k To usa_caps Into result Ignore Min 0 Units
"mi" Data city=uscty_1k.name,capital=usa_caps.capital
See Also:
Farthest statement, CartesianObjectDistance( ) function, ObjectDistance( ) function, SphericalObjectDistance( ) function, CartesianConnectObjects( ) function, ConnectObjects( ) function,
SphericalConnectObjects( ) function

Note statement
Purpose
Displays a simple message in a dialog box. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Note message
message is an expression to be displayed in a dialog box.
Description
The Note statement creates a dialog box to display a message. The dialog box contains an OK button;
the message dialog box remains on the screen until the user clicks the OK button.
The message expression does not need to be a string expression. If message is an object expression,
MapBasic will automatically produce an appropriate string (for example, "Region") for display in the Note
dialog box. If the message expression is a string, the string can be up to 300 characters long, and can
occupy up to 6 rows.
Example
Note "Total # of records processed: " + Str$( i_count )
See Also:
Ask( ) function, Dialog statement, Print statement

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NumAllWindows( ) function

NumAllWindows( ) function
Purpose
Returns the number of windows owned by MapInfo Professional, including special windows such as
ButtonPads and the Info window. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
NumAllWindows( )
Return Value
SmallInt
Description
The NumAllWindows( ) function returns the number of windows owned by MapInfo Professional.
To determine the number of document windows opened by MapInfo Professional (Map, Browse, Graph,
and Layout windows), call NumWindows( ).
See Also:
NumWindows( ) function, WindowID( ) function

NumberToDate( ) function
Purpose
Returns a Date value, given an integer. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
NumberToDate( numeric_date )
numeric_date is an eight-digit integer in the form YYYYMMDD (for example, 19951231).
Return Value
Date
Description
The NumberToDate( ) function returns a Date value represented by an eight-digit integer. For example,
the following function call returns a Date value of December 31, 2006:
NumberToDate(20061231)

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Example
The following example subtracts one Date value from another Date. The result of the subtraction is the
number of days between the two dates.
Dim i_elapsed As Integer
i_elapsed = CurDate( ) - NumberToDate(20060101)
' i_elapsed now contains the number of days
' since January 1, 2006
See Also:
StringToDate( ) function, Set Format statement, Str$( ) function, NumberToDateTime( ) function,
NumberToTime( ) function

NumberToDateTime( ) function
Purpose
Returns a DateTime value. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
NumberToDateTime( numeric_datetime )
numeric_datetime is an seventeen-digit integer in the form YYYYMMDDHHMMSSFFF. For example,
20070301214237582 represents March 1, 2007 9:42:37.582 PM.
Return Value
DateTime
Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function.
dim fNum as float
dim Y as datetime
fNum = 20070301214237582
Y = NumbertoDateTime (fNum)
Print FormatDate$(GetDate(Y))
Print FormatTime$(GetDate(Y),"hh:mm:ss.fff tt")
See also:
FormatTime$( ) function, GetTime() function, NumberToDate( ) function, NumberToTime( ) function

NumberToTime( ) function
Purpose
Returns a Time value. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

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NumCols( ) function
Syntax
NumberToTime( numeric_time )
numeric_time is an nine-digit integer in the form HHMMSSFFF. For example, 214237582 represents
9:42:37.582 P.M.
Return Value
Time
Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function.
dim fNum as integer
dim Y as time
fNum = 214237582
Y = NumberToTime(fNum)
Print FormatTime$(Y,"hh:mm:ss.fff tt")
See also:
FormatTime$( ) function, GetTime() function, NumberToDate( ) function, NumberToDateTime( )
function

NumCols( ) function
Purpose
Returns the number of columns in a specified table. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
NumCols( table )
table is the name of an open table.
Return Value
SmallInt
Description
The NumCols( ) function returns the number of columns contained in the specified open table.
The number of columns returned by NumCols( ) does not include the special column known as Object
(or Obj for short), which refers to the graphical objects attached to mappable tables. Similarly, the number
of columns returned does not include the special column known as RowID.
Note: If a table has temporary columns (for example, because of an Add Column statement), the
number returned by NumCols( ) includes the temporary column(s).

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Error Conditions
ERR_TABLE_NOT_FOUND (405) error generated if the specified table is not available.
Example
Dim i_counter As Integer
Open Table "world"
i_counter = NumCols(world)
See Also:
ColumnInfo( ) function, NumTables( ) function, TableInfo( ) function

NumTables( ) function
Purpose
Returns the number of tables currently open. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
NumTables( )
Return Value
SmallInt
Description
The NumTables( ) function returns the number of tables that are currently open.
A street-map table may consist of two "companion" tables. For example, when you open the Washington,
DC street map named DCWASHS, MapInfo Professional secretly opens the two companion tables
DCWASHS1.TAB and DCWASHS2.TAB. However, MapInfo Professional treats the DCWASHS table as a
single table; for example, the Layer Control window shows only the table name DCWASHS. Similarly,
the NumTables( ) function counts a street map as a single table, although it may actually be composed
of two companion tables.
Example
If NumTables( ) < 1 Then
Note "You must open a table before continuing."
End If
See Also:
Open Table statement, TableInfo( ) function, ColumnInfo( ) function

Reference

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NumWindows( ) function

NumWindows( ) function
Purpose
Returns the number of open document windows (Map, Browse, Graph, Layout). You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
NumWindows( )
Return Value
SmallInt
Description
The NumWindows( ) function returns the number of Map, Browse, Graph, and Layout windows that are
currently open. The result is independent of whether windows are minimized or not.
To determine the total number of windows opened by MapInfo Professional (including ButtonPads and
special windows such as the Info window), call NumAllWindows( ).
Example
Dim num_open_wins As SmallInt
num_open_wins = NumWindows( )
See Also:
NumAllWindows( ) function, WindowID( ) function

ObjectDistance( ) function
Purpose
Returns the distance between two objects. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ObjectDistance( object1, object2, unit_name )
object1 and object2 are object expressions.
unit_name is a string representing the name of a distance unit.
Return Value
Float

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Description
ObjectDistance( ) returns the minimum distance between object1 and object2 using a spherical calculation method with the return value in unit_name. If the calculation cannot be done using a spherical
distance method (e.g., if the MapBasic Coordinate System is NonEarth), then a cartesian distance
method will be used.

ObjectGeography( ) function
Purpose
Returns coordinate or angle information describing a graphical object. You can call this function from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ObjectGeography( object, attribute )
object is an Object expression.
attribute is an integer code specifying which type of information should be returned.
Return Value
Float
Description
The attribute parameter controls which type of information will be returned. The table below summarizes
the different codes that you can use as the attribute parameter; codes in the left column (for example,
OBJ_GEO_MINX) are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
Some attributes apply only to certain types of objects. For example, arc objects are the only objects with
begin-angle or end-angle attributes, and text objects are the only objects with the text-angle attribute. If
an object does not support z- or m-values, or a z- or m-value for this node is not defined, then an error
is thrown.
attribute setting

ID

Return value (Float)

OBJ_GEO_MINX

Minimum x-coordinate of an object's minimum bounding

rectangle (MBR), unless the object is a line; if the object
is a line, returns same value as OBJ_GEO_LINEBEGX.

OBJ_GEO_MINY

Minimum y-coordinate of object's MBR. For lines, returns

OBJ_GEO_LINEBEGY value.

OBJ_GEO_MAXX

Maximum x-coordinate of object's MBR. Does not apply

to Point objects. For lines, returns OBJ_GEO_LINEENDX
value.

OBJ_GEO_MAXY

Maximum y-coordinate of the object's MBR. Does not

apply to Point objects. For lines, returns OBJ_GEO_LINEENDY value.

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ObjectGeography( ) function
attribute setting

ID

Return value (Float)

OBJ_GEO_ARCBEGANGLE

Beginning angle of an Arc object.

OBJ_GEO_ARCENDANGLE

Ending angle of an Arc object.

OBJ_GEO_LINEBEGX

X-coordinate of the starting node of a Line object.

OBJ_GEO_LINEBEGY

Y-coordinate of the starting node of a Line object.

OBJ_GEO_LINEENDX

X-coordinate of the ending node of a Line object.

OBJ_GEO_LINEENDY

Y-coordinate of the ending node of a Line object.

OBJ_GEO_POINTX

X-coordinate of a Point object.

OBJ_GEO_POINTY

Y-coordinate of a Point object.

OBJ_GEO_POINTZ

Z-value of a Point object.

OBJ_GEO_POINTM

M-value of a Point object.

OBJ_GEO_ROUNDRADIUS

Diameter of the circle that defines the rounded corner of

a Rounded Rectangle object, expressed in terms of coordinate units (for example, degrees).

OBJ_GEO_CENTROID

Returns a point object for centroid of regions, collections,

multipoints, and polylines. This is most commonly used
with the Alter Object statement.

OBJ_GEO_TEXTLINEX

X-coordinate of the end of a Text object's label line.

OBJ_GEO_TEXTLINEY

Y-coordinate of the end of a Text object's label line.

OBJ_GEO_TEXTANGLE

Rotation angle of a Text object.

The ObjectGeography( ) function has been extended to support Multipoints and Collections. Both types
support attributes 1 - 4 (coordinates of object's minimum bounding rectangle (MBR).
OBJ_GEO_MINX

Minimum x-coordinate of an object's MBR.

OBJ_GEO_MINY

Minimum y-coordinate of an object's MBR.

OBJ_GEO_MAXX

Maximum x-coordinate of an object's MBR.

OBJ GEO_MAXY

Maximum y-coordinate of an object's MBR.

Example
The following example reads the starting coordinates of a line object from the table City. A Set Map
statement then uses these coordinates to re-center the Map window.
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Dim i_obj_type As Integer, f_x, f_y As Float
Open Table "city"
Map From city
Fetch First From city

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' at this point, the expression:
' city.obj
' represents the graphical object that's attached
' to the first record of the CITY table.
i_obj_type = ObjectInfo(city.obj, OBJ_INFO_TYPE)
If i_obj_type = OBJ_LINE Then
f_x = ObjectGeography(city.obj, OBJ_GEO_LINEBEGX)
f_y = ObjectGeography(city.obj, OBJ_GEO_LINEBEGY)
Set Map Center (f_x, f_y)
End If
See Also:
Centroid( ) function, CentroidX( ) function, CentroidY( ) function, ObjectInfo( ) function

ObjectInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns Pen, Brush, or other values describing a graphical object. You can call this function from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ObjectInfo( object, attribute )
object is an Object expression.
attribute is an integer code specifying which type of information should be returned.
Return Value
SmallInt, integer, string, float, Pen, Brush, Symbol, or Font, depending on the attribute parameter.
OBJ_INFO_NPOLYGONS (21) is an integer that indicates the number of polygons (in the case of a region)
or sections (in the case of a polyline) which make up an object.
OBJ_INFO_NPOLYGONS+N (21) is an integer that indicates the number of nodes in the Nth polygon
of a region or the Nth section of a polyline.
Note: With region objects, MapInfo Professional counts the starting node twice (once as the start node
and once as the end node). For example, ObjectInfo( ) returns a value of 4 for a triangle-shaped
region.

Description
The ObjectInfo( ) function returns general information about one aspect of a graphical object. The first
parameter should be an object value (for example, the name of an Object variable, or a table expression
of the form tablename.obj).
Each object has several attributes. For example, each object has a "type" attribute, identifying whether
the object is a point, a line, or a region, etc. Most types of objects have Pen and/or Brush attributes,
which dictate the object's appearance. The ObjectInfo( ) function returns one attribute of the specified
object. Which attribute is returned depends on the value used in the attribute parameter. Thus, if you

Reference

437

ObjectInfo( ) function
need to find out several pieces of information about an object, you will need to call ObjectInfo( ) a
number of times, with different attribute values in each call.
The table below summarizes the various attribute settings, and the corresponding return values.
attribute Setting

ID

Return Value

OBJ_INFO_TYPE

SmallInt, representing the object type; the return value is

one of the values listed in the table below (for example,
OBJ_TYPE_LINE). This attribute from the DEF file is 1
(ObjectInfo( Object, 1 )).

OBJ_INFO_PEN

Pen style is returned; this query is only valid for the following object types: Arc, Ellipse, Line, Polyline, Frame, Regions, Rectangle, and Rounded Rectangle.

OBJ_INFO_BRUSH

Brush style is returned; this query is only valid for the following object types: Ellipse, Frame, Region, Rectangle,
and Rounded Rectangle.

OBJ_INFO_TEXTFONT

Font style is returned; this query is only valid for Text objects.
Note: If the Text object is contained in a mappable table
(as opposed to a Layout window), the Font specifies a point size of zero, and the text height is
controlled by the Map window's zoom distance.

OBJ_INFO_SYMBOL

Symbol style; this query is only valid for Point objects.

OBJ_INFO_NPNTS

20

Integer, indicating the total number of nodes in a polyline

or region object.

OBJ_INFO_SMOOTH

Logical, indicating whether the specified Polyline object

is smoothed.

OBJ_INFO_FRAMEWIN

Integer, indicating the window ID of the window attached

to a Frame object.

OBJ_INFO_FRAMETITLE

String, indicating a Frame object's title.

OBJ_INFO_NPOLYGONS

21

SmallInt, indicating the number of polygons (in the case

of a region) or sections (in the case of a polyline) which
make up an object.

OBJ_INFO_NPOLYGONS+N

21

Integer, indicating the number of nodes in the Nth polygon

of a region or the Nth section of a polyline.
Note: With region objects, MapInfo Professional counts
the starting node twice (once as the start node
and once as the end node). For example, ObjectInfo( ) returns a value of 4 for a triangle-shaped
region.

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attribute Setting

ID

Return Value

OBJ_INFO_TEXTSTRING

String, representing the body of a Text object; if the object

has multiple lines of text, the string includes embedded
line-feeds (Chr$( 10 ) values).

OBJ_INFO_TEXTSPACING

Float value of 1, 1.5, or 2, representing a Text object's line

spacing.

OBJ_INFO_TEXTJUSTIFY

SmallInt, representing justification of a Text object: 0 =

left, 1 = center, 2 = right.

OBJ_INFO_TEXTARROW

SmallInt, representing the line style associated with a Text

object: 0 = no line, 1 = simple line, 2 = arrow line.

OBJ_INFO_FILLFRAME

Logical: TRUE if the object is a frame that contains a Map

window, and the frame's "Fill Frame With Map" setting is
checked.

OBJ_INFO_NONEMPTY

11

Logical, returns TRUE if a Multipoint object has nodes, or

FALSE if the object is empty.

OBJ_INFO_REGION

Object value representing the region part of a collection

object. If the collection object does not have a region, it
returns an empty region. This query is valid only for collection objects.

OBJ_INFO_PLINE

Object value representing polyline part of a collection object. If the collection object does not have a polyline, it
returns an empty polyline object. This query is valid only
for collection objects.

OBJ_INFO_MPOINT

10

Object value representing the Multipoint part of a collection

object. If the collection object does not have a Multipoint,
it returns an empty Multipoint object. This query is valid
only for collection objects.

OBJ_INFO_Z_UNIT_SET

12

Logical, indicating whether z units are defined.

OBJ_INFO_Z_UNIT

13

String result: indicates distance units used for z-values.

Returns an empty string if units are not specified.

OBJ_INFO_HAS_Z

14

Logical, indicating whether the object has z-values.

OBJ_INFO_HAS_M

15

Logical, indicating whether the object has m-values.

The codes in the left column (for example, OBJ_INFO_TYPE) are defined through the MapBasic definitions
file, MAPBASIC.DEF. Your program should Include "MAPBASIC.DEF" if you intend to call the ObjectInfo(
) function.
Each graphic attribute only applies to some types of graphic objects. For example, point objects are the
only objects with Symbol attributes, and text objects are the only objects with Font attributes. Therefore,
the ObjectInfo( ) function cannot return every type of attribute setting for every type of object.

Reference

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ObjectInfo( ) function
If you specify OBJ_INFO_TYPE as the attribute setting, the ObjectInfo( ) function returns one of the
object types listed in the table below.
Table 5: OBJ_INFO_TYPE values
OBJ_INFO_TYPE values

ID

Corresponding object type

OBJ_TYPE_ARC

Arc object

OBJ_TYPE_ELLIPSE

Ellipse / circle objects

OBJ_TYPE_LINE

Line object

OBJ_TYPE_PLINE

Polyline object

OBJ_TYPE_POINT

Point object

OBJ_TYPE_FRAME

Layout window Frame object

OBJ_TYPE_REGION

Region object

OBJ_TYPE_RECT

Rectangle object

OBJ_TYPE_ROUNDRECT

Rounded rectangle object

OBJ_TYPE_TEXT

10

Text object

OBJ_TYPE_MULTIPOINT

11

Collection point object

OBJ_TYPE_COLLECTION

12

Collection text object

Example
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Dim counter, obj_type As Integer
Open Table "city"
Fetch First From city
' at this point, the expression: city.obj
' represents the graphical object that's attached
' to the first record of the CITY table.
obj_type = ObjectInfo(city.obj, OBJ_INFO_TYPE)
Do Case obj_type
Case OBJ_TYPE_LINE
Note "First object is a line."
Case OBJ_TYPE_PLINE
Note "First object is a polyline..."
counter = ObjectInfo(city.obj, OBJ_INFO_NPNTS)
Note " ... with " + Str$(counter) + " nodes."
Case OBJ_TYPE_REGION
Note "First object is a region..."
counter = ObjectInfo(city.obj, OBJ_INFO_NPOLYGONS)
Note ", made up of " + Str$(counter) + " polygons..."
counter = ObjectInfo(city.obj, OBJ_INFO_NPOLYGONS+1)
Note "The 1st polygon has" + Str$(counter) + " nodes"
End Case
See Also:

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Alter Object statement, Brush clause, Font clause, ObjectGeography( ) function, Pen clause,
Symbol clause

ObjectLen( ) function
Purpose
Returns the geographic length of a line or polyline object. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ObjectLen( expr, unit_name )
expr is an object expression.
unit_name is a string representing the name of a distance unit (for example, "mi" for miles).
Return Value
Float
Description
The ObjectLen( ) function returns the length of an object expression. Note that only line and polyline
objects have length values greater than zero; to measure the circumference of a rectangle, ellipse, or
region, use the Perimeter( ) function.
The ObjectLen( ) function returns a length measurement in the units specified by the unit_name parameter; for example, to obtain a length in miles, specify "mi" as the unit_name parameter. See Set Distance
Units statement for the list of valid unit names.
For the most part, MapInfo Professional performs a Cartesian or Spherical operation. Generally, a
Spherical operation is performed unless the coordinate system is nonEarth, in which case, a Cartesian
operation is performed.
Example
Dim geogr_length As Float
Open Table "streets"
Fetch First From streets
geogr_length = ObjectLen(streets.obj, "mi")
' geogr_length now represents the length of the
' street segment, in miles
See Also:
Distance( ) function, Perimeter( ) function, Set Distance Units statement

Reference

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ObjectNodeHasM( ) function

ObjectNodeHasM( ) function
Purpose
Returns TRUE if a specific node in a region, polyline or multipoint object has an m-value. You can call
this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ObjectNodeHasM( object, polygon_num, node_num )
object is an Object expression.
polygon_num is a positive integer value indicating which polygon or section to query. It is ignored for
Multipoint objects (it used for regions and polylines).
node_num is a positive integer value indicating which node to read.
Return Value
Logical
Description
The ObjectNodeHasM( ) function returns TRUE if the specific node from a region, polyline, or multipoint
object has an m-value.
The polygon_num parameter must have a value of one or more. This specifies which polygon (if querying
a region) or which section (if querying a polyline) should be queried. Call the ObjectInfo( ) function to
determine the number of polygons or sections in an object. The ObjectNodeHasM( ) function supports
Multipoint objects and returns TRUE if a specific node in a Multipoint object has an m-value.
The node_num parameter must have a value of one or more; this tells MapBasic which of the object's
nodes should be queried. You can use the ObjectInfo( ) function to determine the number of nodes in
an object.
If the object does not support m-values or an m-value for this node is not defined, it returns FALSE.
Example
The following example queries the first graphic object in the table Routes. If the first object is a polyline,
the program queries if the first node in the object has z-coordinates or m-values and queries z-coordinates
and m-values of the first node in the polyline.
Dim i_obj_type As SmallInt,
z, m As Float
hasZ, hasM as Logical
Open Table "routes"
Fetch First From routes
' at this point, the expression:
' routes.obj
' represents the graphical object that's attached
' to the first record of the routes table.
i_obj_type = ObjectInfo(routes.obj, OBJ_INFO_TYPE)
If i_obj_type = OBJ_PLINE Then

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' ... then the object is a polyline...
If (ObjectNodeHasZ(routes.obj, 1, 1)) Then
z = ObjectNodeZ(routes.obj, 1, 1) ' read z-coordinate
End If
If (ObjectNodeHasM(routes.obj, 1, 1)) Then
m = ObjectNodeM(routes.obj, 1, 1) ' read m-value
End If
End If
See Also:
Querying Map Objects, ObjectInfo( ) function

ObjectNodeHasZ( ) function
Purpose
Returns TRUE if a specific node in a region, polyline, or multipoint object has a z-coordinate. You can
call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ObjectNodeHasZ( object, polygon_num, node_num )
object is an Object expression.
polygon_num is a positive integer value indicating which polygon or section to query. It is ignored for
Multipoint objects (it used for regions and polylines).
node_num is a positive integer value indicating which node to read.
Return Value
Logical
Description
The ObjectNodeHasZ( ) function returns TRUE if a specific node from a region, polyline, or multipoint
object has a z-coordinate. The polygon_num parameter must have a value of one or more. This specifies
which polygon (if querying a region) or which section (if querying a polyline) should be queried. Call the
ObjectInfo( ) function to determine the number of polygons or sections in an object. The ObjectNodeHasZ( ) function supports Multipoint objects and returns TRUE if a specific node in a Multipoint object
has a z-coordinate.
The node_num parameter must have a value of one or more; this tells MapBasic which of the object's
nodes should be queried. You can use the ObjectInfo( ) function to determine the number of nodes in
an object.
If object does not support z-coordinates or a z-coordinate for this node is not defined, it returns FALSE.

Reference

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ObjectNodeM( ) function
Example
The following example queries the first graphic object in the table Routes. If the first object is a polyline,
the program queries if the first node in the object has z-coordinates or m-values and queries z-coordinates
and m-values of the first node in the polyline.
Dim i_obj_type As SmallInt,
z, m As Float
hasZ, hasM as Logical
Open Table "routes"
Fetch First From routes
' at this point, the expression:
' routes.obj
' represents the graphical object that's attached
' to the first record of the routes table.
i_obj_type = ObjectInfo(routes.obj, OBJ_INFO_TYPE)
If i_obj_type = OBJ_PLINE Then
' ... then the object is a polyline...
If (ObjectNodeHasZ(routes.obj, 1, 1)) Then
z = ObjectNodeZ(routes.obj, 1, 1) ' read z-coordinate
End If
If (ObjectNodeHasM(routes.obj, 1, 1)) Then
m = ObjectNodeM(routes.obj, 1, 1) ' read m-value
End If
End If
See Also:
Querying Map Objects, ObjectInfo( ) function

ObjectNodeM( ) function
Purpose
Returns the m-value of a specific node in a region, polyline, or multipoint object. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ObjectNodeM( object, polygon_num, node_num )
object is an Object expression.
polygon_num is a positive integer value indicating which polygon or section to query. It is ignored for
Multipoint objects (it used for regions and polylines).
node_num is a positive integer value indicating which node to read.
Return Value
Float
Description
The ObjectNodeM( ) function returns the m-value of a specific node from a region, polyline, or multipoint
object.

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The polygon_num parameter must have a value of one or more. This specifies which polygon (if querying
a region), or which section (if querying a polyline), should be queried. Call the ObjectInfo( ) function
to determine the number of polygons or sections in an object. The ObjectNodeM( ) function supports
Multipoint objects and returns the m-value of a specific node in a Multipoint object.
The node_num parameter must have a value of one or more; this tells MapBasic which of the object's
nodes should be queried. You can use the ObjectInfo( ) function to determine the number of nodes in
an object.
If an object does not support m-values, or an m-value for this node is not defined, then an error is thrown.
Example
The following example queries the first graphic object in the table Routes. If the first object is a polyline,
the program queries z-coordinates and m-values of the first node in the polyline.
Dim i_obj_type As SmallInt,
z, m As Float
Open Table "routes"
Fetch First From routes
' at this point, the expression:
' routes.obj
' represents the graphical object that's attached
' to the first record of the routes table.
i_obj_type = ObjectInfo(routes.obj, OBJ_INFO_TYPE)
If i_obj_type = OBJ_PLINE Then
' ... then the object is a polyline...
z = ObjectNodeZ(routes.obj, 1, 1) ' read z-coordinate
m = ObjectNodeM(routes.obj, 1, 1) ' read m-value
End If
See Also:
Querying Map Objects, ObjectInfo( ) function

ObjectNodeX( ) function
Purpose
Returns the x-coordinate of a specific node in a region or polyline object. You can call this function from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ObjectNodeX( object, polygon_num, node_num )
object is an Object expression.
polygon_num is a positive integer value indicating which polygon or section to query. It is ignored for
Multipoint objects (it used for regions and polylines).
node_num is a positive integer value indicating which node to read.
Return Value
Float

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Description
The ObjectNodeX( ) function returns the x-value of a specific node from a region or polyline object. The
corresponding ObjectNodeY( ) function returns the y-coordinate value.
The polygon_num parameter must have a value of one or more. This specifies which polygon (if querying
a region) or which section (if querying a polyline) should be queried. Call the ObjectInfo( ) function to
determine the number of polygons or sections in an object. The ObjectNodeX( ) function supports Multipoint objects and returns the x-coordinate of a specific node in a Multipoint object.
The node_num parameter must have a value of one or more; this tells MapBasic which of the object's
nodes should be queried. You can use the ObjectInfo( ) function to determine the number of nodes in
an object. The ObjectNodeX( ) function returns the value in the coordinate system currently in use by
MapBasic; by default, MapBasic uses a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system. See Set CoordSys
statement for more information about coordinate systems.
Example
The following example queries the first graphic object in the table Routes. If the first object is a polyline,
the program queries the x- and y-coordinates of the first node in the polyline, then creates a new Point
object at the location of the polyline's starting node.
Dim i_obj_type As SmallInt, x, y As Float, new_pnt As Object
Open Table "routes"
Fetch First From routes
' at this point, the expression:
' routes.obj
' represents the graphical object that's attached
' to the first record of the routes table.
i_obj_type = ObjectInfo(routes.obj, OBJ_INFO_TYPE)
If i_obj_type = OBJ_PLINE Then
' ... then the object is a polyline...
x = ObjectNodeX(routes.obj, 1, 1) ' read longitude
y = ObjectNodeY(routes.obj, 1, 1) ' read latitude
Create Point Into Variable new_pnt (x, y)
Insert Into routes (obj) Values (new_pnt)
End If
See Also:
Alter Object statement, ObjectGeography( ) function, ObjectInfo( ) function, ObjectNodeY( )
function, Set CoordSys statement

ObjectNodeY( ) function
Purpose
Returns the y-coordinate of a specific node in a region or polyline object. You can call this function from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ObjectNodeY( object, polygon_num, node_num )
object is an Object expression.

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polygon_num is a positive integer value indicating which polygon or section to query. It is ignored for
Multipoint objects (it used for regions and polylines).
node_num is a positive integer value indicating which node to read.
Return Value
Float
Description
The ObjectNodeY( ) function returns the y-value of a specific node from a region or polyline object. See
ObjectNodeX( ) function for more information.
Example
See ObjectNodeX( ) function.
See Also:
Alter Object statement, ObjectGeography( ) function, ObjectInfo( ) function, Set CoordSys statement

ObjectNodeZ( ) function
Purpose
Returns the z-value of a specific node in a region, polyline, or multipoint object.
Syntax
ObjectNodeZ( object, polygon_num, node_num )
object is an Object expression.
polygon_num is a positive integer value indicating which polygon or section to query. It is ignored for
Multipoint objects (it used for regions and polylines).
node_num is a positive integer value indicating which node to read.
Return Value
Float
Description
The ObjectNodeZ( ) function returns the z-value of a specific node from a region, polyline, or multipoint
object.
The polygon_num parameter must have a value of one or more. This specifies which polygon (if querying
a region) or which section (if querying a polyline) should be queried. Call the ObjectInfo( ) function to
determine the number of polygons or sections in an object. The ObjectNodeZ( ) function supports Multipoint objects and returns the z-coordinate of a specific node in a Multipoint object.

Reference

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The node_num parameter must have a value of one or more; this tells MapBasic which of the object's
nodes should be queried. You can use the ObjectInfo( ) function to determine the number of nodes in
an object.
If object does not support Z-values, or Z-value for this node is not defined, then an error is thrown.
Example
The following example queries the first graphic object in the table Routes. If the first object is a polyline,
the program queries z-coordinates and m-values of the first node in the polyline.
Dim i_obj_type As SmallInt,
z, m As Float
Open Table "routes"
Fetch First From routes
' at this point, the expression:
' routes.obj
' represents the graphical object that's attached
' to the first record of the routes table.
i_obj_type = ObjectInfo(routes.obj, OBJ_INFO_TYPE)
If i_obj_type = OBJ_PLINE Then
' ... then the object is a polyline...
z = ObjectNodeZ(routes.obj, 1, 1) ' read z-coordinate
m = ObjectNodeM(routes.obj, 1, 1) ' read m-value
End If
See Also:
Querying Map Objects, ObjectInfo( ) function

Objects Check statement

Purpose
Checks a given table for various aspects of incorrect data, or possible incorrect data, which may cause
problems and/or incorrect results in various operations. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Objects Check From tablename Into Table tablename
[ SelfInt [ Symbol Clause] ]
[ Overlap [ Pen Clause ] [ Brush Clause ] ]
[ Gap areavalue [ Units Units ] [ Pen Clause ] [ Brush Clause ] ] ]
tablename is a string representing the name of a table.
Clause is an expression.
Units is a value of an area.
areavalue is a value above which any potential gap, that is larger than this gap area value, is discarded
and not reported.

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Description
Objects Check will check the table designated in the From clause for various aspects of bad data which
may cause problems or incorrect results with various operations. Only region objects will be checked.
The region objects will be optionally checked for self-intersections, and areas of overlap and gaps.
Self-intersections may cause problems with various calculations, including the calculation for the area
of a region. They may also cause incorrect results from various object-processing operations, such as
combine, buffer, erase, erase outside, and split.
For any of these problems, a point object is created and placed into the output table. The output table
can be supplied through the Into Table clause. If no Into Table clause exists, the output data is placed
into the same table as the input table.
If the SelfInt option is included, then the table will be checked for self-intersections. Where found, point
objects are created using the style provided by the Symbol clause. By default, this is a 28-point red
pushpin.
Many region tables are designed to be boundary tables. The STATES.TAB and WORLD.TAB files provided
with the sample data are examples of boundary tables. In tables such as these, boundaries should not
overlap (for example, the state of Utah should not overlap with the state of Wyoming). The Overlap option
will check the table for places where regions overlap with other regions. Regions will be created in the
output table representing any areas of overlap. These regions will be created using the Brush clause
to represent the interior of the regions, and the Pen clause to represent the boundary of the regions.
By default, these regions are drawn with solid yellow interiors and thin black boundaries.
Gaps are enclosed areas where no region object currently exists. In a boundary table, most regions abut
other regions and share a common boundary. Just as there should be no overlaps between the regions,
there should also be no gaps between the regions. In some cases, these boundary gaps are legitimate
for the data. An example of this would be the Great Lakes in the World map, which separate parts of
Canada from the USA. Most gaps that are data problems occur because adjacent boundaries do not
have common boundaries that completely align. These gap areas are generally small.
To help weed out the legitimate gap areas, such as the Great Lakes, from problem gap areas, a Gap
areavalue is used. Any potential gap that is larger than this gap area is discarded and not reported. The
units that the Gap Area is in is presented by the Units clause. If the Units sub-clause is not present,
then the Gap Area value will be interpreted in MapBasic's current area unit.
Gaps will be presented using the Pen clause and Brush clause that follow the Gap keyword. By default,
these regions are drawn with blue interiors and a thin black boundary.
Example
This example will run Objects Check on the table called TestFile and store the results in the table called
DumpFile. It will also use the Overlap keyword and change the default Point and Polygon styles. The
Gap Area in this example is 100000.
objects check from TestFile into table Dumpfile
Selfint Symbol (67,16711680,28)
Overlap Pen (1,2,0) Brush (2,16776960,0)
100000 Units "sq mi" Pen (1,2,0) Brush (2,255,0)
See Also:
Objects Enclose statement

Reference

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Objects Clean statement

Objects Clean statement

Purpose
Cleans the objects from the given table, and optionally removes overlaps and gaps between regions.
The table may be the Selection table. All objects to be cleaned must be closed object types (for example,
regions, rectangles, rounded rectangles, or ellipses). You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Objects Clean From tablename
[ Overlap ]
[ Gap Area [ Unit Units ] ]
tablename is a string representing the name of a table.
Units is a value of an area.
Description
The objects in the input tablename are first checked for various data problems and inconsistencies, such
as self-intersections, overlaps, and gaps. Self-intersecting regions in the form of a figure 8 will be changed
into a region containing two polygons that touch each other at a single point. Regions containing spikes
will have the spike portion removed. The resulting cleaned object will replace the original input object.
If the Overlap keyword is included, then overlapping areas will be removed from regions. The portion
of the overlap will be removed from all overlapping regions except the one with the largest area.
Note: Objects Clean removes the overlap when one object is completely inside another. This is an
exception to the rule of "biggest object wins". If one object is completely inside another object,
then the object that is inside remains, and a hole is punched in the containing object. The result
does not contain any overlaps.
Gaps are enclosed areas where no region object currently exists. In a boundary table, most regions abut
other regions and share a common boundary. Just as there should be no overlaps between the regions,
there should also be no gaps between the regions. In some cases, both these boundary gaps and holes
are legitimate for the data. An example of this would be the Great Lakes in the World map, which separate
parts of Canada from the USA. Most gaps that are data problems occur because adjacent boundaries
do not have common boundaries that completely align. These gap areas are generally small.
To help weed out the legitimate gap areas, such as the Great Lakes, from problem gap areas, a Gap
Area is used. Any potential gap that is larger than this gap area is discarded and not reported. The units
of the Gap Area are indicated by the Units sub-clause. If the Units sub-clause is not present, then the
Gap Area value is interpreted in MapBasic's current area unit. Gaps that are found will be removed by
combining the area defining the gap to the region with the largest area that touches the gap. To help
determine a reasonable Gap Area, use the Objects Check statement. Any gaps that the Objects Check
statement flags will be removed with the Objects Clean statement.

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Example
Open Table "STATES.TAB" Interactive
Map From STATES
Set Map Layer 1 Editable On
select * from STATES
Objects Clean From Selection Overlap Gap 10 Units "sq m"
See Also:
Create Object statement, Objects Disaggregate statement, Objects Check statement

Objects Combine statement

Purpose
Combines objects in a table; corresponds to MapInfo Professional's Objects > Combine command.
You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Objects Combine
[ Into Target ]
[ Data column = expression [ , column = expression ... ] ]
column is a string representing the name of a column in the table being modified.
expression is an expression used to populate the column.
Description
Objects Combine creates an object representing the geographic union of the currently selected objects.
Optionally, Objects Combine can also perform data aggregation, calculating sums or averages of the
data values that are associated with the objects being combined.
The Objects Combine statement corresponds to MapInfo Professional's Objects > Combine menu
item. For an introduction to this operation, see the discussion of the Objects > Combine menu item in
the MapInfo Professional User Guide. To see a demonstration of the Objects Combine statement, run
MapInfo Professional, open the MapBasic window, and use the Objects > Combine command. Objects
involved in the combine operation must either be all closed objects (for example, regions, rectangles,
rounded rectangles, or ellipses) or all linear objects (for example, lines, polylines, or arcs). Mixed closed
and linear objects as well as point and text objects are not allowed.
The optional Into Target clause is only valid if an editing target has been specified (either by the user
or through the Set Target statement), and only if the target consists of one object. If you include the
Into Target clause, MapInfo Professional combines the currently-selected objects with the current target
object. The object produced by the combine operation then replaces the object that had been the editing
target.
If you include the Into Target clause, and if the selected objects are from the same table as the target
object, MapInfo Professional deletes the rows corresponding to the selected objects.
If you include the Into Target clause, and if the selected objects are from a different table than the target
object, MapInfo Professional does not delete the selected objects. If you omit the Into Target clause,
MapInfo Professional combines the currently-selected objects without involving the current editing target

Reference

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Objects Disaggregate statement

(if there is an editing target). The rows corresponding to the selected objects are deleted, and a new row
is added to the table, containing the object produced by the combine operation.
The Data clause controls data aggregation. (For an introduction to data aggregation, see the description
of the Objects > Combine operation in the MapInfo Professional User Guide.) The Data clause includes
a comma-separated list of assignments. You can assign any expression to a column, assuming the expression is of the correct data type (numeric, string, etc.).
The following table lists the more common types of column assignments:
Expression

Description

col_name = col_name

The column contents are not altered.

col_name = value

MapBasic stores the hard-coded value in the

column of the result object.

col_name = Sum( col_name )

Used only for numeric columns. The column in the

result object contains the sum of the column values
of all objects being combined.

col_name = Avg( col_name )

Used only for numeric columns. The column in the

result object contains the average of column values
of all objects in the group.

col_name = WtAvg( colname, wtcolname

)

Used only for numeric columns. MapInfo Professional performs weighted averaging, averaging all
of the col_name column values, and weighting the
average calculation based on the contents of the
wt_colname column.

The Data clause can contain an assignment for every column in the table. If the Data clause only includes
assignments for some of the columns, MapBasic assigns blank values to those columns that are not
listed in the Data clause. If you omit the Data clause entirely, but you include the Into Target clause,
then MapInfo Professional retains the target object's original column values.
If you omit both the Data clause and the Into Target clause, then the object produced by the combine
operation is stored in a new row, and MapInfo Professional assigns blank values to all of the columns
of the new row.
See Also:
Combine( ) function, Set Target statement

Objects Disaggregate statement

Purpose
Breaks an object into its component parts. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.

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Syntax
Objects Disaggregate [ Into Table name ]
[ All | Collection ]
[ Data column_name = expression [ , column_name = expression ... ]
name is a string representing the name of a table to store the disaggregated objects.
column_name is a string representing the name of a column in the table being modified.
expression is an expression used to determine what is placed into the column_name columns.
Description
If an object contains multiple entities, then a new object is created in the output table for each entity.
By default, any multi-part object will be divided into its atomic parts. A Region object will be broken down
into some number of region objects, depending on the All flag. If the All flag is present, then the Region
will produce a series of single polygon Region objects, one object for each polygon contained in the
original object. Holes (interior boundaries) will produce solid single polygon Region objects. If the All
flag is not present, then Holes will be retained in the output objects. For example, if an input Region
contains three polygons, and one of those polygons is a Hole in another polygon, then the output will be
two Region objects, one of which will contain the hole.
Multiple-section Polyline objects will produce new single-section Polyline objects. Multipoint objects will
produce new Point objects, one Point object per node from the input Multipoint.
Collections will be treated recursively. If a Collection contains a Region, then new Region objects will
be produced as described above, depending on the All switch. If the Collection contains a Polyline object,
the new Polyline objects will be produced for each section that exists in the input object. If a Collection
contains a Multipoint, then new Point objects will be produced, one Point object for each node in the
Mutlipoint. All other object types, including Points, Lines, Arcs, Rectangles, Rounded Rectangles, and
Ellipses, which are already single component objects, will be moved to the output unchanged.
If a Region contains a single polygon, it will be passed unchanged to the output. If a Polyline object
contains a single section, it will be passed unchanged to the output. If a Multipoint object contains a
single node, the output object will be changed into a Point object containing that node. Arcs, Rectangles,
Rounded Rectangles, and Ellipses will be passed unchanged to the output. Other object types, such as
Text, will not be accepted by the Objects Disaggregate statement, and will produce an error.
The Collection keyword will only break up Collection objects. If a Collection object contains a Region,
then that Region will be a new object on output. If a Collection object contains a Polyline, then that
Polyline will be a new object in the output. If a Collection object contains a Multipoint, then that Multipoint
will be a new object in the output. This differs from the above functionality since the output Region may
contain multiple polygons, the output Polyline may contain multiple segments. The functionality above
will never produce a Multipoint object.
With the Collection keyword, all other object types, including Points, Multipoints, Lines, Polylines, Arcs,
Regions, Rectangles, Rounded Rectangles, and Ellipses, will be passed to the output unchanged.
If no Into Table is provided, the currently editable table is used as the output table. The input objects
are taken from the current selection.

Reference

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Objects Enclose statement

The optional Data clause controls what values are stored in the columns of the target objects. The Data
clause can contain a comma-separated list of column assignments. Each column assignment can take
one of the forms listed in the following table:
Assignment

Effect

col_name = col_name

Does not alter the value stored in the column.

col_name = value

Stores a specific value in the column. If the column

is a character column, the value can be a string. If
the column is a numeric column, the value can be
a number.

col_name = Proportion( col_name )

Used only for numeric columns; reduces the number stored in the column in proportion to how much
of the object's area was erased.

The Data clause can contain an assignment for every column in the table. If the Data clause only specifies
assignments for some of the columns, blank values are assigned to those columns that are not listed in
the Data clause. If you omit the Data clause entirely, all columns are blanked out of the target objects,
storing zero values in numeric columns and blank values in character columns.
Example
Open Table "STATES.TAB" Interactive
Map From STATES
Set Map Layer 1 Editable On
select * from STATES
Objects Disaggregate Into Table STATES
See Also:
Create Object statement

Objects Enclose statement

Purpose
Creates regions that are formed from collections of polylines; corresponds to MapInfo Professional's
Objects > Enclose menu item. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Objects Enclose
[ Into Table tablename ]
[ Region ]
tablename is a string representing the name of the table you want to place objects in.

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Description
Objects Enclose creates objects representing closures linear objects (lines, polylines, and arcs). A new
region is created for each enclosed polygonal area. Input objects are obtained from the current selection.
Unlike the Objects Combine statement, the Objects Enclose statement does not remove the original
input objects. No data aggregation is done.
The optional Region clause allows closed objects (regions, rectangles, rounded rectangles, and ellipses)
to be used as input to the Objects Enclose statement. The input regions will be converted to Polylines
for the purpose of this operation. The effects are identical to first converting any closed objects to Polyline
objects, and then performing the Objects Enclose operation. All input objects must be linear or closed,
and any other objects (for example, points, multipoints, collections, and text) will cause the operation to
produce an error. If closed objects exist in the selection, and the Region keyword is not present, then
those objects will be ignored.
The Objects Enclose statement corresponds to MapInfo Professional's Objects > Enclose menu item.
For an introduction to this operation, see the discussion of the Objects > Enclose menu item in the
MapInfo Professional User Guide. To see a demonstration of the Objects Enclose statement, run
MapInfo Professional, open the MapBasic window, and use the Objects > Combine command.
The optional Into Table clause places the objects created by this command into the table. Otherwise,
the output objects are placed in the same table that contains the input objects.
Example
This will select all the objects in a table called testfile, performs an Objects Enclose and stores the
resulting objects in a table called dump_file.
select * from testfile
Objects Enclose Into Table dump_file
See Also:
Objects Check statement, Objects Combine statement

Objects Erase statement

Purpose
Erases any portions of the target object(s) that overlap the selection; corresponds to choosing Objects
> Erase. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Objects Erase Into Target
[ Data column_name = expression [ , column_name = expression ... ]
column_name is a string representing the name of a column in the table being modified.
expression is an expression used to determine what is erased from the column_name columns.
Description
The Objects Erase statement erases part of (or all of) the objects that are currently designated as the
editing target. Using the Objects Erase statement is equivalent to choosing MapInfo Professional's

Reference

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Objects Erase statement

Objects > Erase menu item. For an introduction to using Objects > Erase, see the MapInfo Professional
User Guide.
Objects Erase erases any parts of the target objects that overlap the currently selected objects. To
erase only the parts of the target objects that do not overlap the selection, use the Objects Intersect
statement.
Before you call Objects Erase, one or more closed objects (regions, rectangles, rounded rectangles,
or ellipses) must be selected, and an editing target must exist. The editing target may have been set by
the user choosing Objects > Set Target, or it may have been set by the MapBasic Set Target statement.
For each Target object, one object will be produced for that portion of the target that lies outside all cutter
objects. If the Target lies inside cutter objects, then no object is produced for output.
The optional Data clause controls what values are stored in the columns of the target objects. The Data
clause can contain a comma-separated list of column assignments.
Each column assignment can take one of the forms listed in the following table:
Assignment

Effect

col_name = col_name

MapBasic does not alter the value stored in the

column.

col_name = value

MapBasic stores a specific value in the column. If

it is a character column, the value can be a string;
if it is a numeric column, the value can be a number.

col_name = Proportion( col_name )

Used only for numeric columns; MapBasic reduces

the number stored in the column in proportion to
how much of the object's area was erased. So, if
the operation erases half of an area's object, the
object's column value is reduced by half.

The Data clause can contain an assignment for every column in the table. If the Data clause only specifies
assignments for some of the columns, MapBasic assigns blank values to those columns that are not
listed in the Data clause.
If you omit the Data clause entirely, MapBasic blanks out all columns of the target object, storing zero
values in numeric columns and blank values in character columns.
Example
In the following example, the Objects Erase statement does not include a Data clause. As a result,
MapBasic stores blank values in the columns of the target object(s). This example assumes that one or
more target objects have been designated, and one or more objects have been selected.
Objects Erase Into Target
In the next example, the Objects Erase statement includes a Data clause, which specifies expressions
for three columns (State_Name, Pop_1990, and Med_Inc_80). This operation assigns the string "area
remaining" to the State_Name column and specifies that the Pop_1990 column should be reduced in

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proportion to the amount of the object that is erased. The Med_Inc_80 column retains the value it had
before the Objects Erase statement. The target objects' other columns are blanked out.
Objects Erase Into Target
Data
State_Name = "area remaining",
Pop_1990 = Proportion( Pop_1990 ),
Med_Inc_80 = Med_Inc_80
See Also:
Erase( ) function, Objects Intersect statement

Objects Intersect statement

Purpose
Erases any portions of the target object(s) that do not overlap the selection; corresponds to choosing
Objects > Erase Outside. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Objects Intersect Into Target
[ Data column_name = expression [ , column_name = expression ... ] ]
column_name is a string representing the name of a column in the table being modified.
expression is an expression used to determine what is erased from the column_name columns.
Description
The Objects Intersect statement erases part or all of the object(s) currently designated as the editing
target. Using the Objects Intersect statement is equivalent to choosing MapInfo Professional's Objects
> Erase Outside menu item. For an introduction to using Objects > Erase Outside, see the MapInfo
Professional User Guide.
The optional Data clause controls what values are stored in the columns of the target objects. The Data
clause can contain a comma-separated list of column assignments. Each column assignment can take
one of the forms listed in the following table:
Assignment

Effect

col_name = col_name

MapBasic does not alter the value stored in the

column.

col_name = value

MapBasic stores a specific value in the column. If

the column is a character column, the value can
be a string; if the column is a numeric column, the
value can be a number.

col_name = Proportion( col_name )

Used only for numeric columns; MapBasic reduces

the number stored in the column in proportion to
how much of the object's area was erased. Thus,

Reference

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Objects Move statement

Assignment

Effect
if the operation erases half of the area of an object,
the object's column value is reduced by half.

The Data clause can contain an assignment for every column in the table. If the Data clause only specifies
assignments for some of the columns, MapBasic assigns blank values to those columns that are not
listed in the Data clause. If you omit the Data clause entirely, MapBasic blanks out all columns of the
target objects, storing zero values in numeric columns and blank values in character columns.
The Objects Intersect statement is very similar to the Objects Erase statement, with one important
difference: Objects Intersect erases the parts of the target objects(s) that do not overlap the current
selection, while the Objects Erase statement erases the parts of the target object. For each Target
object, a new object is created for each area that intersects a cutter object. For example, if a target object
is intersected by three cutter objects, then three new objects will be created. The parts of the target that
lie outside all cutter objects will be discarded. For more information, see Objects Erase statement.
Example
Objects Intersect Into Target
Data
Field2=Proportion(Field2)
See Also:
Create Object statement, Overlap( ) function, Objects Erase statement

Objects Move statement

Purpose
Moves the objects obtained from the current selection within the input table. You can issue this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Objects Move
Angle angle
Distance distance
[ Units unit ]
[ Type { Spherical | Cartesian } ]
angle is a value representing the angle to move the selected object.
distance is a number representing the distance to move the selected object.
unit is the distance unit of distance.
Description
Objects Move moves the objects within the input table. The source objects are obtained from the current
selection. The resulting objects replace the input objects. No data aggregation is performed or necessary,
since the data associated with the original source objects is unchanged.

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The object is moved in the direction represented by angle, measured from the positive X-axis (east) with
positive angles being counterclockwise, and offset at a distance given by the distance parameter. The
distance is in the units specified by unit parameter, if present. If the Units clause is not present, then
the current distance unit is the default. By default, MapBasic uses miles as the distance unit; to change
this unit, use the Set Distance Units statement.
The optional Type sub-clause lets you specify the type of distance calculation used to create the offset.
If Spherical type is specified, then the calculation is done by mapping the data into a Latitude/Longitude
On Earth projection and using distance measured using Spherical distance calculations. If Cartesian is
specified, then the calculation is done by considering the data to be projected to a flat surface and distances are measured using Cartesian distance calculations. If the Type sub-clause is not present, then
the Spherical distance calculation type is used. If the data is in a Latitude/Longitude Projection, then
Spherical calculations are used regardless of the Type setting. If the data is in a NonEarth Projection,
the Cartesian calculations are used regardless of the Type setting.
There are some considerations for Spherical measurements that do not hold for Cartesian measurements.
If you move an object that is in Lat/Long, the shape of the object remains the same, but the area of the
object will change. This is because you are picking one offset delta in degrees, and the actual measured
distance for a degree is different at different locations.
For the Offset functions, the actual offset delta is calculated at some fixed point on the object (for example,
the center of the bounding box), and then that value is converted from the input units into the coordinate
system's units. If the coordinate system is Lat/Long, the conversion to degrees uses the fixed point. The
actual converted distance measurement could vary at different locations on the object. The distance
from the input object and the new offset object is only guaranteed to be exact at the single fixed point
used.
Example
Objects Move Angle 45 Distance 100 Units "mi" Type Spherical
See Also:
Objects Offset statement

Objects Offset statement

Purpose
Copies objects, obtained from the current selection, offset from the original objects. You can issue this
statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Objects Offset
[ Into Table intotable ]
Angle angle
Distance distance
[ Units unit ]
[ Type { Spherical | Cartesian } ]
[ Data column = expression [ , column = expression ... ] ]
intotable is a string representing the table that the new values are copied to.

Reference

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Objects Offset statement

angle is a value representing the angle which to offset the selected objects.
distance is a number representing the distance to offset the selected objects.
unit is the distance unit of distance.
column is a string representing the column on which to perform the offset.
expression is an expression to calculate the offset for the column.
Description
Objects Offset makes a new copy of objects offset from the original source objects. The source objects
are obtained from the current selection. The resulting objects are placed in the intotable, if the Into clause
is present. Otherwise, the objects are placed into the same table as the input objects are obtained from
(for example, the base table of the selection).
The object is moved in the direction represented by angle, measured from the positive X-axis (east) with
positive angles being counterclockwise, and offset at a distance given by the distance parameter. The
distance is in the units specified by the unit parameter. If the Units clause is not present, then the current
distance unit is the default. By default, MapBasic uses miles as the distance unit; to change this unit,
use the Set Distance Units statement.
The optional Type sub-clause lets you specify the type of distance calculation used to create the offset.
If Spherical type is specified, then the calculation is done by mapping the data into a Latitude/Longitude
On Earth projection and using distance measured using Spherical distance calculations. If Cartesian is
specified, then the calculation is done by considering the data to be projected to a flat surface and distances are measured using Cartesian distance calculations. If the Type sub-clause is not present, then
the Spherical distance calculation type is used. If the data is in a Latitude/Longitude Projection, then
Spherical calculations are used regardless of the Type setting. If the data is in a NonEarth Projection,
the Cartesian calculations are used regardless of the Type setting.
If you specify a Data clause, the application performs data aggregation.
There are some considerations for Spherical measurements that do not hold for Cartesian measurements.
If you move an object that is in Lat/Long, the shape of the object remains the same, but the area of the
object will change. This is because you are picking one offset delta in degrees, and the actual measured
distance for a degree is different at different locations.
For the Offset functions, the actual offset delta is calculated at some fixed point on the object (for example,
the center of the bounding box), and then that value is converted from the input units into the coordinate
system's units. If the coordinate system is Lat/Long, the conversion to degrees uses the fixed point. The
actual converted distance measurement could vary at different locations on the object. The distance
from the input object and the new offset object is only guaranteed to be exact at the single fixed point
used.
Example
Objects Offset Into Table c:\temp\table1.tbl Angle 45 Distance 100 Units
"mi" Type Spherical
See Also:
Offset( ) function

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Objects Overlay statement

Purpose
Adds nodes to the target objects at any places where the target objects intersect the currently selected
objects; corresponds to choosing Objects > Overlay Nodes. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Objects Overlay Into Target
Description
Before you call Objects Overlay, one or more objects must be selected, and an editing target must exist.
The editing target may have been set by the user choosing Objects > Set Target, or it may have been
set by the MapBasic Set Target statement. For more information, see the discussion of Overlay Nodes
in the MapInfo Professional Reference.
See Also:
OverlayNodes( ) function, Set Target statement

Objects Pline statement

Purpose
Splits a single section polyline into two polylines. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Objects Pline Split At Node index
[ Into Table name ]
[ Data column_name = expression [ , column_name = expression ... ] ]
index is an integer of the index number of the node to split.
name is a string representing the name of the table to hold the new objects.
column_name is a string representing the name of the column where the new values are stored.
expression is an expression which is used to assign values to column_name.
Description
If an object is a single section polyline, then two new single section polyline objects are created in the
output table name. The Node index should be a valid MapBasic index for the polyline to be split. If Node
is a start or end node for the polyline, the operation is cancelled and an error message is displayed.

Reference

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Objects Snap statement

The optional Data clause controls what values are stored in the columns of the output objects. The Data
clause can contain a comma-delimited list of column assignments. Each column assignment can take
one of the forms listed in the following table:
Assignment

Effect

col_name = col_name

Does not alter the value stored in the column.

col_name = value

Stores a specific value in the column. If the column

is a character column the value can be a string; if
the column is a numeric column, the value can be
a number.

The Data clause can contain an assignment for every column in the table. If the Data clause specifies
assignments for only some of the columns, blank values are assigned to those columns that are not listed
in the Data clause.
If you omit the Data clause entirely, all columns are blanked out of the target objects, storing zero values
in numeric columns and blank values in character columns.
Example
In the following partial example, the selected polyline is split at the specified node (node index of 12).
The unchanged values from each record of the selected polyline are inserted into the new records for
the split polyline.
Objects Pline Split At Node 12 Into Table WORLD Data
Country=Country,Capital=Capital,Continent=Continent,Numeric_code=Numeric_
code,FIPS=FIPS,ISO_2=ISO_2,ISO_3=ISO_3,Pop_1994=Pop_1994,Pop_Grw_Rt=Pop_G
rw_Rt,Pop_Male=Pop_Male,Pop_Fem=Pop_Fem...
See Also:
ObjectLen( ) function, ObjectNodeX( ) function, ObjectNodeY( ) function, Objects Disaggregate
statement

Objects Snap statement

Purpose
Cleans the objects from the given table, and optionally performs various topology-related operations on
the objects, including snapping nodes from different objects that are close to each other into the same
location and generalization/thinning. The table may be the Selection table. All of the objects to be cleaned
must either be all linear (for example, polylines and arcs) or all closed (for example, regions, rectangles,
rounded rectangles, or ellipses). Mixed linear and closed objects cannot be cleaned in one operation,
and an error will result. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Objects Snap From tablename
[ Tolerance [ Node node_distance ] [ Vector vector_distance ]
[ Units unit_string] ]
[ Thin [ Bend bend_distance ] [ Distance spacing_distance ]

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[ Units unit_string ] ]
[ Cull Area cull_area [ Units unit_string ] ] ]
tablename is a string representing the name of the table of the objects to be checked.
node_distance is a number representing a radius around the end points nodes of a polyline.
vector_distance is a number representing a radius used for internal nodes of polylines.
bend_distance is a number representing the co-linear tolerance of a series of nodes.
spacing_distance is a number representing the minimum distance a series of nodes in the same object
can be to each other without being removed.
unit_string is a string representing the distance units to be used.
cull_area is a number representing the threshold area within which polygons are culled.
unit_string is a string representing the area units to be used.
Description
The objects from the input tablename are checked for various data problems and inconsistencies, such
as self-intersections. Self-intersecting regions in the form of a figure 8 will be changed into a region
containing two polygons that touch each other at a single point. Regions containing spikes have the
spike portion removed. The resulting cleaned object replaces the original input object. If any overlaps
exist between the objects they are removed. Removal of overlaps generally consists of cutting the
overlapping portion out of one of the objects, while leaving it in the other object. The region that contains
the originally overlapping section consists of multiple polygons. One polygon represents the non-overlapping portion, and a separate polygon represents each overlapping section.
The Node and Vector Tolerances values snap nodes from different objects together, and can be used
to eliminate small overlaps and gaps between objects. The Units sub-clause of Tolerances lets you
specify a distance measurement name (such as "km" for kilometers) to apply to the Node and Vector
values. If the Units sub-clause is not present, then the Node and Vector values are interpreted in
MapBasic's current distance unit. By default, MapBasic uses miles as the distance units; to change this
unit, use the Set Distance Units statement.
The Node tolerance is a radius around the end point nodes of a polyline. If there are nodes from other
objects within this radius, then one or both of the nodes will be moved such that they will be in the same
location (for example, they will be snapped together).
The Vector tolerance is a radius used for internal nodes of polylines. Its purpose is the same as the
Node tolerance, except it is used only for internal (non-end point) nodes of a polyline. Note that for Region
objects, there is no explicit concept of end point nodes, since the nodes form a closed loop. For Region
objects, only the Vector tolerance is used, and it is applied to all nodes in the object. The Node tolerance
is ignored for Region objects. For Polyline objects, the Node tolerance must be greater than or equal to
the Vector tolerance.
The Bend and Distance values can be used to help thin or generalize the input objects. This reduces
the number of nodes used in the object while maintaining the general shape of the object. The Units
sub-clause of Thin lets you specify a distance measurement name (such as "km" for kilometers) to apply
to the Bend and Distance values. If the Units sub-clause is not present, then the Bend and Distance
values are interpreted in MapBasic's current distance unit.

Reference

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Objects Split statement

The Bend tolerance is used to control how co-linear a series of nodes can be. Given three nodes, connect
all of the nodes in a triangle. Measure the perpendicular distance from the second node to the line connecting the first and third nodes. If this distance is less than the Bend tolerance, then the three nodes
are considered co-linear, and the second node is removed from the object.
The Distance tolerance is used to eliminate nodes within the same object that are close to each other.
Measure the distance between two successive nodes in an object. If the distance between them is less
than the Distance tolerance, then one of the nodes can be removed.
The Cull Area value is used to eliminate polygons from regions that are smaller than the threshold area.
The Units sub-clause of Cull lets you specify an area measurement name (such as "sq km" for square
kilometers) to apply to the Area value. If the Units sub-clause is not present, then the Area value is interpreted in MapBasic's current area unit. By default, MapBasic uses square miles as the area unit; to
change this unit, use the Set Area Units statement.
Note: For all of the distance and area values mentioned above, the type of measurement used is always
Cartesian. Please keep in mind the coordinate system that your data is in. A length and area
calculation in Longitude/Latitude calculated using the Cartesian method is not mathematically
precise. Ensure that you are working in a suitable coordinate system (a Cartesian system) before
applying the tolerance values.

Example
Open Table "STATES.TAB" Interactive
Map From STATES
Set Map Layer 1 Editable On
select * from STATES
Objects Snap From Selection Tolerance Node 3 Vector 3 Units "mi" Thin Bend
0.5 Distance 1 Units "mi" Cull Area 10 Units "sq mi"
See Also:
Create Object statement, Overlap( ) function

Objects Split statement

Purpose
Splits target objects, using the currently-selected objects as a "cookie cutter"; corresponds to choosing
Objects > Split. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Objects Split Into Target
[ Data column_name = expression [ , column_name = expression ... ]
column_name is a string representing the name of the column where the new values are stored.
expression is an expression which is used to assign values to column_name.

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Description
Use the Objects Split statement to split each of the target objects into multiple objects. Using Objects
Split is equivalent to choosing MapInfo Professional's Objects > Split menu item. For more information
on split operations, see the MapInfo Professional Reference.
Before you call Objects Split, one or more closed objects (regions, rectangles, rounded rectangles, or
ellipses) must be selected, and an editing target must exist. The editing target may have been set by
the user choosing Objects > Set Target, or it may have been set by the MapBasic Set Target statement.
For each target object, a new object is created for each area that intersects a cutter object. For example,
if a target object is intersected by three cutter objects, then three new objects will be created. In addition,
a single object will be created for all parts of the target object that lie outside all cutter objects. This is
equivalent to performing both an Objects Erase statement and an Objects Intersect statement (Objects
> Erase Outside).
The optional Data clause controls what values are stored in the columns of the target objects. The Data
clause can contain a comma-separated list of column assignments. Each column assignment can take
one of the forms listed in the following table:
Assignment

Effect

col_name = col_name

MapBasic does not alter the value stored in the

column; each object resulting from the split operation retains the original column value.

col_name = value

MapBasic stores a specific value in the column. If

the column is a character column, the value can
be a string; if the column is a numeric column, the
value can be a number. Each object resulting from
the split operation retains the specified value.

col_name = Proportion( col_name )

Used only for numeric columns; MapInfo Professional divides the original target object's column
value among the graphical objects resulting from
the split. Each object receives "part of" the original
column value, with larger objects receiving larger
portions of the numeric values.

The Data clause can contain an assignment for every column in the table. If the Data clause only specifies
assignments for some of the columns, MapBasic assigns blank values to those columns that are not
listed in the Data clause.
If you omit the Data clause entirely, MapBasic blanks out all columns of the target objects, storing zero
values in numeric columns and blank values in character columns.
Example
In the following example, the Objects Split statement does not include a Data clause. As a result,
MapBasic stores blank values in the columns of the target object(s).
Objects Split Into Target

Reference

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Offset( ) function
In the next example, the statement includes a Data clause, which specifies expressions for three columns
(State_Name, Pop_1990, and Med_Inc_80). This first part of the Data clause assigns the string "subdivision" to the State_Name column; as a result, "sub-division" will be stored in the State_Name column
of each object produced by the split. The next part of the Data clause specifies that the target object's
original Pop_1990 value should be divided among the objects produced by the split. The third part of
the Data clause specifies that each of the new objects should retain the original value from the Med_Inc_80
column.
Objects Split Into Target
Data
State_Name = "sub-division",
Pop_1990 = Proportion( Pop_1990 ),
Med_Inc_80 = Med_Inc_80
See Also:
Alter Object statement

Offset( ) function
Purpose
Returns a copy of the input object offset by the specified distance and angle. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Offset( object, angle, distance, units )
object is the object being offset.
angle is the angle to offset the object.
distance is a number representing the distance to offset the object.
units is a string representing the unit in which to measure distance.
Return Value
Object
Description
Offset( ) produces a new object that is a copy of the input object offset by distance along angle (in degrees
with horizontal in the positive X-axis being 0 and positive being counterclockwise). The units string,
similar to that used for the ObjectLen( ) function or Perimeter( ) function, is the unit for the distance
value. The distance type used is Spherical unless the Coordinate System is NonEarth. For NonEarth,
Cartesian distance type is automatically used. The coordinate system used is the coordinate system of
the input object.
There are some considerations for Spherical measurements that do not hold for Cartesian measurements.
If you move an object that is in Lat/Long, the shape of the object remains the same, but the area of the
object will change. This is because you are picking one offset delta in degrees, and the actual measured
distance for a degree is different at different locations.

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For the Offset functions, the actual offset delta is calculated at some fixed point on the object (for example,
the center of the bounding box), and then that value is converted from the input units into the coordinate
system's units. If the coordinate system is Lat/Long, the conversion to degrees uses the fixed point. The
actual converted distance measurement could vary at different locations on the object. The distance
from the input object and the new offset object is only guaranteed to be exact at the single fixed point
used.
Example
Offset(Rect, 45, 100, "mi")
See Also:
Objects Offset statement, OffsetXY( ) function

OffsetXY( ) function
Purpose
Returns a copy of the input object offset by the specified X and Y offset values. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
OffsetXY( object, xoffset, yoffset, units )
object is the object being offset.
xoffset and yoffset are numbers representing the distance along the x and y axes to offset the object.
units is a string representing the unit in which to measure distance.
Return Value
Object
Description
OffsetXY( ) produces a new object that is a copy of the input object offset by xoffset along the X-axis
and yoffset along the Y-axis. The units string, similar to that used for the ObjectLen( ) function or
Perimeter( ) function, is the unit for the distance values. The distance type used is Spherical unless
the coordinate system is NonEarth. For NonEarth, the Cartesian distance type is automatically used.
The coordinate system used is the coordinate system of the input object.
There are some considerations for Spherical measurements that do not hold for Cartesian measurements.
If you move an object that is in Lat/Long, the shape of the object remains the same, but the area of the
object will change. This is because you are picking one offset delta in degrees, and the actual measured
distance for a degree is different at different locations.
For the Offset functions, the actual offset delta is calculated at some fixed point on the object (for example,
the center of the bounding box), and then that value is converted from the input units into the coordinate
system's units. If the coordinate system is Lat/Long, the conversion to degrees uses the fixed point. The
actual converted distance measurement could vary at different locations on the object. The distance

Reference

467

OnError statement
from the input object and the new offset object is only guaranteed to be exact at the single fixed point
used.
Example
OffsetXY(Rect, 92, -22, "mi")
See Also:
Offset( ) function

OnError statement
Purpose
Enables an error-handling routine.
Syntax
OnError Goto{ label | 0 }
label is a string representing a label within the same procedure or function.
Restrictions
You cannot issue an OnError statement through the MapBasic window.
Description
The OnError statement either enables an error-handling routine, or disables a previously enabled errorhandler. (An error-handler is a group of statements executed in the event of an error).
BASIC programmers should note that in the MapBasic syntax, OnError is a single word.
An OnError Goto label statement enables an error-handling routine. Following such an OnError statement, if the application generates an error, MapBasic jumps to the label line specified. The statements
following the label presumably correct the error condition, warn the user about the error condition, or
both. Within the error-handling routine, use a Resume statement to resume program execution.
Once you have inserted error-handling statements in your program, you may need to place a flow-control
statement (for example, Exit Sub statement or End Program statement) immediately before the error
handler's label. This prevents the program from unintentionally "falling through" to the error handling
statements, but it does not prevent MapBasic from calling the error handler in the event of an error. See
the example below.
An OnError Goto 0 statement disables the current error-handling routine. If an error occurs while there
is no error-handling routine, MapBasic displays an error dialog box, then halts the application.
Each error handler is local to a particular function or procedure. Thus, a sub procedure can define an
error handler by issuing a statement such as:
OnError Goto recover
(assuming that the same procedure contains a label called "recover" ). If, after executing the above
OnError statement, the procedure issues a Call statement to call another sub procedure, the "recover"
error handler is suspended until the program returns from the Call statement. This is because each label

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(for example, "recover") is local to a specific procedure or function. With this arrangement, each function
and each sub procedure can have its own error handling.
Note: If an error occurs within an error-handling routine, your MapBasic program halts.

Example
OnError GoTo no_states
Open Table "states"
OnError GoTo no_cities
Open Table "cities"
Map From cities, states
after_mapfrom:
OnError GoTo 0
'
' ...
'
End Program
no_states:
Note "Could not open table States... no Map used."
Resume after_mapfrom
no_cities:
Note "City data not available..."
Map From states
Resume after_mapfrom
See Also:
Err( ) function, Error statement, Error$( ) function, Resume statement

Open Connection statement

Purpose
Creates a connection to an external geocode or Isogram service provided by a MapMarker or Envinsa
server. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Open Connection
Service { Geocode [ MapMarker | Envinsa ] | Isogram }
URL URLstring
[ User name_string [ Password pwd_string ] ]
[ Interactive [ On | Off ] ]
into variable var_name
URLString is a string representing a valid URL. URLString must be a valid URL to a routing service if
you are specifying Isogram, or to a geocoding service if you are specifying Geocode.
name_string is a string representing the user name for an Envinsa or MapMarker installation.
pwd_string is a string representing the password corresponding to user_name.
var_name is a integer representing the variable which will hold the returned connection number.

Reference

469

Open Connection statement

Description
The Open Connection statement creates a connection to a Geocode or Isogram service. Each statement
must specify a service and provider to which the connection is being established. Since the Isogram
service is only provided by Envinsa no provider can be specified. If the service is Geocode and no service
provider is specified, Envinsa is assumed.
The Into variable keywords are required as var_name is the variable that holds the returned connection
number that is then passed to other statements, such as the Set Connection Geocode statement, the
Geocode statement, the Set CoordSys statement, and the Create Object Isogram statement.
Interactive determines whether a username/password dialog box is shown if and only if the credentials
passed in for authentication are not adequate. With Interactive specified to Off, no dialog box is displayed
and the command fails if the authentication fails. With Interactive specified as On, the dialog box appears
if the authentication fails.
The default for the command is Interactive Off. That is, if the Interactive keyword is not used at all, it
is the same as Interactive Off. However, if Interactive is specified, it is equivalent to Interactive On.
Examples
Note: All examples without the keyword MapMarker assume Envinsa.
The following example opens a geocoding connection without Interactive specified. Interactive is set
to Off by default.
Open Connection Into Variable CnctNum Service Geocode URL
"http://EnvinsaServices/LocationUtility/services/LocationUtility"
This example opens a geocode connection and specifies Interactive as On.
Open Connection Into Variable CnctNum Service Geocode URL
"http://EnvinsaServices/LocationUtility/services/LocationUtility"
Interactive On
This example opens a geocode connection with a server that requires authentication.
dim baseURLVariable as String
baseURLVariable = "http://EnvinsaServices/"
Open Connection Service Geocode URL baseURLVariable +
"LocationUtility/services/LocationUtility" User "geocodeuser" Password
"GeoMe" Into Variable CnctNum
This example opens an Isogram connection with a server that requires authentication.
dim baseURLVariable as String
baseURLVariable = "http://EnvinsaServices/"
Open Connection Service IsoGram URL baseURLVariable +
"Route/services/Route" User "isogramuser" Password "ISOMe" Into Variable
CnctNum
See Also:
Close Connection statement, Set Connection Geocode statement, Set Connection Isogram
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Open File statement

Purpose
Opens a file for input/output.
Syntax
Open File filespec
[ For { Input | Output | Append | Random | Binary } ]
[ Access { Read | Write | Read Write } ]
As [ # ] filenum
[ Len = recordlength ]
[ ByteOrder { LOWHIGH | HIGHLOW } ]
[ CharSet char_set ]
filespec is a string representing the name of the file to be opened.
filenum is an integer number to associate with the open file; this number is used in subsequent operations
(for example, Get statement or Put statement).
recordlength identifies the number of characters per record, including any end-of-line markers used;
applies only to Random access.
char_set is the name of a character set; see CharSet clause.
Restrictions
You cannot issue an Open File statement through the MapBasic window.
Description
The Open File statement opens a file, so that MapBasic can read information from and/or write information to the file.
In MapBasic, there is an important distinction between files and tables. MapBasic provides one set of
statements for using tables (for example, Open Table statement, Fetch statement, and Select statement) and another set of statements for using other files in general (for example, Open File, Get
statement, Put statement, Input # statement, Print # statement).
The For clause specifies what type of file i/o to perform: Sequential, Random, or Binary. Each type of
i/o is described below. If you omit the For clause, the file is opened in Random mode.
Sequential File I/O
If you are going to read a text file that is variable-length (for example, one line is 55 characters long, and
the next is 72 characters long, etc.), you should specify a Sequential mode: Input, Output, or Append.
If you specify the For Input clause, you can read from the file by issuing an Input # statement and a
Line Input # statement.
If you specify the For Output clause or the For Append clause, you can write to the file by issuing a
Print # statement and a Write # statement.

Reference

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Open File statement

If you specify For Input, the Access clause may only specify Read; conversely, if you specify For
Output, the Access clause may only specify Write.
Do not specify a Len clause for files opened in any of the Sequential modes.
Random File I/O
If the text file you are going to read is fixed-length (for example, every line is 80 characters long), you
can access the file in Random mode, by specifying the clause: For Random.
When you open a file in Random mode, you must provide a Len = recordlength clause to specify the
record length. The recordlength value should include any end-of-line designator, such as a carriage-return
line-feed sequence.
When using Random mode, you can use the Access clause to specify whether you intend to Read from
the file, Write to the file, or do both (Read Write). After opening a file in Random mode, use the Get
statement and the Put statement to read from, and write to, the file.
Binary File I/O
In Binary access, MapBasic converts MapBasic variables to binary values when writing, and converts
from binary values when reading. Storing numerical data in a Binary file is more compact than storing
Binary data in a text file; however, Binary files cannot be displayed or printed directly, as can text files.
To open a file in Binary mode, specify the clause: For Binary.
When using Binary mode, you can use the Access clause to specify whether you intend to Read from
the file, Write to the file, or do both (Read Write). After opening a file in Binary mode, use the Get
statement and the Put statement to read from, and write to, the file.
Do not specify a Len clause or a CharSet clause for files opened in Binary mode.
Controlling How the File Is Interpreted
The CharSet clause specifies a character set. The char_set parameter should be a string constant, such
as "WindowsLatin1". If you omit the CharSet clause, MapInfo Professional uses the default character
set for the hardware platform that is in use at run-time. Note that the CharSet clause only applies to files
opened in Input, Output, or Random modes. See CharSet clause for more information.
If you open a file for Random or Binary access, the ByteOrder clause specifies how numbers are stored
within the file.
If your application only runs on one hardware platform, you do not need to be concerned with byte order;
MapBasic simply uses the byte-order scheme that is "native" to that platform. However, if you intend to
read and write binary files, and you need to transport the files across multiple hardware platforms, you
may need to use the ByteOrder clause.
Examples
Open File "cxdata.txt" For INPUT As #1
Open File "cydata.txt" For RANDOM As #2 Len=42
Open File "czdata.bin" For BINARY As #3
See Also:

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Close File statement, EOF( ) function, Get statement, Input # statement, Open Table statement,
Print # statement, Put statement, Write # statement, CharSet clause

Open Report statement

Purpose
Loads a report into the Crystal Report Designer module. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Open Report reportfilespec
reportfilespec is a string representing a full path and file name for an existing report file.
See Also:
Create Report From Table statement

Open Table statement

Purpose
Opens a MapInfo Professional table for input/output. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Open Table filename [ As tablename ]
[ Hide ] [ ReadOnly ] [ Interactive ] [ Password pwd ]
[ NoIndex ] [ View Automatic ] [ DenyWrite ]
[ VMGrid | VMRaster | VMDefault ]
filename is a string which specifies which MapInfo table to open.
tablename is a string representing an "alias" name by which the table should be identified.
pwd is a string representing the database-level password for the database, to be specified when database
security is turned on. Applies to Access tables only.
VMGrid treats all VM GRD files as Grid Layers when opened.
VMRaster treats all VM GRD files as Raster Layers when opened.
VMDefault treats GRD as Raster or Grid depending on existence of RasterStyle 6 1 tag in TAB file.
Description
The Open Table statement opens an existing table. The effect is comparable to the effect of an enduser choosing File > Open and selecting a table to open. A table must be opened before MapInfo Professional can process that table in any way.
Note: The name of the file to be opened (specified by the filespec parameter) must correspond to a
table which already exists; to create a new table from scratch, use the Create Table statement.

Reference

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Open Table statement

The Open Table statement only applies to MapInfo tables; to use files that are in other formats,
use the Register Table statement and the Open File statement.
If the statement includes an As clause, MapInfo Professional opens the table under the "alias" table
name indicated by the tablename parameter, rather than by the actual table name. This affects the way
the table name appears in lists, such as the list that appears when a user chooses File > Close. Furthermore, when an Open Table statement specifies an alias table name, subsequent MapBasic table operations (for example, a Close Table statement) must refer to the alias table name, rather than the permanent table name. An alias table name remains in effect until the table is closed. Opening a table under
an alias does not have the effect of permanently renaming the table.
If the statement includes the Hide clause, the table will not appear in any dialog boxes that display lists
of open tables (for example, the File > Close dialog box). Use the Hide clause if you need to open a
table that should remain hidden to the user. If the statement includes the ReadOnly clause, the user is
not allowed to edit the table.
The optional Interactive keyword tells MapBasic to prompt the user to locate the table if it is not found
at the specified path. The Interactive keyword is useful in situations where you do not know the location
of the user's files. If the statement includes the NoIndex keyword, the MapInfo index will not be re-built
for an MS Access table when opened.
View Automatic is an optional clause to the Open Table statement that allows the MapInfo table,
workspace or application file associated with a hotlink object to launch in the currently running instance
of MapInfo Professional or start a new instance if none is running. If View Automatic is present, after
opening the table, MapInfo Professional will either add it to an existing mapper, open a new mapper, or
open a browser. This is especially useful with the HotLinks feature.
DenyWrite is an optional clause for MS Access tables only, If it is specified, other users will not be able
to edit the table. If another user already has read-write access to the table, the Open Table command
will fail.
Attempting to open two tables that have the same name
MapInfo Professional can open two separate tables that have the same name. In such cases, MapInfo
Professional needs to open the second table under a special name, to avoid conflicts. Depending on
whether the Open Table statement includes the Interactive keyword, MapBasic either assigns the
special table name automatically, or displays a dialog box to let the user select a special table name. \
For example, a user might keep two copies of a table called "Sites", one copy in a directory called 2006
(for example, "C:\2006\SITES.TAB") and another, perhaps newer copy of the table in a different
directory (for example, "C:\2005\SITES.TAB"). When the user (or an application) opens the first
Sites table, MapInfo Professional opens the table under its default name ("Sites"). If an application issues
an Open Table statement to open the second Sites table, MapInfo Professional automatically opens
the second table under a modified name (for example, "Sites_2") to distinguish it from the first table. Alternately, if the Open Table statement includes the Interactive clause, MapInfo Professional displays
a dialog box to let the user select the alternate name.
Regardless of whether the Open Table statement specifies the Interactive keyword, the result is that
a table may be opened under a non-default name. Following an Open Table statement, issue the function
call TableInfo(0, TAB_INFO_NAME) to determine the name with which MapInfo Professional opened
the table.

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Attempting to open a table that is already open
If a table is already open, and an Open Table As statement tries to re-open the same table under a new
name, MapBasic generates an error code. A single table may not be open under two different names
simultaneously.
However, if a table is already open, and then an Open Table statement tries to re-open that table without
specifying a new name, MapBasic does not generate an error code. The table simply remains open under
its current name.
Example
The following example opens the table STATES.TAB, then displays the table in a Map window. Because
the Open Table statement uses an As clause to open the table under an alias (USA), the Map window's
title bar will say "USA Map" rather than "States Map."
Open Table "States" As USA
Map From USA
The next example follows an Open Table statement with a TableInfo( ) function call. In the unlikely
event that a separate table by the same name (States) is already open when you run the program below,
MapBasic will open "C:STATES.TAB" under a special alias (for example, "STATES_2"). The TableInfo(
) function call returns the alias under which the "C:STATES.TAB" table was opened.
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Dim s_tab As String
Open Table "C:states"
s_tab = TableInfo(0, TAB_INFO_NAME)
Browse * From s_tab
Map From s_tab
See Also:
Close Table statement, Create Table statement, Delete statement, Fetch statement, Insert statement,
TableInfo( ) function, Update statement

Open Window statement

Purpose
Opens or displays a window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Open Window window_name
window_name is a string representing a window name (for example, Ruler) or window code (for example,
WIN_RULER).
Description
The Open Window statement displays an MapInfo Professional window. For example, the following
statement displays the statistics window, as if the user had chosen Options > Show Statistics Window.
Open Window Statistics

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Overlap( ) function
The following table lists the available window_name values:
window_name value

Window Description

Help

The Help window (WIN_HELP).

Info

The Info Tool window (WIN_INFO).

LayerControl

The Layer Control window (WIN_LAYER_CONTROL).

Legend

The Theme Legend window (WIN_LEGEND).

MapBasic

The MapBasic window. You also can refer to this window by its define code
from MAPBASIC.DEF (WIN_MAPBASIC).

Message

The Message window used by the Print statement (WIN_MESSAGE).

MoveMapTo

The Move Map To window (WIN_MOVE_MAP_TO).

Ruler

The Ruler tool window (WIN_RULER).

Statistics

The Statistics window (WIN_STATISTICS).

TableList

The Table List window (WIN_TABLE_LIST).

Note: The window IDs for Table List, Layer Control, and Move Map To are ignored by the Set Window
statement, WindowInfo( ) function, and WindowID( ) function.
You cannot open a document window (Map, Graph, Browse, Layout) through the Open Window statement. There is a separate statement for opening each type of document window (see the Map statement,
Graph statement, Browse statement, Layout statement, and Create Redistricter statement).
See Also:
Close Window statement, Print statement, Set Window statement

Overlap( ) function
Purpose
Returns an object representing the geographic intersection of two objects; produces results similar to
MapInfo Professional's Objects > Erase Outside command. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Overlap( object1, object2 )
object1 is an object; it cannot be a point or text object.
object2 is an object; it cannot be a point or text object.
Return Value
An object that is the geographic intersection of object1 and object2.

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Description
The Overlap( ) function calculates the geographic intersection of two objects (the area covered by both
objects), and returns an object representing that intersection.
MapBasic retains all styles (color, etc.) of the original object1 parameter; then, if necessary, MapBasic
applies the current drawing styles.
If one of the objects is linear (for example, a polyline) and the other object is closed (for example, a region),
Overlap( ) returns the portion of the linear object that is covered by the closed object.
See Also:
AreaOverlap( ) function, Erase( ) function, Objects Intersect statement

OverlayNodes( ) function
Purpose
Returns an object based on an existing object, with new nodes added at points where the object intersects
a second object. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
OverlayNodes( input_object, overlay_object )
input_object is an object whose nodes will be included in the output object; it may not be a point or text
object.
overlay_object is an object that will be intersected with input_object; it may not be a point or text object.
Return Value
A region object or a polyline object.
Description
The OverlayNodes( ) function returns an object that contains all the nodes in input_object plus nodes
at all locations where the input_object intersects with the overlay_object.
If the input_object is a closed object (region, rectangle, rounded rectangle, or ellipse), OverlayNodes(
) returns a region object. If input_object is a linear object (line, polyline, or arc), OverlayNodes( ) returns
a polyline.
The object returned retains all styles (color, etc.) of the original input_object.
To determine whether the OverlayNodes( ) function added any nodes to the input_object, use the ObjectInfo( ) function to count the number of nodes (OBJ_INFO_NPNTS). Even if two objects do intersect,
the OverlayNodes( ) function does not add any nodes if input_object already has nodes at the points
of intersection.
See Also:
Objects Overlay statement

Reference

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Pack Table statement

Pack Table statement

Purpose
Provides the functionality of MapInfo Professional's Table > Maintenance > Pack Table command. You
can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Pack Table table { Graphic | Data | Graphic Data } [ Interactive ]
table is a string representing the name of an open table that does not have unsaved changes.
Description
To pack a table's data, include the optional Data keyword. When you pack a table's data, MapInfo Professional physically deletes any rows that had been flagged as "deleted."
To pack a table's graphical objects, include the optional Graphic keyword. Packing the graphical objects
removes empty space from the map file, resulting in a smaller table. However, packing a table's graphical objects may cause editing operations to be slower.
The Pack Table statement can include both the Graphic keyword and the Data keyword, and it must
include at least one of the keywords.
A Pack Table statement may cause map layers to be removed from a Map window, possibly causing
the loss of themes or cosmetic objects.
If you include the Interactive keyword, MapInfo Professional prompts the user to save themes and/or
cosmetic objects (if themes or cosmetic objects are about to be lost). This statement cannot pack linked
tables. Also, this statement cannot pack a table that has unsaved edits. To save edits, use the Commit
Table statement.
Note: Packing a table can invalidate custom labels that are stored in workspaces. Suppose you create
custom labels and save them in a workspace. If you delete rows from your table and pack the
table, you may get incorrect labels the next time you load the workspace. (Within a workspace,
custom labels are stored with respect to row ID numbers; when you pack a table, you change
the table's row ID numbers, possibly invalidating custom labels stored in workspaces.) If you
only delete rows from the end of the table (for example, from the bottom of the Browser window),
packing will not invalidate the custom labels.

Packing Access Tables

The Pack Table statement saves a copy of the original Microsoft Access table without the column types
that MapInfo Professional does not support. If a Microsoft Access table has MEMO, OLE, or LONG
BINARY type columns, those columns are lost during a pack.
Example
Pack Table parcels Data
See Also:

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Open Table statement

PathToDirectory$( ) function
Purpose
Returns only the specified file's directory. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
PathToDirectory$( filespec )
filespec is a string expression representing a full file specification.
Return Value
String
Description
The PathToDirectory$( ) function returns just the "directory" component from a full file specification.
A full file specification can include a directory and a filename. The file specification C:\MAPINFO\DATA\WORLD.TAB includes the directory "C:\MAPINFO\DATA\".
Example
Dim s_filespec, s_filedir As String
s_filespec = "C:\MAPINFO\DATA\STATES.TAB"
s_filedir = PathToDirectory$(s_filespec)
' s_filedir now contains the string "C:\MAPINFO\DATA\"
See Also:
PathToFileName$( ) function, PathToTableName$( ) function

PathToFileName$( ) function
Purpose
Returns just the file name from a specified file. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
PathToFileName$( filespec )
filespec is a string expression representing a full file specification.
Return Value
String

Reference

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PathToTableName$( ) function
Description
The PathToFileName$( ) function returns just the "filename" component from a full file specification.
A full file specification can include a directory and a filename. The PathToFileName$( ) function returns
the file's name, including the file extension if there is one.
The file specification C:\MAPINFO\DATA\WORLD.TAB includes a directory ("C:\MAPINFO\DATA\") and
a filename ("WORLD.TAB").
Example
Dim s_filespec, s_filename As String
s_filespec = "C:\MAPINFO\DATA\STATES.TAB"
s_filename = PathToFileName$(s_filespec)
' filename now contains the string "STATES.TAB"
See Also:
PathToDirectory$( ) function, PathToTableName$( ) function

PathToTableName$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string representing a table alias (such as "_2013_Data") from a complete file specification
(such as "C:\MapInfo\Data\2013 Data.tab"). You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
PathToTableName$( filespec )
filespec is a string expression representing a full file specification.
Return Value
String, up to 31 characters long.
Description
Given a full file name that identifies a table's .TAB file, this function returns a string that represents the
table's alias. The alias is the name by which a table appears in the MapInfo Professional user interface
(for example, on the title bar of a Browser window).
To convert a file name to a table alias, MapInfo Professional removes the directory path from the beginning
of the string and removes ".TAB" from the end of the string. Any special characters (for example, spaces
or punctuation marks) are replaced with the underscore character (_). If the table name starts with a
number, MapInfo Professional inserts an underscore at the beginning of the alias (this increases the
number of characters by 1, so if the table name is 30 characters adding an underscore makes it 31
characters in length). If the resulting string is longer than 31 characters, MapInfo Professional trims
characters from the end; aliases cannot be longer than 31 characters.

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Note that a table may sometimes be open under an alias that differs from its default alias. For example,
the following Open Table statement uses the optional As clause to force the World table to use the
alias "Earth":
Open Table "C:\MapInfo\Data\World.tab" As Earth
Furthermore, if the user opens two tables that have identical names but different directory locations,
MapInfo Professional assigns the second table a different alias, so that both tables can be open at once.
In either of these situations, the "default alias" returned by PathToTableName$( ) might not match the
alias under which the table is currently open. To determine the alias under which a table was actually
opened, call the TableInfo( ) function with the TAB_INFO_NAME code.
Example
Dim s_filespec, s_tablename As String
s_filespec = "C:\MAPINFO\DATA\STATES.TAB"
s_tablename = PathToTableName$(s_filespec)
' s_tablename now contains the string "STATES"
See Also:
PathToDirectory$( ) function, PathToFileName$( ) function, TableInfo( ) function

Pen clause
Purpose
Specifies a line style for graphic objects. You can use this clause in the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Pen pen_expr
pen_expr is a Pen expression, for example, MakePen( width, pattern, color )
Description
The Pen clause specifies a line stylein other words, a set of thickness, pattern, and color settings that
dictate the appearance of a line or polyline object.
The Pen clause is not a complete MapBasic statement. Various object-related statements, such as the
Create Line statement, let you include a Pen clause to specify an object's line style. The keyword Pen
may be followed by an expression which evaluates to a Pen value. This expression can be a Pen variable:
Pen pen_var
or a call to a function (for example, the CurrentPen( ) function or the MakePen( ) function) which returns
a Pen value:
Pen MakePen(1, 2, BLUE)
You can create an interleaved line style by adding 128 to the pattern value. The following example draws
a two (2) pixel cyan colored line using pattern 101 in an interleaved style (101+128=229):
Pen MakePen(2, 229, CYAN)

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Pen clause
With some MapBasic statements (for example, the Set Map statement), the keyword Pen can be followed
immediately by the three parameters that define a Pen style (width, pattern, and color) within parentheses:
Pen(1, 2, BLUE)
Some MapBasic statements take a Pen expression as a parameter (for example, the name of a Pen
variable), rather than a full Pen clause (the keyword Pen followed by the name of a Pen variable). The
Alter Object statement is one example.
The following table summarizes the components that define a Pen:
Component

Description

width

Integer value, usually from 1 to 7, representing the thickness of the line (in
pixels). To create an invisible line style, specify a width of zero, and use a
pattern value of 1 (one).
To specify a width using points, calculate the pen width from a point size
using the PointsToPenWidth( ) function. This calculation multiplies the
point size by 10 and then adds 10 to the result, so the pen width is always
larger than 10.

pattern

Integer value from 1 to 118; see table below. Pattern 1 is invisible.

To specify an interleaved line style, add 128 to the pattern. However, not all
patterns benefit from an interleaved line style.

color

Integer RGB color value; see RGB( ) function.

The available pen patterns appear in the figure below.

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Examples
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Dim cable As Object
Create Line
Into Variable cable
(73.5, 42.6) (73.67, 42.9)
Pen MakePen(1, 2, BLACK)
Apply line styles to a layer in a map as a layer style override: Pen width = 5 points; Line style B17 in line
style picker; penpattern = 66.
Set Map Window <windowid>
Layer 1 Display Global
Global Line (60,194,16711680)
' Interleave: 194 = 66 + 128
Set Map Window 234499920
Layer 1 Display Global
Global Line MakePen(PointsToPenWidth(5),66,16711680)
' 5 point line, non-interleaved
See Also:
Alter Object statement, CreateLine( ) function, Create Pline statement, CurrentPen( ) function,
IsPenWidthPixels( ) function, MakePen( ) function, PointsToPenWidth( ) function, PenWidthToPoints( ) function, RGB( ) function, Set Style statement

Reference

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PenWidthToPoints( ) function

PenWidthToPoints( ) function
Purpose
Returns the point size for a given pen width. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
PenWidthToPoints( penwidth )
penwidth is an integer greater than 10 representing the pen width.
Return Value
Float
Description
The PenWidthToPoints( ) function takes a pen width and returns the point size for that pen. The pen
width for a line style may be returned by the StyleAttr( ) function. The pen width returned by the
StyleAttr( ) function may be in points or pixels. Pen widths of less than ten are in pixels. Any pen width
of ten or greater is in points. PenWidthToPoints( ) only returns values for pen widths that are in points.
To determine if pen widths are in pixels or points, use the IsPenWidthPixels( ) function.
Example
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Dim CurPen As Pen
Dim Width As Integer
Dim PointSize As Float
CurPen = CurrentPen( )
Width = StyleAttr(CurPen, PEN_WIDTH)
If Not IsPenWidthPixels(Width) Then
PointSize = PenWidthToPoints(Width)
End If
See Also:
CurrentPen( ) function, IsPenWidthPixels( ) function, MakePen( ) function, Pen clause, PointsToPenWidth( ) function, StyleAttr( ) function

Perimeter( ) function
Purpose
Returns the perimeter of a graphical object. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Perimeter( obj_expr, unit_name )

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obj_expr is an object expression.
unit_name is a string representing the name of a distance unit (for example, "km").
Return Value
Float
Description
The Perimeter( ) function calculates the perimeter of the obj_expr object. The Perimeter( ) function is
defined for the following object types: ellipses, rectangles, rounded rectangles, and polygons. Other
types of objects have perimeter measurements of zero.
The Perimeter( ) function returns a length measurement in the units specified by the unit_name parameter; for example, to obtain a length in miles, specify "mi" as the unit_name parameter. See Set Distance
Units statement for the list of valid unit names.
The Perimeter( ) function returns approximate results when used on rounded rectangles. MapBasic
calculates the perimeter of a rounded rectangle as if the object were a conventional rectangle. For the
most part, MapInfo Professional performs a Cartesian or Spherical operation. Generally, a spherical
operation is performed unless the coordinate system is nonEarth, in which case, a Cartesian operation
is performed.
Example
The following example shows how you can use the Perimeter( ) function to determine the perimeter of
a particular geographic object.
Dim perim As Float
Open Table "world"
Fetch First From world
perim = Perimeter(world.obj, "km")
' The variable perim now contains
' the perimeter of the polygon that's attached to
' the first record in the World table.
You can also use the Perimeter( ) function within the Select statement. The following Select statement
extracts information from the States table, and stores the results in a temporary table called Results.
Because the Select statement includes the Perimeter( ) function, the Results table will include a column
showing each state's perimeter.
Open Table "states"
Select state, Perimeter(obj, "mi")
From states
Into results
See Also:
Area( ) function, ObjectLen( ) function, Set Distance Units statement

Reference

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PointsToPenWidth( ) function

PointsToPenWidth( ) function
Purpose
Returns a pen width for a given point size. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
PointsToPenWidth( pointsize )
pointsize is a float value in tenths of a point.
Return Value
SmallInt
Description
The PointsToPenWidth( ) function takes a value in tenths of a point and converts that into a pen width.
Example
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Dim Width As Integer
Dim p_bus_route As Pen
Width = PointsToPenWidth(1.7)
p_bus_route = MakePen(Width, 9, RED)
See Also:
CurrentPen( ) function, IsPenWidthPixels( ) function, MakePen( ) function, Pen clause, PenWidthToPoints( ) function, StyleAttr( ) function

PointToMGRS$( ) function
Purpose
Converts an object value representing a point into a string representing an MGRS (Military Grid Reference
System) coordinate. Only point objects are supported. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
PointToMGRS$( inputobject )
inputobject is an object expression representing a point.
Description
MapInfo Professional automatically converts the input point from the current MapBasic coordinate system
to a Long/Lat (WGS84) datum before performing the conversion to an MGRS string. However, by default,
the MapBasic coordinate system is Long/Lat (no datum); using this as an intermediate coordinate system

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can cause a significant loss of precision in the final output, since datumless conversions are much less
accurate. As a rule, the MapBasic coordinate system should be set to either Long/Lat (WGS84) or to
the coordinate system of the source data table, so that no unnecessary intermediate conversions are
performed. See Example 2 below.
Return Value
String
Examples
The following examples illustrate the use of both the MGRSToPoint( ) and PointToMGRS$( ) functions.
Example 1:
dim obj1 as Object
dim s_mgrs As String
dim obj2 as Object
obj1 = CreatePoint(-74.669, 43.263)
s_mgrs = PointToMGRS$(obj1)
obj2 = MGRSToPoint(s_mgrs)
Example 2:
Open Table "C:\Temp\MyTable.TAB" as MGRSfile
'
'
'
'

When using the PointToMGRS$( ) or MGRSToPoint( ) functions,

it is very important to make sure that the current MapBasic
coordsys matches the coordsys of the table where the
point object is being stored.

'Set the MapBasic coordsys to that of the table used

Set CoordSys Table MGRSfile
'Update a Character column (e.g. COL2) with MGRS strings from
'a table of points
Update MGRSfile
Set Col2 = PointToMGRS$(obj)
'Update two float columns (Col3 & Col4) with
'CentroidX & CentroidY information
'from a character column (Col2) that contains MGRS strings.
Update MGRSfile
Set Col3 = CentroidX(MGRSToPoint(Col2))
Update mgrstestfile ' MGRSfile
Set Col4 = CentroidY(MGRSToPoint(Col2))
Table MGRSfile
Close Table MGRSfile
See Also:
MGRSToPoint( ) function

Reference

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PointToUSNG$( ) function

PointToUSNG$( ) function
Purpose
Converts an object value representing a point into a string representing an USNG (United States National
Grid) coordinate. Only point objects are supported. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
PointToUSNG$(obj, datumid)
obj is an object expression representing the point to be converted. It must evaluate to a point object.
datumid is a numeric expression representing the datum id. It must evaluate to one of the following values.
DATUMID_NAD27 (62)
DATUMID_NAD83 (74)
DATUMID_WGS84 (104)
Note: DATUMID_* are defines in MapBasic.def. WGS84 and NAD83 are treated as equivalent.

Description
MapInfo Professional automatically converts the input point from the current MapBasic coordinate system
to a Long/Lat (WGS84 and NAD27) datum before performing the conversion to an USNG string. However,
by default, the MapBasic coordinate system is Long/Lat (no datum); using this as an intermediate coordinate system can cause a significant loss of precision in the final output, since datumless conversions
are much less accurate. As a rule, the MapBasic coordinate system should be set to either Long/Lat
(WGS84 and NAD27) or to the coordinate system of the source data table, so that no unnecessary intermediate conversions are performed.
Return Value
String
Example 1
The following example illustrates the use of USNGToPoint( ) and PointToUSNG$( ) functions.
dim obj1 as Object
dim s_USNG As String
dim obj2 as Object
obj1 = CreatePoint(-74.669, 43.263)
s_USNG = PointToUSNG$(obj1)
obj2 = USNGToPoint(s_USNG)
Example 2
Open Table "C:\Temp\MyTable.TAB" as USNGfile
' When using the PointToUSNG$( ) or USNGToPoint( ) functions,
' it is very important to make sure that the current MapBasic

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' coordsys matches the coordsys of the table where the
' point object is being stored.
'Set the MapBasic coordsys to that of the table used
Set CoordSys Table USNGfile
'Update a Character column (e.g. COL2) with USNG strings from
'a table of points
Update USNGfile
Set Col2 = PointToUSNG$(obj)
'Update two float columns (Col3 & Col4) with
'CentroidX & CentroidY information
'from a character column (Col2) that contains USNG strings.
Update USNGfile
Set Col3 = CentroidX(USNGToPoint(Col2))
Update USNGtestfile ' USNGfile
Set Col4 = CentroidY(USNGToPoint(Col2))
Table USNGfile
Close Table USNGfile
See Also:
USNGToPoint(string)

Print statement
Purpose
Prints a prompt or a status message in the Message window. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Print message
message is a string expression.
Description
The Print statement prints a message to the Message window. The Message window is a special window
which does not appear in MapInfo's standard user interface. The Message window lets you display
custom messages that relate to a MapBasic program. You could use the Message window to display
status messages ("Record deleted") or prompts for the user ("Select the territory to analyze."). To set
the font for the Message window, use the Set Window statement. A MapBasic program can explicitly
open the Message window through the Open Window statement.
If a Print statement occurs while the Message window is closed, MapBasic opens the Message window
automatically. The Print statement is similar to the Note statement, in that you can use either statement
to display status messages or debugging messages. However, the Note statement displays a dialog
box, pausing program execution until the user clicks OK. The Print statement simply prints text to a
window, without pausing the program. Each Print statement is printed to a new line in the Message

Reference

489

Print # statement
window. After you have printed enough messages to fill the Message window, scroll buttons appear at
the right edge of the window, to allow the user to scroll through the messages.
To clear the Message window, print a string which includes the form-feed character (code 12):
Print Chr$(12) 'This statement clears the Message window
By embedding the line-feed character (code 10) in a message, you can force a single message to be
split onto two or more lines. The following Print statement produces a two-line message:
Print "Map Layers:" + Chr$(10) + " World, Capitals"
The Print statement converts each Tab character (code 09) to a space (code 32).
Example
The next example displays the Message window, sets the window's size (three inches wide by one inch
high), sets the window's font (Arial, bold, 10-point), and prints a message to the window.
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF" ' needed for color name 'BLUE'
Open Window Message ' open Message window
Set Window Message
Font ("Arial", 1, 10, BLUE) ' Arial bold...
Position (0.25, 0.25) ' place in upper left
Width 3.0 ' make window 3" wide
Height 1.0 ' make window 1" high
Print "MapBasic Dispatcher now on line"
Note: The buffer size for message window text has been doubled to 8191 characters.
See Also:
Ask( ) function, Close Window statement, Note statement, Open Window statement, Set Window
statement

Print # statement
Purpose
Writes data to a file opened in a Sequential mode (Output or Append).
Syntax
Print # file_num [ , expr ]
file_num is the number of a file opened through the Open File statement.
expr is an expression to write to the file.
Description
The Print # statement writes data to an open file. The file must be open and in a sequential mode which
allows output (Output or Append).
The file_num parameter corresponds to the number specified in the As clause of the Open File statement.
MapInfo Professional writes the expression expr to a line of the file. To store a comma-separated list of
expressions in each line of the file, use the Write # statement instead of Print #.

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See Also:
Line Input statement, Open File statement, Write # statement

PrintWin statement
Purpose
Prints an existing window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
PrintWin [ Window window_id ][ Interactive ][ File output_filename ]
[ Overwrite ]
window_id is a window identifier.
output_filename is a string representing the name of an output file. If the output file already exists, an
error will occur, unless the Overwrite keyword is specified.
Description
The PrintWin statement prints a window.
If the statement includes the optional Window clause, MapBasic prints the specified window; otherwise,
MapBasic prints the active window.
The window_id parameter represents a window identifier; see the FrontWindow( ) function and the
WindowInfo( ) function for more information about obtaining window identifiers.
If you include the Interactive keyword, MapInfo Professional displays the Print dialog box. If you omit
the Interactive keyword, MapInfo Professional prints the window automatically, without displaying the
dialog box.
Examples
Example 1
Dim win_id As Integer
Open Table "world"
Map From world
win_id = FrontWindow( )
'
' knowing the ID of the Map window,
' the program could now print the map by
' issuing the statement:
'
PrintWin Window win_id Interactive
Example 2
PrintWin Window FrontWindow( ) File "c:\output\file.plt"
See Also:
FrontWindow( ) function, Run Menu Command statement, WindowInfo( ) function

Reference

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PrismMapInfo( ) function

PrismMapInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns properties of a Prism Map window. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
PrismMapInfo( window_id, attribute )
window_id is an integer window identifier.
attribute is an integer code, indicating which type of information should be returned.
Return Value
Float, logical, or string, depending on the attribute parameter.
Description
The PrismMapInfo( ) function returns information about a Prism Map window.
The window_id parameter specifies which Prism Map window to query. To obtain a window identifier,
call the FrontWindow( ) function immediately after opening a window, or call the WindowID( ) function
at any time after the window's creation.
There are several numeric attributes that PrismMapInfo( ) can return about any given Prism Map window.
The attribute parameter tells the PrismMapInfo( ) function which Map window statistic to return. The
attribute parameter should be one of the codes from the following table; codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.

492

Attribute

ID

Return Value

PRISMMAP_INFO_SCALE

Float result representing the PrismMaps scale factor.

PRISMMAP_INFO_BACKGROUND

Integer result representing the background color, see

RGB( ) function.

PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_X

Float result representing the x-coordinate of the light in

the scene.

PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_Y

Float result representing the y-coordinate of the Light in

the scene.

PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_Z

Float result representing the z-coordinate of the Light in

the scene.

PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_COLOR

Integer result representing the Light color, see RGB( )

function.

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_X

10

Float result representing the x-coordinate of the Camera

in the scene.

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Attribute

ID

Return Value

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_Y

11

Float result representing the y-coordinate of the Camera

in the scene.

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_Z

12

Float result representing the z-coordinate of the Camera

in the scene.

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_X

13

Float result representing the x-coordinate of the Cameras

FocalPoint in the scene.

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Y

14

Float result representing the y-coordinate of the Cameras

FocalPoint in the scene.

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Z

15

Float result representing the z-coordinate of the Camera's

FocalPoint in the scene.

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VU_1 16

Float result representing the first value of the ViewUp Unit

Normal Vector.

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VU_2 17

Float result representing the second value of the ViewUp

Unit Normal Vector.

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VU_3 18

Float result representing the third value of the ViewUp

Unit Normal Vector.

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_1 19

Float result representing the first value of the View Plane

Unit Normal Vector.

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_2 20

Float result representing the second value of the ViewPlane Unit Normal Vector.

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_3 21

Float result representing the third value of the ViewPlane

Unit Normal Vector.

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_NEAR

22

Float result representing the cameras near clipping plane.

PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_FAR

23

Float result representing the cameras far clipping plane.

PRISMMAP_INFO_INFOTIP_EXPR

24

String for Infotip. Not previously documented.

Example
This example prints out all the state variables specific to the PrismMap window:
include "Mapbasic.def"
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_SCALE: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_SCALE)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_BACKGROUND: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_BACKGROUND)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_UNITS: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_UNITS)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_X : " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_X )

Reference

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ProgramDirectory$( ) function
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_Y : " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_Y )
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_Z: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_Z)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_COLOR: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_COLOR)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_X: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_X)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_Y : " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_Y )
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_Z : " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_Z )
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_X: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_X)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Y: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Y)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Z: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Z)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VU_1: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VU_1)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VU_2: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VU_2)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VU_3: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VU_3)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_1: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_1)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_2: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_2)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_3: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_3)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_NEAR: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_NEAR)
Print "PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_FAR: " + PrismMapInfo(FrontWindow( ),
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_FAR)
See Also:
Create PrismMap statement, Set PrismMap statement

ProgramDirectory$( ) function
Purpose
Returns the directory path to where the MapInfo Professional software is installed. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ProgramDirectory$( )
Return Value
String

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Description
The ProgramDirectory$( ) function returns a string representing the directory path where the MapInfo
Professional software is installed.
Example
Dim s_prog_dir As String
s_prog_dir = ProgramDirectory$( )
See Also:
HomeDirectory$( ) function, SystemInfo( ) function

ProgressBar statement
Purpose
Displays a dialog box with a Cancel button and a horizontal progress bar.
Syntax
ProgressBar status_message
Calling handler
[ Range n ]
status_message is a string value displayed as a message in the dialog box.
handler is the name of a Sub procedure.
n is a number at which the job is finished.
Restrictions
You cannot issue the ProgressBar statement through the MapBasic window.
Description
The ProgressBar statement displays a dialog box with a horizontal progress bar and a Cancel button.
The bar indicates the percentage of completion of a lengthy operation. The user can halt the operation
by clicking the Cancel button. Following the ProgressBar statement, a MapBasic program can call
CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_DLG_OK) to determine whether the operation finished or whether the user
cancelled first (see below). Where CMD_INFO_DLG_OK (1).
The status_message parameter is a string value, such as "Processing data...", which is displayed in the
dialog box.
The handler parameter is the name of a sub procedure in the same MapBasic program. As described
below, the sub procedure must perform certain actions in order for it to interact with the ProgressBar
statement.
The n parameter is a number, representing the count value at which the operation will be finished. For
example, if an operation needs to process 7,000 rows of a table, the ProgressBar statement might
specify 7000 as the n parameter. If no Range n clause is specified, the n parameter has a default value
of 100.

Reference

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ProgressBar statement
When a program issues a ProgressBar statement, MapBasic calls the specified handler sub procedure.
The sub procedure should perform a small amount of processing, specifically a few seconds' worth of
processing at most, and then it should end. At that time, MapBasic checks to see if the user clicked the
Cancel button. If the user did click Cancel, MapBasic removes the dialog box, and proceeds with the
statements which follow the ProgressBar statement (and thus, the lengthy operation is never completed).
Alternately, if the user did not click Cancel, MapBasic automatically calls the handler sub procedure
again. If the user never clicks Cancel, the ProgressBar statement repeatedly calls the procedure until
the operation is finished.
The handler procedure must be written in such a way that each call to the procedure performs only a
small percent of the total job. Once a ProgressBar statement has been issued, MapBasic will repeatedly
call the handler procedure until the user clicks Cancel or until the handler procedure indicates that the
procedure is finished. The handler indicates the job status by assigning a value to the special MapBasic
variable, also named ProgressBar.
If the handler assigns a value of negative one to the ProgressBar variable (ProgressBar = -1) then
MapBasic detects that the operation is finished, and accordingly halts the ProgressBar loop and removes
the dialog box. Alternately, if the handler procedure assigns a value other than negative one to the ProgressBar variable (ProgressBar = 50) then MapBasic re-displays the dialog box's "percent complete"
horizontal bar, to reflect the latest figure of percent completion. MapBasic calculates the current percent
of completion by dividing the current value of the ProgressBar variable by the Range setting, n. For example, if the ProgressBar statement specified the Range clause Range 400 and if the current value
of the ProgressBar variable is 100, then the current percent of completion is 25%, and MapBasic will
display the horizontal bar as being 25% filled.
The statements following the ProgressBar statement often must determine whether the ProgressBar
loop halted because the operation was finished, or because the user clicked the Cancel button. Immediately following the ProgressBar statement, the function call CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_DLG_OK)
returns TRUE if the operation was complete, or FALSE if the operation halted because the user clicked
cancel. Where CMD_INFO_DLG_OK (1).
Example
The following example demonstrates how a procedure can be written to work in conjunction with the
ProgressBar statement. In this example, we have an operation involving 600 iterations; perhaps we
have a table with 600 rows, and each row must be processed in some fashion. The main procedure issues
the ProgressBar statement, which then automatically calls the sub procedure, write_out. The write_out
procedure processes records until two seconds have elapsed, and then returns (so that MapBasic can
check to see if the user pressed Cancel). If the user does not press Cancel, MapBasic will repeatedly
call the write_out procedure until the entire task is done.
Include "mapbasic.def"
Declare Sub Main
Declare Sub write_out
Global next_row As Integer
Sub Main
next_row = 1
ProgressBar "Writing data..." Calling write_out Range 600
If CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_STATUS) Then
Note "Operation complete! Thanks for waiting."
Else

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Note "Operation interrupted!"
End If
End Sub
Sub write_out
Dim start_time As Float
start_time = Timer( )
' process records until either (a) the job is done,
' or (b) more than 2 seconds elapse within this call
Do While next_row <= 600 And Timer( ) - start_time < 2
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
''' Here, we would do the actual work '''
''' of processing the file.
'''
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
next_row = next_row + 1
Loop
' Now figure out why the Do loop terminated: was it
' because the job is done, or because more than 2
' seconds have elapsed within this iteration?
If next_row > 600 Then
ProgressBar = -1 'tell caller "All Done!"
Else
ProgressBar = next_row 'tell caller "Partly done"
End If
End Sub
See Also:
CommandInfo( ) function, Note statement, Print statement

Proper$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a mixed-case string, where only the first letter of each word is capitalized. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Proper$( string_expr )
string_expr is a string expression.
Return Value
String
Description
The Proper$( ) function first converts the entire string_expr string to lower case, and then capitalizes
only the first letter of each word in the string, thus producing a result string with "proper" capitalization.
This style of capitalization is appropriate for proper names.
Example
Dim name, propername As String

Reference

497

ProportionOverlap( ) function
name = "ed bergen"
propername = Proper$(name)
' propername now contains the string "Ed Bergen"
name = "ABC 123"
propername = Proper$(name)
' propername now contains the string "Abc 123"
name = "a b c d"
propername = Proper$(name)
' propername now contains the string "A B C D"
See Also:
LCase$( ) function, UCase$( ) function

ProportionOverlap( ) function
Purpose
Returns a number that indicates what percentage of one object is covered by another object. You can
call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
ProportionOverlap( object1, object2 )
object1 is the bottom object, and it is a closed object.
object2 is the top object, and it is a closed object.
Return Value
A float value equal to AreaOverlap( object1, object2 ) / Area( object1 ).
Restrictions
ProporationOverlap( ) only works on closed objects. If both objects are not closed (such as points and
lines), then you may see an error message. Closed objects are objects that can produce an area, such
as regions (polygons).
See Also:
AreaOverlap( ) function

Put statement
Purpose
Writes the contents of a MapBasic variable to an open file.
Syntax
Put [ # ] filenum, [ position,] var_name
filenum is the number of a file opened through an Open File statement.

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position is the file position to write to (does not apply to sequential file access).
var_name is the name of a variable which contains the data to be written.
Description
The Put statement writes to an open file.
Note: If the Open File statement specified a sequential access mode (Output or Append), use the
Print # statement or the Write # statement instead of Put.
If the Open File statement specified Random file access, the Put statement's Position clause can be
used to indicate which record in the file to overwrite. When the file is opened, the file position points to
the first record of the file (record 1). If the Open File statement specified Binary file access, one variable
can be written at a time. The byte sequence written to the file depends on whether the hardware platform's
byte ordering; see the ByteOrder clause of the Open File statement. The number of bytes written depends on the variable type, as summarized below:
Variable Type

Storage In File

Logical

One byte, either 0 or non-zero.

SmallInt

Two byte integer

Integer

Four byte integer

Float

Eight byte IEEE format

String

Length of string plus a byte for a 0 string terminator

Date

Four bytes: Small integer year, byte month, byte

day

Other Variable types

Cannot be written.

The Position parameter sets the file pointer to a specific offset in the file. When the file is opened, the
position is initialized to 1 (the start of the file). As a Put is done, the position is incremented by the
number of bytes written. If the Position clause is not used, the Put simply writes to the current file position.
If the file was opened in Binary mode, the Put statement cannot specify a variable-length string variable;
any string variable used in a Put statement must be fixed-length. If the file was opened in Random mode,
the Put statement cannot specify a fixed-length string variable which is longer than the record length of
the file.
See Also:
EOF( ) function, Get statement, Open File statement, Print # statement, Write # statement

Randomize statement
Purpose
Initializes MapBasic's random number function. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

499

RasterTableInfo( ) function
Syntax
Randomize [ With seed ]
seed is an integer expression.
Description
The Randomize statement "seeds" the random number generator so that later calls to the Rnd( )
function produce random results. Without this statement before the first call to the Rnd( ) function, the
actual series of random numbers will follow a standard list. In other words, unless the program includes
a Randomize statement, the sequence of values returned by the Rnd( ) function will follow the same
pattern each time the application is run.
The Randomize statement is only needed once in a program and should occur prior to the first call to
the Rnd( ) function.
If you include the With clause, the seed parameter is used as the seed value for the pseudo-random
number generator. If you omit the With clause, MapBasic automatically seeds the pseudo-random
number generator using the current system clock. Use the With clause if you need to create repeatable
test scenarios, where your program generates repeatable sequences of "random" numbers.
Example
Randomize
See Also:
Rnd( ) function

RasterTableInfo( ) function
Purpose:
Returns information about a Raster or Grid Table. (WMS, Tile Server, and Seamless Raster tables not
supported).
Syntax:
RasterTableInfo( table_id, attribute )
table_id is a string representing a table name, a positive integer table number, or 0 (zero). The table
must be a raster or grid table.
attribute is an integer code indicating which aspect of the raster table to return.
Return Value
String, SmallInt, Integer or Logical, depending on the attribute parameter specified.
The attribute parameter can be any value from the table below. Codes in the left column (for example,
RASTER_TAB_INFO_IMAGE_NAME) are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.

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attribute code

ID

RasterTableInfo() returns

RASTER_TAB_INFO_IMAGE_NAME 1

String result, representing the image file name associated

with this raster table.

RASTER_TAB_INFO_WIDTH

Integer result, representing the width of the image, in pixels

RASTER_TAB_INFO_HEIGHT

Integer result, representing the height of the image, in

pixels

RASTER_TAB_INFO_IMAGE_TYPE 4

SmallInt result, representing the type of image:

IMAGE_TYPE_RASTER (0)
for raster images
IMAGE_TYPE_GRID (1)
for grid images

RAS5
TER_TAB_INFO_BITS_PER_PIXEL

SmallInt result, representing the number of bits/pixel for

the raster data

RASTER_TAB_INFO_IMAGE_CLASS 6

SmallInt result, representing the image class:

IMAGE_CLASS_PALETTE (2)
for palette images
IMAGE_CLASS_GREYSCALE (1)
for greyscale images
IMAGE_CLASS_RGB (3)
for RGB images
IMAGE_CLASS_BILEVEL (0)
for 2 color bilevel images

RASTER_TAB_INFO_NUM_CONTROL_POINTS

SmallInt result, representing the number of control points.

Use RasterControlPointInfo() and GeoControlPointInfo()
to get specific control points.

RASTER_TAB_INFO_BRIGHTNESS 8

SmallInt result, representing the brightness as a percentage (0-100%)

RASTER_TAB_INFO_CONTRAST

SmallInt result, representing the contrast of the image as

a percentage (0-100%)

RASTER_TAB_INFO_GREYSCALE 10

Logical result, representing if the image display should

display as greyscale instead of the default image mode

RASTER_TAB_INFO_DISPLAY_TRANSPARENT

Logical result, representing if the image should display

with a transparent color. If TRUE, RASTER_TAB_INFO_TRANSPARENT_COLOR represents
the color that will be made transparent.

Reference

11

501

RegionInfo( ) function
attribute code

ID

RasterTableInfo() returns

RASTER_TAB_INFO_TRANSPARENT_COLOR

12

Integer result, represent the color of the transparent pixels,

as BGR.

RASTER_TAB_INFO_ALPHA

13

SmallInt result, representing the alpha factor for the

translucency of the image (0-255)

See Also:
Create Grid statement, GetGridCellValue( ) function, GridTableInfo( ), IsGridCellNull( ) function

RegionInfo( ) function
Purpose:
This function was created to determine the orientation of points in polygonswhether they are ordered
clockwise, or counter-clockwise. The only attribute the function reports on is the 'direction' of the points
in a specified polygon. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax:
RegionInfo( object, REGION_INFO_IS_CLOCKWISE, polygon_num )
Where:
REGION_INFO_IS_CLOCKWISE

object refers to the object that is the subject of the function

REGION_INFO_IS_CLOCKWISE indicates whether the object is oriented in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. A parameter of 1 indicates that the object is oriented in a clockwise order.
polygon_num indicates the polygon that is the subject of the function when an object contains more than
one polygon.
Example:
If you were to select the state of Utah from States mapper and issued the following command in the
MapBasic window, you would get a result of F or False, since the nodes in the single region of Utah
are drawn in counter-clockwise order. Colorado's nodes are drawn in clockwise order and return T or
True.
print RegionInfo(selection.obj,1,1)

ReadControlValue( ) function
Purpose
Reads the current status of a control in the active dialog box.

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Syntax
ReadControlValue( id_num )
id_num is an integer value indicating which control to read.
Return Value
Integer, logical, string, Pen, Brush, Symbol, or Font, depending on the type of control
Description
The ReadControlValue( ) function returns the current value of one of the controls in an active dialog
box. A ReadControlValue( ) function call is only valid while there is an active dialog box; thus, you may
only call the ReadControlValue( ) function from within a dialog box control's handler procedure.
The integer id_num parameter specifies which control MapBasic should read. If the id_num parameter
has a value of -1 (negative one), the ReadControlValue( ) function returns the value of the last control
which was operated by the user. To explicitly specify which control you want to read, pass ReadControlValue( ) an integer ID that identifies the appropriate control.
Note: A dialog box control does not have a unique ID unless you include an ID clause in the Dialog
statement's Control clause. Some types of dialog box controls have no readable values (for
example, static text labels).
The table below summarizes what types of values will be returned by various controls. Note that special
processing is required for handling MultiListBox controls: since the user can select more than one item
from a MultiListBox control, a program may need to call ReadControlValue( ) multiple times to obtain
a complete list of the selected items.
Control Type

ReadControlValue( ) Return Value

EditText

String, up to 32,767 bytes long, representing the current contents of the text
box; if the EditText is tall enough to accommodate multiple lines of text, the
string may include Chr$(10) values, indicating that the user entered linefeeds (for example, in Windows, by pressing Ctrl+Enter).

CheckBox

TRUE if the check box is currently selected, FALSE otherwise.

DocumentWindow

Integer that represents the HWND for the window control. This HWND should
be passed as the parent window handle in the Set Next Document statement.

RadioGroup

SmallInt value identifying which button is selected (1 for the first button).

PopupMenu

SmallInt value identifying which item is selected (1 for the first item).

ListBox

SmallInt value identifying the selected list item (1 for the first, 0 if none).

BrushPicker

Brush value.

FontPicker

Font value.

PenPicker

Pen value.

Reference

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ReadControlValue( ) function
Control Type

ReadControlValue( ) Return Value

SymbolPicker

Symbol value.

MultiListBox

Integer identifying one of the selected items. The user can select one or more
of the items in a MultiListBox control. Since ReadControlValue( ) can only
return one piece of information at a time, your program may need to call
ReadControlValue( ) multiple times in order to determine how many items
are selected.
The first call to ReadControlValue( ) returns the number of the first selected
list item (1 if the first list item is selected); the second call will return the
number of the second selected list item, etc. When ReadControlValue( )
returns zero, the list of selected items has been exhausted. Subsequent calls
to ReadControlValue( ) then begin back at the top of the list of selected
items. If ReadControlValue( ) returns zero on the first call, none of the list
items are selected.

Error Conditions
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error is generated if an argument is outside of the valid range.
ERR_INVALID_READ_CONTROL (842) error is generated if the ReadControlValue( ) function is called
when no dialog box is active.
Example
The following example creates a dialog box that asks the user to type a name in a text edit box. If the
user clicks OK, the application calls ReadControlValue( ) to read in the name that was typed.
Declare Sub Main
Declare Sub okhandler
Sub Main
Dialog
Title "Sign in, Please"
Control OKButton
Position 135, 120 Width 50
Title "OK"
Calling okhandler
Control CancelButton
Position 135, 100 Width 50
Title "Cancel"
Control StaticText
Position 5, 10
Title "Please enter your name:"
Control EditText
Position 55, 10 Width 160
Value "(your name here)"
Id 23 'arbitrary ID number
End Sub
Sub okhandler
' this sub is called when/if the user
' clicks the OK control
Note "Welcome aboard, " + ReadControlValue(23) + "!"
End Sub

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See Also:
Alter Control statement, Dialog statement, Dialog Preserve statement, Dialog Remove statement

ReDim statement
Purpose
Re-sizes an array variable.
Syntax
ReDim var_name ( newsize ) [ , ... ]
var_name is a string representing the name of an existing local or global array variable.
newsize is an integer value dictating the new array size. The maximum value is 32,767.
Description
The ReDim statement re-sizes (or "re-dimensions") one or more existing array variables. The variable
identified by var_name must have already been defined as an array variable through a Dim statement
or a Global statement.
The ReDim statement can increase or decrease the size of an existing array. If your program no longer
needs a given array variable, the ReDim statement can re-size that array to have zero elements (this
minimizes the amount of memory required to store variables).
Unlike some BASIC languages, MapBasic does not allow custom subscript settings for arrays; a MapBasic
array's first element always has a subscript of one.
If you store values in an array, and then enlarge the array through the ReDim statement, the values you
stored in the array remain intact.
Example
Dim names_list(10) As String, cur_size As Integer
' The following statements determine the current
' size of the array, and then ReDim the array to
' a size 10 elements larger
cur_size = UBound(names_list)
ReDim names_list(cur_size + 10)
'
'
'
'

The following statement ReDims the array to a

size of zero elements. Presumably, this array
is no longer needed, and it is resized to zero
for the sake of saving memory.

ReDim names_list(0)
As shown below, the ReDim statement can operate on arrays of custom Type variables, and also on
arrays that are Type elements.
Type customer
name As String
serial_nums(0) As Integer
End Type

Reference

505

Register Table statement

Dim new_customers(1) As customer

' First, redimension the "new_customers" array,
' making it five items deep:
ReDim new_customers(5)
' Now, redimension the "serial_nums" array element
' of the first item in the "new_customers" array:
ReDim new_customers(1).serial_nums(10)
See Also:
Dim statement, Global statement, UBound( ) function

Register Table statement

Purpose
The Register Table statement turns a spreadsheet, database, text file, raster, or grid image into a
MapInfo Professional table. This statement checks a non-native file, for example, a dBASE file, and
builds a TAB file. Only then you can access the file as a MapInfo Professional table.
The Register Table statement does not change the non-native source file. It determines the data type
of the columns in the file, and creates the TAB file. To open the new table, you must use the Open Table
statement. Each file needs to be registered only once.
You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Register Table source_file {
Type NATIVE |
Type DBF [ Charset char_set ] |
Type ASCII [ Delimiter delim_char ] [ Titles ]
[ CharSet char_set ] |
Type WKS [ Titles ] [ Range range_name ] |
Type WMS Coordsys... |
Type WFS [ Charset char_set ] Coordsys... [ Symbol... ]
[ Linestyle Pen(...) ] [ Regionstyle Pen(...) Brush(...) ]
[Editable] |
Type XLS [ Titles ] [ Range range_name ] [ Interactive ] |
Type ACCESS Table table_name
[ Password pwd ] [ CharSet char_set ] |
Type ODBC
Connection { Handle connection_number | connection_string }
Toolkit toolkit_name
Cache { ON | OFF }
[ Autokey { ON | OFF } ]
Table SQLQuery
[ Versioned { ON | OFF } ]
[ Workspace Workspace_name ]
[ ParentWorkspace ParentWorkspace_name ]
[ Symbol... ] [ Linestyle Pen(...) ]
[ Regionstyle Pen(...) Brush(...) ] |
Type GRID | Type RASTER

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[ ControlPoints ( MapX1, MapY1 ) ( RasterX1, RasterY1 ),
( MapX2, MapY2 ) ( RasterX2, RasterY2 ),
( MapX3, MapY3 ) ( RasterX3, RasterY3 )
[ , ... ] ]
[ CoordSys... ] |
Type FME [ Charset char_set ]
CoordSys...
Format format_type
Schema feature_type
[ Use Color ]
[ Database ]
[ SingleFile ]
[ Symbol...]
[ Linestyle Pen(...) ]
[ Regionstyle Pen(...) Brush(...) ]
[ Font... ]
Settings string1 [ , string2 .. ] |
Type SHAPEFILE [ Charset char_set ] CoordSys auto
[ PersistentCache { ON | OFF } ]
[ Symbol...] [ Linestyle Pen(...) ]
[ Regionstyle Pen(...) Brush(...) ]
[ into destination_file ]
}
[ ReadOnly ]
source_file is a string that represents the name of an existing database, spreadsheet, text file, raster, or
grid image. If you are registering an Access table, this argument must identify a valid Access database.
char_set is the name of a character set; see CharSet clause. If not specified, then the system character
set is used.
delim_char specifies the character used as a column delimiter. If the file uses Tab as the delimiter,
specify 9. If the file uses commas, specify 44.
range_name is a string indicating a named range (for example, "MyTable") or a cell range (for example,
an Excel range can be specified as "Sheet1!R1C1:R9C6" or as "Sheet1!A1:F9").
table_name is a string that identifies an Access table.
pwd is the database-level password for the database, to be specified when database security is turned
on.
connection_number is an integer value that identifies an existing connection to an ODBC database.
connection_string is a string used to connect to a database server. See Server_ConnectInfo( ) function.
toolkit_name is "ODBC" or "ORAINET."
Workspace_name is the name of the current workspace in which the table will be operated. The name
is case sensitive.
ParentWorkspace_name is the name of parent workspace of the current workspace.
format_type formattype is a string that is used by FME to identify format that is opened.
feature_type specifies a featuretype (essentially schema name).
string1 [ , string2 .. ] are Safe Software FME-specific settings that vary depending upon the format and
settings options the user selects.

Reference

507

Register Table statement

auto use this option if the Shapefile dataset has a .PRJ file, rather than specifying the coordinate system
in the statement. If the .PRJ file does not exist or the coordinate system is not converted to a MapInfo
coordinate system, the command will fail and the application will post an error message.
destination_file specifies the name to give to the MapInfo table (.TAB file). This string may include a
path; if it does not include a path, the file is built in the same directory as the source file.
Description
Before you can use a non-native file (for example, a dBASE file) in MapInfo, you must register the file.
The Register Table statement tells MapInfo Professional to examine a non-native file (for example, FILENAME.DBF) and build a corresponding table file (filename.TAB). Once the Register Table operation
has built a table file, you can access the file as an MapInfo table.
The Register Table statement does not copy or alter the original data file. Instead, it scans the data,
determines the datatypes of the columns, and creates a separate table file. The table is not opened
automatically. To open the table, use an Open Table statement.
Note: Each data file need only be registered once. Once the Register Table operation has built the
appropriate table file, subsequent MapInfo Professional sessions simply Open the table, rather
than repeat the Register Table operation.
The Type clause specifies where the file came from originally. This consists of the keyword Type, followed
by one of the following character constants: NATIVE, DBF, ASCII, WKS, WMS, WFS, XLS, ACCESS,
ODBC, GRID, RASTER, FME, or SHAPEFILE. The other information is necessary for preparing certain
types of tables. If the type of file being registered is a grid, the coordsys string is read from the grid file
and a MapInfo .TAB file is created. If a raster file is being registered, the .TAB file that is generated is
the same as if the user selected "Display" when opening a raster image from the File > Open dialog
box.
If the type of file being registered is a GRID, the coordsys string is read from the grid file and a MapInfo
.TAB file is created. If a raster file is being registered, the .TAB file that is generated depends upon if
georegistration information can be found in the image file or associated World file.
The CharSet clause specifies a character set. The char_set parameter should be a string such as
"WindowsLatin1". If you omit the CharSet clause, MapInfo Professional uses the default character set
for the hardware platform that is in use at run-time. See CharSet clause for more information.
The Delimiter clause is followed by a string containing the delimiter character. The default delimiter is
a TAB. The Titles clause indicates that the row before the range of data in the worksheet should be
used as column titles. The Range clause allows the specification of a named range to use. The into
clause is used to override the table name or location of the .TAB file. By default, it will be named the
same as the data file, and stored in the same directory. However, when reading a read-only device such
as a CD-ROM, you need to store the .TAB file on a volume that is not read-only.
ControlPoints is optional, but can be specified if the type is Grid or Raster. If the ControlPoints keyword
is specified, it must be followed by at least 3 pairs of Map and Raster coordinates which are used to
georegister an image. If the ControlPoints are specified, they will override and replace any control
points associated with the image or an associated World file.
Interactive is optional for XLS, Grid, or Raster types. Specifying this for Grid or Raster types prompts
the user for any missing control point or projection information. Not specifying this generates a .TAB file

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without user input, as when the user selects "Display" when opening a raster image from the File > Open
dialog box. Interactive is not a valid parameter for registering shape (SHP) files.
Note: Specifying the Interactive keyword for the XLS type, instructs the interface to display the Set
Field Properties window when importing Excel files.
The CoordSys clause is required for WMS and Shapefiles, the compiler indicates an error if it is missing.
For other types, the CoordSys clause is optional. If CoordSys is specified, it overrides and replaces
any coordinate system associated with the image. This is useful when registering a raster image that
has an associated World file. For details, see CoordSys clause.
The Symbol clause sets the symbol style to use for a point object created from a shapefile, see Symbol
clause.
The LineStyle clause sets a line style for line object types.
The Pen clause sets the line style to use for a line object type created from a shapefile, see Pen clause.
The Regionstyle clause sets the line style and fill style for region object types created from a shapefile,
see the Pen clause and Brush clause.
If Autokey is set ON, the table is registered with key auto-increment option. If Autokey is set OFF or
this option is ignored, the table is registered without key auto-increment.
SQLQuery is the SQL query used to define the MapInfo table.
Versioned indicates if the table to be opened is a version-enabled (ON) table or not (OFF).
Use the Use and Color clauses to use color information from the dataset.
Use the Database clause to specifies if the referenced datasource is from a database.
Use the SingleFile clause to specify that the referenced datasource consist of a single file.
Setting PersistentCache to ON, saves .MAP and .ID files from open Shapefiles when closing a table.
Setting PersistentCache to OFF, deletes .MAP and .ID files when closing a table (they are generated
each time the table opens).
The ReadOnly clause indicates that the table cannot be edited.
Registering Access Tables
When you register an Access table, MapInfo Professional checks for a counter column with a unique
index. If there is already a counter column, MapInfo Professional registers that column in the .TAB file.
The column is read-only.
If the Access table does not have a counter column, MapInfo Professional modifies the Access table by
adding a column called MAPINFO_ID with the counter datatype. In this case, the counter column does
not display in MapInfo.
Note: Do not alter the counter column in any way. It must be exclusively maintained automatically by
MapInfo Professional.
Access datatypes are translated into the closest MapInfo datatypes. Special Access datatypes, such as
OLE objects and binary fields, are not editable in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

509

Register Table statement

Registering ODBC Tables
Before accessing a table live from a remote database, it is highly recommended that you first open a
map table (for example, CANADA.TAB) for the database table. If you don't open a map table, the entire
database table will be downloaded all at once, which could take a long time.
Open a map table and zoom in to an area that corresponds to a subset of rows you wish to see from
the database table. For example, if you want to download rows pertaining to Ontario, zoom in to Ontario
on the map. As a result, when you open the database table, only rows within the map window's MBR
(minimum bounding rectangle), in this case Ontario, will be downloaded.
The following is a list of known problems/issues with live access:
Every table must have a single unique key column.
FastEdit is not supported.
With MS ACCESS if the key is character, it does not display rows where the key value is less than the
full column width for example, if the key is char(5) the value 'aaaa' will look like a deleted row.
For Live Access, the ReadOnly checkbox on the save table dialog box is grayed out.
Changes made by another user are not visible until a browser is scrolled or somehow refreshed. Inserts
by another user are not seen until either: 1). An MBR search returns the row or 2). PACK command
is issued in addition if cache is on another users updates may not appear until the cache is invalidated
by a pan or zooming out.
There will be a problem if a client-side join (through the SQL Select menu item or MapBasic) is done
against two or more SPATIALWARE tables that are stored in different coordinate systems. This is not
an efficient thing to do (it is better to do the join in the SQL statement that defines the table) but it is a
problem in the current build.
Oracle 7 tables that are indexed on a decimal field larger than 8 bytes will cause MapInfo Professional
to crash when editing.
If the server is Oracle, Autokey is the indicator to tell if the new feature, key auto-increment, will be
used or not.
If the Cache OFF statement is before the connection string an error will be generated at compile time.
Registering Shapefiles
When you register shapefiles, they can be opened in MapInfo Professional with read-only access. Since
a shapefile itself does not contain projection information, you must specify a CoordSys clause. It is also
possible to set styles that will be used when shapefile objects are displayed in MapInfo Professional.
Projection and style information is stored as metadata in the TAB file.
Note: Interactive is not a valid parameter to use when registering SHP files.

Example: DBF
Register Table "c:\mapinfo\data\rpt23.dbf"
Type DBF
Into "Report23"
Open Table "c:\mapinfo\data\Report23"

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Example: ODBC
Open Table "C:\Data\CANADA\Canada.tab" Interactive
Map From Canada
set map redraw off
Set Map Zoom 1000 Units "mi"
set map redraw on
Register Table "odbc_cancaps"
TYPE ODBC
TABLE "Select * From schemaname.can_caps"
CONNECTION
DSN=dsnname;UID=username;PWD=password;DATABASE=dbname
SERVER=servername
Into
"D:\MI\odbc_cancaps.TAB"
Open Table "D:\MI\odbc_cancaps.TAB" Interactive
Map From odbc_cancaps
Example: RASTER
Registering a completely georeferenced raster image (the raster handler can return at least three control
points and a projection).
Register Table "GeoRef.tif" type RASTER into "GeoRef.TAB"
Registering a raster image that has an associated World file containing control point information, but no
projection.
Register Table "RasterWithWorld.tif" type RASTER coordsys earth projection
9, 62, "m", -96, 23, 29.5, 45.5, 0, 0 into "RasterWithWorld.TAB"
Registering a raster image that has no control point or projection information.
Register Table "NoRegistration.BMP" type RASTER controlpoints (1000,2000)
(1,2), (2000,3000) (2, 3), (5000,6000) (5,6) coordsys earth projection 9,
62, "m", -96, 23, 29.5, 45.5, 0, 0 into "NoRegistration.tab"
Example: SHAPEFILE
The following example registers a shapefile.
Register Table "C:\Shapefiles\CNTYLN.SHP" TYPE SHAPEFILE Charset
"WindowsLatin1" CoordSys Earth Projection 1, 33 PersistentCache Off
linestyle Pen (2,26,16711935) Into "C:\Temp\CNTYLN.TAB"
Open Table "C:\Temp\CNTYLN.TAB" Interactive
Map From CNTYLN
Example: ODBC
The following example creates a tab file and then opens the tab file.
Register Table "SMALLINTEGER" TYPE ODBC
TABLE "Select * From ""MIPRO"".""SMALLINTEGER"""
CONNECTION "SRVR=scout;UID=mipro;PWD=mipro "
toolkit "ORAINET"
Autokey ON
Into
"C:\projects\data\testscripts\english\remote\SmallIntEGER.TAB"
Open Table "C:\Projects\Data\TestScripts\English\remote\SmallIntEGER.TAB"
Interactive
Map From SMALLINTEGER

Reference

511

Register Table statement

The following example creates a tab file and then opens the tab file. This example uses a workspace.
Register Table "Gwmusa" TYPE ODBC
TABLE "Select * From ""MIUSER"".""GWMUSA"""
CONNECTION "SRVR=troyny;UID=miuser;PWD=miuser"
toolkit "ORAINET"
Versioned On
Workspace "MIUSER"
ParentWorkspace "LIVE"
Into "C:\projects\data\testscripts\english\remote\Gwmusa.tab"
Open Table "C:\Projects\Data\TestScripts\English\remote\Gwmusa.TAB"
Interactive Map From Gwmusa
Example: FME (Universal Data)
Register Table "D:\MUT\DWG\Data\africa_miller.DWG" Type FME
CoordSys Earth Projection 11, 104, "m", 0 Format "ACAD" Schema
"africa_miller" Use Color SingleFile Symbol (35,0,16) Linestyle Pen
(1,2,0) RegionStyle Pen (1,2,0) Brush (2,16777215,16777215)
Font
("Arial",0,9,0) Settings
"RUNTIME_MACROS","METAFILE,acad,_EXPAND_BLOCKS,yes,ACAD_IN_USE_BLOCK_HEAD
ER_LAYER,yes,ACAD_IN_RESOLVE_ENTITY_COLOR,yes,_EXPAND_VISIBLE,yes,_BULGES
_AS_ARCS,no,_STORE_BULGE_INFO,no,_READ_PAPER_SPACE,no,ACAD_IN_READ_GROUPS
,no,_IGNORE_UCS,no,_ACADPreserveComplexHatches,no,_MERGE_SCHEMAS,YES",
"META_MACROS","Source_EXPAND_BLOCKS,yes,SourceACAD_IN_USE_BLOCK_HEADER_LA
YER,yes,SourceACAD_IN_RESOLVE_ENTITY_COLOR,yes,Source_EXPAND_VISIBLE,yes,
Source_BULGES_AS_ARCS,no,Source_STORE_BULGE_INFO,no,Source_READ_PAPER_SPA
CE,no,SourceACAD_IN_READ_GROUPS,no,Source_IGNORE_UCS,no,Source_ACADPreser
veComplexHatches,no", "METAFILE","acad", "COORDSYS","", "IDLIST","" Into
"C:\Temp\africa_miller.tab"
Open table "C:\Temp\africa_miller.tab"
Map From "africa_miller"

Supporting Transaction Capabilities for WFS Layers

Syntax
Register Table source_file
{ Type NATIVE |
Type DBF [ Charset char_set ] |
Type ASCII [ Delimiter delim_char ][ Titles ][ CharSet char_set ] |
Type WKS [ Titles ] [ Range range_name ] |
Type WMS Coordsys...
Type WFS [ Charset char_set ] Coordsys... [ Symbol... ]
[ Linestyle Pen(...) ] [ Regionstyle Pen(...) Brush(...) ]
[Editable]
where:
Editable reflects the Allow Edits choice.
See Also:
Open Table statement, Create Table statement, Server Create Workspace statement, Server Link
Table statement

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Relief Shade statement

Purpose
Adds relief shade information to an open grid table. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Relief Shade
Grid tablename
Horizontal xy_plane_angle
Vertical incident_angle
Scale z_scale_factor
tablename is the alias name of the grid to which relief shade information is being calculated.
xy_plane_angle is the direction angle, in degrees, of the light source in the horizontal or xy plane. An
xy_plane_angle of zero represents a light source shining from due East. A positive angle places the light
source counterclockwise, so to place the light source in the NorthWest, set xy_plane_angle to 135.
incident_angle is the angle of the light source above the horizon or xy plane. An incident_angle of zero
represents a light source right at the horizon. An incident_angle of 90 places the light source directly
overhead.
z_scale_factor is the scale factor applied to the z-component of each grid cell. Increasing the
z_scale_factor enhances the shading effect by exaggerating the vertical component. This can be used
to bring out more detail in relatively flat grids.
Example
Relief Shade
Grid Lumens
Horizontal 135
Vertical 45
Scale 30

Reload Symbols statement

Purpose
Opens and reloads the MapInfo symbol file; this can change the set of symbols displayed in the Options
> Symbol Style dialog box. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax 1 (MapInfo 3.0 Symbols)
Reload Symbols
Syntax 2 (Bitmap File Symbols)
Reload Custom Symbols From directory

Reference

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RemoteMapGenHandler procedure
directory is a string representing a directory path.
Description
This statement is used by the SYMBOL.MBX utility, which allows users to create custom symbols.
Note: MapInfo 3.0 Symbols refers to the symbol set that came with MapInfo Professional for Windows
3.0 and has been maintained in subsequent versions of MapInfo Professional.
See Also:
Alter Object statement

RemoteMapGenHandler procedure
Purpose
A reserved procedure name, called when an OLE Automation client calls the MapGenHandler Automation
method.
Syntax
Declare Sub RemoteMapGenHandler
Sub RemoteMapGenHandler
statement_list
End Sub
statement_list is a list of MapBasic statements to execute when the OLE Automation client calls the
MapGenHandler method.
Description
RemoteMapGenHandler is a special-purpose MapBasic procedure name, which is invoked through
OLE Automation. If you are using OLE Automation to control MapInfo Professional, and you call the
MapGenHandler method, MapInfo Professional calls the RemoteMapGenHandler procedures of any
MapBasic applications that are running. The MapGenHandler method is part of the MapGen Automation
model introduced in MapInfo Professional 4.1.
The MapGenHandler Automation method takes one argument: a string. Within the RemoteMapGenHandler
procedure, you can retrieve the string argument by issuing the function call CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_MSG) and assigning the results to a string variable.
Example
For an example of using RemoteMapGenHandler, see the sample program MAPSRVR.MB.

RemoteMsgHandler procedure
Purpose
A reserved procedure name, called when a remote application sends an execute message.

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Syntax
Declare Sub RemoteMsgHandler
Sub RemoteMsgHandler
statement_list
End Sub
statement_list is a list of statements to execute upon receiving an execute message.
Description
RemoteMsgHandler is a special-purpose MapBasic procedure name that handles inter-application
communication. If you run a MapBasic application that includes a procedure named RemoteMsgHandler,
MapInfo Professional automatically calls the RemoteMsgHandler procedure every time another application (for example, a spreadsheet or database package) issues an "execute" command. The MapBasic
procedure then can call the CommandInfo( ) function to retrieve the string corresponding to the execute
command.
You can use the End Program statement to terminate a RemoteMsgHandler procedure once it is no
longer wanted. Conversely, you should be careful not to issue an End Program statement while the
RemoteMsgHandler procedure is still needed.
Inter-Application Communication Using Windows DDE
If a Windows application is capable of conducting a DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) conversation, that
application can initiate a conversation with MapInfo Professional. In the conversation, the external application is the client (active party), and a specific MapBasic application is the server (passive party).
Each time the DDE client sends an execute command, MapInfo Professional calls the server's RemoteMsgHandler procedure. Within the RemoteMsgHandler procedure, you can use the function call:
CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_MSG)
where:
CMD_INFO_MSG (1000)
to retrieve the string sent by the remote application. The DDE conversation must use the name of the
sleeping application (for example, "C:\MAPBASIC\DISPATCH.MBX") as the topic in order to facilitate
RemoteMsgHandler functionality.
See Also:
DDEExecute statement, DDEInitiate( ) function, SelChangedHandler procedure, ToolHandler
procedure, WinChangedHandler procedure, WinClosedHandler procedure

RemoteQueryHandler( ) function
Purpose
A special function, called when a MapBasic program acts as a DDE server, and the DDE client performs
a "peek" request. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

515

RemoteQueryHandler( ) function
Syntax
Declare Function RemoteQueryHandler( ) As String
Function RemoteQueryHandler( ) As String
statement_list
End Function
statement_list is a list of statements to execute upon receiving a peek request.
Description
The RemoteQueryHandler( ) function works in conjunction with DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange). For
an introduction to DDE, see the MapBasic User Guide. An external application can initiate a DDE conversation with your MapBasic program. To initiate the conversation, the external application uses
"MapInfo" as the DDE application name, and it uses the name of your MapBasic application as the DDE
topic. Once the conversation is initiated, the external application (the client) can issue peek requests to
request data from your MapBasic application (the server).
To handle peek requests, include a function called RemoteQueryHandler( ) in your MapBasic application.
When the client application issues a peek request, MapInfo Professional automatically calls the RemoteQueryHandler( ) function. The client's peek request is handled synchronously; the client waits
until RemoteQueryHandler( ) returns a value.
Note: The DDE client can peek at the global variables in your MapBasic program, even if you do not
define a RemoteQueryHandler( ) function. If the client issues a peek request using the name
of a MapBasic global variable, MapInfo Professional automatically returns the global's value to
the client instead of calling RemoteQueryHandler( ). In other words, if the data you want to expose is already stored in global variables, you do not need RemoteQueryHandler( ).

Example
The following example calls the CommandInfo( ) function to determine the item name specified by the
DDE client. The item name is used as a flag; in other words, this program decides which value to return
based on whether the client specified "code1" as the item name.
Function RemoteQueryHandler( ) As String
Dim s_item_name As String
s_item_name = CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_MSG)
If s_item_name = "code1" Then
RemoteQueryHandler = custom_function_1( )
Else
RemoteQueryHandler = custom_function_2( )
End If
End Function
See Also:
DDEInitiate( ) function, RemoteMsgHandler procedure

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Remove Cartographic Frame statement

Purpose
Allows you to remove cartographic frames from an existing cartographic legend created with the Create
Cartographic Legend statement. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Remove Cartographic Frame
[ Window legend_window_id ]
Id frame_id, frame_id, frame_id, ...
legend_window_id is an integer window identifier that you can obtain by calling the FrontWindow( )
function and the WindowID( ) function.
frame_id is the ID of the frame on the legend. You cannot use a layer name. For example, three frames
on a legend would have the successive IDs, 1, 2, and 3.
See Also:
Add Cartographic Frame statement, Alter Cartographic Frame statement, Create Cartographic
Legend statement, Set Cartographic Legend statement

Remove Designer Frame statement

Purpose
Allows you to remove legend frames from an existing Legend Designer window created with the Create
Designer Legend statement. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Remove Designer Frame
[ Window legend_window_id ]
Id frame_id, frame_id, frame_id, ...
legend_window_id is an integer window identifier that you can obtain by calling the FrontWindow( )
function and the WindowID( ) function.
frame_id is the ID of the frame on the legend. You cannot use a layer name. For example, three frames
on a legend would have the successive IDs, 1, 2, and 3.
See Also:
Add Designer Frame statement, Alter Designer Frame statement, Create Designer Legend statement, Set Designer Legend statement

Remove Designer Text statement

TheRemove Designer Text statement removes text frames from a Legend Designer window. You can
issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

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Remove Map statement

Syntax
Remove Designer Text
[ Window legend_window_id ]
[ ID textframe_id [, textframe_id] . . .]
legend_window_id is an integer window identifier that you can obtain by calling the FrontWindow( )
function and WindowID( ) function.
textframe_id is the unique identifier for a text frame (not a legend frame) in the Legend Designer window.
Use a comma to seperate multiple IDs.
Description
ID specify the IDs for the text frames to remove.
Example
Remove Designer Text Window frontwindow()
ID 1, 2, 4
See Also:
Create Designer Legend statement, Add Designer Text statement, Alter Designer Text statement

Remove Map statement

Purpose
Removes one or more layers from a Map window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Remove Map [ Window window_id ]
Layer map_layer [ , map_layer ... ] |
GroupLayer group_id [ , group_id ... ]
[ Interactive ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window; to obtain a window identifier, call the
FrontWindow( ) function or the WindowID( ) function.
map_layer specifies which map layer(s) to remove; see examples below.
Description
The Remove Map statement removes one or more layers or group layers from a Map window. If no
window_id is provided, the statement affects the topmost Map window.
The group_id can be an integer greater than zero to denote a specific group in the map, or the name of
a group layer. If it is the name of a group layer, the first group layer in the list from the top down with the
same name will be removed. Since the map_layer also refers to a unique identifier it can refer to a map
layer in any group. But to remove an entire group, and all of its nested groups, use the GroupLayer

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clause.The map_layer parameter can be an integer greater than zero, a string containing the name of
a table, or the keyword Animate, as summarized in the following table.
Examples

Descriptions of Examples

Remove Map Layer 1

If you specify "1" (one) as the map_layer parameter,

the top map layer (other than the Cosmetic layer)
is removed. Specify "1, 2" to remove the top two
layers.
Example:
Remove Map GroupLayer 1
This removes the first group layer in the list.

Remove Map Layer "Zones"

The Zones layer is removed (assuming that one of

the layers in the map is named "Zones").

Remove Map Layer "Zones(1)"

The first thematic layer based on the Zones layer

is removed.

Remove Map Layer Animate

The animation layer is removed. To learn how to

add an animation layer, see Add Map statement.

If you include the Interactive keyword, and if the layer removal will cause the loss of labels or themes,
MapInfo Professional displays a dialog box that allows the user to save (a workspace), discard the labels
and themes, or cancel the layer removal. If you omit the Interactive keyword, the user is not prompted.
A Remove Map statement does not close any tables; it only affects the number of layers displayed in
the Map window. If a Remove Map statement removes the last non-cosmetic layer in a Map window,
MapInfo Professional automatically closes the window.
See Also:
Create Map statement, Map statement, Set Map statement

Rename File statement

Purpose
Changes the name of a file. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Rename File old_filespec As new_filespec
old_filespec is a string representing an existing file's name (and, optionally, path); the file must not be
open.
new_filespec is a string representing the new name (and, optionally, path) for the file.

Reference

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Rename Table statement

Description
The Rename File statement renames a file.
The new_filespec parameter specifies the file's new name. If new_filespec contains a directory path that
differs from the file's original location, MapInfo Professional moves the file to the specified directory.
Example
Rename File "startup.wor" As "startup.bak"
See Also:
Rename File statement, Save File statement

Rename Table statement

Purpose
Changes the names (and, optionally, the location) of the files that make up a table. You can issue this
statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Rename Table table As newtablespec
table is the name of an open table.
newtablespec is the new name (and, optionally, path) for the table.
Description
The Rename Table statement assigns a new name to an open table.
The newtablespec parameter specifies the table's new name. If newtablespec contains a directory name,
MapBasic attempts to move the table to the specified directory in addition to renaming the table. The
Rename Table statement renames the physical files which comprise a table. This effect is permanent
(unless/until another Rename Table statement is issued).
Note: This action can invalidate existing workspaces. Any workspaces created before the renaming
operation will refer to the table by its previous, no-longer-applicable name.
Do not use the Rename Table statement to assign a temporary, working table name. If you need to
assign a temporary name, use the Open Table statement's optional As clause.
The Rename Table statement cannot rename a table that is actually a "view." For example, a StreetInfo
table (such as SF_STRTS) is actually a view, combining two other tables (SF_STRT1 and SF_STRT2).
You could not rename the SF_STRTS table by calling Rename Table. You cannot rename temporary
query tables (for example, QUERY1). You cannot rename tables that have unsaved edits; if a table has
unsaved edits, you must either save or discard the edits ( or Rollback) before renaming.

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Example
The following example renames the table casanfra as sf_hiway.
Open Table "C:\DATA\CASANFRA.TAB"
Rename Table CASANFRA As "SF_HIWAY.TAB"
The following example renames a table and moves it to a different directory path.
Open Table "C:\DATA\CASANFRA.TAB"
Rename Table CASANFRA As "c:\MAPINFO\SF_HIWAY"
See Also:
Close Table statement, Drop Table statement

Reproject statement
Purpose
Allows you to specify which columns should appear the next time a table is browsed. This statement
has been deprecated.

Resume statement
Purpose
Returns from an OnError error handler.
Syntax
Resume { 0 | Next | label }
label is a label within the same procedure or function.
Restrictions
You cannot issue a Resume statement through the MapBasic window.
Description
The Resume statement tells MapBasic to return from an error-handling routine.
The OnError statement enables an error-handling routine, which is a group of statements MapBasic
carries out in the event of a run-time error. Typically, each error-handling routine includes one or more
Resume statements. The Resume statement causes MapBasic to exit the error-handling routine.
The various forms of the Resume statement let the application dictate which statement MapBasic is to
execute after exiting the error-handling routine:
A Resume 0 statement tells MapBasic to retry the statement which generated the error.
A Resume Next statement tells MapBasic to go to the first statement following the statement which
generated the error.

Reference

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RGB( ) function
A Resume label statement tells MapBasic to go to the line identified by the label. Note that the label
must be in the same procedure.
Example
...
OnError GoTo no_states
Open Table "states"
Map From states
after_mapfrom:
...
End Program
no_states:
Note "Could not open States; no Map used."
Resume after_mapfrom
See Also:
Err( ) function, Error statement, Error$( ) function, OnError statement

RGB( ) function
Purpose
Returns an RGB color value calculated from Red, Green, Blue components. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
RGB( red, green, blue )
red is a numeric expression from 0 to 255, representing a concentration of red.
green is a numeric expression from 0 to 255, representing a concentration of green.
blue is a numeric expression from 0 to 255, representing a concentration of blue.
Return Value
Integer
Description
Some MapBasic statements allow you to specify a color as part of a pen or brush definition (for example,
the Create Point statement). MapBasic pen and brush definitions require that each color be specified
as a single integer value, known as an RGB value. The RGB( ) function lets you calculate such an RGB
value.
Colors are often defined in terms of the relative concentrations of three components-the red, green and
blue components. Accordingly, the RGB( ) function takes three parameters-red, green, and blueeach
of which specifies the concentration of one of the three primary colors. Each color component should
be an integer value from 0 to 255, inclusive.
The RGB value of a given color is calculated by the formula:
( red * 65536) + ( green * 256) + blue

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The standard definitions file, MAPBASIC.DEF, includes Define statements for several common colors
(BLACK, WHITE, RED, GREEN, BLUE, CYAN, MAGENTA, and YELLOW). If you want to specify red,
you can simply use the identifier RED instead of calling RGB( ).
Example
Dim red,green,blue,color As Integer
red = 255
green = 0
blue = 0
color = RGB(red, green, blue)
' the RGB value stored in the variable: color
' will represent pure, saturated red.
See Also:
Brush clause, Font clause, Pen clause, Symbol clause

Right$( ) function
Purpose
Returns part or all of a string, beginning at the right end of the string. You can call this function from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Right$( string_expr, num_expr )
string_expr is a string expression.
num_expr is a numeric expression.
Return Value
String
Description
The Right$( ) function returns a string which consists of the rightmost num_expr characters of the string
expression string_expr.
The num_expr parameter should be an integer value, zero or larger. If num_expr has a fractional value,
MapBasic rounds to the nearest integer. If num_expr is zero, Right$( ) returns a null string. If num_expr
is larger than the number of characters in the string_expr string, Right$( ) returns a copy of the entire
string_expr string.
Example
Dim whole, partial As String
whole = "Afghanistan"
partial = Right$(whole, 4)
' at this point, partial contains the string: "stan"

Reference

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Rnd( ) function
See Also:
Left$( ) function, Mid$( ) function

Rnd( ) function
Purpose
Returns a random number. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Rnd( list_type )
list_type selects the kind of random number list.
Return Value
A number of type float between 0 and 1 (exclusive).
Description
The Rnd( ) function returns a random floating-point number, greater than zero and less than one.
The conventional use is of the form Rnd(1), in which the function returns a random number. The sequence
of random numbers is always the same unless you insert a Randomize statement in the program. Any
positive list_type parameter value produces this type of result.
A less common use is the form Rnd(0), which returns the previous random number generated by the
Rnd( ) function. This functionality is provided primarily for debugging purposes.
A very uncommon use is a call with a negative list_type value, such as Rnd(-1). For a given negative
value, the Rnd( ) function always returns the same number, regardless of whether you have issued a
Randomize statement. This functionality is provided primarily for debugging purposes.
Example
Chknum = 10 * Rnd(1)
See Also:
Randomize statement

Rollback statement
Purpose
Discards a table's unsaved edits. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Rollback Table tablename
tablename is the name of an open table.

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Description
If the specified table has been edited, but the edits have not been saved, the Rollback statement discards
the unsaved edits. The user can obtain the same results by choosing File > Revert, except that command
displays a dialog box.
Note: When you Rollback a query table, MapInfo Professional discards any unsaved edits in the permanent table used for the query (except in cases where the query produces a join, or the query
produces aggregated results, for example, using the Select statement's Group By clause).
For example, if you edit a permanent table (such as WORLD), make a selection from WORLD, and
browse the selection, MapInfo Professional will "snapshot" the Selection table, and call the snapshot
(something like) QUERY1. If you then Rollback the QUERY1 table, MapInfo Professional discards any
unsaved edits in the WORLD table, since the WORLD table is the table on which QUERY1 is based.
Using a Rollback statement on a linked table discards the unsaved edits and returns the table to the
state it was in prior to the unsaved edits.
Example
If keep_changes Then
Table towns
Else
Rollback Table towns
End If
See Also:
Commit Table statement

Rotate( ) function
Purpose
Allows an object (not a text object) to be rotated about the rotation anchor point. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Rotate( object, angle )
object represents an object that can be rotated. It cannot be a text object.
angle is a float value that represents the angle (in degrees) to rotate the object.
Return Value
A rotated object.
Description
The Rotate( ) function Rotates all object types except for text objects without altering the source object
in any way.
To rotate text objects, use the Alter Object OBJ_GEO_TEXTANGLE statement.

Reference

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RotateAtPoint( ) function
If an arc, ellipse, rectangle, or rounded rectangle is rotated, the resultant object is converted to a polyline/polygon so that the nodes can be rotated.
Example
dim RotateObject as object
Open Table "C:\MapInfo_data\TUT_USA\USA\STATES.TAB"
map from states
select * from States where state = "IN"
RotateObject = rotate(selection.obj, 45)
insert into states (obj) values (RotateObject)
See Also:
RotateAtPoint( ) function

RotateAtPoint( ) function
Purpose
Allows an object (not a text object) to be rotated about a specified anchor point. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
RotateAtPoint( object, angle, anchor_point_object )
object represents an object that can be rotated. It cannot be a text object.
angle is a float value that represents the angle (in degrees) to rotate the object.
anchor_point_object is an object representing the anchor point which the object nodes are rotated about.
Return Value
A rotated object.
Description
The RotateAtPoint( ) function rotates all object types except for text objects without altering the source
object in any way.
To rotate text objects, use the Alter Object OBJ_GEO_TEXTANGLE statement.
If an arc, ellipse, rectangle, or rounded rectangle is rotated, the resultant object is converted to a polyline/polygon so that the nodes can be rotated.
Example
dim RotateAtPointObject as object
dim obj1 as object
dim obj2 as object
Open Table "C:\MapInfo_data\TUT_USA\USA\STATES.TAB" ]
map from states
select * from States where state = "CA"
obj1 = selection.obj
select * from States where state = "NV"

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obj2 = selection.obj
oRotateAtPointObject = RotateAtPoint(obj1 , 65, centroid(obj2))
insert into states (obj) values (RotateAtPointObject )
See Also:
Rotate( ) function

Round( ) function
Purpose
Returns a number obtained by rounding off another number. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Round( num_expr, round_to )
num_expr is a numeric expression.
round_to is the number to which num_expr should be rounded off.
Return Value
Float
Description
The Round( ) function returns a rounded-off version of the numeric num_expr expression.
The precision of the result depends on the round_to parameter. The Round( ) function rounds the
num_expr value to the nearest multiple of the round_to parameter. If round_to is 0.01, MapInfo Professional rounds to the nearest hundredth; if round_to is 5, MapInfo Professional rounds to the nearest
multiple of 5; etc.
Example
Dim x, y As Float
x = 12345.6789
y = Round(x, 100)
' y now has the value 12300
y = Round(x, 1)
' y now has the value 12346
y = Round(x, 0.01)
' y now has the value 12345.68
See Also:
Fix( ) function, Format$( ) function, Int( ) function

Reference

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RTrim$( ) function

RTrim$( ) function
Purpose
Trims space characters from the end of a string, and returns the results. You can call this function from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
RTrim$( string_expr )
string_expr is a string expression.
Return Value
String
Description
The RTrim$( ) function removes any spaces from the end of the string_expr string, and returns the resultant string.
Example
Dim s_name As String
s_name = RTrim$("Mary Smith ")
' s_name now contains the string "Mary Smith"
' (no spaces at the end)
See Also:
LTrim$( ) function

Run Application statement

Purpose
Runs a MapBasic application or adds a MapInfo workspace. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Run Application [ NoMRU ] file
file is the name of an application file or a workspace file.
If the statement includes the NoMRU clause, the application or workspace name would not be added
to the Most recently Used list of files.

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Description
The Run Application statement runs a MapBasic application or loads an MapInfo workspace. By issuing
a Run Application statement, one MapBasic application can run another application. To do so, the file
parameter must represent the name of a compiled application file. The Run Application statement
cannot run an uncompiled application. To halt an application launched by the Run Application statement,
use the Terminate Application statement.
Example
The following statement runs the MapBasic application, REPORT.MBX:
Run Application "C:\MAPBASIC\APP\REPORT.MBX"
The following statement loads the workspace, PARCELS.WOR:
Run Application "Parcels.wor"
See Also:
Run Command statement, Run Menu Command statement, Run Program statement, Terminate
Application statement

Run Command statement

Purpose
Executes a MapBasic command represented by a string. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Run Command command
command is a character string representing a MapBasic statement.
Description
The Run Command statement interprets a character string as a MapBasic statement, then executes
the statement.
The Run Command statement has some restrictions, due to the fact that the command parameter is
interpreted at run-time, rather than being compiled. You cannot use a Run Command statement to issue
a Dialog statement. Also, variable names may not appear within the command string; that is, variable
names may not appear enclosed in quotes. For example, the following group of statements would not
work, because the variable names x and y appear inside the quotes that delimit the command string:
' this example WON'T work
Dim cmd_string As String
Dim x, y As Float
cmd_string = " x = Abs(y) "
Run Command cmd_string
However, variable names can be used in the construction of the command string.

Reference

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Run Command statement

In the following example, the command string is constructed from an expression that includes a character
variable.
'this example WILL work
Dim cmd_string As String
Dim map_it, browse_it As Logical
Open Table "world"
If map_it Then
cmd_string = "Map From
Run Command cmd_string
End If
If browse_it Then
cmd_string = "Browse *
Run Command cmd_string
End If

"
+ "world"
From "
+ "world"

Example
The Run Command statement provides a flexible way of issuing commands that have variable-length
argument lists. For example, the Map From statement can include a single table name, or a commaseparated list of two or more table names. An application may need to decide at run time (based on
feedback from the user) how many table names should be included in the Map From statement. One
way to do this is to construct a text string at run time, and execute the command through the Run
Command statement.
Dim cmd_text As String
Dim cities_wanted, counties_wanted As Logical
Open Table "states"
Open Table "cities"
Open Table "counties"
cmd_text = "states" ' always include STATES layer
If counties_wanted Then
cmd_text = "counties, " + cmd_text
End If
If cities_wanted Then
cmd_text = "cities, " + cmd_text
End If
Run Command "Map From " + cmd_text
The following example shows how to duplicate a Map window, given the window ID of an existing map.
The WindowInfo( ) function returns a string containing MapBasic statements; the Run Command
statement executes the string.
Dim i_map_id As Integer
' First, get the ID of an existing Map window
' (assuming the Map window is the active window):
i_map_id = FrontWindow( )
' Now clone the active map window:
Run Command WindowInfo(i_map_id, WIN_INFO_CLONEWINDOW)
See Also:

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Run Application statement, Run Menu Command statement, Run Program statement

Run Menu Command statement

Purpose
Runs a MapInfo Professional menu command, as if the user had selected the menu item. Can also be
used to select a button on a ButtonPad. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Run Menu Command { command_code | ID command_ID }
command_code is an integer code from MENU.DEF (such as M_FILE_NEW), representing a standard
menu item or button.
command_ID is a number representing a custom menu item or button.
Description
To execute a standard MapInfo Professional menu command, include the command_code parameter.
The value of this parameter must match one of the menu codes listed in MENU.DEF. For example, the
following MapBasic statement executes MapInfo Professional's File > New command:
Run Menu Command M_FILE_NEW
To select a standard button from MapInfo's ButtonPads, specify that button's code (from MENU.DEF).
For example, the following statement selects the Radius Search button:
Run Menu Command M_TOOLS_SEARCH_RADIUS
To select a custom button or menu command (for example, a button or a menu command created through
a MapBasic program), use the ID clause.
For example, if your program creates a custom tool button by issuing a statement such as...
Alter ButtonPad ID 1 Add
ToolButton
Calling sub_procedure_name
ID 23
Icon MI_ICON_CROSSHAIR
...then the custom button has an ID of 23. The following statement selects the button.
Run Menu Command ID 23
Using MapBasic, the Run Menu Command statement can execute the MapInfo Professional Help >
MapInfo Professional Tutorial on the Web command.
Run Menu Command M_HELP_MAPINFO_WWW_TUTORIAL
You can access Query > Invert Selection using the following MapBasic command:
Run Menu Command M_QUERY_INVERTSELECT.
Access Page settings in Options > Preferences > Printer by using the following syntax:
RUN MENU COMMAND M_EDIT_PREFERENCES_PRINTER

Reference

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Run Menu Command statement

Or
RUN MENU COMMAND 217
' if running from MapBasic window
To launch a web page with a repository of MapBasic applications written by people in the MapInfo Professional community use M_MBTOOL_GET_MB_UTILITIES (or its value, 1811).
RUN MENU COMMAND M_MBTOOL_GET_MB_UTILITIES
Or
RUN MENU COMMAND 1811
' if running from MapBasic window
See Also:
Run Application statement, Run Program statement
Integrated Mapping Applications
Integrated Mapping applications cannot display the Layer Control as a window. However, Integrated
Mapping applications can display the Layer Control as a modal dialog box, by using the Run Menu
Command statement with command M_MAP_LAYER_CONTROL_DIALOG (801). For example:
Run Menu Command 801
Preferences Dialog Box
MapInfo Professional's Preferences dialog box is a special case. The Preferences dialog box contains
several buttons, each of which displays another dialog box. You can use Run Menu Command statement
to invoke individual sub-dialog boxes. For example, the following statement displays the Map Window
Preferences sub-dialog box:
Run Menu Command M_EDIT_PREFERENCES_MAP
Layer Control Window and Dialog Box
MapInfo Professional 10.0 and higher display the Layer Control as a window and not as a dialog box.
As of MapBasic 10.0, MapBasic applications can display the Layer Control as either a window or as a
dialog box by executing a Run Menu command statement:
To display Layer Control as a window, use M_MAP_LAYER_CONTROL (or its value, 822):
Run Menu Command M_MAP_LAYER_CONTROL
To display Layer Control as a dialog box (with OK and Cancel buttons), use M_MAP_LAYER_CONTROL_DIALOG (or its value, 801):
Run Menu Command M_MAP_LAYER_CONTROL_DIALOG
Releases before MapInfo Professional 10.0 display the Layer Control as a dialog box, so MapBasic applications (MBX) written with MapBasic 9.5 or earlier assume that the Layer Control is a dialog box. To
be backwards compatible, MapInfo Professional 10.0 and higher executes older MapBasic applications
that requests the Layer Control, using a Layer Control dialog box.
To control whether your MapBasic application (MBX) displays Layer Control as a window or a dialog
box:

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If you recompile your MBX in MapBasic 10.0 (using the updated MENU.DEF from MapBasic 10.0),
then the new MBX displays Layer Control as a window, not as a dialog box. This is ideal for most
situations, because MapInfo Professional 10.0 users expect Layer Control to display as a window.
If you have recompiled your MBX in MapBasic 10.0, but you want to continue displaying Layer Control
as a dialog box, update your Run Menu Command as follows:
Run Menu Command M_MAP_LAYER_CONTROL_DIALOG
About the Layer Control Dialog Box
The Layer Control dialog box has fewer features compared to the Layer Control window. The following
occur with the Layer Control dialog and not the Layer Control window:
The Move Up and Move Down buttons are disabled if there are groups in the map.
When you right-click on a layer, there is no context menu. As a result, most Group layer operations
are not available.
You are unable to move theme layers.
To

Run Program statement

Purpose
Runs an executable program. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Run Program program_spec
program_spec is a command string that specifies the name of the program to run, and may also specify
command-line arguments.
Description
If the specified program_spec does not represent a Windows application, MapBasic invokes a DOS
shell, and runs the specified DOS program from there. If the program_spec is the character string
"COMMAND.COM", MapBasic invokes the DOS shell without any other program. In this case, the user
is able to issue DOS commands, and then type Exit to return to MapInfo. When you spawn a program
through a Run Program statement, Windows continues to control the computer. While the spawned
program is running, Windows may continue to run other background tasksincluding your MapBasic
program. This multitasking environment could potentially create conflicts. Thus, the MapBasic statements
which follow the Run Program statement must not make any assumptions about the status of the
spawned program.
When issuing the Run Program statement, you should take precautions to avoid multitasking conflicts.
One way to avoid such conflicts is to place the Run Program statement at the end of a sequence of
events. For example, you could create a custom menu item which calls a handler sub procedure, and
you could make the Run Program statement the final statement in the handler procedure.

Reference

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Example
The following Run Program statement runs the Windows text editor, "Notepad," and instructs Notepad
to open the text file THINGS.2DO.
Run Program "notepad.exe things.2do"
The following statement issues a DOS command.
Run Program "command.com /c dir c:\mapinfo\ > C:\temp\dirlist.txt"
See Also:
Run Application statement, Run Command statement, Run Menu Command statement

Save File statement

Purpose
Copies a file. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Save File old_filespec As new_filespec [ Append ]
old_filespec is a string representing the name (and, optionally, the path) of an existing file; the file must
not be open.
new_filespec is a string representing the name (and, optionally, the path) to which the file will be copied;
the file must not be open.
Description
The Save File statement copies a file. The file must not already be open for input/output.
If you include the optional Append keyword, and if the file new_filespec already exists, the contents of
the file old_filespec are appended to the end of the file new_filespec.
Do not use Save File to copy a file that is a component of an open table (for example, filename.tab, filename.map, etc.). To copy a table, use the Commit Table...As statement.
The Save File statement cannot copy a file to itself.
Example
Save File "settings.txt" As "settings.bak"
See Also:
Kill statement, Rename File statement

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Save MWS statement

Purpose
This statement allows you to save the current workspace as an XML-based MWS file for use with
MapXtreme applications. These MWS files can be shared across platforms in ways that workspaces
cannot. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Save MWS Window ( window_id [ , window_id ... ] )
Default default_window_id As filespec
window_id is an integer window identifier for a Map window.
default_window_id is an integer window identifier for the Map window to be recorded in the MWS as the
default map.
Description
MapInfo Professional enables you to save the maps in your workspace to an XML format for use with
MapXtreme applications. When saving a workspace to MWS format, only the map windows and legends
are saved. All other windows are discarded as MapXtreme applications cannot read that information.
Once your workspace is saved in this format, it can be opened with the Workspace Manager utility that
is included in the MapXtreme installation or with an application developed using MapXtreme. The file is
valid XML so can also be viewed using any XML viewer or editor. MWS files created with MapInfo Professional 7.8 or later can be validated using schemas supplied with MapXtreme.
Note: You will not be able to read files saved in MWS format in MapInfo Professional 7.8 or later.
In MapInfo Professional, you can set the visibility of a modifier theme without regard to its reference
feature layer, so you can turn the visibility of the main reference layer off but still display the theme. In
MapXtreme, the modifier themes (Dot Density, Ranges, Individual Value) are only drawn if the reference
feature layer is visible. To ensure that modifiers marked as visible in MapInfo Professional display in
tools like Workspace Manager, we force the visibility of the reference feature layer so that its modifier
themes display.
It is important to note that many MapBasic statements and functions do not translate to MWS format.
The sections below show what aspects of our maps can and cannot be saved into an MWS file. For
detailed listing of the compatibilities between MapBasic and MISQL see the MapInfo Professional User
Guide.
What is Saved in the MWS
The following information is included in the MWS workspace file:

Tab files' name and alias;

Coordinate system information;
Map center and zoom settings;
Layer list with implied order;

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Save MWS statement

Map size as pixel width and height;

Map resize method;
Style overrides;
Raster layer overrides;
Automatic labels;
Custom labels;
Queries referenced by map windows;
Individual value themes;
Dot density themes;
Graduated symbol themes;
Bar themes;
Range themes;
Pie themes;
Grid themes as MapXtreme grid layers with a style override;
Themes and label expressions based upon a single attribute column;
Zoom-ranged overrides.

What is Not Saved to the MWS

The following information is not saved in the MWS workspace file:

Any non-map windows (browsers, charts, redistricters, 3D map windows, Prism maps);
Distance, area, or XY and military grid units;
Snap mode, autoscroll, and smart pan settings;
Printer setup information;
Any table that is based on a query that is not referenced by a window;
Any theme that is based upon computed columns, or based on an expression that cannot be translated
from MapBasic syntax to MI SQL syntax;
Labels based on expressions that cannot be translated from MapBasic syntax to MI SQL syntax;
Queries with "sub-select" statements;
Layers based on queries that includes "sub-select" statements;
Note: A "sub-select" statement is any Select statement nested inside another Select statement.

Export options;
Hot links for labels and objects;
Group layers;
Whether object nodes, centroids or line direction is displayed.

See Also:
Save Workspace statement

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Save Window statement

Purpose
Saves an image of a window to a file; corresponds to choosing File > Save Window As. This statement
is used to save a Map window in raster and vector image formats. MapBasic supports raster image
translucency. As of version 10.0 and later MapBasic supports translucency for vector images and the
EMF+ and EMF+Dual image formats.
Supported vector formats are WMF, EMF, EMF+ and EMF+Dual. WMF and EMF are based on the same
older technology used for non-enhanced windows. They display translucent vector maps, but they will
appeared dithered, not as a true translucent image. EMF+, using enhanced rendering technology, will
display translucent maps very well. EMF+Dual is a file that contains both an EMF and an EMF+ image.
Many older applications cannot read EMF+. The application tries to open it as an EMF (because the
extension is EMF), and fails. EMF+Dual format is a compromise; older applications can open it as an
EMF while newer applications can open it as an EMF+. For example, Office 2000 applications can read
EMF, but not EMF+. Office 2007 reads EMF+.By saving the windows as EMF+Dual, both applications
can read the same image.
MapInfo Professional reads all supported image formats with the exception of EMF+. All images display
as raster images (including WMF and EMF).
Syntax
Save Window window_id
As filespec
Type filetype
[ Width image_width [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Height image_height [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Resolution output_dpi ]
[ Copyright notice [ Font... ] ]
window_id is an integer Window ID representing a Map, Layout, Graph, Legend, Statistics, Info, or Ruler
window; to obtain a window ID, call a function such as the FrontWindow( ) function or the WindowID(
) function.
filespec is a string representing the name of the file to create.
filetype is a string representing a file format. File formats in this list marked with an astrix (*) are not
supported when saving a Legend Designer window.

"BMP" that specifies Bitmap format

"WMF" that specifies Windows Metafile format *
"JPEG" that specifies JPEG format
"JP2" that specifies JPEG 2000 format *
"PNG" that specifies Portable Network Graphics format
"TIFF" that specifies TIFF format
"TIFFCMYK" that specifies TIFF CMYK format
"TIFFG4" that specifies TIFFG4 format
"TIFFLZW" that specifies TIFFLZW format

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Save Window statement

"GEOTIFF" that specifies georeferenced TIFF format *

"GIF" that specifies GIF format
"PSD" that specifies Photoshop 3.0 format *
"EMF" that specifies Windows Enhanced Metafile format *
"EMF+" that specifies Windows EMF+ format *
"EMF+DUAL" that specifies a file format containing both EMF and EMF+ formats in a single file *

image_width is a number that specifies the desired image width.

image_height is a number that specifies the desired image height.
paper_units is a string representing a paper unit name (for example, "cm" for centimeters).
output_dpi is a number that specifies the output resolution in DPI (dots per inch).
notice is a string that represents a copyright notice; it will appear at the bottom of the image.
The Font clause specifies a text style.
Description
The Save Window statement saves an image of a window to a file. The effect is comparable to the user
choosing File > Save Window As, except that the Save Window statement does not display a dialog
box. For Map, Layout, or Graph windows, the default image size is the size of the original window. For
Legend, Statistics, Info, or Ruler windows, the default size is the size needed to represent all of the data
in the window. Use the optional Width and Height clauses to specify a non-default image size. Resolution
allows you to specify the dpi when exporting images to raster formats. The Font clause specifies a text
style in the copyright notice.
To include a copyright notice on the bottom of the image, use the optional Copyright clause. See the
example below. To eliminate the default notice, specify a Copyright clause with an empty string ("").
Error number 408 is generated if the export fails due to lack of memory or disk space. Note that specifying
very large image sizes increases the likelihood of this error.
Examples
This example produces a Windows metafile:
Save Window i_mapper_ID As "riskmap.wmf" Type "WMF"
This example shows how to specify a copyright notice. The Chr$( ) function is used to insert the copyright
symbol.
Save Window i_mapper_ID As "riskmap.bmp"
Type "BMP"
Copyright "Copyright " + Chr$(169) + " 1996, Pitney Bowes Software Inc.
Corp."
See Also:
Export statement

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Save Workspace statement

Purpose
Creates a workspace file representing the current MapInfo Professional session. You can issue this
statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Save Workspace As filespec
filespec is a string representing the name of the workspace file to create.
Description
The Save Workspace statement creates a workspace file that represents the current MapInfo Professional session. The effect is comparable to the user choosing File > Save Workspace, except that the
Save Workspace statement does not display a dialog box.
To load an existing workspace file, use the Run Application statement.
Example
Save Workspace As "market.wor"
See Also:
Run Application statement

SearchInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about the search results produced by SearchPoint( ) or SearchRect( ). You can call
this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
SearchInfo( sequence_number, attribute )
sequence_number is an integer number, from 1 to the number of objects located.
attribute is a small integer code from the table below.
Return Value
String or integer, depending on attribute.
Description
After you call SearchRect( ) or SearchPoint( ) to search for map objects, call SearchInfo( ) to process
the search results.

Reference

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SearchInfo( ) function
The sequence_number argument is an integer number, 1 or larger. The number returned by SearchPoint(
) or SearchRect( ) is the maximum value for the sequence_number.
The attribute argument must be one of the codes (from MAPBASIC.DEF) in the following table:
attribute code

ID

SearchInfo( ) returns:

SEARCH_INFO_TABLE

String value: the name of the table containing this object.

If an object is from a Cosmetic layer, this string has the
form "CosmeticN" (where N is a number, 1 or larger).

SEARCH_INFO_ROW

Integer value: this row's rowID number. You can use this
rowID number in a Fetch statement or in a Select
statement's Where clause.

Search results remain in memory until the application halts or until you perform another search. Note
that search results remain in memory even after the user closes the window or the tables associated
with the search; therefore, you should process search results immediately. To manually free the memory
used by search results, perform a search which you know will fail (for example, search at location 0, 0).
MapInfo Professional maintains a separate set of search results for each MapBasic application that is
running, plus another set of search results for MapInfo Professional itself (for commands entered through
the MapBasic window).
Error Conditions
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error is generated if sequence_number is larger than the number of
objects located.
Example
The following program creates two custom tool buttons. If the user uses the point tool, this program calls
the SearchPoint( ) function; if the user uses the rectangle tool, the program calls the SearchRect( )
function. In either case, this program calls SearchInfo( ) to determine which object(s) the user chose.
Include
Include
Declare
Declare

"mapbasic.def"
"icons.def"
Sub Main
Sub tool_sub

Sub Main
Create ButtonPad "Searcher" As
ToolButton Calling tool_sub ID 1
Icon MI_ICON_ARROW
Cursor MI_CURSOR_ARROW
DrawMode DM_CUSTOM_POINT
HelpMsg "Click on a map location\nClick a location"
Separator
ToolButton Calling tool_sub ID 2
Icon MI_ICON_SEARCH_RECT
Cursor MI_CURSOR_FINGER_LEFT
DrawMode DM_CUSTOM_RECT
HelpMsg "Drag a rectangle in a map\nDrag a rectangle"
Width 3
Print "Searcher program now running."

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Print "Choose a tool from the Searcher toolbar"
Print "and click on a map."
End Sub
Sub tool_sub
' This procedure is called whenever the user uses
' one of the custom buttons on the Searcher toolbar.
Dim x, y, x2, y2 As Float,
i, i_found, i_row_id, i_win_id As Integer,
s_table As Alias
i_win_id = FrontWindow( )
If WindowInfo(i_win_id, WIN_INFO_TYPE) <> WIN_MAPPER Then
Note "This tool only works on Map windows."
Exit Sub
End If
' Determine the starting point where the user clicked.
x = CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_X)
y = CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_Y)
If CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_TOOLBTN) = 1 Then
' Then the user is using the point-mode tool.
' determine how many objects are at the chosen point.
i_found = SearchPoint(i_win_id, x, y)
Else
' The user is using the rectangle-mode tool.
' Determine what objects are within the rectangle.
x2 = CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_X2)
y2 = CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_y2)
i_found = SearchRect(i_win_id, x, y, x2, y2)
End If
If i_found = 0 Then
Beep ' No objects found where the user clicked.
Else
Print Chr$(12)
If CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_TOOLBTN) = 2 Then
Print "Rectangle: x1= " + x + ", y1= " + y
Print "x2= " + x2 + ", y2= " + y2
Else
Print "Point: x=" + x + ", y= " + y
End If
' Process the search results.
For i = 1 to i_found
' Get the name of the table containing a "hit".
s_table = SearchInfo(i, SEARCH_INFO_TABLE)
' Get the row ID number of the object that was a hit.
i_row_id = SearchInfo(i, SEARCH_INFO_ROW)
If Left$(s_table, 8) = "Cosmetic" Then
Print "Object in Cosmetic layer"
Else
' Fetch the row of the object the user clicked on.
Fetch rec i_row_id From s_table
s_table = s_table + ".col1"
Print s_table
End If
Next
End If
End Sub
See Also:

Reference

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SearchPoint( ) function
SearchPoint( ) function, SearchRect( ) function

SearchPoint( ) function
Purpose
Searches for map objects at a specific x/y location. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
SearchPoint( map_window_id, x, y )
map_window_id is a Map window's integer ID number
x is an x-coordinate (for example, longitude)
y is a y-coordinate (for example, latitude)
Return Value
Integer, representing the number of objects found.
Description
The SearchPoint( ) function searches for map objects at a specific x/y location. The search applies to
all selectable layers in the Map window, even the Cosmetic layer (if it is currently selectable). The return
value indicates the number of objects found.
This function does not select any objects, nor does it affect the current selection. Instead, this function
builds a list of objects in memory. After calling SearchPoint( ), call the SearchInfo( ) function to process
the search results.
The search allows for a small tolerance, identical to the tolerance allowed by MapInfo Professional's Info
tool. Points or linear objects that are very close to the location are included in the search results, even
if the user did not click on the exact location of the object.
To allow the user to select an x/y location with the mouse, use the Create ButtonPad statement or the
Alter ButtonPad statement to create a custom ToolButton. Use DM_CUSTOM_POINT as the button's
draw mode. Within the button's handler procedure, call the CommandInfo( ) function to determine the
x/y coordinates.
Example
For a code example, see the SearchInfo( ) function.
See Also:
SearchInfo( ) function, SearchRect( ) function

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SearchRect( ) function
Purpose
Searches for map objects within a rectangular area. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
SearchRect( map_window_id, x1, y1, x2, y2 )
map_window_id is a Map window's integer ID number.
x1, y1 are coordinates that specify one corner of a rectangle.
x2, y2 are coordinates that specify the opposite corner of a rectangle.
Return Value
Integer, representing the number of objects found.
Description
The SearchRect( ) function searches for map objects within a rectangular area. The search applies to
all selectable layers in the Map window, even the Cosmetic layer (if it is currently selectable). The return
value indicates the number of objects found.
Note: This function does not select any objects, nor does it affect the current selection. Instead, this
function builds a list of objects in memory. After calling SearchRect( ) you call SearchInfo( )
function to process the search results.
The search behavior matches the behavior of MapInfo Professional's Marquee Select button: If an object's
centroid falls within the rectangle, the object is included in the search results.
To allow the user to select a rectangular area with the mouse, use the Create ButtonPad statementor
the Alter Button statement to create a custom ToolButton. Use DM_CUSTOM_RECT as the button's
draw mode. Within the button's handler procedure, call CommandInfo( ) function to determine the x/y
coordinates.
Example
For a code example, see the SearchInfo( ) function.
See Also:
SearchInfo( ) function, SearchPoint( ) function

Reference

543

Second( ) function

Second( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves the second part of a Time value as Float (0-59.999). You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Second( Time )
Return Value
Number
Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function.
dim X as time
dim fSec as Float
X = CurDateTime()
fSec = Second(X)
Print fSec
See Also:
Hour( ) function, Minute( ) function

Seek( ) function
Purpose
Returns the current file position.
Syntax
Seek( filenum )
filenum is the number of an open file.
Return Value
Integer
Description
The Seek( ) function returns MapBasic's current position in an open file.
The filenum parameter represents the number of an open file; this is the same number specified in the
As clause of the Open File statement.
The integer value returned by the Seek( ) function represents a file position. If the file was opened in
random-access mode, Seek( ) returns a record number (the next record to be read or written). If the file

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was opened in binary mode, Seek( ) returns the byte position of the next byte to be read from or written
to the file.
Error Conditions
ERR_FILEMGR_NOTOPEN (366) error is generated if the specified file is not open.
See Also:
Get statement, Open File statement, Put statement, Seek statement

Seek statement
Purpose
Sets the current file position, to prepare for the next file input/output operation.
Syntax
Seek [ # ] filenum, position
filenum is an integer value, indicating the number of an open file.
position is an integer value, indicating the desired file position.
Description
The Seek statement resets the current file position of an open file. File input/output operations which
follow a Seek statement will read from (or write to) the location specified by the Seek.
If the file was opened in Random access mode, the position parameter specifies a record number.
If the file was opened in a sequential access mode, the position parameter specifies a specific byte position; a position value of one represents the very beginning of the file.
See Also:
Get statement, Input # statement, Open File statement, Print # statement, Put statement, Seek( )
function, Write # statement

SelChangedHandler procedure
Purpose
A reserved procedure, called automatically when the set of selected rows changes.
Syntax
Declare Sub SelChangedHandler
Sub SelChangedHandler
statement_list
End Sub
statement_list is a list of statements to execute when the set of selected rows changes.

Reference

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Select statement
Description
SelChangedHandler is a special MapBasic procedure name. If the user runs an application with a procedure named SelChangedHandler, the application "goes to sleep" when the Main procedure runs out
of statements to execute. The sleeping application remains in memory until the application executes an
End Program statement. As long as the application remains in memory, MapInfo Professional automatically calls the SelChangedHandler procedure whenever the set of selected rows changes.
Within the SelChangedHandler procedure, you can obtain information about recent changes made to
the selection by calling CommandInfo( ) function with one of the following codes:
attribute code

ID

CommandInfo( attribute ) returns:

CMD_INFO_SELTYPE

1 if one row was added to the selection; 2 if one row was

removed from the selection; 3 if multiple rows were added
to the selection; 4 if multiple rows were de-selected.

CMD_INFO_ROWID

Integer value: The number of the row which was selected

or de-selected (only applies if a single row was selected
or de-selected).

CMD_INFO_INTERRUPT

Logical value: TRUE if the user interrupted a selection

process by pressing Esc; FALSE otherwise.

When any procedure in an application executes the End Program statement, the application is completely
removed from memory. Thus, you can use the End Program statement to terminate a SelChangedHandler procedure once it is no longer wanted. Be careful not to issue an End Program statement
while the SelChangedHandler procedure is still needed.
Multiple MapBasic applications can be "sleeping" at the same time. When the Selection table changes,
MapBasic automatically calls all sleeping SelChangedHandler procedures, one after another.
A SelChangedHandler procedure should not take actions that affect the GUI "focus" or reset the current
window. In other words, the SelChangedHandler procedure should not issue statements such as a
Note statement, Print statement, or Dialog statement.
See Also:
CommandInfo( ) function, SelectionInfo( ) function

Select statement
Purpose
Selects particular rows and columns from one or more open tables, and treats the results as a separate,
temporary table. Also provides the ability to sort and sub-total data. You can issue this statement from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Select expression_list
From table_name [ , ... ] [ Where expression_group ]
[ Into results_table [ Noselect ] ]

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[ Group By column_list ]
[ Order By column_list ]
expression_list is a comma-separated list of expressions which will comprise the columns of the Selection
results.
expression_group is a list of one or more expressions, separated by the keywords AND or OR.
table_name is the name of an open table.
results_table is the name of the table where query results should be stored.
column_list is a list of one or more names of columns, separated by commas.
Description
The Select statement provides MapBasic programmers with the capabilities of MapInfo Professional's
Query > SQL Select dialog box.
The MapBasic Select statement is modeled after the Select statement in the Structured Query Language
(SQL). Thus, if you have used SQL-oriented database software, you may already be familiar with the
Select statement. Note, however, that MapBasic's Select statement includes geographic capabilities
that you will not find in other packages.
Column expressions (for example, tablename.columnname) in a Select statement may only refer to
tables that are listed in the Select statement's From clause. For example, a Select statement may only
incorporate the column expression STATES.OBJ if the table STATES is included in the statement's
From clause.
The Select statement serves a variety of different purposes. One Select statement might apply a test
to a table, making it easy to browse only the records which met the criteria (this is sometimes referred
to as filtering). Alternately, Select might be used to calculate totals or subtotals for an entire table. Select
can also: sort the rows of a table; derive new column values from one or more existing columns; or
combine columns from two or more tables into a single results table.
Generally speaking, a Select statement queries one or more open tables, and selects some or all of the
rows from said table(s). The Select statement then treats the group of selected rows as a results table;
Selection is the default name of this table (although the results table can be assigned another name
through the Into clause). Following a Select statement, a MapBasic programor, for that matter, a
MapInfo Professional user-can treat the results table as any other MapInfo table.
After issuing a Select statement, a MapBasic program can use the SelectionInfo( ) function to examine
the current selection.
The Select statement format includes several clauses, most of which are optional. The nature and
function of a Select statement depend upon which clauses are included. For example: if you wish to use
a Select statement to set up a filter, you should include a Where clause; if you wish to use a Select
statement to subtotal the values in the table, you should include a Group By clause; if you want MapBasic
to sort the results of the Select statement, you should include an Order By clause. Note that these
clauses are not mutually exclusive; one Select statement may include all of the optional clauses.

Reference

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Select statement
Select clause
This clause dictates which columns MapBasic should include in the results table. The simplest type of
expression_list is an asterisk character ("*"). The asterisk signifies that all columns should be included
in the results. The statement:
Select * From world
tells MapBasic to include all of the columns from the "world" table in the results table. Alternately, the
expression_list clause can consist of a list of expressions, separated by commas, each of which represents
one column to include in the results table. Typically, each of these expressions involves the names of
one or more columns from the table in question. Very often, MapBasic function calls and/or operators
are used to derive some new value from one or more of the column names.
For example, the following Select statement specifies an expression_list clause with two expressions:
Select country, Round(population,1000000)
From world
The expression_list above consists of two expressions, the first of which is a simple column name
(country), and the second of which is a function call (Round( )) which operates on another column
(population).
After MapBasic carries out the above Select statement, the first column in the results table will contain
values from the world table's name column. The second column in the results table will contain values
from the world table's population column, rounded off to the nearest million.
Each expression in the expression_list clause can be explicitly named by having an alias follow the expression; this alias would appear, for example, at the top of a Browser window displaying the appropriate
table. The following statement would assign the field alias "Millions" to the second column of the results
table:
Select country,Round(population,1000000) "Millions"
From world
Any mappable table also has a special column, called object (or obj for short). If you include the column
expression obj in the expression_list, the resultant table will include a column which indicates what type
of object (if any) is attached to that row.
The expression_list may include either an asterisk or a list of column expressions, but not both. If an
asterisk appears following the keyword Select, then that asterisk must be the only thing in the expression_list. In other words, the following statement would not be legitimate:
Select *, object From world ' this won't work!
From clause
The From clause specifies which table(s) to select data from. If you are doing a multiple-table join, the
tables you are selecting from must be base tables, rather than the results of a previous query.
Where clause
One function of the Where clause is to specify which rows to select. Any expression can be used (see
Expressions section below). Note, however, that groups of two or more expressions must be connected

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by the keywords And or Or, rather than being comma-separated. For example, a two-expression Where
clause might read like this:
Where Income > 15000 And Income < 25000
Note that the And operator makes the clause more restrictive (both conditions must evaluate as TRUE
for MapBasic to select a record), whereas the Or operator makes the clause less restrictive (MapBasic
will select a record if either of the expressions evaluates to TRUE).
By referring to the special column name object, a Where clause can test geographic aspects of each
row in a mappable table. Conversely, the expression "Not object" can be used to single out records
which do not have graphical objects attached.
For example, the following Where clause would tell MapBasic to select only those records which are
currently un-geocoded:
Where Not Object
If a Select statement is to use two or more tables, the statement must include a Where clause, and the
Where clause must include an expression which tells MapBasic how to join the two tables. Such a joinrelated expression typically takes the form Where tablename1.field = tablename2.field, where the two
fields have corresponding values. The following example shows how you might join the tables "States"
and "City_1k." The column City_1k.state contains two-letter state abbreviations which match the abbreviations in the column States.state.
Where States.state = City_1k.state
Alternately, you can specify a geographic operator to tell MapInfo Professional how to join the two tables.
Where states.obj Contains City_1k.obj
A Where clause can incorporate a subset of specific values by including the Any or All keyword. The
Any keyword defines a subset, for the sake of allowing the Where clause to test if a given expression
is TRUE for any of the values in the subset. Conversely, the All keyword defines a subset, for the sake
of allowing the Where clause to test if a given condition is true for all of the values in the subset.
The following query selects any customer record whose state column contains "NY," "MA," or "PA." The
Any( ) function functions the same way as the SQL "IN" operator.
Select * From customers
Where state = Any ("NY", "MA", "PA")
A Where clause can also include its own Select statement, to produce what is known as a subquery.
In the next example, we use two tables: "products" is a table of the various products which our company
sells, and "orders" is a table of the orders we have for our products. At any given time, some of the
products may be sold out. The task here is to figure out which orders we can fill, based on which products
are currently in stock. This query uses the logic, "select all orders which are not among the list of items
that are currently sold out."
Select * From orders
Where partnum <>
All(Select partnum from products
where not instock)
On the second line of the query, the keyword Select appears a second time; this produces our sub-select.
The sub-select builds a list of the parts that are currently not in stock. The Where clause of the main
query then uses All( ) function to access the list of unavailable parts.

Reference

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In the example above, the sub-select produces a set of values, and the main Select statement's Where
clause tests for inclusion in that set of values. Alternately, a sub-select might use an aggregate operator
to produce a single result.
The example below uses the Avg( ) aggregate operator to calculate the average value of the pop field
within the table states.
Accordingly, the net result of the following Select statement is that all records having higher-than-average
population are selected.
Select * From states
Where population >
(Select Avg(population) From states)
MapInfo Professional also supports the SQL keyword In. A Select statement can use the keyword In in
place of the operator sequence = Any. In other words, the following Where clause, which uses the Any
keyword:
Where state = Any ("NY", "MA", "PA")
is equivalent to the following Where clause, which uses the In keyword:
Where state In ("NY", "MA", "PA")
In a similar fashion, the keywords Not In may be used in place of the operator sequence: <> All.
Note: A single Select statement may not include multiple, non-nested subqueries. Additionally, MapBasic's Select statement does not support "correlated subqueries." A correlated subquery involves
the inner query referencing a variable from the outer query. Thus, the inner query is reprocessed
for each row in the outer table. Thus, the queries are correlated. An example:
' Note: the following statement, which illustrates
' correlated subqueries, will NOT work in MapBasic
Select * from leads
Where lead.name =
(Select var.name From vars
Where lead.name = customer.name)
This limitation is primarily of interest to users who are already proficient in SQL queries, through the use
of other SQL-compatible database packages.
Into clause
This optional clause lets you name the results table. If no Into clause is specified, the resulting table is
named Selection. Note that when a subsequent operation references the Selection table, MapInfo Professional will take a "snapshot" of the Selection table, and call the snapshot QUERYn (for example,
QUERY1).
If you include the Noselect keyword, the statement performs a query without changing the pre-existing
Selection table. Use the NoSelect keyword if you need to perform a query, but you do not want to deselect whatever rows are already selected.
If you include the Noselect keyword, the query does not trigger the SelChangedHandler procedure.

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Group By clause
This optional clause specifies how to group the rows when performing aggregate functions (sub-totalling).
In a Group By clause, you typically specify a column name (or a list of column names); MapBasic then
builds a results table containing subtotals. For example, if you want to subtotal your table on a state-bystate basis, your Group By clause should specify the name of a column which contains state names.
The Group By clause may not reference a function with a variable return type, such as the ObjectInfo(
) function.
The aggregate functions Sum( ), Min( ), Max( ), Count(*), Avg( ), and WtAvg( ) allow you to calculate
aggregated results.
Note: These aggregate functions do not appear in the Group By clause. Typically, the Select expression_list clause includes one or more of the aggregate functions listed above, while the Group
By clause indicates which column(s) to use in grouping the rows.
Suppose the Q4Sales table describes sales information for the fourth fiscal quarter. Each record in this
table contains information about the dollar amount of a particular sale. Each record's Territory column
indicates the name of the territory where the sale occurred. The following query counts how many sales
occurred within each territory, and calculates the sum total of all of the sales within each territory.
Select territory, Count(*), Sum(amount)
From q4sales
Group By territory
The Group By clause tells MapBasic to group the table results according to the contents of the Territory
column, and then create a subtotal for each unique territory name. The expression list following the
keyword Select specifies that the results table should have three columns: the first column will state the
name of a territory; the second column will state the number of records in the q4sales table "belonging
to" that territory; and the third column of the results table will contain the sum of the Amount columns of
all records belonging to that territory.
Note: The Sum( ) function requires a parameter, to tell it which column to summarize. The Count( )
function, however, simply takes an asterisk as its parameter; this tells MapBasic to simply count
the number of records within that sub-totalled group. The Count( ) function is the only aggregate
function that does not require a column identifier as its parameter.
The following table describes MapInfo Professional's aggregate functions.
Function name

Description

Avg( column )

Returns the average value of the float

specified column.

Count( * )

Returns the number of rows in

the group. Specify * (asterisk)
instead of column name.

integer

Max( column )

Returns the largest value of the

specified column for all rows in
the group.

float

Reference

Returns

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Function name

Description

Min( column )

Returns the smallest value of the float

specified column for all rows in
the group.

Sum( column )

Returns the sum of the column

values for all rows in the group.

WtAvg( column , weight_column Returns the average of the

column values, weighted. See
)
below.

Returns

float

float

Note: No MapBasic function, aggregate or otherwise, returns a decimal value. A decimal field is only
a way of storing the data. The arithmetic is done with floating point numbers.

Calculating Weighted Averages

Use the Wtavg( ) aggregate function to calculate weighted averages. For example, the following statement
uses the Wtavg( ) function to calculate a weighted average of the literacy rate in each continent:
Select continent, Sum(pop_1994), WtAvg(literacy, Pop_1994)
From World
Group By continent
Into Lit_query
Because of the Group By clause, MapInfo Professional groups rows of the table together, according to
the values in the Continent column. All rows having "North America" in the Continent column will be
treated as one group; all rows having "Asia" in the Continent column will be treated as another group;
etc. For each group of rows-in other words, for each continentMapInfo Professional calculates a
weighted average of the literacy rates.
A simple average (using the Avg( ) function) calculates the sum divided by the count. A weighted average
(using the WtAvg( ) function) is more complicated, in that some rows affect the average more than other
rows. In this example, the average calculation is weighted by the Pop_1994 (population) column; in
other words, countries that have a large population will have more of an impact on the result than
countries that have a small population.
Column Expressions in the Group By clause
In the preceding example, the Group By territory clause identifies the Territory column by name. Alternately, a Group By clause can identify a column by a number, using an expression of the form col#. In
this type of expression, the # sign represents an integer number, having a value of one or more, which
identifies one of the columns in the Select clause. Thus, the above Select statement could have read
Group By col1, or even Group By 1, rather than Group By territory.
It is sometimes necessary to use one of these alternate syntaxes. If you wish to Group By a derived
expression, which does not have a column name, then the Group By clause must use the col# syntax
or the # syntax to refer to the proper column expression. In the following example, we Group By a column

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value derived through the Month( ) function. Since this column expression does not have a conventional
column name, our Group By clause refers to it using the col# format:
Select Month(sick_date), Count(*)
From sickdays
Group By 1
This example assumes that each row in the sickdays table represents a sick day claim. The results from
this query would include twelve rows (one row for each month); the second column would indicate how
many sick days were claimed for that month.
Grouping By Multiple Columns
Depending on your application, you may need to specify more than one column in the Group By clause;
this happens when the contents of a column are not sufficiently unique. For example, you may have a
table describing counties across the United States. County names are not unique; for example, many
different states have a Franklin county. Therefore, if your Group By clause specifies a single countyname column, MapBasic will create one sub-total row in the results table for the county "Franklin". That
row would summarize all counties having the name "Franklin", regardless of whether the records were
in different states.
When this type of problem occurs, your Group By clause must specify two or more columns, separated
by commas. For example, a group by clause might read:
Group By county, state
With this arrangement, MapBasic would construct a separate group of rows (and, thus, a separate subtotal) for each unique expression of the form countyname, statename. The results table would have
separate rows for Franklin County, MA versus Franklin County, FL.
Order By clause
This optional clause specifies which column or set of columns to order the results by. As with the Group
By clause, the column is specified by name in the field list, or by a number representing the position in
the field list. Multiple columns are separated by commas.
By default, results sorted by an Order By clause are in ascending order. An ascending character sort
places "A" values before "Z" values; an ascending numeric sort places small numbers before large ones.
If you want one of the columns to be sorted in descending order, you should follow that column name
with the keyword DESC.
Select * From cities
Order By state, population Desc
This query performs a two-level sort on the table Cities. First, MapBasic sorts the table, in ascending
order, according to the contents of the state column. Then MapBasic sorts each state's group of records,
using a descending order sort of the values in the population column. Note that there is a space, not a
comma, between the column name and the keyword DESC.
The Order By clause may not reference a function with a variable return type, such as the ObjectInfo(
) function.

Reference

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Geographic Operators
MapBasic supports several geographic operators: Contains, Contains Part, Contains Entire, Within,
Partly Within, Entirely Within, and Intersects. These operators can be used in any expression, and are
very useful within the Select statement's Where clause. All geographic operators are infix operators
(operate on two objects and return a boolean). The operators are listed in the table below.
Usage

Evaluates TRUE if:

objectA Contains objectB

first object contains the centroid of second object

objectA Contains Part objectB

first object contains part of second object

objectA Contains Entire objectB

first object contains all of second object

objectA Within objectB

first object's centroid is within the second object

objectA Partly Within objectB

part of the first object is within the second object

objectA Entirely Within objectB

the first object is entirely inside the second object

objectA Intersects objectB

the two objects intersect at some point

Selection Performance
Some Select statements are considerably faster than others, depending in part on the contents of the
Where clause.
If the Where clause contains one expression of the form:
columnname = constant_expression
or if the Where clause contains two or more expressions of that form, joined by the And operator, then
the Select statement will be able to take maximum advantage of indexing, allowing the operation to
proceed quickly. However, if multiple Where clause expressions are joined by the Or operator instead
of by the And operator, the statement will take more time, because MapInfo Professional will not be able
to take maximum advantage of indexing.
Similarly, MapInfo Professional provides optimized performance for Where clause expressions of the
form:
[ tablename. ] obj geographic_operator object_expression
and for Where clause expressions of the form:
RowID = constant_expression
RowID is a special column name. Each row's RowID value represents the corresponding row number
within the appropriate table; in other words, the first row in a table has a RowID value of one.

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Examples
This example selects all customers that are in New York, Connecticut, or Massachusetts. Each customer
record does not need to include a state name; rather, the query relies on the geographic position of each
customer object to determine whether that customer is "in" a given state.
Select * From customers
Where obj Within Any(Select obj From states
Where state = "NY" or state = "CT" or state = "MA")
The next example demonstrates a sub-select. Here, we want to select all sales territories which contain
customers that have been designated as "Federal." The subselect selects all customer records flagged
as Federal, and then the main select works from the list of Federal customers to select certain territories.
Select * From territories
Where obj Contains Any (Select obj From customers
Where customers.source = "Federal")
The following query selects all parcels that touch parcel 120059.
Select * From parcels
Where obj Intersects (Select obj From parcels
Where parcel_id = 120059)
See Also:
Open Table statement

SelectionInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about the current selection. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Note: Selected labels do not count as a "selection," because labels are not complete objects, they are
attributes of other objects.

Syntax
SelectionInfo( attribute )
attribute is an integer code from the table below.
Return Value
String or integer; see table below.
Description
The table below summarizes the codes (from MAPBASIC.DEF) that you can use as the attribute parameter.

Reference

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attribute setting

ID

SelectionInfo( ) Return Value

SEL_INFO_TABLENAME

String: The name of the table the selection was based on.
Returns an empty string if no data currently selected.

SEL_INFO_SELNAME

String: The name of the temporary table (for example,

"Query1") representing the query. Returns an empty string
if no data currently selected.

SEL_INFO_NROWS

Integer: The number of selected rows. Returns zero if no

data currently selected.

Note: If the current selection is the result of a join of two or more tables, SelectionInfo(SEL_INFO_NROWS) returns the number of rows selected in the base table, which might
not equal the number of rows in the Selection table. See example below.

Error Conditions
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error is generated if an argument is outside of the valid range.
Example
The following example uses a Select statement to perform a join. Afterwards, the variable i contains
40 (the number of rows currently selected in the base table, States) and the variable j contains 125 (the
number of rows in the query results table).
Dim i, j As Integer
Select * From States, City_125
Where States.obj Contains City_125.obj Into QResults
i = SelectionInfo(SEL_INFO_NROWS)
j = TableInfo(QResults, TAB_INFO_NROWS)
See Also:
Select statement, TableInfo( ) function

Server Begin Transaction statement

Purpose
Requests a remote data server to begin a new unit of work. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server ConnectionNumber Begin Transaction
ConnectionNumber is an integer value that identifies the specific connection.
Description
The Server Begin Transaction statement is used to mark a beginning point for transaction processing.
The database does not save the results of subsequent SQL Insert, Delete, and Update statements issued

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via the Server_Execute( ) function until a Server Commit statement is issued. Use the Server Rollback
statement to discard changes.
Example
Dim hdbc As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
Server hdbc Begin Transaction
' ... other server statements ...
Server hdbc Commit
See Also:
Server Commit statement, Server Rollback statement

Server Bind Column statement

Purpose
Assigns local storage that can be used by the remote data server. You can issue this statement from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server StatementNumber Bind Column n To Variable, StatusVariable
StatementNumber is an integer value that identifies information about a SQL statement.
n is a column number in the result set to bind.
Variable is a MapBasic variable to contain a column value following a fetch.
StatusVariable is an integer code indicating the status of the value as either null, truncated, or a positive
integer value.
Description
The Server Bind Column statement sets up an application variable as storage for the result data of a
column specified in a remote Select statement. When the subsequent Server Fetch statement retrieves
a row of data from the server, the value for the column is stored in the variable specified by the Server
Bind Column statement. The status of the column result is stored in the status variable.
StatusVariable value

ID

Condition

SRV_NULL_DATA

-1

Returned when the column has no data for that row.

SRV_TRUNCATED_DATA

-2

Returned when there is more data in the column than can

be stored in the MapBasic variable.

Positive integer value

Number of bytes returned by the server.

Example
' Application to "print" address labels
' Assumes that a relational table ADDR exists with 6 columns...
Dim hdbc, hstmt As Integer

Reference

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Server Close statement

Dim first_name, last_name, street, city, state, zip As String
Dim fn_stat, ln_stat, str_stat, ct_stat, st_stat, zip_stat As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
hstmt = Server_Execute( hdbc, "select * from ADDR")
Server hstmt Bind Column 1 To first_name,fn_stat
Server hstmt Bind Column 2 To last_name, ln_stat
Server hstmt Bind Column 3 To street, str_stat
Server hstmt Bind Column 4 To city, ct_stat
Server hstmt Bind Column 5 To state, st_stat
Server hstmt Bind Column 6 To zip, zip_stat
Server hstmt Fetch NEXT
While Not Server_Eot(hstmt)
Print first_name + " " + last_name
Print street
Print city + ", " + state + " " + zip
Server hstmt Fetch NEXT
Wend
Server hstmt Close
Server hdbc Disconnect
See Also:
Server_ColumnInfo( ) function

Server Close statement

Purpose
Frees resources associated with running a remote data access statement. You can issue this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server StatementNumber Close
StatementNumber is an integer value that identifies information about a SQL statement.
Description
The Server Close statement is used to inform the server that processing on the current remote statement
is finished. All resources associated with the statement are returned. Remember to call the Server Close
statement immediately after a Server_Execute( ) function for any non-query SQL statement you are
finished processing.
Example
' Fetch the 5th record then close the statement
hstmt = Server_Execute(hdbc, "Select * from Massive_Database")
Server hstmt Fetch Rec 5
Server hstmt Close
See Also:
Server_Execute( ) function

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Server_ColumnInfo( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves information about columns in a result set. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server_ColumnInfo( StatementNumber, ColumnNo, Attr )
StatementNumber is an integer value that identifies information about an SQL statement.
ColumnNo is the number of the column in the table, starting at 1 with the leftmost column.
Attr is a code indicating which aspect of the column to return.
Return Value
The return value is conditional based on the value of the attribute passed (Attr).
Description
The Server_ColumnInfo function returns information about the current fetched column in the result set
of a remote data source described by a remotely executed Select statement. The StatementNumber
parameter specifies the particular statement handle associated with that connection. The ColumnNo
parameter indicates the desired column (the columns are numbered from the left starting at 1). Attr selects
the kind of information that will be returned.
The following table contains the attributes returned to the Attr parameter. These types are defined in
MAPBASIC.DEF.
Attr value

ID

Server_ColumnInfo( ) returns:

SRV_COL_INFO_NAME

String result, the name identifying the column.

SRV_COL_INFO_TYPE

Integer result, a code indicating the column type:

SRV_COL_TYPE_NONE (0)
SRV_COL_TYPE_CHAR (1)
SRV_COL_TYPE_DECIMAL (2)
SRV_COL_TYPE_INTEGER (3)
SRV_COL_TYPE_SMALLINT (4)
SRV_COL_TYPE_DATE (5)
SRV_COL_TYPE_LOGICAL (6)
SRV_COL_TYPE_FLOAT (8)
SRV_COL_TYPE_FIXED_LEN_STRING (16)
SRV_COL_TYPE_BIN_STRING (17)

See Server Fetch for how MapInfo Professional interprets

data types.

Reference

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Server_ColumnInfo( ) function
Attr value

ID

Server_ColumnInfo( ) returns:

SRV_COL_INFO_WIDTH

Integer result, indicating maximum number of characters

in a column of type SRV_COL_TYPE_CHAR (1) or
SRV_COL_TYPE_FIXED_LEN_STRING (16).
When using ODBC the null terminator is not counted. The
value returned is the same as the server database table
column width.

SRV_COL_INFO_PRECISION

Integer result, indicating the total number of digits for a

SRV_COL_TYPE_DECIMAL (2) column, or -1 for any
other column type.

SRV_COL_INFO_SCALE

Integer result, indicating the number of digits to the right

of the decimal for a SRV_COL_TYPE_DECIMAL (2)
column, or -1 for any other column type.

SRV_COL_INFO_VALUE

Result type varies. Returns the actual data value from the
column of the current row. Long character column values
greater than 32,766 will be truncated. Binary column values are returned as a double length string of hexadecimal
characters.

SRV_COL_INFO_STATUS

Integer result, indicating the status of the column value:

SRV_NULL_DATA (-1)
Returned when the column has no data for that row.
SRV_TRUNCATED_DATA (-2)
Returned when there is more data in the column than
can be stored in the MapBasic variable.
Positive integer value
Number of bytes returned by the server.

SRV_COL_INFO_ALIAS

Column alias returned if an alias was used for the column

in the query.

Example
Dim hdbc, Stmt As Integer
Dim Col As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
Stmt = Server_Execute(hdbc, "Select * from emp")
Server Stmt Fetch NEXT
For Col = 1 To Server_NumCols(Stmt)
Print Server_ColumnInfo(Stmt, Col, SRV_COL_INFO_NAME) +
" = " +
Server_ColumnInfo(Stmt, Col, SRV_COL_INFO_VALUE)
Next
See Also:
Server Bind Column statement, Server Fetch statement, Server_NumCols( ) function

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Server Commit statement

Purpose
Causes the current unit of work to be saved to the database. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server ConnectionNumber Commit
ConnectionNumber is an integer value that identifies the specific connection.
Description
The Server Commit statement makes permanent the effects of all remote SQL statements on the connection issued since the last Server Begin Transaction statement to the database. You must have an
open transaction initiated by the Server Begin Transaction statement before you can use the Server
Commit statement. Then you must issue a new Server Begin Transaction statement following the
Server Commit statement to begin a new transaction.
Example
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
Server hdbc Begin Transaction
hstmt = Server_Execute(hdbc, "Update Emp Set salary = salary * 1.5")
Server hdbc Commit
See Also:
Server Begin Transaction statement, Server Rollback statement

Server_Connect( ) function
Purpose
Establishes communications with a remote data server. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server_Connect( toolkit, connect_string )
toolkit is a string value identifying the remote interface, for example, "ODBC", "ORAINET". Valid values
for toolkit can be obtained from the Server_DriverInfo( ) function.
connect_string is a string value with additional information necessary to obtain a connection to the
database.
Return Value
Integer

Reference

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Server_Connect( ) function
Description
The Server_Connect( ) function establishes a connection to a data source. This function returns a
connection number. A connection number is an identifier to the connection. This identifier must be passed
to all server statements that you wish to operate on the connection.
The parameter toolkit identifies the MapInfo Professional remote interface toolkit through which the
connection to a database server will be made. Information can be obtained about the possible values
via calls to the Server_NumDrivers( ) function and the Server_DriverInfo( ) function.
The connect_string parameter supplies additional information to the toolkit necessary to obtain a connection to the database. The parameters depend on the requirements of the remote data source being accessed.
The connection string sent to Server_Connect( ) has the form:
attribute=value[;attribute=value...]
Note: There are no spaces allowed in the connection string.
Passing the DLG=1 connect option provides a connect dialog box with active help buttons.
Microsoft ACCESS Attributes
The attributes used by ACCESS are:
Attribute

Description

DSN

The name of the ODBC data source for Microsoft ACCESS.

UID

The user login ID.

PWD

The user-specified password.

SCROLL

The default value is NO. If SCROLL=YES the ODBC cursor library is used
for this connection allowing the ability to fetch first, last, previous, or record
n of the database.

An example of a connection string for ACCESS is:

"DSN=MI ACCESS;UID=ADMIN;PWD=SECRET"
ORACLE ODBC Connection
If your application requires a connection string to connect to a data source, you must specify the data
source name that tells the driver which section of the system information to use for the default connection
information. Optionally, you may specify attribute=value pairs in the connection string to override the
default values stored in the system information. These values are not written to the system information.
You can specify either long or short names in the connection string. The connection string has the form:
DSN=data_source_name[;attribute=value[;attribute=value]...]
An example of a connection string for Oracle is:
DSN=Accounting;HOST=server1;PORT=1522;SID=ORCL;UID=JOHN;PWD=XYZZY

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The paragraphs that follow give the long and short names for each attribute, as well as a description.
The defaults listed are initial defaults that apply when no value is specified in either the connection string
or in the data source definition in the system information. If you specified a value for the attribute when
configuring the data source, that value is the default.
ApplicationUsingThreads (AUT): ApplicationUsingThreads={0 | 1}. Ensures that the driver works with
multi-threaded applications. When set to 1 (the initial default), the driver is thread-safe. When using the
driver with single-threaded applications, you can set this option to 0 to avoid additional processing required
for ODBC thread-safety standards.
ArraySize (AS): The number of bytes the driver uses for fetching multiple rows. Values can be an integer
from 1 up to 4 GB. Larger values increase throughput by reducing the number of times the driver fetches
data across the network. Smaller values increase response time, as there is less waiting time for the
server to transmit data. The initial default is 60,000.
CatalogOptions (CO): CatalogOptions={0 | 1}. Determines whether the result column REMARKS for
the catalog functions SQLTables and SQLColumns and COLUMN_DEF for the catalog function SQLColumns have meaning for Oracle. If you want to obtain the actual default value, set CO=1. The initial
default is 0.
DataSourceName (DSN): A string that identifies an Oracle data source configuration in the system information. Examples include "Accounting" or "Oracle-Serv1."
DescribeAtPrepare (DAP): DescribeAtPrepare={0 | 1}. Determines whether the driver describes the
SQL statement at prepare time. When set to 0 (the initial default), the driver does not describe the SQL
statement at prepare time.
EnableDescribeParam (EDP): EnableDescribeParam={0 | 1}. Determines whether the ODBC API
function SQLDescribeParam is enabled, which results in all parameters being described with a data type
of SQL_VARCHAR. This attribute should be set to 1 when using Microsoft Remote Data Objects (RDO)
to access data. The initial default is 0.
EnableStaticCursorsForLongData (ESCLD): EnableStaticCursorsForLongData={0 | 1}. Determines
whether the driver supports long columns when using a static cursor. Using this attribute causes a performance penalty at the time of execution when reading long data. The initial default is 0.
HostName (HOST): HostName={servername | IP_address}. Identifies the Oracle server to which you
want to connect. If your network supports named servers, you can specify a host name such as Oracleserver. Otherwise, specify an IP address such as 199.226.224.34.
LockTimeOut (LTO): LockTimeOut={0 | -1}. Determines whether Oracle should wait for a lock to be
freed before raising an error when processing a Select...For Update statement. When set to 0, Oracle
does not wait. When set to -1 (the initial default), Oracle waits indefinitely.
LogonID (UID): The default logon ID (user name) that the application uses to connect to your Oracle
database. A logon ID is required only if security is enabled on your database. If so, contact your system
administrator to get your logon ID.
Password (PWD): The password that the application uses to connect to your Oracle database.
PortNumber (PORT): Identifies the port number of your Oracle listener. The initial default value is 1521.
Check with your database administrator for the correct number.
ProcedureRetResults (PRR): ProcedureRetResults={0 | 1}. Determines whether the driver returns
result sets from stored procedure functions. When set to 0 (the initial default), the driver does not return

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result sets from stored procedures. When set to 1, the driver returns result sets from stored procedures.
When set to 1 and you execute a stored procedure that does not return result sets, you will incur a small
performance penalty.
SID (SID): The Oracle System Identifier that refers to the instance of Oracle running on the server.
UseCurrrentSchema (UCS): UseCurrentSchema={0 | 1}. Determines whether the driver specifies only
the current user when executing SQLProcedures. When set to 0, the driver does not specify only the
current user. When set to 1 (the initial default), the call for SQLProcedures is optimized, but only procedures owned by the user are returned.
Oracle Spatial Attributes
Oracle Spatial is an implementation of a spatial database from Oracle Corporation. It has some similarities to the previous Oracle SDO implementation, but is significantly different. Oracle Spatial maintains
the Oracle SDO implementation via a relational schema. However, MapInfo Professional does not support
the Oracle SDO relational schema via OCI. MapInfo Professional does support simultaneous connections
to Oracle through OCI and to other databases through ODBC. MapInfo Professional does not support
downloading Oracle Spatial geometry tables via ODBC using the current ODBC driver from Intersolv.
There is no DSN component.
Attribute

Description

LogonID (UID)

The logon ID (user name) that the application uses to connect to your Oracle
database. A logon ID is required only if security is enabled on your database.
If so, contact your system administrator to get your logon ID.

Password (PWD)

Your password. This, too, should be supplied by your system administrator.

ServerName (SRVR)

The name of the Oracle server.

An example of a connection string to access an Oracle Spatial server using TCP/IP is:
"SRVR=FATBOY;UID=SCOTT;PWD=TIGER"
SQL SERVER Attributes
If your application requires a connection string to connect to a data source, you must specify the data
source name that tells the driver which section in the system information to use for the default connection
information. Optionally, you may specify attribute=value pairs in the connection string to override the
default values stored in system information. These values are not written to the system information.
The connection string has the form:
DSN=data_source_name[;attribute=value[;attribute=value]...]
An example of a connection string for SQL Server is:
DSN=Accounting;UID=JOHN;PWD=XYZZY
The paragraphs that follow give the long and short names, when applicable, for each attribute, as well
as a description. The defaults listed are initial defaults that apply when no value is specified in either the
connection string or in the data source definition in the system information. If you specified a value for
the attribute when configuring the data source, that value is the default.

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Address: The network address of the server running SQL Server. Used only if the Server keyword does
not specify the network name of a server running SQL Server. Address is usually the network name of
the server, but can be other names such as a pipe, or a TCP/IP port and socket address. For example,
on TCP/IP: 199.199.199.5, 1433 or MYSVR, 1433.
AnsiNPW: AnsiNPW={yes | no}. Determines whether ANSI-defined behaviors are exposed. When set
to yes, the driver uses ANSI-defined behaviors for handling NULL comparisons, character data padding,
warnings, and NULL concatenation. When set to no, ANSI-defined behaviors are not exposed.
APP: The name of the application calling SQLDriverConnect (optional). If specified, this value is stored
in the master.dbo.sysprocesses column program_name and is returned by sp_who and the TransactSQL APP_NAME function.
AttachDBFileName: The name of the primary file of an attachable database. Include the full path and
escape any slash (\) characters if using a C character string variable:
AttachDBFileName=c:\\MyFolder\\MyDB.mdf
This database is attached and becomes the default database for the connection. To use AttachDBFileName you must also specify the database name in either the SQLDriverConnnect DATABASE parameter
or the SQL_COPT_CURRENT_CATALOG connection attribute. If the database was previously attached,
SQL Server will not reattach it; it will use the attached database as the default for the connection.
AutoTranslate: AutoTranslate={yes | no}. Determines how ANSI character strings are translated. When
set to yes, ANSI character strings sent between the client and server are translated by converting through
Unicode to minimize problems in matching extended characters between the code pages on the client
and the server.
These conversions are performed on the client by the SQL Server Wire Protocol driver. This requires
that the same ANSI code page (ACP) used on the server be available on the client.
These settings have no effect on the conversions that occur for the following transfers:

Unicode SQL_C_WCHAR client data sent to char, varchar, or text on the server.
Char, varchar, or text server data sent to a Unicode SQL_C_WCHAR variable on the client.
ANSI SQL_C_CHAR client data sent to Unicode nchar, nvarchar, or ntext on the server.
Unicode char, varchar, or text server data sent to an ANSI SQL_C_CHAR variable on the client.
When set to no, character translation is not performed.
The SQL Server Wire Protocol driver does not translate client ANSI character SQL_C_CHAR data
sent to char, varchar, or text variables, parameters, or columns on the server. No translation is performed
on char, varchar, or text data sent from the server to SQL_C_CHAR variables on the client.
If the client and SQL Server are using different ACPs, then extended characters can be misinterpreted.
DATABASE: The name of the default SQL Server database for the connection. If DATABASE is not
specified, the default database defined for the login is used. The default database from the ODBC data
source overrides the default database defined for the login. The database must be an existing database
unless AttachDBFileName is also specified. If AttachDBFileName is specified, the primary file it points
to is attached and given the database name specified by DATABASE.
LANGUAGE: The SQL Server language name (optional). SQL Server can store messages for multiple
languages in sysmessages. If connecting to a SQL Server with multiple languages, this attribute specifies
which set of messages are used for the connection.

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Network: The name of a network library dynamic-link library. The name need not include the path and
must not include the .dll file name extension, for example, Network=dbnmpntw.
PWD: The password for the SQL Server login account specified in the UID parameter. PWD need not
be specified if the login has a NULL password or when using Windows NT authentication (Trusted_Connection=yes).
QueryLogFile: The full path and file name of a file to be used for logging data about long-running
queries.
QueryLog_On: QueryLog_On={yes | no}. Determines whether long-running query data is logged. When
set to yes, logging long-running query data is enabled on the connection. When set to no, long-running
query data is not logged.
QueryLogTime: A digit character string specifying the threshold (in milliseconds) for logging long-running
queries. Any query that does not receive a response in the time specified is written to the long-running
query log file.
QuotedID: QuotedID={yes | no}. Determines whether QUOTED_IDENTIFIERS is set ON or OFF for the
connection. When set to yes, QUOTED_IDENTIFIERS is set ON for the connection, and SQL Server
uses the SQL-92 rules regarding the use of quotation marks in SQL statements. When set to no,
QUOTED_IDENTIFIERS is set OFF for the connection, and SQL Server uses the legacy Transact-SQL
rules regarding the use of quotation marks in SQL statements.
Regional: Regional={yes | no}. Determines how currency, date, and time data are converted. When set
to yes, the SQL Server Wire Protocol driver uses client settings when converting currency, date, datetime,
and time data to character data. The conversion is one way only; the driver does not recognize nonODBC standard formats for date strings or currency values. When set to no, the driver uses ODBC
standard strings to represent currency, date, and time data that is converted to string data.
SAVEFILE: The name of an ODBC data source file into which the attributes of the current connection
are saved if the connection is successful.
SERVER: The name of a server running SQL Server on the network. The value must be either the name
of a server on the network, or the name of a SQL Server Client Network Utility advanced server entry.
You can enter "(local)" as the server name on Windows NT to connect to a copy of SQL Server running
on the same computer.
StatsLogFile: The full path and file name of a file used to record SQL Server Wire Protocol driver performance statistics.
StatsLog_On: StatsLog_On={yes | no}. Determines whether SQL Server Wire Protocol driver performance
data is available. When set to yes, SQL Server Wire Protocol driver performance data is captured. When
set to no, SQL Server Wire Protocol driver performance data is not available on the connection.
Trusted_Connection: Trusted_Connection={yes | no}. Determines what information the SQL Server
Wire Protocol driver will use for login validation. When set to yes, the SQL Server Wire Protocol driver
uses Windows NT Authentication Mode for login validation. The UID and PWD keywords are optional.
When set to no, the SQL Server Wire Protocol driver uses a SQL Server username and password for
login validation. The UID and PWD keywords must be specified.
UID: A valid SQL Server login account. UID need not be specified when using Windows NT authentication.

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WSID: The workstation ID. Typically, this is the network name of the computer on which the application
resides (optional). If specified, this value is stored in the master.dbo.sysprocesses column hostname
and is returned by sp_who and the Transact-SQL HOST_NAME function.
How to specify as a connection option
There are a few parameters that can be used for POSTgreSQL driver:
Definition

Keyword

Abbreviation

Data source description

Description

Nothing

Name of Server

Servername

Nothing

Postmaster listening port

Port

Nothing

User Name

Username

Nothing

Password

Password

Nothing

Debug flag

Debug

B2

Fetch Max Count

Fetch

A7

Socket buffer size

Socket

A8

Database is read only

ReadOnly

A0

Communication to backend logging

CommLog

B3

PostgreSQL backend protocol

Protocol

A1

Backend enetic optimizer

Optimizer

B4

Keyset query optimization

Ksqo

B5

Send to backend on connection

ConnSettings

A6

Recognize unique indexes

UniqueIndex

Nothing

Unknown result set sizes

UnknownSizes

A9

Cancel as FreeStmt

CancelAsFreeStmt

C1

Use Declare/Fetch cursors

UseDeclareFetch

B6

Text as LongVarchar

TextAsLongVarchar

B7

Unknowns as LongVarchar

UnknownsAsLongVarchar

B8

Bools as Char

BoolsAsChar

B9

Max Varchar size

MaxVarcharSize

B0

Max LongVarchar size

MaxLongVarcharSize

B1

Fakes a unique index on OID

FakeOidIndex

A2

Includes the OID in SQLColumns

ShowOidColumn

A3

Reference

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Definition

Keyword

Abbreviation

Row Versioning

RowVersioning

A4

Show SystemTables

ShowSystemTables

A5

Parse Statements

Parse

C0

SysTable Prefixes

ExtraSysTablePrefixes

C2

Disallow Premature

DisallowPremature

C3

Updateable Cursors

UpdatableCursors

C4

LF <-> CR/LF conversion

LFConversion

C5

True is -1

TrueIsMinus1

C6

Datatype to report int8 columns as

BI

Nothing

Byte as LongVarBinary

ByteaAsLongVarBinary

C7

Use serverside prepare

UseServerSidePrepare

C8

Lower case identifier

LowerCaseIdentifier

C9

SSL mode

SSLmode

CA

Extra options

AB

Nothing

Abbreviate (simple setup of a recommendation value)

CX

Nothing

See Also:
Server Disconnect statement

Server_ConnectInfo( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves information about the active database connections. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server_ConnectInfo( ConnectionNo, Attr )
ConnectionNumber is the integer returned by the Server_Connect( ) function that identifies the database
connection.
Attr is a code indicating which information to return.
Return Value
String

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Description
The Server_ConnectInfo function returns information about a database connection. The first parameter
selects the connection number (starting at 1). The second parameter selects the kind of information that
will be returned. Refer to the following table.
Attr value

ID

Server_ConnectInfo( ) returns:

SRV_CONNECT_INFO_DRIVER_NAME

String result, the name identifying the toolkit drivername

associated with this connection.

SRV_CONNECT_INFO_DB_NAME

String result, returning the database name.

SRV_CONNECT_INFO_SQL_USER_ID

String result, returning the name of the SQL user ID.

SRV_CONNECT_INFO_DS_NAME

String result, returning the data source name.

SRV_CONNECT_INFO_QUOTE_CHAR

String result, returning the quote character.

Example
Dim dbname as String
Dim hdbc As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
dbname=Server_ConnectInfo(hdbc, SRV_CONNECT_INFO_DB_NAME)
Print dbname
See Also:
Server_Connect( ) function

Server Create Map statement

Purpose
Identifies the spatial information for a server table. It does not alter the table to add the spatial columns.
For this release, we have added the option to place Oracle 11g annotation text in MapInfo maps. You
can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
To support the changes to the Make Table Mappable dialog box, we use the Server <Connection
Number> Create Map statement to register the metadata in the MAP CATALOG. To support ANNOTATION TEXT, we have introduced a Text object type. The statement is now:
Syntax
Server ConnectionNumber Create Map
For linked_table
Type { MICODE columnname | XYINDEX (xcolumnname, ycolumnname) | {
SPATIALWARE | OR_SP | SQLSERVERSPATIAL {
GEOMETRY | GEOGRAPHY } | POSTGIS }
columnname}
[ CoordSys... ]
[ MapBounds { Data | Coordsys | Values ( x1, y1 ) ( x2, y2 ) } ]
[ ObjectType { Point | Line | Region | Text | ALL } ]

Reference

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[
[
[
[

Symbol(...) ]
Linestyle Pen(...) ]
Regionstyle Pen(...) Brush(...) ]
Style Type style_number [ Column column_name ] ]

Text supports the creation of the text object for annotation text. The ALL option does not include this
text object.
connectionNumber is an integer value that identifies the specific connection.
linked_table is the name of an open, linked ODBC table.
columnname is the name of the column containing the coordinates for the specified type.
xcolumnname is the name of the X column containing longitude value of the coordinate
ycolumnname is the name of the Y column containing latitude value of the coordinate
x1, y1, x2, y2 define the coordinate system bounds.
CoordSy clause specifies the coordinate system and projection to be used.
MapBounds clause allows you to specify what to store for the entire/default table view bounds in the
MapCatalog. The default is Data which calculates the bounds of all the data in the layer. (For programs
compiled before 7.5, the default will is Coordsys).
Coordsys stores the coordinate system bounds. This is not recommended as it may cause the entire
layer default view to appear empty if the Coordsys bounds are significantly greater than the bounds of
the actual data. Most users are zoomed out too far to see their data using this option.
Values lets you specify your own bounds values for the MapCatalog.
ObjectType clause specifies the type of object in the table: points, lines, regions, text, or all objects. If
no ObjectType clause is specified, the default is Point. The Text option allows for the placement of
Oracle Spatial annotation text into a text object., and the type for this option is ORA_SP. The ALL option
does not include text.
Symbol is a valid Symbol clause to specify a point style.
Linestyle Pen is a valid Pen clause that specifies the line style to be used for a line object type.
Regionstyle Pen is a valid Pen clause and Brush is a valid Brush clause that specifies the line style
and fill style to be used for a region object type.
StyleType sets per-row symbology. style_number is a value either 0 or 1. The Column keyword and
argument must be present when style_number is set to 1 (one). When the style_number is set to zero
the Column keyword is ignored and the rendition columns in the MapCatalog are cleared.
Description
The Server Create Map statement makes a table linked to a remote database mappable. For a SpatialWare, Oracle Spatial, SQL Server Spatial or PostGIS table, you can make the table mappable for points,
lines, or regions. For all other tables, you can make a table mappable for points only. Any MapInfo Professional table may be displayed in a Browser, but only a mappable table can have graphical objects
attached to it and be displayed in a Map window.
Note: If Oracle9i is the server and the coordinate system is specified as Lat/Long without specifying
the datum, the default datum, World Geodetic System 1984(WGS 84), will be assigned to the

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Lat/Long coordinate system. This behavior is consistent with the Server Create Table statement
and Easyloader.
Attribute Types

Description

ORA_SP columnname

OracleSpatial

SPATIALWARE

SpatialWare for SQL Server

MICODE

XYINDEX

SQLSERVERSPATIAL GEOMETRY

SQL Server Spatial Geometry

SQLSERVERSPATIAL GEOGRAPHY

SQL Server Spatial Geography

POSTGIS

PostGIS for PostgreSQL

Examples
Sub Main
Dim ConnNum As Integer
ConnNum = Server_Connect("ODBC",
"DSN=SQLServer;DB=QADB;UID=mipro;PWD=mipro")
Server ConnNum Create Map For "Cities"
Type SPATIALWARE
CoordSys Earth Projection 1, 0
ObjectType All
ObjectType Point
Symbol (35,0,12)
Server ConnNum Disconnect
End Sub
The following is an example of the MapBasic statement for the ANNOTEXT_TABLE:
Server 1 Create Map For """MIPRO"".""ANNOTEXT_TABLE"""
Type ORA_SP "TEXTOBJ"
CoordSys Earth Projection 12, 62, "m", 0 Bounds
(-34012036.7393, -8625248.51472) (34012036.7393, 8625248.51472)
mapbounds data
ObjectType Text
See Also:
Server Link Table statement, Unlink statement

Server Create Style

You can apply per object style settings for a mapped table. This syntax returns success or failure. The
following syntax also works for the Set Map statement.
Server ConnectionNumber Create Map linked_table...
[ Style Type style_number [ Column column_name ] ]
connectionNumber is an integer value that identifies the specific connection.
linked_table is the name of an open linked ODBC table
columnname is the name of the column containing the coordinates for the specified type

Reference

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Server Create Table statement

StyleType sets per-row symbology. style_number is a value either 0 or 1. The Column keyword and
argument must be present when style_number is set to 1 (one). When the style_number is set to zero
the Column keyword is ignored and the rendition columns in the MapCatalog are cleared.
Description
In order to succeed, the MapCatalog must have the structure to support styles. It must contain the
columns RENDITIONTYPE, RENDITIONCOLUMN, and RENDITIONTABLE. The command should not
succeed if the style columns are not character or varchar columns. The SQL statement itself will probably
fail if it tries to set a string value into a column with a different data type.
Example
Server 2 Create Map For "qadb:sample.arc"
Type MICODE "mi_sql_micode" ("mi_sql_x","mi_sql_y")
CoordSys Earth Projection 1, 0 ObjectType Point Symbol (35,0,12) Style
Type 1 Column "mi_style"
See Also:
Server_Connect( ) function, Set Map statement.

Server Create Table statement

Purpose
Creates a new table on a specified remote database. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server ConnectionNumber Create Table TableName
( ColumnName ColumnType [ , ... ] )
[ KeyColumn ColumnName ]
[ ObjectColumn ColumnName [ Type SQLServerSpatial
{ Geometry | Geography } ] ]
[ StyleColumn ColumnName ]
[ CoordSys... ]
ConnectionNumber is an integer value that identifies the specific connection to a database.
TableName is the name of the table as you want it to appear in a database.
ColumnName is the name of a column to create. Column names can be up to 31 characters long, and
can contain letters, numbers, and the underscore(_) character. Column names cannot begin with numbers.
ColumnType is the data type associated with the column.
Description
The Server Create Table statement creates a new empty table on the given database of up to 250
columns.
TableName is the name of the table as you want it to appear in database. The name can include a
schema name, which specifies the schema that the table belongs to. If no schema name is provided,

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the table belongs to the default schema. The user is responsible for providing an eligible schema name
and must know if the login user has the proper permissions on the given schema. This extension is for
SQL Server 2005 only.
The length of TableName varies with the type of database. We recommend using 14 or fewer characters
for a table name to ensure that it works correctly for all databases. The maximum TableName length is
14 characters.
ColumnType uses the same data types defined and provided in the Create Table statement. Some
types may be converted to the database-supported types accordingly, once the table is created on the
database.
The optional KeyColumn clause specifies the key column of the table. If specified, a unique index will
be created on this column. We recommend using this clause since it is also allows MapInfo Professional
to open the table for live access.
The optional ObjectColumn clause enables you to create a table with a spatial geometry/object column.
If it is specified, a spatial index will also be created on this column. However, if the server does not have
the ability to handle spatial geometry/objects, the table will not be created. If the server is an SQL Server
with SpatialWare, the table is also spatialized once the table is created. If the Server is Oracle Spatial,
spatial metadata is updated once the table is created.
If Server Create Table is used and the ObjectColumn clause is passed in the statement, you will also
have to use the Server Create Map statement in order to open the table in MapInfo Professional.
The optional StyleColumn clause specifies the Per Row Style column, which allows the use of different
object styles for each row on the table.
The optional CoordSys clause clause specifies the coordinate system and projection to be used. This
clause becomes mandatory only if the table is created with spatial object/geometry on Oracle Spatial
(Oracle9i or later with spatial option). If Oracle9i is the server and the coordinate system is specified as
Lat/Long without specifying the datum, the default datum, World Geodetic System 1984(WGS 84), will
be assigned to the Lat/Long coordinate system. The coordinate system must be the same as the one
specified in the Server Create Map statement when making it mappable. For other DBMS, this clause
has no effect on table creation.
The supported databases include Oracle, SQL Server, PostGIS and Microsoft Access. However, to
create a table with a spatial geometry/object column, SpatialWare is required for SQL Server and the
spatial option is required for Oracle.
Notes on DateTime and Time Data Types
There is no specific change in terms of syntax. We do have following restrictions for the some data types:
The datatypes Time and DateTime are useful but you must consider the database when using them.
Most databases do not have a corresponding DBMS TIME types. Before this release, we only supported
the Date type. Even the Date was converted to server type If the server did not support Date type. In
MapBasic 9.0 and later, this statement only supports the types that the server also supports. Therefore,
the Time type is prohibited from this statement for Oracle, SQL Server and Access, and the Date type
data type is prohibited for SQL Server and Access. Those "unsupported" types should be replaced with
DateTime if you still want to create the table that contains time information on a column.

Reference

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Server Create Workspace statement

Note: For Microsoft SQL Server and Access and verisons of MapInfo Professional older than 9.0, the
conversion was done in the background. As of version 9.0, users must choose DATETIME instead
of DATE or the operation fails.

Examples
The following examples show how to create a table named ALLTYPES that contains seven columns
that cover each of the data types supported by MapInfo Professional, plus the three columns Key, SpatialObject, and Style columns, for a total of ten columns.
For SQL Server with SpatialWare:
dim hodbc as integer
hodbc = server_connect("ODBC", "dlg=1")
Server hodbc Create Table ALLTYPES( Field1 char(10),Field2 integer,Field3
SmallInt,Field4 float,Field5 decimal(10,4),Field6 date,Field7 logical)
KeyColumn SW_MEMBER
ObjectColumn SW_GEOMETRY
StyleColumn MI_STYLE
For Oracle Spatial:
dim hodbc as integer
hodbc = server_connect("ORAINET", "SRVR=cygnus;UID=mipro;PWD=mipro")
Server hodbc Create Table ALLTYPES( Field1 char(10),Field2 integer,Field3
SmallInt,Field4 float,Field5 decimal(10,4),Field6 date,Field7logical)
KeyColumn MI_PRINX
ObjectColumn GEOLOC
StyleColumn MI_STYLE
Coordsys Earth Projection 1, 0
See Also:
Create Map statement, Server Create Map statement, Server Link Table statement, Unlink statement

Server Create Workspace statement

Purpose
Creates a new workspace in the database (Oracle 9i or later). You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server ConnectionNumber Create
Workspace WorkspaceName
[ Description Description ]
[ Parent ParentWorkspaceName ]
ConnectionNumber is an integer value that identifies the specific connection.
WorkspaceName is the name of the workspace. The name is case sensitive, and it must be unique. The
length of a workspace name must not exceed 30 characters.
Description is a string to describe the workspace.

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ParentWorkspaceName is the name of the workspace which will be the parent of the new workspace
WorkspaceName. By default, when a workspace is created, it is created from the topmost, or LIVE,
database workspace.
Description
This statement only applies to Oracle9i or later. The new workspace WorkspaceName is a child of the
parent workspace ParentWorkspaceName or LIVE if the Parent is not specified.
Refer to the Oracle9i Application Developer's Guide - Workspace Manager for more information.
Examples
The following example creates a workspace named MIUSER in the database.
Dim hdbc As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ORAINET", "SRVR=TROYNY;UID=MIUSER;PWD=MIUSER")
Server hdbc Create
Workspace "MIUSER"
Description "MIUser private workspace"
The following example creates a child workspace under MIUSER in the database.
Dim hdbc As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ORAINET", "SRVR=TROYNY;UID=MIUSER;PWD=MIUSER")
Server hdbc Create Workspace "MBPROG" Description "MapBasic project"
Parent "MIUSER"
See Also:
Server Remove Workspace statement, Server Versioning statement

Server Disconnect statement

Purpose
Shuts down the communication established via the Server_Connect( ) function with the remote data
server. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server ConnectionNumber Disconnect
ConnectionNumber is an integer value that identifies the specific connection.
Description
The Server Disconnect statement shuts down the database connection. All resources allocated with
respect to the connection are returned to the system.
Example
Dim hdbc As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
Server hdbc Disconnect
See Also:

Reference

575

Server_DriverInfo( ) function
Server_Connect( ) function

Server_DriverInfo( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves information about the installed toolkits and data sources. You can call this function from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server_DriverInfo( DriverNo, Attr )
DriverNo is an integer value assigned to an interface toolkit by MapInfo Professional when you start
MapInfo Professional.
Attr is a code indicating which information to return.
Return Value
String
Description
The Server_DriverInfo( ) function returns information about the data sources. The first parameter selects
the toolkit (starting at 1). The total number of toolkits can be obtained by a call to the Server_NumDrivers(
) function. The second parameter selects the kind of information that will be returned. Refer to the following table.
Attr value

ID

Server_DriverInfo( ) returns:

SRV_DRV_INFO_NAME

String result, the name identifying the toolkit. ODBC indicates an ODBC data source. ORAINET indicates an Oracle
Spatial connection.

SRV_DRV_INFO_NAME_LIST

String result, returning all the toolkit names, separated by

semicolons. Specifically, ODBC, ORAINET. The DriverNo
parameter is ignored.

SRV_DRV_DATA_SOURCE

String result, returning the name of the data sources

supported by the toolkit. Repeated calls will fetch each
name. After the last name for a particular toolkit, the
function will return an empty string. Calling the function
again for that toolkit will cause it to start with the first name
on the list again.

Example
Dim dlg_string, source As String
dlg_string = Server_DriverInfo(0, SRV_DRV_INFO_NAME_LIST)
source = Server_DriverInfo(1, SRV_DRV_DATA_SOURCE)
While source <> ""
Print "Available sources on toolkit " +

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Server_DriverInfo(1, SRV_DRV_INFO_NAME) + ": " +
source
source = Server_DriverInfo(1,
SRV_DRV_DATA_SOURCE)
Wend
See Also:
Server_NumDrivers( ) function

Server_EOT( ) function
Purpose
Determines whether the end of the result table has been reached via a Server Fetch statement. You
can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server_EOT( StatementNumber )
StatementNumber is the number of the Server Fetch statement you are checking.
Return Value
Logical
Description
The Server_EOT( ) function returns TRUE or FALSE indicating whether the previous Server Fetch
statement encountered a condition where there was no more data to return. Attempting to fetch a previous
record immediately after fetching the first record causes this to return TRUE. Attempting to fetch the next
record after the last record also returns a value of TRUE.
Example
Dim hdbc, hstmt As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
hstmt = Server_Execute(hdbc, "Select * from ADDR")
Server hstmt Fetch FIRST
While Not Server_EOT(hstmt)
' Processing for each row of data ...
Server hstmt Fetch Next
Wend
See Also:
Server Fetch statement

Server_Execute( ) function
Purpose
Sends a SQL string to execute on a remote data server. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

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Server_Execute( ) function
Syntax
Server_Execute( ConnectionNumber, server_string )
ConnectionNumber is an integer value that identifies the specific connection.
server_string is any valid SQL statement supported by the connected server. Refer to the SQL language
guide of your server database for information on valid SQL statements.
Return Value
Integer
Description
The Server_Execute( ) function sends the server_string (an SQL statement) to the server connection
specified by the ConnectionNumber. Any valid SQL statement supported by the active server is a valid
value for the server_string parameter. Refer to the SQL language guide of your server database for information on valid SQL statements.
This function returns a statement number. The statement number is used to associate subsequent SQL
requests, like the Server Fetch statement and the Server Close statement, to a particular SQL statement.
You should perform a Server Close statement for each Server_Execute( ) function as soon as you are
done using the statement handle. For selects, this is as soon as you are done fetching the desired data.
This will close the cursor on the remote server and free up the result set. Otherwise, you can exceed
the cursor limit and further executes will fail. Not all database servers support forward and reverse
scrolling cursors. For other SQL commands, issue a Server Close statement immediately following the
Server_Execute( ) function.
Dim hdbc, hstmt As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
hstmt = Server_Execute(hdbc, "Select * from ADDR")
Server hstmt Close
Example
Dim hdbc, hstmt As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", DSN=ORACLE7;DLG=1")
hstmt = Server_Execute (hdbc,
"CREATE TABLE NAME_TABLE (NAME CHAR (20))")
Server hstmt Close
hstmt = Server_Execute (hdbc,
"INSERT INTO NAME_TABLE VALUES ('Steve')")
Server hstmt Close
hstmt = Server_Execute ( hdbc,
"UPDATE NAME_TABLE SET name = 'Tim' ")
Server hstmt Close
Server hdbc Disconnect
See Also:
Server Close statement, Server Fetch statement

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Server Fetch statement

Purpose
Retrieves result set rows from a remote data server. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server StatementNumber Fetch [ NEXT | PREV | FIRST | LAST | [ REC ] recno ]
or
Server StatementNumber Fetch INTO Table [ FILE path ]
StatementNumber is an integer value that identifies information about an SQL statement.
recno is an integer representing the record to fetch.
path is the path to an existing table.
Description
The Server Fetch statement retrieves result set data (specified by the StatementNumber) from the
database server. For fetching the data one row at a time, it is placed in local storage and can be bound
to variables with the Server Bind Column statement, or retrieved one column at a time with the Server_ColumnInfo(SRV_COL_INFO_VALUE) function. The other option is to fetch an entire result set into
a MapInfo table at once, using the Into Table clause.
The Server Fetch and Server Fetch Into statements halt and set the error code ERR(
) = ERR_SRV_ESC if the user presses Esc. This allows your MapBasic application using the Server
Fetch statements to handle the escape.
Following a Server Fetch Into statement, the MapInfo table is committed and there are no outstanding
transactions on the table. All character fields greater than 254 bytes are truncated. All binary fields are
downloaded as double length hexadecimal character strings. The column names for the downloaded
table will use the column alias name if a column alias is specified in the query.
Null Handling
When you execute a Select statement and fetch a row containing a table column that contains a null,
the following behavior occurs. There is no concept of null values in a MapInfo table or variable, so the
default value is used within the domain of the data type. This is the value of a MapBasic variable that is
DIMed but not set. However, an Indicator is provided that the value returned was null.
For Bound variables (see Server Bind Column statement), a status variable can be specified and its
value will indicate if the value was null following the fetch. For unbound columns, SRV_COL_INFO with
the Attr type SRV_COL_INFO_STATUS will return the status which can indicate null.
Refer to the MapBasic User Guide for information on how MapInfo Professional interprets data types.

Reference

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Server_GetODBCHConn( ) function
Error Conditions
The command Server n Fetch Into table generates an error condition if any attempts to insert records
into the local MapInfo table fail. The commands Server n Fetch [Next|Prev|recno] generate errors
if the desired record is not available.
Example 1
' An example of Server Fetch downloading into a MapInfo table
Dim hdbc, hstmt As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
hstmt = Server_Execute(hdbc, "Select * from emp")
Server hstmt Fetch Into "MyEmp"
Server hstmt Close
Example 2
' An example of Server Fetch using bound variables
Dim hdbc, hstmt As Integer
dim NameVar, AddrVar as String
dim NameStatus, AddrStatus as Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
hstmt = Server_Execute(hdbc, "Select Name, Addr from emp")
Server hstmt Bind Column 1 to NameVar, NameStatus
Server hstmt Bind Column 2 to AddrVar, AddrStatus
Server hstmt Fetch Next
While Not Server_Eot(hstmt)
Print "Name = " + NameVar + "; Address = " + AddrVar
Server hstmt Fetch Next
Wend
See Also:
Server_ColumnInfo( ) function

Server_GetODBCHConn( ) function
Purpose
Returns the ODBC connection handle associated with the remote database connection. You can call
this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server_GetODBCHConn( ConnectionNumber )
ConnectionNumber is the integer returned by the Server_Connect( ) function that identifies the database
connection.
Description
This function returns an integer containing the ODBC connection handle associated with the remote
database connection. This enables you to call any function in the ODBC DLL to extend the functionality
available through the MapBasic Server... statements.

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Example
'* Find the identity of the Connected database
DECLARE FUNCTION SQLGetInfo LIB "ODBC32.DLL" (BYVAL odbchdbc AS INTEGER,
BYVAL infoflag AS INTEGER, val AS STRING, BYVAL len AS INTEGER, outlen AS
INTEGER) AS INTEGER
Dim rc, outlen, hdbc, odbchdbc AS INTEGER
Dim DBName AS STRING
' Connect to a database
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
odbchdbc = Server_GetodbcHConn(hdbc) ' get ODBC connection handle
' Get database name from ODBC
DBName = STRING$(33, "0") ' Initialize output buffer
rc = SQLGetInfo(odbchdbc, 17 , DBName, 40, outlen) ' get ODBC Database
Name
' Display results (database name)
if rc <> 0 THEN
Note "SQLGetInfo Error rc=" + rc + ", outlen=" + outlen
else
Note "Connected to Database: " + DBName
end if
See Also:
Server_GetODBCHStmt( ) function

Server_GetODBCHStmt( ) function
Purpose
Return the ODBC statement handle associated with the MapBasic Server... statements. You can issue
this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server_GetODBCHStmt( StatementNumber )
StatementNumber is the integer returned by the Server_Execute( ) function that identifies the result
set of the SQL statement executed.
Description
This function returns the ODBC statement handle associated with the MapBasic Server... statements.
This enables you to call any ODBC function to extend the functionality available through the MapBasic
Server... statements.
Example
' Find the Number of rows affected by an Update
Dim rc, outlen, hdbc, hstmt, odbchstmt AS INTEGER
Dim RowsUpdated AS INTEGER
' Find the Number of rows affected by an Update
DECLARE FUNCTION SQLRowCount LIB "ODBC32.DLL" (BYVAL odbchstmt AS INTEGER,
rowcnt AS INTEGER) AS INTEGER
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
hstmt = Server_Execute(hdbc, "UPDATE TIML.CUSTOMER SET STATE='NY' WHERE
STATE='NY'")
odbchstmt = Server_GetodbcHStmt(hstmt)

Reference

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Server Link Table statement

rc = SQLRowCount(odbchstmt, RowsUpdated)
Note "Updated " + RowsUpdated + " New customers to Tier 1"
See Also:
Server_GetODBCHConn( ) function

Server Link Table statement

Purpose
Creates a linked MapInfo table (TAB file). This statement establishes a connection to a database server
and linked table. A linked table identifies the remote data to be updated and stores metadata in a TAB
file. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax 1
Server Link Table
SQLQuery
Using ConnectionString
[ Symbol... ] [ Linestyle Pen(...) ]
[ Regionstyle Pen(...) Brush(...) ]
Into TableName
Toolkit Toolkitname
[ File FileSpec ]
[ ReadOnly ]
[ Autokey { Off | On } ]
Syntax 2
Server ConnectionNumber Link Table
SQLQuery
Toolkit toolkitname
[ Symbol... ] [ Linestyle Pen(...) ]
[ Regionstyle Pen(...) Brush(...) ]
Into TableName
[ File FileSpec ]
[ ReadOnly ]
[ Autokey { Off | On } ]
ConnectionNumber is an integer value that identifies an existing connection.
SQLQuery is a SQL query statement (in native SQL dialect plus object keywords) that generates a result
set. The MapInfo linked table is linked to this result set.
ConnectionString is a string used to connect to a database server. See Server_Connect( ) function.
TableName is the alias of the MapInfo table to create.
FileSpec is an optional tab filename. If the parameter is not present, the tab filename is created based
on the alias and current directory. If a FileSpec is given and a tab file with this name already exists, an
error occurs.
Toolkitname is a string indicating the type of connection, ODBC or ORAINET.

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Description
This statement creates a linked MapInfo table on disk. The table is opened and enqueued. This table is
considered a MapInfo base table under most circumstances, except the following: The MapBasic Alter
Table statement will fail with linked tables. Linked tables cannot be packed. The Pack Table dialog box
will not list linked tables. Use the Server Link Table syntax to establish a connection to a database
server and to link a table. Use the Server ConnectionNumber Link Table to link a table using an existing
connection. Linked tables contain information to reestablish connections and identify the remote data to
be updated. This information is stored as metadata in the tab file.
The absence of the ReadOnly keyword does not indicate that the table is editable. The linked table can
be read-only under any of the following circumstances: the result set is not editable; the result set does
not contain a primary key; there are no editable columns in the result set; and, the ReadOnly keyword
is present. If the server is Oracle, Autokey indicates if the key auto-increment is used or not.
If Autokey is set On, the table will be opened with key auto-increment option. If Autokey is set Off or
this option is ignored, the table will be opened without key auto-increment.
The Symbol clause specifies a symbol style for point objects.
The Brush clause specifies a fill style for graphic objects.
The Linestyle clause specifies a line style for line object types.
The Regionstyle clause specifies the line style and fill style for region object types.
ReadOnly indicates that the table should not be edited.
SQL Query Syntax
The MapInfo keyword OBJECT may be used to reference the spatial column(s) within the SQL Query.
MapInfo Professional translates the keyword OBJECT into the appropriate spatial column(s). A SELECT*FROM tablename will always pick up the spatial columns, but if you want to specify a subset of
columns, use the keywords OBJECT. For example:
SELECT col1, col2, OBJECT
FROM tablename
will download the two columns plus the spatial object. This syntax will work for any database that MapInfo
Professional supports.
MapInfo Professional Spatial Query
MapInfo Professional supports the keyword WITHIN which is used for spatial queries. It is used for selecting spatial objects in a table that exists within an area identified by a spatial object. The following two
keywords may be used along with the WITHIN keyword:
CURRENT MAPPER: entire rectangular area shown in the current Map window.
SELECTION: area within the selection n the current Map window.
The syntax to find all of the rows in a table with a spatial object that exists within the current Map window
would be as follows:
SELECT col1, col2, OBJECT FROM tablename
WHERE OBJECT WITHIN CURRENT_MAPPER

Reference

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Server_NumCols( ) function
This syntax will work for any database that MapInfo Professional supports. MapInfo Professional will
also execute spatial SQL queries that are created using the native SQL syntax for the spatial database.
Valid values for toolkitname can be found in Server_DriverInfo( ) function.
Examples
Declare Sub Main
Sub Main
Open table "C:\mapinfo\data\states.tab"
Server Link Table "Select * from Statecap" Using
"DSN=MS Access;DBQ=C:\MSOFFICE\ACCESS\DB1.mdb"
Into test File "C:\tmp\test"
Map From Test,States
End Sub 'Main
Declare Sub Main
Sub Main
Dim ConnNum As Integer
ConnNum = Server_Connect("ODBC","DSN=SQS;PWD=sysmal;SRVR=seneca")
Server ConnNum Link Table
"Select * from CITY_1"
Into temp
Map From temp
Server ConnNum Disconnect
End Sub
The following example creates a linked table.
Dim hdbc As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ORAINET", "SRVR=ONTARIO;UID=MIPRO;PWD=MIPRO")
Server hdbc link table
"Select * From ""MIPRO"".""SMALLINTEGER"""
Toolkit "ORAINET"
Into SMALLINTEGER
Autokey ON
Map From SMALLINTEGER
See Also:
Close Table statement, Commit Table statement, Drop Table statement, Rollback statement, Save
File statement, Server Refresh statement, Unlink statement

Server_NumCols( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves the number of columns in the result set. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server_NumCols( StatementNumber )
StatementNumber is an integer value that identifies information about an SQL statement.
Return Value
Integer

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Description
The Server_NumCols( ) function returns the number of columns in the result set currently referenced
by StatementNumber.
Example
Dim hdbc, hstmt As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
hstmt = Server_Execute(hdbc, "Select Name, Addr from emp")
Print "Number of columns = " + Server_NumCols(hstmt)
See Also:
Server_ColumnInfo( ) function

Server_NumDrivers( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves the number of database connection toolkits currently installed for access from MapInfo. You
can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server_NumDrivers( )
Return Value
Integer
Description
The Server_NumDrivers( ) function returns the number of database connection toolkits installed for
use by MapInfo Professional.
Example
Print "Number of drivers = " + Server_NumDrivers( )
See Also:
Server_DriverInfo( ) function

Server Refresh statement

Purpose
Resynchronizes a linked or live table with the remote database data. This command can only be run
when no edits are pending against the table. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server Refresh TableName

Reference

585

Server Remove Workspace statement

TableName is the name of an open MapInfo linked table.
Description
If the connection to the database is currently open then the refresh simply occurs. If the connection is
not currently open, then the connection will be made. If there is any information needed, such as a
password, the user will be prompted for it.
Refreshing the table involves:
1. If the table contains records, delete all the records and objects from the live or linked table by erasing
the files and recreating the table, not by using the MapBasic Delete statement.
2. If a connection handle is stored with the TABLE structure, use it. Otherwise, reconnect using the
connection string stored in the live or linked table metadata.
3. Convert SQL query stored in metadata to RDBMS-specific query.
4. Execute SQL query on RDBMS.
5. Fetch rows from the RDBMS cursor, filling the table. Put up a MapInfo Professional progress bar
during this operation.
6. Close RDBMS cursor.
Example
Server Refresh "City_1k"
See Also:
Commit Table statement, Server Link Table statement, Unlink statement

Server Remove Workspace statement

Purpose
Discards all row versions associated with a workspace and deletes the workspace in the database (Oracle
9i or later). You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server ConnectionNumber Remove
Workspace WorkspaceName
ConnectionNumber is an integer value that identifies the specific connection.
WorkspaceName is the name of the workspace. The name is case sensitive.
Description
This statement only applies to Oracle9i or later. This operation can only be performed on leaf workspaces
(the bottom-most workspaces in a branch in the hierarchy). There must be no other users in the workspace
being removed.

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Examples
The following example removes the MIUSER workspace in the database.
Dim hdbc As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ORAINET", "SRVR=TROYNY;UID=MIUSER;PWD=MIUSER")
Server hdbc Remove Workspace "MIUSER"
See Also:
Server Create Workspace statement

Server Rollback statement

Purpose
Discards changes made on the remote data server during the current unit of work. You can issue this
statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server ConnectionNumber Rollback
ConnectionNumber is an integer value that identifies the specific connection.
Description
The Server Rollback statement discards the effects of all SQL statements on the connection back to
the Server Begin Transaction statement. You must have an open transaction initiated by Server Begin
Transaction statement before you can use this command.
Example
hdbc = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DLG=1")
Server hdbc Begin Transaction
...
' All changes since begin_transaction are about ' to be discarded
Server hdbc Rollback
See Also:
Server Begin Transaction statement, Server Commit statement

Server Set Map statement

Purpose
Changes the object styles for a mappable ODBC table. This updates the MapCatalog. You can issue
this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server ConnectionNumber Set Map linked_table
[ ObjectType { Point | Line | Region | Text | ALL } ]

Reference

587

Server Versioning statement

[ Symbol(...) ]
[ Linestyle Pen(...) ]
[ Regionstyle Pen(...) Brush(...) ]
ConnectionNumber is an integer value that identifies the specific connection.
linked_table is the name of an open linked DBMS table.
ObjectType clause specifies the type of object in the table and allows you to specify objects as points,
lines, regions, text, or all objects, see Server Create Map statement for details.
Symbol is a valid Symbol clause to specify a point style.
Linestyle Pen specifies the line style to be used for a line object type.
Regionstyle Pen(...) Brush(...) clause specifies the line style and fill style to be used for a region object
type.
Description
The Server Set Map statement changes the object styles of an open mappable ODBC table. An ODBC
table is made mappable with the Server Create Map statement.
Example
Declare Sub Main
Sub Main
Dim ConnNum As Integer
ConnNum = Server_Connect("ODBC", "DSN=SQS;PWD=sys;SRVR=seneca")
Server ConnNum Set Map "Cities"
ObjectType Point
Symbol (35,0,12)
Server ConnNum Disconnect
End Sub
See Also:
Server Create Map statement

Server Versioning statement

Purpose
Version-enables or disables a table on Oracle 9i or later, which creates or deletes all the necessary
structures to support multiple versions of rows to take advantage of Oracle Workspace Manager. You
can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server ConnectionNumber Versioning {
ON [ History HistoryValue ] |
OFF [ Force { OFF | ON } ]
} Table ServerTableName
ON | OFF indicates to enable (when it is ON ) a table versioning or disable (when it is OFF) a table versioning.
ConnectionNumber is an integer value that identifies the specific connection.

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ServerTableName is the name of the table on Oracle server to be version-enabled/disabled. The length
of a table name must not exceed 25 characters. The name is not case sensitive.
History is an optional parameter when version-enabling a table (ON).
History clause specifies how to track modifications to ServerTableName, for example, lets you timestamp
changes made to all rows in a version-enabled table and to save a copy of either all changes or only the
most recent changes to each row. HistoryValue must be one of the following constant values:
SRV_WM_HIST_NONE (0): No modifications to the table are tracked. (This is the default.)
SRV_WM_HIST_OVERWRITE (1): The with overwrite (W_OVERWRITE) option. A view named
ServerTableName_HIST is created to contain history information, but it will show only the most recent
modifications to the same version of the table. A history of modifications to the version is not maintained;
that is, subsequent changes to a row in the same version overwrite earlier changes. (The CREATETIME
column of the TableName_HIST view contains only the time of the most recent update.)
SRV_WM_HIST_NO_OVERWRITE (2): The without overwrite (WO_OVERWRITE) option. A view
named ServerTableName_HIST is created to contain history information, and it will show all modifications to the same version of the table. A history of modifications to the version is maintained; that is,
subsequent changes to a row in the same version do not overwrite earlier changes.
However, there are many restrictions on tables to use this option. Please refer the Oracle9i Application
Developer's Guide - Workspace Manager for more information.
Force is an optional parameter, when disabling a version-enabled table (OFF).
If Force is set ON, all data in workspaces other than LIVE to be discarded before versioning is disabled.
OFF (the default) prevents versioning from being disabled if ServerTableName was modified in any
workspace other than LIVE and if the workspace that modified ServerTableName still exists.
Description
This statement only applies to Oracle9i or later. The table, ServerTableName, that is being version-enabled
must have a primary key defined. Only the owner of a table or a user with the WM_ADMIN role can enable
or disable versioning on the table. Tables that are version-enabled and users that own version-enabled
tables cannot be deleted. You must first disable versioning on the relevant table or tables. Tables owned
by SYS cannot be version-enabled. Refer to the Oracle9i Application Developer's Guide - Workspace
Manager for more information.
Examples
The following example enables versioning on the MIUUSA3 table.
Dim hdbc As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ORAINET", "SRVR=TROYNY;UID=MIUSER;PWD=MIUSER")
Server hdbc Versioning ON Table "MIUUSA3"
or
Server hdbc Versioning ON History 1 Table "MIUUSA3"
The following example disables versioning on the MIUUSA3 table.
Dim hdbc As Integer
hdbc = Server_Connect("ORAINET", "SRVR=TROYNY;UID=MIUSER;PWD=MIUSER")
Server hdbc Versioning OFF Force ON Table "MIUUSA3"

Reference

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Server Workspace Merge statement

See Also:
Server Create Workspace statement

Server Workspace Merge statement

Purpose
Applies changes to a table (all rows or as specified in the Where clause) in a workspace to its parent
workspace in the database (Oracle 9i or later). You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server Workspace Merge
Table TableName
[ Where WhereClause ]
[ RemoveData { OFF | ON } ]
[ { Interactive | Automatic merge_keyword } ]
TableName is the name (alias) of an open MapInfo table from an Oracle9i or later server. The table
contains rows to be merged into its parent workspace.
WhereClause is a string that identifies the rows to be merged into the parent workspace.
merge_keyword is a keyword(s) that limit the Automatic merge behavior.
Description
This statement only applies to Oracle9i or later. All data that satisfies the WhereClause in TableName
is applied to the parent workspace. Any locks that are held by rows being merged are released. If there
are conflicts between the workspace being merged and its parent workspace, this operation provides
user options on how to solve the conflict. The merge operation was executed only after all the conflicts
were resolved. A table cannot be merged in the LIVE workspace (because that workspace has no parent
workspace). A table cannot be merged or refreshed if there is an open database transaction affecting
the table.
Refer to Oracle9i Application Developer's Guide - Workspace Manager for more information.
WhereClause identifies the rows to be merged into the parent workspace. The clause itself should omit
the Where keyword. for example, 'MI_PRINX = 20'. Only primary key columns can be specified in the
Where clause. The Where clause cannot contain a subquery. If WhereClause is not specified, all rows
in TableName are merged.
If RemoveData is set ON, the data in the table (as specified by WhereClause) in the child workspace
will be removed. This option is permitted only if workspace has no child workspaces (that is, it is a leaf
workspace). OFF (the default) does not remove the data in the table in the child workspace.
If there are conflicts between the workspace being merged and its parent workspace, the user must resolve
conflicts first in order for merging to succeed. MapInfo Professional allows the user to resolve the conflicts
first and then to perform the merging within the process. The Interactive and Automatic clauses let you
control what happens when there is a conflict. These clauses have no effect if there is no conflict between
the workspace being merged and its parent workspace.

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If the Interactive clause is specified, MapInfo Professional displays the Conflict Resolution dialog box
in the event of a merge conflict. The conflicts will be resolved one by one or all together based on user
choices. After all the conflicts are resolved, the table is merged into its parent based on the user's choices.
Note: Due to a system limitation, this option is not available if the server is Oracle9i.
The following table shows the possible values for merge_keyword used with the Automatic setting.
merge_keyword value Description
StopOnConflict

In the event of a conflict, MapInfo Professional will stop here. (This is also
the default behavior if the statement does not include an Interactive clause
or an Automatic clause.)

RevertToBase

In the event of a conflict, MapInfo Professional reverts to the original (base)

values. (it causes the base rows to be copied to the child workspace but not
to the parent workspace. However, the conflict is considered resolved; and
when the child workspace is merged, the base rows are copied to the parent
workspace too.) Note that BASE is ignored for insertinsert conflicts where
a base row does not exist; in this case the Automatic clause must include
UseParent or UseCurrent.)

UseCurrent

In the event of a conflict, MapInfo Professional uses the child workspace

values.

UseParent

In the event of a conflict, MapInfo Professional uses the parent workspace

values.

Examples
The following example merges changes to the GWMUSA2 table where MI_PRINX=60 in MIUSER to its
parent workspace.
Server Workspace Merge
Table "GWMUSA2"
Where "MI_PRINX = 60"
Automatic UseCurrent
See Also:
Server Workspace Refresh statement

Server Workspace Refresh statement

Purpose
Applies all changes made to a table (all rows or as specified in the Where clause) in its parent workspace
to a workspace in the database (Oracle 9i or later). You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Server Workspace Refresh
Table TableName

Reference

591

Server Workspace Refresh statement

[ Where WhereClause ]
[ { Interactive | Automatic merge_keyword } ]
TableName is the name (alias) of an open MapInfo table from an Oracle9i or later server. The table
contains rows to be refreshed using values from its parent workspace.
WhereClause identifies the rows to be refreshed from the parent workspace. The clause itself should
omit the WHERE keyword.
merge_keyword is a string representing keyword(s) that limit the Automatic refresh behavior.
Description
This statement only applies to Oracle9i or later. It applies to workspace all changes in rows that satisfy
the WhereClause in the table in the parent workspace from the time the workspace was created or last
refreshed. If there are conflicts between the workspace being refreshed and its parent workspace, this
operation provides user options on how to solve the conflict. The refresh operation is executed only after
all the conflicts are resolved. A table cannot be refreshed in the LIVE workspace (because that workspace
has no parent workspace). A table cannot be merged or refreshed if there is an open database transaction
affecting the table.
Refer to the Oracle9i Application Developer's Guide - Workspace Manager for more information.
WhereClause identifies the rows to be refreshed from the parent workspace. The clause itself should
omit the WHERE keyword. For example, MI_PRINX = 20. Only primary key columns can be specified
in the Where clause. The Where clause cannot contain a subquery. If WhereClause is not specified, all
rows in TableName are refreshed.
If there are conflicts between the workspace being refreshed and its parent workspace, the user must
resolve conflicts first in order for refreshing to succeed. MapInfo Professional allows the user to resolve
the conflicts first and then to perform the refreshing within the process. The Interactive and Automatic
clauses let you control what happens when there is a conflict. These clauses has no effect if there is no
conflict between the workspace being refreshed and its parent workspace.
If the Interactive clause is specified, MapInfo Professional displays the Conflict Resolution dialog box
in the event of a refresh conflict. The conflicts will be resolved one by one or all together based on user
choices. After all the conflicts are resolved, the table is refreshed into its parent based on the user's
choices.
Note: Due to a system limitation, this option is not available if the server is Oracle9i.
The following table shows the possible values for merge_keyword used with the Automatic setting.
merge_keyword value Description

592

StopOnConflict

In the event of a conflict, MapInfo Professional will stop here. (This is also
the default behavior if the statement does not include an Interactive clause
or an Automatic clause.)

RevertToBase

In the event of a conflict, MapInfo Professional reverts to the original (base)

values. (it causes the base rows to be copied to the child workspace but not
to the parent workspace. However, the conflict is considered resolved; and
when the child workspace is merged to it parent, the base rows will be copied
to the parent workspace.) Note that BASE is ignored for insertinsert conflicts

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merge_keyword value Description
where a base row does not exist; in this case the Automatic parameter must
be followed by UseParent or UseCurrent.)
UseCurrent

In the event of a conflict, MapInfo Professional uses the child workspace

values.

UseParent

In the event of a conflict, MapInfo Professional uses the parent workspace

values.

Examples
The following example refreshes MIUSER by applying changes made to GWMUSA2 where MI_PRINX=60
in its parent workspace.
Server Workspace Refresh
Table "GWMUSA2"
Where "MI_PRINX = 60"
Automatic UseParent
See Also:
Server Workspace Merge statement

SessionInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns various pieces of information about a running session of MapInfo Professional. You can issue
this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
SessionInfo( attribute )
attribute is an integer code indicating which session attribute to query.
Return Value
String
Description
The SessionInfo( ) function returns information about MapInfo Professional's session status. The attribute
can be any of the codes listed in the table below. The codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
attribute code

ID

Return Value

SESSION_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE

String result that indicates a session's CoordSys clause.

SESSION_INFO_DISTANCE_UNITS 2

Reference

String result that indicates a session's distance units.

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attribute code

ID

Return Value

SESSION_INFO_AREA_UNITS

String result that indicates a session's area units.

SESSION_INFO_PAPER_UNITS

String result that indicates a session's paper units. For

details about paper units, see Set Paper Units statement.

Error Conditions
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error generated if an argument is outside of the valid range.
Example
Include "mapbasic.def"
print SessionInfo(SESSION_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE)

Set Adornment statement

Purpose
Modifies the adornment created by the Create Adornment statement. You can change the adornment
position, its dimensions, and specify a border for it. For the scale bar adornment, you can change its
display style, the bar type, units, dimensions, and display a cartographic scale with it. You can issue this
statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Adornment
Window window_id
[ Type adornment_type ]
[ Position {
[ Fixed [ ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ] ] |
[ win_position [ Offset ( x, y ) ] [ Units paper_units ] ]
} ]
[ Layout Fixed Position { Frame | Geographic } ]
[ Size [ Width win_width ] [ Height win_height ] [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Background [ Brush ... ] [ Pen ... ] ]
[ < SCALEBAR_CLAUSE > ]
Where SCALEBAR_CLAUSE is:
[
[
[
[
[
[
[
[

BarType type ]
Ground Units distance_units ]
Display Units paper_units ]
BarLength paper_length ]
BarHeight paper_height ]
BarStyle [ Pen .... ] [ Brush ... ] [ Font ... ] ]
Scale [ { On | Off } ] ]
Auto [ { On | Off } ] ]

adornment_type can be scale bar.

(x, y) in the Fixed clause is position measured from the upper left of the mapper window, which is (0,
0). Using this version of adornment placement, the adornment will be at that position in the mapper as
the mapper resizes. For example, a position of (3, 3) inches would be toward the bottom right of a small

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sized mapper but in the middle of a large sized mapper. As the mapper changes size, the adornment
will try to remain completely within the displayed mapper.
paper_units defaults to the MapBasic Paper Unit (see Set Paper Units statement).
win_position specify one of the following codes; codes are defined in the MAPBASIC.DEF file.
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_TL
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_TC
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_TR
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CL
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CC
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CR
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_BL
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_BC
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_BR

(0)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)

(x, y) in the Offset clause is measured from the anchor position. For example, if the win_position is
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_TL (top left), then the x is to the right and the y is down. If the
win_position is ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_BR, then the x position is left and the y position is up.
In the center left (ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CL) and center right (ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CR), the y offset is ignored. In the center position (ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CC), the offset is ignored completely (both x and y). In the top center (ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_TC) and bottom center (ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_BC) positions, the
x offset is ignored. For ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_ defines, see win_position.
win_width and win_height define the size of the adornment. MapInfo Professional ignores these parameters if this is a scale bar adornment, because scale bar adornment size is determined by scale bar
specific items, such as BarLength.
type specify one of the following codes; codes are defined in the MAPBASIC.DEF file.
SCALEBAR_INFO_BARTYPE_CHECKEDBAR
SCALEBAR_INFO_BARTYPE_SOLIDBAR
SCALEBAR_INFO_BARTYPE_LINEBAR
SCALEBAR_INFO_BARTYPE_TICKBAR

(0)
(1)
(2)
(3)

0 Check Bar, 1 Solid Bar, 2 Line Bar, or 3 Tick Bar

distance_units a unit of measure that the scale bar is to represent:
distance value

Unit Represented

"ch"

chains

"cm"

centimeters

"ft"

feet (also called International Feet; one International Foot equals exactly
30.48 cm)

"in"

inches

"km"

kilometers

Reference

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distance value

Unit Represented

"li"

links

"m"

meters

"mi"

miles

"mm"

millimeters

"nmi"

nautical miles (1 nautical mile represents 1852 meters)

"rd"

rods

"survey ft"

U.S. survey feet (used for 1927 State Plane coordinates; one U.S. Survey
Foot equals exactly 12/39.37 meters, or approximately 30.48006 cm)

"yd"

yards

paper_length a value in paper_units to specify how long the scale bar will be displayed. Specify the
length of the scale bar to a maximum of 34 inches or 86.3 cm on the printed map.
paper_height a value in paper_units to specify how tall the scale bar will be displayed. Specify height of
the adornment to a maximum of 44 inches or 111.76cm on the printed map.
Description
The scale bar displays as a paper_length bar in the paper_units.
Position can be Fixed relative to the mapper upper left regardless of the size of the mapper, or relative
to some anchor point on the mapper specified by win_position.
Offset is the amount the adornment will be offset from the mapper when using one of the docked
win_position.
Layout Fixed Position determines how an adornment is positioned in a layout when the adornment is
using Fixed positioning. If this is set to Geographic, then the adornment is placed on the same geographic place on the map frame in the layout as it is in the mapper. If the layout frame changes size,
then the adornment will move relative to the frame to match the geographic position. If this is set to
Frame, then the adornment will remain at a fixed position relative to the frame, as designated in the
Position clause. If the Position clause positions the adornment at (1.0, 1.0) inches, then the adornment
will be placed 1 inch to the left and one inch down from the upper left corner of the frame. Changing the
size of the frame will not change the position of the adornment. The default is Geographic.
The Background clause when used with Brush denotes the fill pattern to be used in the background
while creating or modifying a scale bar. When used with the Pen clause, this denotes the border to be
used in the background while creating or modifying a scale bar.
Brush is a valid Brush clause. Only Solid brushes are allowed. While values other than solid are allowed
as input without error, the type is always forced to solid. This clause is used only to provide the background
color for the adornment.
Pen is a valid Pen clause. Due to window clipping (the adornment is a window within the mapper), Pen
widths other than 1 may not display correctly. Also, Pen styles other than solid may not display correctly.
This clause is designed to turn on (solid) or off (hollow) and set the color of the border of the adornment.

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Font is a valid Font clause.
The Auto clause set to On shows values that have been automatically rounded in the scale bar. If the
clause is set to Off, the values will not be rounded and will be shown like they had been in earlier versions.
The default is Auto Off, if not already specified.
Use Scale set to On to include a representative fraction (RF) with the scale bar. (In MapInfo Professional,
a map scale that does not include distance units, such as 1:63,360 or 1:1,000,000, is called a cartographic scale.)
Example
set adornment
window 261727232
type scalebar
position 6
background Brush (2,16777215,16777215) Pen (1,2,0)
bartype 0 ground units "km" display units "cm"
barlength 0.978478 barheight 0.078740
barstyle Pen (1,2,0) Brush (2,0,16777215) Font ("Arial",0,8,0)
scale on
See Also:
Create Adornment statement

Set Application Window statement

Purpose
Sets which window will be the parent of dialog boxes that are yet to be created.You can issue this
statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Application Window HWND
HWND is an integer window handle, which identifies a window.
Description
This statement sets which window is the application window. Once you set the application window, all
MapInfo Professional dialog boxes have the application window as their parent. This statement is useful
in "integrated mapping" applications, where MapInfo Professional windows are integrated into another
application, such as a Visual Basic application.
In your Visual Basic program, after you create a MapInfo Object, send MapInfo Professional a Set Application Window statement, so that the Visual Basic application becomes the parent of MapInfo Professional dialog boxes. If you do not issue the Set Application Window statement, you may find it difficult to coordinate whether MapInfo Professional or your Visual Basic program has the focus.
Issuing the command Set Application Window 0 will return MapInfo Professional to its default
state. This statement re-parents dialog box windows. To re-parent document windows, such as a Map
window, use the Set Next Document statement.

Reference

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Note: If you specify the HWND as an explicit hexadecimal value, you must place the characters &H at
the start of the HWND; otherwise, MapInfo Professional will try to interpret the expression as a
decimal value. (This situation can arise, for example, when a Visual Basic program builds a
command string that includes a Set Application Window statement.)
For more information on integrated mapping, see the MapBasic User Guide.
See Also:
Set Next Document statement

Set Area Units statement

Purpose
Sets MapBasic's default area unit. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Set Area Units area_name
area_name is a string representing the name of an area unit (for example, "acre").
Description
The Set Area Units statement sets MapInfo Professional's default area unit of measure. This dictates
the area unit used within MapInfo Professional's SQL Select dialog box. By default, MapBasic uses
square miles as an area unit; this unit remains in effect unless a Set Area Units statement is issued.
The area_name parameter must be one of the string values listed in the table below:

598

Unit Name

Unit Represented

"acre"

acres

"hectare"

hectares

"perch"

perches

"rood"

roods

"sq ch"

square chains

"sq cm"

square centimeters

"sq ft"

square feet

"sq in"

square inches

"sq km"

square kilometers

"sq li"

square links

"sq m"

square meters

"sq mi"

square miles

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Unit Name

Unit Represented

"sq mm"

square millimeters

"sq rd"

square rods

"sq survey ft"

square survey feet

"sq yd"

square yards

Example
Set Area Units "acre"
See Also:
Area( ) function, Set Distance Units statement

Set Browse statement

Purpose
Modifies an existing Browser window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Browse
[ Window window_id ]
[ Grid { On | Off } ]
[ Row row_num ]
[ Column column_num ]
[ Columns Resize ]
[ Order By sortColumn [ Desc ] [ , sortColumn2 ... ] ]
[ Order None ]
[ Filter Where
(filterCondition [ And | Or filterCondition ] )
[ And (filterCondition [ And | Or filterCondition ] ) ... ] ]
[ Filter None ]
[ SortFilter { On | Off } ]
[ Reapply ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Browser window or a Redistricter window.
row_num is a SmallInt value, one or larger; one represents the first row in the table.
column_num is a SmallInt value, zero or larger; zero represent the table's first column.
sortColumn identifies the column(s) to use for sorting the browser, using syntax similar to SQL Select.
Desc is optional and specifies a descending-order sort. Up to four columns can be used for sorting: for
example:
Set Browse Order By Country, City, Income Desc
filterCondition is a simple logical condition (such as Population > 12345) to limit which rows display in
the Browser window. The expression can include only simple column names, operators, and constants
(such as 12345.67 for numeric constants and text in quotes like "Kerry" for string constants). Function

Reference

599

Set Browse statement

calls are not supported, but the Like operator can be used to perform wildcard matching when filtering
a character column. Up to two conditions (enclosed within parentheses) can be applied per column.
Description
The Set Browse statement controls the settings of an existing Browser window. If no window_id is
specified, the statement affects the topmost Browser window.
The optional Window clause lets you specify which document window to use. If a window_id is not
specified, then it searches for the most recently used Browser window or Redistricter window. If neither
Redistricter nor Browser is the front-most window, but both exist, then Set Browse finds the Browser
window instead of the Redistricter window. To specify which window type to use, either include the window_id with the Set Browse statement or make the Redistricter window the front-most window before
calling Set Browse.
The optional Grid clause displays (turns on) or does not display (turns off) the grid lines in a Browser
window.
The optional Row and Column clauses let you specify which row should be the topmost row in the
Browser, and which column should be the leftmost column in the Browser.
The optional Columns clause lets you set column resizing based on the width of the column header
(title) and the contents that are in view. On first display, the Browser window automatically resizes
columns to completely contain the data that is visible. When scrolling vertically, the Browser window
does not automatically adjust the column width for the new data in view. You must set the Columns
clause to make this happen. After recalculating column width, the width does not change while
scrollingcolumns do not resize to the new data in view. If the user manually resizes a column, then its
width does not change.
Order By If you have used the Pick Fields dialog to customize the name of the column, the Set Browse
statement must match the new custom column name. If the custom column name includes spaces
("Customer Name"), then the Set Browse statement must use a column number, such as Order By Col2
or Order By 2.
The Filter Where clause applies filter conditions to limit which rows appear in the window. The syntax
after the Where keyword is similar to a SQL Select Where clause, but simpler. Each column can have
no more than two conditions, and conditions cannot use function calls or complex expressions. To perform
wildcard matching on character columns, use the Like operator; for example:
Set Browse Window FrontWindow() Filter Where (age > 50 And age <= 70)
Set Browse Window FrontWindow() Filter Where
(continent Like "%America") And (startdate > "19991231")
Once you have applied filter and/or sort conditions, you can toggle them on or off using the SortFilter
clause:
Set Browse Window FrontWindow() SortFilter Off
If sort/ and/or filter conditions are applied, and then the user edits the table, the conditions are not refreshed immediately. To force a refresh, use the Reapply keyword:
Set Browse Window FrontWindow() Reapply
To clear all filter conditions from the Browse, specify Filter None.

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Filter conditions are associated with the Browser window, not the table. To save filter conditions, save
a workspace file. To generate a query table that contains the same rows as the Browser, use the Create
Query statement.
To change the width, height, or position of a Browser window, use the Set Window statement.
Error Conditions
A runtime error occurs if the Order By clause specifies columns that do not exist in the Browser window,
or if the Order By clause attempts to sort using the reserved column names OBJECT or ROWID.
Examples
Dim i_browser_id As Integer
Open Table "world"
Browse * From world
i_browser_id = FrontWindow( )
Set Browse Window i_browser_id Row 47
You can use the Set Browse statement to sort up to five columns using the Order By clause.
Set Browse Order By Country, State, City, ZipCode, IncomeGroup
See Also:
Browse statement, Set Window statement

Set Buffer Version statement

Purpose
Sets MapInfo Professional to process Buffer operations using an older algorithm that was in use before
MapInfo Professional 9.5.1.
Syntax
Set Buffer Version version_num
version_num a value of either 950 or 951. A version number higher than 951 generates an error., and
a version number lower than 950 uses the older (version 9.5 and later) algorithm.
Description
MapInfo Professional 9.5.1 introduced a new algorithm to yield self-intersecting polygons when processing
data. However, Oracle does not consider these objects valid, so it is unable to return these objects to
MapInfo Professional or process them. To upload, store, retrieve, or use this data in Oracle, you must
find the self-intersecting polygons in the data and remove them, or run the Buffer operations using the
older algorithm (in use before MapInfo Professional 9.5.1).
To determine if your data contains self-intersecting polygons, in MapInfo Professional, run your table
through the Check Regions process that is accessible from the Objects menu. To remove unwanted
self-intersecting polygons, run a Clean operation on the table. Note that Check Regions and Clean take
some time to process large tables.

Reference

601

Set Cartographic Legend statement

To process your data using the older Buffer algorithms, add this MapBasic command to a workspace,
such as startup.wor, or to a MapBasic window at runtime. You cannot add this commands to a
MapBasic application directly because it will not compile. However, you can issue it using a Run Command
statement within a MapBasic application.
Example
To use Buffer operations from MapInfo Professional 9.5 or earlier, use the MapBasic command:
Set Buffer Version 950
To use Buffer operations from MapInfo Professional 9.5.1 or later, use the MapBasic command:
Set Buffer Version 951
See Also:
Set Combine Version statement

Set Cartographic Legend statement

Purpose
Sets redraw functionality on or off, refreshes, sets the orientation to portrait or landscape, selects small
or large sample legend sizes, or changes the frame order of an existing cartographic legend created
with the Create Cartographic Legend statement. (To change the size, position, or title of the Legend
window, use the Set Window statement.) You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Cartographic Legend
[ Window legend_window_id ]
Redraw { On | Off }
or
Set Cartographic Legend
[ Window legend_window_id ]
[ Refresh ]
[ Portrait [ Columns number_of_columns ] |
Landscape [ Lines number_of_lines ] ]
[ Align ]
[ Style Size { Small | Large } ]
[ Frame Order { frame_id, frame_id, frame_id, ... } ]
legend_window_id is an integer window identifier that you can obtain by calling the FrontWindow( )
function and the WindowID( ) function.
frame_id is the ID of the frame on the legend. You cannot use a layer name. For example, three frames
on a legend would have the successive IDs 1, 2, and 3.
number_of_columns specifies the width of the legend.
number_of_lines specifies the height of the legend.

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Description
The Set Cartographic Legend statement allows you to set redraw functionality on or off, refresh, set
the orientation to portrait or landscape, select small or large sample legend sizes, or change the frame
order of an existing cartographic legend created with the Create Cartographic Legend statement.
If a Window clause is not specified MapInfo Professional will use the topmost legend window.
Other clauses to are not allowed if Redraw is used.
The Refresh keyword causes the Legend window to refresh. Tables for refreshable frames will be rescanned for styles. The Portrait or Landscape keywords cause frames in the Legend window to be laid
out in the appropriate order.
Align causes styles and text across all frames, regardless of whether the Legend window is in portrait,
landscape, or custom layout, to be re-aligned.
The Frame Order clause reorders the frames in the legend.
Example
If you used the Create Cartographic Legend statement to select large sample legend sizes, the following
example will refresh the foreground legend window to show large legend sizes:
Set Cartographic Legend Window WindowID(0) Refresh Portrait Align Style
Size Large
See Also:
Add Cartographic Frame statement, Alter Cartographic Frame statement, Create Cartographic
Legend statement, Remove Cartographic Frame statement

Set Combine Version statement

Purpose
Sets MapInfo Professional to process Combine operations using an older algorithm that was in use before
MapInfo Professional 9.5.1.
Syntax
Set Combine Version version_num
version_num a value of either 950 or 951. A version number higher than 951 generates an error., and
a version number lower than 950 uses the older (version 9.5 and older) algorithm.
Description
MapInfo Professional 9.5.1 introduced a new algorithm to yield self-intersecting polygons when processing
data. However, Oracle does not consider these objects valid, so it is unable to return these objects to
MapInfo Professional or process them. To upload, store, retrieve, or use this data in Oracle, you must
find the self-intersecting polygons in the data and remove them, or run the Combine operations using
the older algorithm (in use before MapInfo Professional 9.5.1).
To determine if your data contains self-intersecting polygons, in MapInfo Professional, run your table
through the Check Regions process that is accessible from the Objects menu. To remove unwanted

Reference

603

Set Command Info statement

self-intersecting polygons, run a Clean operation on the table. Note that Check Regions and Clean take
some time to process large tables.
To process your data using the older Combine algorithms, add this MapBasic command to a workspace,
such as startup.wor, or to a MapBasic window at runtime. You cannot add this commands to a
MapBasic application directly because it will not compile. However, you can issue it using a Run Command
statement within a MapBasic application.
Example
To use Combine operations from MapInfo Professional 9.5 or earlier, use the MapBasic command:
Set Combine Version 950
To use Combine operations from MapInfo Professional 9.5.1 or later, use the MapBasic command:
Set Combine Version 951
See Also:
Set Buffer Version statement

Set Command Info statement

Purpose
Stores values in memory; other procedures can call the CommandInfo( ) function to retrieve the values.
You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Command Info attribute To new_value
attribute is a code used by the CommandInfo( ) function, such as CMD_INFO_ROWID (2).
new_value is a new value; its data type must match the data type that is associated with the attribute
code (for example, if you use CMD_INFO_ROWID (2), specify a positive integer for new_value).
Description
Ordinarily, the CommandInfo( ) function returns values that describe recent system events. The Set
Command Info statement stores a value in memory, so that subsequent calls to the CommandInfo( )
function returns the value that you specified, instead of returning information about system events.
Example
Suppose your program has a SelChangedHandler procedure. Within the procedure, the following
function call determines the ID number of the row that was selected or de-selected:
CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_ROWID)
When MapInfo Professional calls the SelChangedHandler procedure automatically, MapInfo Professional initializes the data values read by the CommandInfo( ) function. Now suppose you want to call
the SelChangedHandler procedure explicitly, using the Call statementperhaps for debugging purposes.

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Before you issue the Call statement, issue the following statement to "feed" a value to the CommandInfo(
) function:
Set Command Info CMD_INFO_ROWID To 1
See Also:
CommandInfo( ) function, Set Handler statement

Set Connection Geocode statement

Purpose
Configures a connection to a remote service with options for geocoding. The connection needs to have
been already created using the Open Connection statement. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Connection connection_number Geocode
[ Batch Size batch_size ]
[ ResultCode MarkMultiple [ On | Off ] ]
[ MixedCase [ On | Off ] ]
[ Match
[ StreetName [ On | Off ] [ , ] ]
[ StreetNumber [ On | Off ] [ , ] ]
[ Municipality [ On | Off ] [ , ] ]
[ CountrySubdivision [ On | Off ] [ , ] ]
[ CountrySecondarySubdivision [ On | Off ] [ , ] ]
[ PostalCode [ On | Off ] [ , ] ]
[ MunicipalitySubdivision [ On | Off ] [ , ] ]
| All [ On | Off ] [ , ] ] ]
[ Fallback
[ Geographic [ On | Off ] [ , ] ]
[ PostalCode [ On | Off ] [ , ] ] ]
[ Dictionary
[ All | Address | User | Prefer ( Address | User ) ]
[ Offset [ [ Center offset_num_expr Units distance_unit_name ]
[ End offset_num_expr Units distance_unit_name ]
[ PassThrough name value, name value, ... ]
connection_number is a number that specifies the connection handle created using the Open Connection
statement.
batch_size is an integer expression that specifies the maximum number of records that are sent to the
service at one time.
offset_num_expr is a numeric expression which specifies the offset from either the corner (end) or the
center of the street. These values are just to offset the point returned from the center of the street or the
end of the street respectively.
distance_unit_name is a String that represents the units in which offset_num_expr are expressed.
name is a the name part of the parameter pair that is passed through to the geocoding service.
value is the value part of the parameter pair that is passed through to the geocoding service.

Reference

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Set Connection Geocode statement

Description
The Set Connection statement is used to assign geocode preferences already defined so that each
geocode request does not need to reiterate the preferences defined. A Set Connection statement is
composed of six different sub-clauses. These clauses are Batch, Match, Fallback, Dictionary, Offset,
and PassThrough.
Batch Clause
The Batch clause determines the maximum number of records that are sent to the service at one time.
This allows you to optimize the processing of records to balance the amount of time needed by the local
computer and the external service. If this number is high, you will have longer local downtime while the
service processes the records. If this number is low, the user has a better opportunity to cancel the request.
Once a batch is sent to the service it cannot be cancelled. If you cancel the command, any remaining
batches are not processed.
Match Clause
If a specific Match is set, the geocoder only considers inputs that fully match the name in the geocode
data as a close match. For example, if Match StreetName is On, the geocoder does not regard street
name inputs that do not match the name in the geocode data, as close matches.
For the individual preferences under Match the default is On. So if a particular preference is stated, it
is the same as setting it to On. For example, Set Connection connectionHandle Geocode
Match Municipality is equivalent to Set Connection connectionHandle Geocode Match
Municipality On.
Match StreetName indicates whether or not the street name should be relaxed when trying to match.
Match StreetNumber indicates whether or not the address number should be relaxed when trying to
match.
Match Municipality indicates whether or not the municipality should be relaxed when trying to match.
Match CountrySubdivision indicates whether or not the country subdivision (usually a state or province)
should be relaxed when trying to match.
Match CountrySecondarySubdivision indicates whether or not the country secondary subdivision
should be relaxed when trying to match.
Match PostalCode indicates whether or not the postal code should be relaxed when trying to match.
Match MunicipalitySubdivision indicates whether or not the municipality subdivision should be relaxed
when trying to match.
Match All sets all the match properties to On or Off . Note this can be used in combination with other
match options. For example, Match All On, Match PostalCode Off turns all the match parameters
on and just the postal code match is turned off.
FallBack Clause
Fallback Geographic indicates whether or not to geocode to the geographic centroid for the input address
if a street level geocode cannot be performed. This value is only appropriate when your address to be

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geocoded includes a street address. If the record does not contain a street address, this value has no
impact.
Fallback Postal indicates whether or not to geocode to the postal centroid if a street level geocode
cannot be performed.
Dictionary Clause
Dictionary indicates the combination of MapMarker address dictionary and configured user dictionaries
to use during the geocode process. The five possible choices for the Dictionary clause are:
Dictionary All means use both the user and address dictionaries.

Dictionary Address means use only the address dictionary.

Dictionary User means use only the User dictionary.
Dictionary Prefer Address means use both dictionaries and prefer the address dictionary.
Dictionary Prefer User means use both dictionaries and prefer the User dictionary.

Offset Clause
Offset End indicates the distance that a point location is adjusted from a street corner.
Offset Center indicates the distance that a point location is adjusted from a street center line.
Units is a String that describes the units in which Offset Center and Offset End are measured. See
Set Distance Units statement for the list of available unit names.
PassThrough Clause
PassThrough is a set of name/value pairs that are sent to the geocoder. These are pairs are geocode
service specific and are documented by the particular geocode service.
Example
The following example sets a connection to a geocoder with some match options turned on.
set connection MapMarkerHandle1 geocode match streetname, streetnumber,
municipality, municipalitysubdivision, postalcode, countrysubdivision
The following example adds a PassThrough clause to a Set Connection statement. This particular
example turns on CASS certified results in the US.
PassThrough "KEY_CASS_RULES" "true"
See Also:
Geocode statement, Open Connection statement

Set Connection Isogram statement

Purpose
Allows a user to set options for an Isogram connection. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

607

Set Connection Isogram statement

Syntax
Set Connection connection_handle Isogram
[ Banding [ On | Off ] ]
[ MajorRoadsOnly [ On | Off ] ]
[ MaxOffRoadDistance distance_value Units distance_units ]
[ ReturnHoles [ On | Off ] ] [ MajorPolygonOnly [ On | Off ] ]
[ SimplificationFactor simplification ]
[ PointsOnly [ On | Off ] ]
[ DefaultAmbientSpeed ambient_speed
Units distance_units Per time_units ]
[ DefaultPropagationFactor propagation_factor ]
[ Batch Size batch_size ]
connection_handle is a the number of the connection returned from the Open Connection statement.
distance_value is a Float value that specifies the maximum distance travel will be allowed to go off roads
in the network.
distance_units is a string that specifies the distance units in which the specific distance_value is expressed.
For a complete list of valid strings of distance units, see Set Distance Units statement.
simplification is a Float value that controls the density of nodes in the output region as a percentage.
The value can be from 0 to 1 inclusive.
ambient_speed is a numeric value specifying the default ambient speed. The number is expressed in
distance_units and time_units.
time_units is a string that specifies time units. Valid values are "hr", "min" and "sec".
propagation_factor is a Float value specifying the default propagation factor. The value can be from 0
to 1 inclusive.
batch_size is an integer expression that specifies the size of each batch that is sent to the service. The
default is 2 and the maximum limit is 50.
Description
The Set Connection Isogram statement configures the connection that is to be used for creating an
Isogram object (using the Create Object statement).
Banding applies only if multiple distances or times are specified in the Isogram operation. If On, the
regions returned for one point will not overlap. The smaller region is cut out of the result. Thus it represents
the time or distance from the smaller region edge to its edge. For example, if 10, 20, and 30 minutes
Isograms are requested, the 20 minute Isogram represents the areas accessible from 10 to 20 minutes
and the 30 minute Isogram the area from 20 to 30 minutes. If Off, all the regions cover the area accessible
from 0 to the time or distance specified.
MajorRoadsOnly determines whether or not only major roads are used in the calculation of the Isogram.
Isogram generation is substantially quicker when using MajorRoadsOnly.
MaxOffRoadDistance specifies the maximum distance travel is allowed to go off roads.
ReturnHoles indicates whether or not holes should be returned in the resulting region.
MajorPolygonOnly indicates that the Region returned has only one outer polygon.
SimplificationFactor specifies the reduction factor for polygon complexity. The simplification factor indicates what percentage of the original points should be returned or that the resulting polygon should

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be based on. The polygon or set of points may contain many points. The simplification factor is a float
number between 0.01 and 1.0 (1 being 100% and 0.01 being 1%). Lower numbers mean fewer points
in the region and therefore faster transmission times across the Internet connection. The default value
is 0.05.
PointsOnly specifies whether or not records that contain non-point objects should be skipped.
DefaultAmbientSpeed is used only when specifying time. A syntax example is:
DefaultAmbientSpeed

12 "mi" Per "hr"

DefaultPropagationFactor determines the off-road network percentage of the remaining cost (distance)
for which off network travel is allowed when finding the maximum distance boundary. Roads not identified
in the network can be driveways or access roads, among others. The propagation factor is a percentage
of the cost used to calculate the distance between the starting point and the maximum distance. DefaultPropagationFactor is used only for Distances.
The default value for this property is 0.16.
The acceptable range is between 0.01 and 1.
Batch Size sets the number of records to send to the server to be processed at once. This may affect
performance and responsiveness. If a large request is sent it will take longer for the Isogram to be returned
and therefore longer for MapInfo Professional to respond to cancel requests and update the Progress
Bar dialog box. A lower number improves responsiveness of the command and lowers the chance of a
time-out and service failure. The default value is 2.
Example
The following example shows a Set Connection Isogram statement.
Set Connection iConnect Isogram
Banding On MajorRoadsOnly On MaxOffRoadDistance 2 Units "mi"
ReturnHoles On MajorPolygonOnly On SimplificationFactor .05
DefaultAmbientSpeed 50 Units "mi" Per "hr" DefaultPropagationFactor .2
Batch Size 2 Point On
See Also:
Create Object statement, Open Connection statement

Set CoordSys statement

Purpose
Sets the coordinate system used by MapBasic. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set CoordSys...
CoordSys... is a coordinate system clause.

Reference

609

Set Date Window( ) statement

Description
The Set CoordSys statement sets MapBasic's coordinate system. By default, MapBasic uses a Longitude/Latitude coordinate system. This means that when geographic functions (such as the CentroidX(
) function and the ObjectNodeX( ) function) return x- or y-coordinate values, the values represent
longitude or latitude degree measurements by default. A MapBasic program can issue a Set CoordSys
statement to specify a different coordinate system; thereafter, values returned by geographic functions
will automatically reflect the new coordinate system.
The Set CoordSys statement does not affect a Map window. To set a Map window's projection or coordinate system, you must issue a Set Map...CoordSys statement.
The CoordSys clause has optional Table and Window sub-clauses that allow you to reference the coordinate system of an existing table or window. See CoordSys clause for more information.
Example
The following Set CoordSys statement would set the coordinate system to an un-projected, Earth-based
system.
Set CoordSys Earth
The next Set CoordSys statement would set the coordinate system to an Albers equal-area projection.
Set CoordSys Earth
Projection 9,7,"m",-96.0,23.0,20.0, 60.0, 0.0, 0.0
The Set CoordSys statement below prepares MapBasic to work with objects from a Layout window.
You must use a Layout coordinate system before querying or creating Layout objects.
Set CoordSys Layout Units "in"
Note: Once you have issued the Set CoordSys Layout statement, the MapBasic program will continue
to use the Layout coordinate system until you explicitly change the coordinate system back.
Subsequently, you should issue a Set CoordSys Earth statement before attempting to query
or create any objects on Earth maps.
See Also:
CoordSys clause, Set Area Units statement, Set Distance Units statement, Set Paper Units
statement

Set Date Window( ) statement

Purpose
Displays a date window that converts two-digit input into four-digit years. It also allows you to change
the default to one that best suits your data. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Date Window { nYear | Off }
nYear is a SmallInt from 0 to 99 that specifies the year above which is assigned to the previous century
(19xx) and below which is assigned to the next century (20xx). (For example, by specifying nYear as

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70, a 2-digit year of 70 and above corresponds to the years 1970-1999, and a 2-digit year of 69 and
below correspond to the years 2000-2069.)
Off turns date windowing off. Two-digit years will be converted to the current century (based on system
time/calendar settings).
Description
From the MapBasic window, the session setting will be initialized from the Preference setting and updated
when the preference is changed. Running the Set Date Window statement from the MapBasic window
will change the behavior of input, but will not update the System Preference that is saved when MapInfo
Professional exits.
The session setting is affected by running Set Date Window in the MapBasic window, in any workspace
file including STARTUP.WOR, and any integrated mapping application that runs the command via the
MapInfo Professional application interface.
When the Set Date Window command is run from within a MapBasic program (also as Run Command
statement) only the program's local context is updated with the new setting. The session and preference
settings remain unchanged. The program's local context is initialized from the session setting. This is
similar to how number and date formatting works. They are set/accessed per program if a program is
running, otherwise they set/access global settings.
Enter a number from 0-99. The number you enter displays in the statements below the prompt that indicate
whether the date will display with the prefix 19 or 20.
For example if you enter the number 50, the statements will indicate that:
Years entered as 00-49 become 2000-2049.
Years entered as 50-99 become 1950-1999.
Example
In the following example the variable Date1 = 19890120, Date2 = 20101203 and MyYear = 1990.
DIM Date1, Date2 as Date
DIM MyYear As Integer
Set Format Date "US"
Set Date Window 75
Date1 = StringToDate("1/20/89")
Date2 = StringToDate("12/3/10")
MyYear = Year("12/30/90")
See Also:
DateWindow( ) function

Set Datum Transform Version statement

Purpose
This statement allows user to switch between using old and new datum conversion. You can issue this
statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

611

Set Designer Legend statement

Syntax
Set Datum Transform Version version_number
version_number is an integer value. If version_number is equal or more than 800, than updated datum
transformation algorithms are used. Otherwise old algorithm is used.
Description
By default, MapInfo Professional uses updated datum conversion algorithms. These algorithms are more
in line with algorithms used by other software packages and it is recommended not to changed version
from default. In previous versions of MapInfo Professional we used optimized for speed algorithms and
our results were slightly different from other software packages/tools.

Set Designer Legend statement

Purpose
Refreshes the Legend Designer window, sets the orientation to portrait or landscape. (To change the
size, position, or title of the Legend Designer window itself, use the Set Window statement.) You can
issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax 1
Set Designer Legend
[ Window legend_window_id ]
[ Refresh ]
[ Portrait | Landscape ]
legend_window_id is an integer window identifier that you can obtain by calling the FrontWindow( )
function and the WindowID( ) function.
Syntax 2
Set Designer Legend
[ Antialias { On | Off } ]
Description
The Set DesignerLegend statement allows you to set redraw functionality on or off, refresh, set the
orientation to portrait or landscape.
If a Window clause is not specified MapInfo Professional will use the topmost Legend Designer window.
The optional Refresh keyword causes the Legend Designer window to refresh.
The optional Portrait clause aligns frames on the left and Landscape aligns frames frames on the top
of the Legend Designer window.
The Antialias clause turns anti-alias on or off when drawing raster symbols on the map. Symbols are
drawn as vector. Line and region styles are drawn as raster, but are not anti-aliased, so they do not appear
blurry. By default, anti-aliasing is set to off for the Set Designer Legend statement.

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Examples
This statement refreshs the styles in the Legend Designer window.
Set Designer Legend Window 123432 Refresh
This statement orders all the legend frames along the top.
Set Designer Legend Window 123432 Landscape
This statement orders all the legend frames along the left.
Set Designer Legend Window 123432 Portrait
This statement refreshs and orders all the legend frames along the left.
Set Designer Legend Window 123432 Refresh Portrait
This statement turns on anti-aliasing for all currently open and any new Legend Designer windows.
Set Designer Legend Antialias On
This statement turns off anti-aliasing.
Set Designer Legend Antialias Off
Note: To set anti-aliasing to be on as the default setting for legends, consider adding this MapBasic
command to a workspace, such as startup.wor, or to the MapBasic window at runtime.
See Also:
Add Designer Frame statement, Alter Designer Frame statement, Create Designer Legend statement, Remove Designer Frame statement

Set Digitizer statement

Purpose
Establishes the coordinates of a paper map on a digitizing tablet; also turns Digitizer Mode on or off.
You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax 1
Set Digitizer
( mapx1, mapy1 ) ( tabletx1, tablety1 ) [ Label name ] ,
( mapx2, mapy2 ) ( tabletx2, tablety2 ) [ Label name ]
[ , ... ]
CoordSys...
[ Units... ]
[ Width tabletwidth ]
[ Height tabletheight ]
[ Resolution xresolution, yresolution ]
[ Button click_button_num, double_click_button_num ]
[ Mode { On | Off } ]
Syntax 2
Set Digitizer Mode { On | Off }
mapx parameters specify East-West Earth positions on the paper map.

Reference

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Set Digitizer statement

mapy parameters specify North-South Earth positions on the paper map.
tabletx parameters specify tablet right-left positions corresponding to the mapx values.
tablety parameters specify tablet up-down positions corresponding to the mapy values.
name is and optional label for the control points.
The CoordSys clause specifies the coordinate system used by the paper map.
click_button_num is the number of the puck button that simulates a click action.
double_click_button_num is the number of the puck button that simulates a double-click.
Description
The Set Digitizer statement controls the same settings as the Digitizer Setup dialog box in MapInfo
Professional's Map menu. These settings relate to a specific paper map that the user has attached to
the tablet. The Set Digitizer statement does not relate to other digitizer setup options, such as communications port or baud rate settings; those settings must be configured outside of a MapBasic application.
The Set Digitizer statement tells MapInfo Professional the coordinate system used by the paper map,
and specifies two or more control points. Each control point consists of a map coordinate pair (for example,
longitude, latitude) followed by a tablet coordinate pair. The tablet coordinate pair represents the position
on the tablet corresponding to the specified map coordinates. Tablet coordinates represent the distance,
in native digitizer units (such as thousandths of an inch), from the point on the tablet to the tablet's upper
left corner.
The CoordSys clause specifies the coordinate system used by the paper map. For more details, see
CoordSys clause.
Note: The Set Digitizer statement ignores the Bounds portion of the CoordSys clause.
The Width, Height, and Resolution clauses are for MapInfo Professional internal use only. MapInfo
Professional stores these clauses, when necessary, in workspaces. MapBasic programs do not need
to specify these clauses.
Turning Digitizer Mode On or Off
Once the digitizer is configured, the user can toggle Digitizer Mode on or off by pressing the D key. To
toggle Digitizer Mode from a MapBasic program, specify
Set Digitizer Mode On
or
Set Digitizer Mode Off
To determine whether Digitizer Mode is currently on or off, call SystemInfo(SYS_INFO_DIG_MODE),
which returns TRUE if Digitizer Mode is on.
When Digitizer Mode is on and the active window is a Map window, the digitizer cursor (a large crosshair)
appears in the window; the digitizer and the mouse have separate cursors.
If Digitizer Mode is off, or if the active window is not a Map window, the digitizer cursor does not display
and the digitizer controls the mouse cursor (if your digitizer driver provides mouse emulation).
See Also:

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CoordSys clause, SystemInfo( ) function

Set Distance Units statement

Purpose
Sets the distance unit used for subsequent geographic operations, such as the Create Object statement.
You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Distance Units unit_name
unit_name is the name of a distance unit (for example, "m" for meters).
Description
The Set Distance Units statement sets MapBasic's linear unit of measure. By default, MapBasic uses
a distance unit of "mi" (miles); this distance unit remains in effect unless a Set Distance Units statement
is issued. Some MapBasic statements take parameters representing distances. For example, the Create
Object statement's Width clause may or may not specify a distance unit. If the Width clause does not
specify a distance unit, the Create Object statement uses the distance units currently in use (either miles
or whatever units were set by the latest Set Distance Units statement).
The unit_name parameter must be one of the values from the table below:
unit_name value

Unit Represented

"ch"

chains

"cm"

centimeters

"ft"

feet (also called International Feet; one International Foot equals exactly
30.48 cm)

"in"

inches

"km"

kilometers

"li"

links

"m"

meters

"mi"

miles

"mm"

millimeters

"nmi"

nautical miles (1 nautical mile represents 1852 meters)

"rd"

rods

"survey ft"

U.S. survey feet (used for 1927 State Plane coordinates; one U.S. Survey
Foot equals exactly 12/39.37 meters, or approximately 30.48006 cm)

"yd"

yards

Reference

615

Set Drag Threshold statement

Example
Set Distance Units "km"
See Also:
Distance( ) function, ObjectLen( ) function, Set Area Units statement, Set Paper Units statement

Set Drag Threshold statement

Purpose
Sets the length of the delay that the user experiences when dragging graphical objects. You can issue
this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Drag Threshold pause
pause is a floating-point number representing a delay, in seconds; default value is 1.0.
Description
When a user clicks on a map object to drag the object, MapInfo Professional makes the user wait. This
delay prevents the user from dragging objects accidentally. The Set Drag Threshold statement sets
the duration of the delay.
Example
Set Drag Threshold 0.25

Set Event Processing statement

Purpose
Temporarily turns event processing on or off, to avoid unnecessary screen updates. You can issue this
statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Event Processing { On | Off }
Description
The Set Event Processing statement lets you suspend, then resume, processing of system events.
If several successive statements modify a window, MapInfo Professional may redraw that window once
for each MapBasic statement. Such multiple window redraws are undesirable because they make the
user wait. To eliminate unnecessary window redraws, you can issue the statement:
Set Event Processing Off

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Then issue all statements that apply to window maintenance (for example, the Set Map statement),
and then issue the statement:
Set Event Processing On
Every Set Event Processing Off statement should have a corresponding Set Event Processing On
statement to restore event processing. In environments which perform cooperative multi-tasking, leaving
event processing off can prevent other software applications from multi-tasking.
You also can suppress the redrawing of a Map window by issuing a Set Map...Redraw Off statement,
which has an effect similar to the Set Event Processing Off statement. However, the Set Map statement
only affects the redrawing of one Map window, while the Set Event Processing statement affects the
redrawing of all MapInfo Professional windows.

Set File Timeout statement

Purpose
Causes MapInfo Professional to retry file i/o operations when file-sharing conflicts occur. You can issue
this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set File Timeout n
n is a positive integer, zero or greater, representing a duration in seconds.
Description
Ordinarily, if an operation cannot proceed due to a file-sharing conflict, MapInfo Professional displays a
Retry/Cancel dialog box. If a MapBasic program issues a Set File Timeout statement, MapInfo Professional automatically retries the operation instead of displaying the Retry/Cancel dialog box.
If n is greater than zero, retry processing is enabled. Thereafter, whenever the user attempts to read a
table that is busy (for example, a table that is being saved by another user), MapInfo Professional repeatedly tries to access the table. If, after n seconds, the table is still unavailable, MapInfo Professional
displays a Retry/Cancel dialog box. Note that the Retry/Cancel dialog box is not trappable; the dialog
box appears regardless of whether an error handler has been enabled.
If n is zero, retry processing is disabled. Thereafter, if MapInfo Professional attempts to access a table
that is busy, the Retry/Cancel dialog box appears immediately.
Do not use the Set File Timeout statement and the OnError error-trapping feature at the same time. In
places where an error handler is enabled, the file-timeout value should be zero.
In places where the file-timeout value is greater than zero, error trapping should be disabled. For more
information on file-sharing issues, see the MapBasic User Guide.
Example
Set File Timeout 100

Reference

617

Set Format statement

Set Format statement

Purpose
Affects how MapBasic processes Strings that represent dates or numbers. You can issue this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax 1
Set Format Date { "US" | "Local" }
Syntax 2
Set Format Number { "9,999.9" | "Local" }
Description
Users can configure various date and number formatting options by using control panels that are provided
with the operating system. For example, a Windows user can change system date formatting by using
the control panel provided with Windows.
Some MapBasic functions, such as the Str$( ) function, are affected by these system settings. In other
words, some functions are unpredictable, because they produce different results under different system
configurations.
The Set Format statement lets you force MapBasic to ignore the user's formatting options, so that
functions such as the Str$( ) function behave in a predictable manner.
Statement

Effect on your MapBasic application

Set Format Date "US"

MapBasic uses Month/Day/Year date formatting

regardless of how the user's computer is set up.

Set Format Date "Local"

MapBasic uses whatever date-formatting options

are configured on the user's computer.

Set Format Number "9,999.9"

The Format$( ) function uses U.S. number

formatting options (decimal separator is a period;
thousands separator is a comma), regardless of
how the user's computer is configured.

Set Format Number "Local"

The Format$( ) function uses the number formatting options set up on the user's computer.

Syntax 1 (Set Format Date) affects the output produced under the following circumstances: Calling the
StringToDate( ) function; passing a date to the Str$( ) function; or performing an operation that causes
MapBasic to perform automatic conversion between dates and strings (for example, issuing a Print
statement to print a date, or assigning a date value to a string variable).
Syntax 2 (Set Format Number) affects the output produced by the Format$( ) function and the
FormatNumber$( ) function. Applications compiled with MapBasic 3.0 or earlier default to U.S.
formatting. Applications compiled with MapBasic 4.0 or later default to "Local" formatting. To determine

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the formatting options currently in effect, call the SystemInfo( ) function. Each MapBasic application
can issue Set Format statements without interfering with other applications.
Example
Suppose a date variable (date_var) contains the date June 11, 1995. The function call:
Str$( date_var )
may return "06/11/95" or "95/11/06" depending on the date formatting options set up on the user's
computer. If you use the Set Format Date "US" statement before calling the Str$( ) function, you force
the Str$( ) function to follow U.S. formatting (M/D/YY), which makes the results predictable.
See Also:
Format$( ) function, FormatNumber$( ) function, Str$( ) function, StringToDate( ) function, SystemInfo( ) function

Set Graph statement

Purpose
Modifies an existing Graph window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax (5.5 and Later Graphs)
Set Graph
[ Window window_id ]
[ Title title_text ]
[ SubTitle subtitle_text ]
[ Footnote footnote_text ]
[ TitleSeries titleseries_text ]
[ TitleGroup titlegroup_text ]
[ TitleAxisY1 titleaxisy1_text ]
[ TitleAxisY2 titleaxisy2_text ]
window_id is the window identifier of a Grapher window.
title_text is the title that appears at the top of the Grapher window.
subtitle_text is the graph subtitle text.
footnote is the graph footnote text.
titleseries_text is the graph titleseries text.
titlegroup_text is the graph title group text.
titleaxisY1_text is the text for Y axis title.
titleaxisY2 is the text for Y2.
Syntax (Pre-5.5 Graphs)
Set Graph
[ Window window_id ]
[ Type { Area | Bar | Line | Pie | XY } ]

Reference

619

Set Graph statement

[ Stacked { On | Off } ]
[ Overlapped { On | Off } ]
[ Droplines { On | Off } ]
[ Rotated { On | Off } ]
[ Show3d { On | Off } ]
[ Overlap overlap_percent ]
[ Gutter gutter_percent ]
[ Angle angle ]
[ Title graph_title [ Font... ] ]
[ Series series_num
[ Pen... ]
[ Brush... ]
[ Line... ]
[ Symbol... ]
[ Title series_title ]
[ Wedge wedge_num
[ Pen... ]
[ Brush... ] ] ]
[ { Label | Value } Axis
[ { Major | Minor } Tick { Cross | Inside | None | Outside } ]
[ { Major | Minor } Grid { On | Off } Pen... ]
[ Labels { None | At Axis } [ Font... ] ]
[ Min { min_value | Auto } ]
[ Max { max_value | Auto} ]
[ Cross { cross_value | Auto } ]
[ { Major | Minor } Unit { unit_value | Auto } ]
[ Pen... ]
[ Title axis_title [ Font... ] ] ]
[ Legend
[ Title legend_title [ Font... ] ]
[ Subtitle legend_subtitle [ Font... ] ]
[ Range [ Font... ] ] ]
window_id is the window identifier of a Grapher window.
overlap_percent is the percentage value, from zero to 100, dictating bar overlap.
gutter_percent is a percentage value, from zero to 100, dictating space between bars.
angle is a number from zero to 360, representing the starting angle of a pie chart.
graph_title is the title that appears at the top of the Grapher window.
axis_title is a title that appears on one of the axes of the Grapher window.
min_value is the minimum value to show along the appropriate axis.
max_value is the maximum value to show along the appropriate axis.
cross_value is the value at which the axes should cross.
unit_value is the unit increment between labels on an axis.
series_num is an integer identifying which series of a graph to modify (for example, 2, 3, ...).
series_title is the name of a series; this appears next to the pen/brush sample in the Legend.
legend_title and legend_subtitle are text strings which appear in the Legend.
Line clause specifies a line style.
Brush is a valid Brush clause to specify fill style.

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Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify the fill's border.
Symbol is a valid Symbol clause to specify a point style.
Font is a valid Font clause specifies a text style.
Description
The Set Graph statement alters the settings of an existing Graph window. If no window_id is specified,
the statement affects the topmost Graph. This statement allows a MapBasic program to control those
options which an end-user would set through MapInfo Professional's Graph menu, as well as some options
which a user would set through the Customize Legend dialog box.
Between sessions, MapInfo Professional preserves Graph settings by storing a Set Graph statement
in the workspace file. Thus, to see an example of the Set Graph statement, you could create a Graph,
save the workspace (for example, GRAPHER.WOR), and examine the workspace in a MapBasic text edit
window. You could then cut/copy and paste to put the Set Graph statement in your MapBasic program
file. To change the width, height, or position of a Graph window, use the Set Window statement.
Example
5.5 and later graphs:
include 'mapbasic.def'
graph_id = WindowId(4) ' window code for a graph is 4
Set Graph
Window graph_id
Title "United States"
SubTitle "1990 Population"
Footnote "Values from 1990 Census"
TitleGroup "States"
TitleAxisY1 "Population"
pre 5.5 graphs:
The following example illustrates how the Set Graph statement can customize a Grapher, as well as
customizing the Grapher-related items that appear in the Legend window. The Graph statement creates
a Graph window which graphs two columns (orders_rcvd and orders_shipped) from the Selection table.
Note that the Graph statement actually specifies three columns; data from the first column (sales_rep)
is used to label the graph.
Open Window Legend
Set Window Legend
Position (3.0, 1.6) Width 3.3 Height 0.750000
Graph sales_rep,orders_rcvd,orders_shipped
From selection
Position (0.2, 0.1) Width 4.5 Height 3.9
'
' The 1st Set Graph statement customizes the type of
' graph and the main title of the graph
'
Set Graph
Type Bar Stacked Off Overlapped Off
Droplines Off Rotated Off Show3d Off
Overlap 30 Gutter 10 Angle 0
Title "Orders Received vs. Orders Shipped"
Font ("Arial",1,18,0)
'

Reference

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Set Graph statement

' the next Set Graph sets all of the attributes of
' the Label axis (since we earlier chose Rotated
' off, this is the x axis).
'
Set Graph Label Axis
Major Tick Outside
Major Grid Off Pen (1,2,117440512)
Minor Tick None
Minor Grid Off Pen (1,2,117440512)
Min 1.0 Max 5.0
Cross 1.0 Major unit 1.0 Minor unit 0.5
Labels At Axis Font ("Arial",0,8,0)
Pen (1,2,117440512)
Title "Salesperson" Font ("Arial",0,8,0)
'
' the above title ("Salesperson") appears
' along the grapher's x-axis
'
'
' next Set Graph sets attributes of value (y) axis
'
Set Graph Value Axis
Major Tick Outside
Major Grid Off Pen (1,2,117440512)
Minor Tick None
Minor Grid Off Pen (1,2,117440512)
Min 0.0 Max 300000.0
Cross 0.0 Major unit 50000.0 minor unit 25000.0
Labels At Axis Font ("Arial",0,8,0)
Pen (1,2,117440512)
Title "Order amounts ($)" Font ("Arial",0,8,0)
'
' the above title ("Order amounts...") appears
' along the grapher's y-axis
'
'
' The next set graph customizes graphical styles
' for series 2. This dictates what color bars will
' appear to represent the orders_rcvd column data.
' Also controls what description will appear in the
' legend
'
' Since this is a bar graph, the Brush is the style
' of prime importance; if this was a line graph,
' the Line and Symbol clauses would be important).
'
Set Graph Series 2
Brush (8,255,16777215)
Line (1,2,0,255) Symbol (32,255,12)
Title "Orders Received ($)"
'
'the above title will appear in the legend...
'
'
' The next set graph customizes the styles
' used by series 3 (orders_shipped).
'
Set Graph Series 3
Brush (2,12632256,201326591)
Line (1,2,0,0) Symbol (34,12632256,12)
Title "Orders Shipped ($)'

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'
' the above title will appear in the legend...
'
'
' the last Set Graph statement dictates what
' Grapher-related title and subtitle will appear
' in the Legend window, as well as what fonts will
' be used in the legend.
'
Set Graph Legend
Title "Orders Received vs. Orders Shipped"
Font ("Arial",0,10,0) 'set the title font
Subtitle "(by salesperson)"
Font ("Helv",0,8,0) 'set subtitle font
'set the font used for range descriptions
Range font ("Arial",2,8,0)
See Also:
Graph statement, Set Window statement

Set Handler statement

Purpose
Enables or disables the automatic calling of system handler procedures, such as the SelChangedHandler
procedure.
Restrictions
You cannot issue this statement through the MapBasic window.
Syntax
Set Handler handler_name { On | Off }
handler_name is the name of a system handler procedure, such as SelChangedHandler procedure.
Description
Ordinarily, if you include a system handler procedure in your program, MapInfo Professional calls the
handler procedure automatically, whenever a related system event occurs. For example, if your program
contains a SelChangedHandler procedure, MapInfo Professional calls the procedure automatically,
every time the Selection changes.
Use the Set Handler statement to disable the automatic calling of system handler procedures within
your MapBasic program.
The Set Handler...Off statement does not have any effect on explicit procedure calls (using the Call
statement).
Example
The following example shows how a Set Handler statement can help to avoid infinite loops.
Sub SelChangedHandler
Set Handler SelChangedHandler Off

Reference

623

Set Layout statement

' Issuing a Select statement here

' will not cause an infinite loop.
Set Handler SelChangedHandler On
End Sub
See Also:
SelChangedHandler procedure, ToolHandler procedure

Set Layout statement

Purpose
Modifies an existing Layout window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Set Layout
[ Window window_id ]
[ Center ( center_x, center_y ) ]
[ Extents { To Fit | ( pages_across , pages_down ) } ]
[ Pagebreaks { On | Off } ]
[ Frame Contents { Active | On | Off } ]
[ Ruler { On | Off } ]
[ Zoom { To Fit | zoom_percent } ]
[ { Objects Alpha alpha_value } |
{ Objects Translucency translucency_percent } ]
window_id is the window identifier of a Layout window.
center_x is the horizontal layout position currently at the middle of the Layout window.
center_y is the vertical layout position currently at the middle of the Layout window.
pages_across is the number of pages (one or more) horizontally that the layout should span.
pages_down is the number of pages (one or more) vertically that the layout should span.
zoom_percent is a percentage indicating the Layout window's size relative to the actual page.
alpha_value is an integer value representing the alpha channel value for translucency. Values range
from 0-255 where 0 is completely transparent and 255 is completely opaque. Values between 0-255
make the objects in the layout display translucently.
translucency_percent is an integer value representing the percentage of translucency for the objects in
a layout. Values range between 0-100. 0 is completely opaque. 100 is completely transparent.
Note: Specify either Alpha or Translucency but not both, since they are different ways of specifying
the same result. If you specify multiple keywords, the last value will be used.

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Description
The Set Layout statement controls the settings of an existing Layout window. If no window_id is specified,
the statement affects the topmost Layout window. This statement allows a MapBasic program to control
those options which a user would set through MapInfo Professional's Layout menu.
The Center clause specifies the location on the layout which is currently at the center of the Layout
window.
The Extents clause controls how many pages (for example, how many sheets of paper) will constitute
the page layout. The following clause:
Set Layout Extents To Fit
configures the layout to include however many pages are needed to ensure that all objects on the layout
will print. Alternately, the Extents clause can specify how many pages wide or tall the page layout should
be. For example, the following statement would make the page layout three pages wide by two pages
tall:
Set Layout Extents (3, 2)
If the layout consists of more than one sheet of paper, the Pagebreaks clause controls whether the
Layout window displays page breaks. When page breaks are on (the default), MapInfo Professional
displays dotted lines to indicate the edges of the pages.
The Frame Contents clause controls when and whether MapInfo Professional refreshes the contents
of the layout frames. A page layout typically contains one or more frame objects; each frame can display
the contents of an existing MapInfo Professional window (for example, a frame can display a Map window).
As you change the window(s) on which the layout is based, you may or may not want MapInfo Professional to take the time to redraw the Layout window. Some users want the Layout window to constantly
show the current contents of the client window(s); however, since Layout window redraws take time,
some users might want the Layout window to redraw only when it is the active window.
The following statement tells MapInfo Professional to always redraw the Layout window, when necessary,
to reflect changes in the client window(s):
Set Layout Frame Contents On
The following statement tells MapInfo Professional to only redraw the Layout window when it is the active
window:
Set Layout Frame Contents Active
The following statement tells MapInfo Professional to never redraw the Layout window:
Set Layout Frame Contents Off
When Frame Contents are set Off, each frame appears as a plain rectangle with a simple description
(for example, "World Map").
The Ruler clause controls whether MapInfo Professional displays a ruler along the top and left edges
of the Layout window. By default, Ruler is On.
The Zoom clause specifies the magnification factor of the page layout; in other words, it enlarges or reduces the window's view of the layout. For example, the following statement specifies a zoom setting of
fifty percent:
Set Layout Zoom 50.0

Reference

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Set Legend statement

When a page layout is displayed at fifty percent, that means that an actual sheet of paper is twice as
wide and twice as high as it is represented on-screen (in the Layout window). Note that the page layout
can show extreme close-ups, for the sake of allowing accurate detail work. Accordingly, a Layout window
displayed at 200 percent will show a magnification of the page. The Zoom clause can specify a zoom
value anywhere from 6.25% to 800%, inclusive. The Zoom clause does not need to specify a specific
percentage. The following statement tells MapInfo Professional to set the zoom level so that the entire
page layout will appear in the Layout window at one time:
Set Layout Zoom To Fit
Note: Once a Layout window's frame object has been selected, a MapBasic program could issue a
Run Menu Command statement to perform a Move to back or Move to front operation. Also,
since frame objects are (in some senses) conventional MapInfo Professional graphical objects,
MapBasic's Alter Object statement lets an application reset the pen and brush styles associated
with frame objects.
To change the width, height, or position of a Layout window, use the Set Window statement.
Example
Set Layout
Zoom To Fit Extents To Fit
Ruler Off
Frame Contents On
See Also:
Alter Object statement, Create Frame statement, Layout statement, Run Menu Command statement,
Set Window statement

Set Legend statement

Purpose
Modifies the Theme Legend window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Set Legend
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer { layer_id | layer_name | Prev }
[ Display { On | Off } ]
[ Shades { On | Off } ]
[ Symbols { On | Off } ]
[ Lines { On | Off } ]
[ Count { On | Off } ]
[ Title { Auto | layer_title [ Font... ] } ]
[ SubTitle { Auto | layer_subtitle [ Font... ] } ]
[ Region [ Height region_height [ Units paper_units ] ] ]
[ Region [ Width region_width [ Units paper_units ] ] ]
[ Line [ Width line_width [ Units paper_units ] ] ]
[ Auto Font Size { On | Off } ]
[ Style Size { Large | Small } ]
[ Columns number_of_columns ]

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[ Ascending { On | Off } | Order { Ascending | Descending |
Custom } ]
[ Ranges { Auto | [ Font... ]
[ Range { range_identifier | default } ]
range_title [ Display { On | Off } ] }
[ , ... ] ] ]
[ , ... ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id is a SmallInt that identifies a layer of the map.
layer_name is a string that identifies a map layer.
layer_title, layer_subtitle are character strings which will appear in the theme legend.
number_of_columns is a value representing the column width.
region_height is a value representing the new height of a swatch in the map frame of the Legend Designer
window. You can specify 8 to 144 points, 0.666667 to 12 picas, 0.111111 to 2 inches, 0.282222 to 5.08
millimeters, or 0.282222 to 5.08 centimeters. If not specified, then the default value of 32 points is used
(which can be set as a preference).
region_width is a value representing the new width of a swatch in the map frame of the Legend Designer
window. You can specify 8 to 144 points, 0.666667 to 12 picas, 0.111111 to 2 inches, 0.282222 to 5.08
millimeters, or 0.282222 to 5.08 centimeters. If not specified, then the default value of 32 points is used
(which can be set as a preference).
line_width is a value representing the new width of a line segment in the map frame of a Legend Designer
window. You can specify 12 to 144 points, 1 to 12 picas, 0.666667 to 2 inches, 4.23333 to 50.8 millimeters,
or 4.23333 to 50.8 centimeters. If not specified, then the default value of 36 points is used (which can
be set as a preference).
paper_units is a string representing a paper unit name: cm (centimeters), mm (millimeters), in (inches),
pt (points), and pica.

1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters , 254 millimeters, 6 picas, 72 points

1 point (pt) = 0.01389 inches, 0.03528 centimeters, 0.35278 millimeters, 0.08333 picas
1pica = 0.16667 inches, 0.42333 centimeters, 4.23333 millimeters, 12 points
1 centimeter (cm) = 0.39370 inches, 10 millimeters, 2.36220 picas, 28.34646 points
1 millimeter (mm) = 0.1 centimeters, 0.03937 inches, 0.23622 picas, 2.83465 points

range_title is a text string describing one range in a layer that is shaded by value.
Description
The Set Legend statement controls the appearance of the contents in MapInfo Professional's Theme
Legend window. To change the width, height, or position of the Legend window, use the Set Window
statement.
Between sessions, MapInfo Professional preserves theme legend settings by storing a Set Legend
statement in the workspace file. To see an example of the Set Legend statement, you could create a
Map, create a theme legend, save the workspace (for example, LEGEND.WOR), and examine the workspace in a MapBasic text editor window. You could then cut/copy and paste to put the Set Legend
statement in your MapBasic program file.

Reference

627

Set Legend statement

Although MapInfo Professional can maintain a large number of Map windows, only one Theme Legend
window exists at any given time. The Theme Legend window displays information about the active Map.
Thus, the Set Legend statement's window_id clause identifies one of the Map windows in use, not the
Legend window. If no window_id is specified, the statement affects the legend settings for the topmost
Map window.
The Layer clause specifies which layer's theme legend should be modified. The Layer clause can
identify a layer by its specific number (for example, specify 2 to control the theme legend of the second
map layer), by its name, or by specifying Layer Prev. The Layer Prev clause tells MapBasic to modify
whatever map layer was last created or modified through a Set Shade statement or Shade statement.
If a Map window contains two or more thematic layers, the Set Legend statement can include one
Layer clause for each thematic layer.
The remainder of the options for the Set Legend statement all pertain to the Layer clause; that is, all of
the clauses described below are actually sub-clauses within the Layer clause.
The Count clause dictates whether each line of the theme legend should include a count, in parentheses,
of how many of the table's records belong to that range. The Shades, Symbols and Lines clauses
dictate which types of graphic objects appear in each line of the theme legend. If the statement includes
the Shades On clause, each line of the theme legend will include a sample fill pattern. If the statement
includes the Symbols On clause, each line of the theme legend will include a sample symbol marker.
If the statement includes the Lines On clause, each line of the theme legend will include a sample line
style.
The Title clause specifies what title, if any, will appear above the range information in the theme legend.
Similarly, the Subtitle clause specifies a subtitle. The title and the subtitle are each limited to thirty-two
characters. If a theme legend includes a title, a subtitle, and range information, the objects will appear
in that order-the title first, then the subtitle below it, then the range information below the subtitle. If the
optional Auto clause is used, the text is automatically generated for each theme.
The Font clause specifies a text style.
The Columns clause allows you to specify the width of the legend.
The Region Height clause specifies a specific height for a swatch in the legend frame of the Legend
Designer window.
The Region Width clause specifies a specific width for a swatch in the legend frame of the Legend
Designer window.
The Line Width clause specifies a specific width for a line sample in the legend frame of the Legend
Designer window.
Auto Font Size enables or disables resizing the legend swatch based on the font size setting.
The Ascending On clause arranges the range descriptions in ascending order. If this optional clause
is omitted, the default order of the ranges is descending.
The Ranges clause describes the text that will accompany each line in the theme legend. Each range
description consists of a text string (range_title) followed by a Display clause. The Display clause (Display
On or Display Off) dictates whether that range will be displayed in the theme legend. Note If the Auto
clause is not used, the Ranges clause must include a range_title Display clause for each range in the
thematic map, even if some of the ranges are not to be displayed.

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If a map layer is a graduated symbols theme, there should be exactly two range_title Display clauses.
If a map layer is shaded as a dot density theme, there should be exactly one range_title Display clause.
Otherwise, there should be one more range_title Display clause than there are ranges; this is because
the theme legend reserves one line for an artificial range known as "all others". The all-others range
represents any and all objects which do not belong to any of the other ranges.
The Order and Range clauses will increase the workspace version to the current version. Old workspaces
will still parse correctly as there is still support for the original Ascending clause. If the order is not custom,
MapInfo Professional will write out the original Ascending clause and NOT increase the workspace
version.
The Order clause is another way to specify legend label order of ascending or descending as well as
new custom order. However, the original Ascending clause is still available for backwards compatibility.
You can use either the Order clause, or the Ascending clause, but not both (both clauses cannot be
included in the same MapBasic statement or you will get a syntax error).
The Custom option for the Order clause is allowed only for Individual Value themes. An error will occur
if you try to custom order other theme types. The error is "Custom legend label order is only
allowed for Individual Value themes."
When the Order is Custom, each range in the Ranges clause must include a range identifier, otherwise
a syntax error will occur. The range identifier must come before the range title and Display clause. The
range identifier is the same const string or value used by the Values clause in the Shade statement
that creates the Individual Value theme. The range identifier for the "all others" category is 'default'.
Every category in the theme must be included, including the default or "all others" category, otherwise
an error will occur. The error is "Incorrect number of ranges specified for custom order."
The default or "all others" category may also be reordered, although the best place to place this argument
is at the end or beginning of the Ranges clause.
If the range identifier does not refer to a valid category an error will occur. The error is "Invalid range
value for custom order."
The Style Size clause facilitates thematic swatches to appear in different sizes.
See Also:
Map statement, Open Window statement, Set Map statement, Set Window statement, Shade
statement

Set LibraryServiceInfo statement

Purpose
Resets the current Library Service related attributes. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set LibraryServiceInfo
{ URL url }
url is a valid Library Service URL.

Reference

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Set Map statement

Description
URL is a valid URL clause to specify the Library Service URL.
Example
Include "mapbasic.def"
declare sub main
Set LibraryServiceInfo URL
"http://localhost:8080/LibraryService/LibraryService"
end sub
See Also:
LibraryServiceInfo( ) function, URL clause

Set Map statement

Purpose
Modifies an existing Map window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional. The Set Map statement has an extensive set of clauses, so syntax descriptions are organized
by topic.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ MAP_BEHAVIOR_CLAUSE ]
[ VIEW_CLAUSE ]
[ LAYER_PROPERTY_CLAUSE ]
[ LABEL_CLAUSE ]
[ STYLE_OVERRIDE_CLAUSES ]
[ LABEL_OVERRIDE_CLAUSE ]
[ GROUPLAYER_PROPERTY_CLAUSE ]
[ ORDER_LAYERS_CLAUSE ]
[ COORDSYS_CLAUSE ]
[ IMAGE_CLAUSE ]
[ LAYER_ACTIVATE_CLAUSE ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
MAP_BEHAVIOR_CLAUSE see Changing the Behavior of the Entire Map
VIEW_CLAUSE see Changing the Current View of the Map
LAYER_PROPERTY_CLAUSE see Managing Individual Layer Properties and Appearance
LABEL_CLAUSE see Managing Individual Label Properties
STYLE_OVERRIDE_CLAUSE see Adding Style Overrides to a Layer.
LABEL_OVERRIDE_CLAUSE see Adding Overrides for Layer Labels.
GROUPLAYER_PROPERTY_CLAUSE see Managing Group Layers
ORDER_LAYERS_CLAUSE see Ordering Layers
COORDSYS_CLAUSE see Managing the Coordinate System of the Map

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IMAGE_CLAUSE see Managing Image Properties
LAYER_ACTIVATE_CLAUSE see Managing Hotlinks.
Description
The Set Map statement controls the settings of a Map window. If no window_id is specified, the statement
affects the topmost Map window. This statement allows a MapBasic program to control options a user
would set through MapInfo Professional's Map > Layer Control, Map > Change View, and Map > Options
menu items. For example, the Set Map statement lets you configure which map layer is editable, and
lets you set the map's zoom distance or scale.
Note: Set Map controls the contents of a Map window, not the size or position of the window's frame.
To change the size or position of a Map window, use the Set Window statement.
Between sessions, MapInfo Professional preserves Map settings by storing a Set Map statement in a
workspace file. To see an example of the Set Map statement, create a map, save the workspace (for
example, MAPPER.WOR), and examine the workspace in a text editor, such as Notepad.
The order of the clauses in a Set Map statement is very important. Entering the clauses in an incorrect
order can generate a syntax error.
See Also:
Add Map statement, Map statement, MapperInfo( ) function, Remove Map statement, Set Window
statement, LayerInfo( ) function, LayerListInfo( ) function, LayerStyleInfo( ) function, StyleOverrideInfo( ) function, LabelOverrideInfo( ) function

Changing the Behavior of the Entire Map

The following clauses affect the behavior of the map, such as units, clipping object behavior, and redraw
behavior.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Clipping [ Object clipper ] [ { Off | On } ]
[Using { Display { PolyObj | All } | Overlay } ] ]
[ Preserve { Scale | Zoom } ]
[ Area Units area_unit ]
[ Distance Units dist_unit ]
[ Display { Scale [ Cartographic ] | Position | Zoom } ]
[ Redraw { On | Off | Suspended } ]
[ Move Nodes { value | Default } ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
clipper is an Object expression; only the portion of the map within the object will display. See the description in the Clipping section for more information.
area_unit is a string representing the name of an area unit used to display area calculations (for example,
"sq mi" for square miles, "sq km" for square kilometers; see Set Area Units statement for a list of unit
names). For example:
Set Map Area Units "sq km"

Reference

631

Set Map statement

dist_unit is a string expression, specifying the units for the map (such as "mi" for miles, "m" for meters;
see Set Distance Units statement for a list of available unit names). This is an optional parameter. If
not present, the distance units from the table's coordinate system are used.
value can be 0 or 1. If the value is 0, duplicate nodes are not moved. If the value is 1, any duplicate
nodes within the same layer will be moved.
Description
Clipping sets a clipping object for the Map window; corresponds to MapInfo Professional's Map > Set
Clip Region command. Once a clipping region is set, enable or disable clipping by specifying Clipping
On or Clipping Off.
Set Map Clipping Object obj_variable_name
There are three modes that can be used for Clipping. Using the Overlay mode will use the MapInfo
Professional Objects > Erase Outside functionality to produce the clipping. Polylines and Regions will
be clipped at the Region boundary. Points and Labels will be completely displayed only if the point or
label point lie inside the Region. Text is always displayed and never clipped. Styles for all objects are
never clipped. Using the Display All mode, the Windows display will provide the clip region functionality.
All objects (including points, labels, and text) will be clipped at the Region boundary. All styles will be
clipped at the region boundary. This is the default mode.
Using the Display PolyObj mode the Windows display will provide the clip region functionality for Polylines
and Regions only. Styles for Polylines and Regions will be clipped at the region boundary. Points and
Labels will be completely displayed only if the point or label point lie inside the Region. Text is always
displayed and never clipped. Styles for points, labels and text are never clipped.
In general, the Windows display functionality found in Display All and Display PolyObj provides better
performance than the Overlay functionality. For example:
Set Map Clipping Object obj_variable_name Using Display All
Display dictates what type of information should appear on the status bar when the Map window is
active: Display Scale displays the current scale in distance units, Display Scale Cartographic displays
the current scale in paper units (shown as a value of 1 to a scale value, such as 1:10000), Display Position displays the position of the cursor (for example, decimal degrees of longitude/latitude), and Display
Zoom displays the current zoom (the width of the area displayed). For details about paper units, see
Set Paper Units statement.
Set Map Display Position
Preserve controls how the Map window behaves when the user re-sizes the window. If you specify
Preserve Zoom then MapInfo Professional redraws the entire Map window whenever the user re-sizes
the window. If you specify Preserve Scale then MapInfo Professional only redraws the portion of the
window that needs to be redrawn. These options correspond to settings in MapInfo Professional's Options
dialog box (Map > Options).
Redraw disables or enables the automatic redrawing of the Map window. If you issue a Set Map Redraw
Off statement, subsequent statements can affect the map (for example, Set Map, Add Map Layer,
Remove Map Layer) without causing MapInfo Professional to redraw the Map window. After making all
necessary changes to the Map window, issue a Set Map Redraw On statement to restore automatic
redrawing (at which time, MapInfo Professional will redraw the map once to show all changes).

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Note: Some actions, such as panning and zooming, can cause MapInfo Professional to redraw a Map
window even after you specify Redraw Off. If you find that the Redraw Off syntax does not
prevent window redraws, you may want to use the Set Event Processing Off statement.
Redraw has three options, On, Off and Suspended. The Suspended keyword will draw a visual cue
suggesting the state of map redraws, on the map window (see the following example). You can put the
maps into a suspended state by clicking a button at the bottom of the Layer Control window.
Set Map Redraw Suspended
Move Nodes can be 0 or 1. If the value is 0, duplicate nodes are not moved. If the value is 1, any duplicate
nodes within the same layer will be moved. If a Move Node value is specified, that window is considered
to be using a custom value. To return to using the default (from the mapper preference), specify Move
Nodes Default.
Once Set Map Move Nodes value has been used, that map has a custom setting. If a Map window has
a custom setting, the Map window preference will not be used. The Map window preference will apply
to new Map windows and any non-customized Map windows. The setting for an existing Map window
can be customized by using the Set Map Move Nodes value MapBasic statement.
Example
The following program opens two tables, opens a Map window to show both tables, and then performs
a Set Map statement to make changes to the Map window:
Open Table "world"
Open Table "cust1993" As customers
Map From customers, world
Set Map
Center (-100, 40) 'center map over mid-USA
Zoom 4000 Units "mi" 'show entire USA
Preserve Zoom 'preserve zoom when resizing
Display Position 'show lat/long on status bar

Changing the Current View of the Map

The following clauses affect the current view-in other words, where the map is centered, and how large
an area is displayed in the Map window.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Center ( longitude, latitude ) [ Smart Redraw ] ]
[ Zoom {
zoom_distance [ Units dist_unit ] | Entire [ Layer layer_id ] | Tileserver
Layer layer_id} ]
[ Pan pan_distance [ Units dist_unit ]
{ North | South | East | West } [ Smart Redraw ] ]
[ Scale screen_dist [ Units dist_unit ] For map_dist
[ Units dist_unit ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
longitude, latitude is the new center point of the map.

Reference

633

Set Map statement

zoom_distance is a numeric expression dictating how wide an area to display.
dist_unit is a string expression, specifying the units for the map (such as "mi" for miles, "m" for meters;
see Set Distance Units statement for a list of available unit names). This is an optional parameter. If
not present, the distance units from the table's coordinate system are used.
layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
pan_distance is a distance to pan the map.
screen_dist and map_dist specify a map scale (for example, screen_dist = 1 inch, map_dist = 1 mile).
Description
Center controls where the map will be centered within the Map window. For example: New York City is
located (approximately) at 74 degrees West, 41 degrees North. The following Set Map statement centers
the map in the vicinity of New York City. Coordinates are specified in decimal degrees, not Degrees/Minutes/Seconds.
Set Map Center (-74.0, 41.0)
A Set Map...Center statement causes the entire window to redraw, unless you include the optional
Smart Redraw clause. For details on Smart Redraw, see below (under Pan).
Pan moves the Map window's view of the map. For example, the following statement moves the map
view 100 kilometers north:
Set Map Pan 100 Units "km" North
Ordinarily, the Set Map...Pan statement redraws the entire Map window. If you include the optional
Smart Redraw clause, MapInfo Professional only redraws the portion of the map that needs to be redrawn
(as if the user had re-centered the map using the window scrollbars or the Grabber tool).
Set Map Pan 100 Units "km" North Smart Redraw
Caution: If you include the Smart Redraw clause, the Map window always moves in multiples of eight
pixels. Because of this behavior, the map might not move as far as you requested. For example, if you try to pan North by 100 km, the map might actually pan some other distanceperhaps 79.5 kilometersbecause that other distance represents a multiple of eight-pixel increments.
Scale zooms in or out so that the map has the scale you specify. For example, the following statement
zooms the map so that one inch on the screen shows an area ten miles across.
Set Map Scale 1 Units "in" For 10 Units "mi"
Zoom dictates how wide an area should be displayed in the Map. For example, the following statement
adjusts the zoom level, to display an area 100 kilometers wide.
Set Map Zoom 100 Units "km"
If the Zoom clause includes the keyword Entire, MapInfo Professional zooms the map to show all objects
in a Map layer (or all objects in all map layers):
Set Map Zoom Entire Layer 2 'show all of layer 2
Set Map Zoom Entire 'show the whole map
The Tileserver token requires the Layer clause to be specified.

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Note: The command
Set Map Window FrontWindow() Zoom Tileserver Layer
is invalid as layer_id is missing.
Set Map Window FrontWindow() Zoom Tileserver Layer 1

Managing Individual Layer Properties and Appearance

The following clauses affect layers. Layer properties are optional in the Set Map statement.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer layer_id
[ LAYER_ACTIVATE_CLAUSES ]
[ Editable { On | Off } ]
[ Selectable { On | Off } ]
[ Zoom ( min_zoom, max_zoom )
[ Units dist_unit ] [ { On | Off } ] ]
[ Arrows { On | Off } ]
[ Centroids { On | Off } ]
[ Default Zoom ]
[ Nodes { On | Off } ]
[ Inflect num_inflections [ by percent ] at
color:value [ , color:value ]
[ Round rounding_factor ] ]
[ Contrast contrast_value ]
[ Brightness brightness_value ]
[ {Alpha alpha_value } | { Translucency translucency_percent } ]
]
[ Transparency { Off | On } ]
[ Color transparent_color_value ]
[ GrayScale { On | Off } ]
[ Relief { On | Off } ]
[ LABEL_CLAUSES ]
[ LAYER_OVERRIDE_CLAUSES ]
[ Display { Off | Graphic | Global } ]
[ Global Line... ] [ , Line...] ...
[ Global Pen... ] [ , Pen...] ...
[ Global Brush... ] [ , Brush...] ...
[ Global Symbol... ] [ , Symbol...] ...
[ Global Font... ] [ , Font...] ...
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
LAYER_ACTIVATE_CLAUSES is a shorthand notation, not a MapBasic Keyword. See Layer Activate
Clause described under Managing Hotlinks.
min_zoom is a numeric expression, identifying the minimum zoom at which the layer will display.
max_zoom is a numeric expression, identifying the maximum zoom at which the layer will display.

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dist_unit is a string expression, specifying the units for the map (such as "mi" for miles, "m" for meters;
see Set Distance Units statement for a list of available unit names). This is an optional parameter. If
not present, the distance units from the table's coordinate system are used.
num_inflections is a numeric expression, specifying the number of color:value inflection pairs used in a
Grid theme.
color is an expression of color using the RGB( ) function.
value is an inflection that is displayed in the paired color.
rounding_factor is a numeric expression, specifying the rounding factor applied to the inflection values.
contrast_value a value of 0 to 100 representing contrast. This value corresponds to the slider on the
Grid Appearance dialog box, which is available when modifying a grid theme from the Modify Thematic
Map dialog box.
brightness_value a value of 0 to 100 representing brightness. This value corresponds to the slider on
the Grid Appearance dialog box, which is available when modifying a grid theme from the Modify
Thematic Map dialog box.
we never describe the contrast_value or brightness_value arguments. They are both numbers from 0
to 100, which specify contrast and brightness; these correspond to the sliders in the Grid Appearance
dialog box, which is accessible when you use the Modify Thematic Map dialog box to modify a Grid
theme.
alpha_value is an integer value representing the alpha channel value for translucency. Values range
from 0-255. 0 is completely transparent. 255 is completely opaque. Values between 0-255 make the
image layer display translucent.
translucency_percent is an integer value representing the percentage of translucency for a vector, raster,
or grid image layer. Values range between 0-100. 0 is completely opaque. 100 is completely transparent.
Note: Specify either Alpha or Translucency but not both, since they are different ways of specifying
the same result. If you specify multiple keywords, the last value will be used.
transparent_color_value a specific color value. Transparency allows raster image layers to display in
a transparent mode where pixels of a certain color (transparent_color_value) do not draw.
LABEL_CLAUSES is a shorthand notation, not a MapBasic keyword, see Managing Individual Label
Properties.
LAYER_OVERRIDE_CLAUSES is a shorthand notation, not a MapBasic keyword, see Adding Style
Overrides to a Layer.
Description
Editable sets the Editable attribute for the appropriate Layer. At any given time, only one of the mapper's
layers may have the Editable attribute turned on. Note that turning on a layer's Editable attribute automatically turns on that layer's Selectable attribute. The following Set Map statement turns on the Editable
attribute for first non-cosmetic layer:
Set Map
Layer 1 Editable On
Selectable sets whether the given layer should be selectable through operations such as Radius-Search.
Any or all of the Map layers can have the Selectable attribute on. The following Set Map statement turns

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on the Selectable attribute for the first non-cosmetic map layer, and turns off the Selectable attribute
for the second and third map layers:
Set Map
Layer 1 Selectable On
Layer 2 Selectable Off
Layer 3 Selectable Off
Zoom configures the zoom-layering of the specified layer. Each layer can have a zoom-layering range;
this range, when enabled, tells MapInfo Professional to only display the Map layer when the map's zoom
distance is within the layering range. The following statement sets a range of 0 to 10 miles for the first
non-Cosmetic layer.
Set Map
Layer 1 Zoom (0, 10) Units "km" On
The On keyword activates zoom layering for the layer. To turn off zoom layer, specify Off instead.
Arrows turns the display of direction arrows on or off.
Centroids turns the display of centroids on or off.
Inflect overrides the inflection color:value pairs that are stored in the grid (.MIG) file.
Nodes turns the display of nodes on or off.
Relief turns relief shading for a grid on or off. The grid must have relief shade information calculated for
it for this clause to have any effect. Relief shade information can be calculated for a grid with the Relief
Shade statement.
Display controls how the objects in the layer are displayed. When you specify Display Off, the layer
does not appear in the Map. When you specify Display Graphic, the layer's objects appear in their default
style, as saved in the table. When you specify Display Global, all objects appear in the global styles
assigned to the layer. These global styles can be assigned through the optional Global sub-clauses.
The following statement displays layer 1 with green line and fill styles:
Set Map
Layer 1 Display Global
Global Line(1, 2, GREEN)
Global Pen (1, 2, GREEN)
Global Brush (2, GREEN, WHITE)
Global Line specifies the style used to display line and polyline objects. A Line clause is identical to a
Pen clause, except for the use of the keyword Line instead of Pen.
Global Pen is a valid Pen clause that specifies the style used to display the borders of filled objects.
Global Symbol is a valid Symbol clause that specifies the style used to display point objects.
Global Brush is a valid Brush clause that specifies the style used to display filled objects.
Global Font is a valid Font clause that specifies the font used to display text objects.
The Global clauses support stacked styles as a comma separated list of like style clauses. For example,
the following displays points with a global stacked symbol style:
Set Map Layer 1 Display Global Global Symbol (32,16777136,24),
Symbol (36,255,14)

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The following statement adds a global stacked line style to a layer:
Set Map Layer 1 Display Global
Zoom (0, 10000) Units "mi"
Global Line (4, 193, 16711680), Line (2, 193, 16711680)

Settings That Have a Permanent Effect on a Map Layer

The Default Zoom clause is a special clause that modifies a table, rather than a Map window. Use the
Default Zoom clause to reset a table's default zoom distance and center position settings to the window's
current zoom and center point.
Every mappable table has a default zoom distance and center position. When the user first opens a Map
window, MapInfo Professional sets the window's initial zoom distance and center position according to
the zoom and center settings stored in the table.
If a Set Map...Layer statement includes the Default Zoom clause, MapInfo Professional stores the Map
window's current zoom distance and center point in the named table. For example, the following statement
stores the Map window's zoom and center settings in the table that comprises the first map layer:
Set Map Layer 1 Default Zoom
The Default Zoom clause takes effect immediately; no Save operation is
required.
Examples
The following statement turns on the display of arrows, centroids, and nodes for layer 1:
Set Map
Layer 1 Arrows On Centroids On Nodes On
The following statement displays layer 1 in its default style:
Set Map
Layer 1 Display Graphic

Managing Individual Label Properties

The following clauses affect label properties for a layer. This set of clauses apply to a layer. For layer
clauses, see Managing Individual Layer Properties and Appearance.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer layer_id
[ Label
[ Line { Simple | Arrow | None } ]
[ Position [ Center ] [ { Above | Below }
[ Auto Retry { On | Off } ]
[ Font... ] [ Pen... ]
[ With label_expr ] [ Parallel { On | Off
[ Follow Path [ BestPosition { On | Off }
Fallback { On | Off } ] ]
[ Visibility { On | Off | Zoom ( min_vis,
[ Units dist_unit ] } ]
[ Auto { On | Off } ]
[ Overlap { On | Off } ]

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} ]
] [ Percent Over percent ] [
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[ PartialSegments { On | Off } ]
[ Duplicates { On | Off } ]
[ Max [ number_of_labels ] ]
[ Offset offset_amount ]
[ Default ]
[ LabelAlpha alpha_value ]
[ AutoPosition { On | Off } ]
[ AutoSizes { number_font_sizes | Default } ]
[ AutoSizeStep percentage_value ]
[ SuppressIfNoFit { On | Off } ]
[ AutoCallout { On | Off } ]
[ Abbreviation { On | Off } Abbreviate with { field_expression } ]
[ LABEL_OVERRIDE_CLAUSE ] ]
[ Object bD
[ Table alias ]
[ Visibility { On | Off } ]
[ Anchor ( anchor_x, anchor_y ) ]
[ Text text_string ]
[ Position [ Center ] [ { Above | Below } ] [ { Left | Right } ] ]
[ Font... ] [ Pen... ]
[ Line { Simple | Arrow | None } ]
[ Angle text_angle ] [ Follow Path ]
[ Offset offset_amount ]
[ Callout ( callout_x, callout_y ) ]
[ , Object... ] ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
label_expr is the expression to use for creating labels.
min_vis, max_vis are numbers specifying the minimum and maximum zoom distances within which the
labels will display.
dist_unit is a string expression, specifying the units for the map (such as "mi" for miles, "m" for meters;
see Set Distance Units statement for a list of available unit names). This is an optional parameter. If
not present, the distance units from the table's coordinate system are used.
number_of_labels is an integer representing the maximum number of labels MapInfo Professional will
display for the layer. If you omit the number_of_labels argument, there is no limit.
offset_amount is a number from zero to 200 (representing a distance in points), causing the label to be
offset from its anchor point.
alpha_value is a SmallInt that represents the alpha value of the labels in this layer. It is a value between
0-255 where 0 is completely transparent and 255 is completely opaque. Values in between display labels
translucently.
number_font_sizes is a number from 1 to 10 that represents font size steps to use when fitting labels
within regions. If not specified, the default value is 4.
percentage_value is a number from 1 to 99 that represents the smallest percentage decrease of the font
size when resizing the label font to make labels fit when resizing the map. The default value is 50.
field_expression is the column name in the table that contains the abbreviations.

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LABEL_OVERRIDE_CLAUSE is a shorthand notation, not a MapBasic keyword, see Adding Overrides
for Layer Labels.
ID is an integer that identifies an edited label; generated automatically when the user saves a workspace.
A label's ID equals the row ID of the object that owns the label.
alias is the name of a table that is part of a seamless map. The Table alias clause generates an error if
this layer is not a seamless map.
anchor_x, anchor_y are map coordinates, specifying the anchor position for the label.
text_string is a string that will become the text of the label.
text_angle is an angle, in degrees, indicating the rotation of the text.
callout_x, callout_y are map coordinates, specifying the end of the label call-out line.
Description
The Label clause controls a map layer's labeling options. The Label clause has the following sub-clauses:
Line sets the type of call-out line, if any, that should appear when a label is dragged from its original
location. You can specify Line Simple, Line Arrow, or Line None. For example:
Set Map Layer 1 Label Line Arrow
Position controls label positions with respect to the positions of object centroids. For example, the following statement sets labels above and to the right of object centroids.
Set Map Layer 1 Label Position Above Right
Auto Retry lets users to apply a placement algorithm that will try multiple label positions until a position
is found that does not overlap any other label, or until all positions are exhausted.
When Writing Workspaces, if the Auto Retry feature is On, we write Auto Retry On to the workspace
after the Position clause (but the order isn't important), and increase the workspace version to 9.5 or
later. If the feature is Off, we do not write anything to the workspace and do not increase the version
number. A version 9.5 or later workspace can have Auto Retry Off in it, but we do not explicitly write
it out, to avoid increasing the version unnecessarily.
When Reading Workspaces If Auto Retry On or Auto Retry Off is in the workspace, it must be a version
9.5 or later workspace, otherwise a syntax error occurs. If Auto Retry is On, different positions are
tried to place the label. If Auto Retry is Off, no retry is attemptedthis is the default behavior. Overlap
must be Off to enable the Auto Retry feature. If Overlap is On and Auto Retry On/Off are in the same
LABELCLAUSE, the Auto Retry mechanism is initialized but ignored, so overlapping labels are allowed.
Font is a valid Font clause to specify a text style used in labels.
Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify the line style to use for call-out lines. Call-out lines only appear if
you specify Line Simple or Line Arrow, and if the user drags a label from its original location.
Set Map Layer 1 Label Line Arrow Pen( 2, 1, 255)
With specifies the expression used to construct the text for the labels. For example, the following statement
specifies a labeling expression which uses the Proper$( ) function to control capitalization in the label.
Set Map Layer 1 Label With Proper$(Cityname)

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Parallel controls whether labels for line objects are rotated, so that the labels are parallel to the lines.
Set to Off for horizontal labels that are not rotated with the line segment, and set to On for labels rotated
with the line segment.
Set Map Layer 1 Label Parallel On
Follow Path is used when creating curved labels. Path is automatically calculated once and then stored
until the curved label location is edited.
The BestPosition option attempts to find a more suitable location along a polyline when the polyline
bends too sharply to place a label. The best three positions are located. If the label cannot be drawn at
one of these positions, then it falls back to the normal curved label location and then to a rotated label
if the Fallback option is on. The default value is Off.
Set Map Window 145919584 Layer 1 Label Follow Path BestPosition On
Percent Over only applies to curved labels. It applies when curved labels are longer than the geometry
they name, this is the amount (expressed as a percentage) of overhang permitted. For example, a sample
entry might be:
Set Map Layer 1 Label Follow Path Percent Over 40
Fallback only applies to curved labels. When a polyline is very jagged (not smooth or gently curved) it
is difficult to place characters along it to create a curved label. Set Fallback to On to create a straight
label when a curved label cannot be created. It rotates the straight label to match a segment near to
where the curved label would have been placed. MapInfo Professional does not prevent a rotated label
from crossing a polyline. Setting this option displays more labels on your map. By default, this option is
set to Off. When MapInfo Professional cannot draw a curved label and draws a straight label instead
(as a fallback), the overhang percent is ignored.
Visibility controls whether labels are visible for this layer. Specify Visibility Off to turn off label display
for both default labels and user-edited labels. Specify Visibility Zoom... to set the labels to display only
when the map is within a certain zoom distance. The following example sets labels to display when the
map is zoomed to 2 km or less.
Set Map Layer 1 Label Visibility Zoom (0, 2) Units "km"
Auto controls whether automatic labels display. If you specify Auto Off, automatic labels will not display,
although user-edited labels will still display.
Overlap controls whether MapInfo Professional draws labels that would overlap existing labels. To prevent
overlapping labels, specify Overlap Off.
PartialSegments controls whether MapInfo Professional labels an object when the object's centroid is
not in the visible portion of the map. If you specify PartialSegments On (which corresponds to selecting
the Label Partial Objects check box in MapInfo Professional), MapInfo Professional labels the visible
portion of the object. If you specify PartialSegments Off, an object will only be labeled if its centroid
appears in the Map window.
Duplicates controls whether MapInfo Professional allows two or more labels that have the same text.
To prevent duplicate labels, specify Duplicates Off.
Max sets the maximum number of labels that MapInfo Professional will display for this layer. If you omit
the number_of_labels argument, MapInfo Professional places no limit on the number of labels.
Offset specifies an offset distance, so that MapInfo Professional automatically places each label away
from the object's centroid. The offset_amount argument is an integer from zero to 50, representing a

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distance in points. If you specify Offset 0 labels appear immediately adjacent to centroids. If you specify
Offset 10 labels appear 10 points away. The offset setting is ignored when the Position clause specifies
centered text. The following statement allows overlapping labels, placed to the right of object centroids,
with a horizontal offset of 10 points:
Set Map Layer 1 Label Overlap On Position Right Offset 10
AutoPosition turns on or off the advanced region labeling option. The AutoSizes, AutoSizeStep, and
SuppressIfNoFit clauses are active when this is set to On. The default value for this clause is Off.
AutoSizes defines the number of decreasing font sizes that can be used when attempting to fit labels
within regions. The value range is 1 to 10, and the default value is 4. Setting this to 1 uses the current
font size. Setting a number greater than 1 reduces the font down to the minimum font size calculated
using AutoSizeStep. Specifying Default causes MapInfo Professional to define the number of font sizes
to use (between 1 and 10).
AutoSizeStep defines a percentage for reducing font size to make labels fit when resizing a map. The
value range is 1 to 99. As an example, if the original font size is 24pt and the number_font_sizes is 66,
then the smallest font is 66 percent smaller than 24pt, so the smallest font will be 8pt. The default value
is 50.
When SuppressIfNoFit is set to On, then only the labels that still fit after resizing the map display. If a
label does not fit in a region, then it is not drawn. This clause is set to On by default.
The AutoCallout clause turns on or off the rendering of callouts for advanced region labeling. The default
value is Off. The AutoPosition and SuppressIfNoFit options must both be set to On to use the
AutoCallout clause.
Abbreviation only applies to labels. When set to On, the abbreviation field expression, field_expression,
is used for labels that cannot be drawn, because they overlap other labels or do not fit within a region.
When set to On, you must also specify the Abbreviate with clause.
The Abbreviate with clause is used with the Abbreviation clause. This clause specifies the abbreviation
field expression, field_expression, to use in the layer table.
Set Map Window 145919584

Layer 1 Label Abbreviation On

Set Map Window 145919584

Layer 1 Label Abbreviate with ShortName

Default resets all of the labels for this layer to their default values. The following statement deletes all
edited labels from the top layer in the Map window, restoring the layer's default labels:
Set Map Layer 1 Label Default
The Object clause allows you to edit labels. For example, if you edit labels in MapInfo Professional and
then save a workspace, the workspace contains Object clauses to represent the edited labels. The Set
Map statement contains one Object clause for each edited label.
To see examples of the Object clause, edit a map's labels, save a workspace, and examine the workspace
in a text editor.

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Adding Style Overrides to a Layer

Purpose
The Override Add clause creates a new style override definition for a layer if none exists, or appends to
the existing list of style override definitions. A style override allows you to change map styles based on
the current zoom level of the map.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer layer_id
[ Zoom ( min_zoom, max_zoom ) [ Units unit_dist ] ]
[ Display { Off | Graphic | Global } ]
[ Global Pen...[ , Pen...]...]
[ Global Line...[ , Line...]...]
[ Global Symbol...[ , Symbol...]...]
[ Global Brush...[ , Brush...]...]
[ Global Font...]
[ { Alpha alpha_value }| { Translucency translucency_percent } ]
[ STYLEOVERRIDE_CLAUSE ] ... ]
Where STYLEOVERRIDE_CLAUSE is:
[ [ Style ] Override Add [override_name] {
[ Using [ Window window_id ] Layer layer_id {
All | Override { override_index | override_name } }
] |
Zoom ( min_zoom, max_zoom )
[ Units dist_unit ]
[ { Alpha alpha_value } | { Translucency translucency_percent } ]
[ Enable { On | Off } ]
[ Arrows { On | Off } ]
[ Centroids { On | Off } ]
[ Nodes { On | Off } ]
[ Line...] [ , Line... ]
[ Pen...] [ , Pen... ] ...
[ Symbol... ] [ , Symbol... ] ...
[ Brush... ] [ , Brush... ] ...
[ Font... ] [ , Font... ] ... } ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
override_index is an integer index (1-based) for the override definition within the layer. Each override is
tied to an zoom range and is ordered so that the smallest zoom range value is on top (index 1).
override_name is the user specified override name.
min_zoom is a numeric expression, identifying the minimum zoom at which the style override will come
into effect
max_zoom is a numeric expression, identifying the maximum zoom at which the style override will come
into effect

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dist_unit is a string expression, specifying the units for the map (such as "mi" for miles, "m" for meters;
see Set Distance Units statement for a list of available unit names). This is an optional parameter. If
not present, the distance units from the table's coordinate system are used.
alpha_value is an integer value representing the alpha channel value for translucency. Values range
from 0-255. 0 is completely transparent. 255 is completely opaque. Values between 0-255 make the
image layer display translucent.
translucency_percent is an integer value representing the percentage of translucency for a vector, raster,
or grid image layer. Values range between 0-100. 0 is completely opaque. 100 is completely transparent.
Note: Specify either Alpha or Translucency but not both, since they are different ways of specifying
the same result. If you specify multiple keywords, the last value will be used.

Description
The display style zoom range lets you set up display style overrides that only apply within a limited range
of zoom levels. There can be multiple display style zoom ranges per layer. To have the line styles change
when zooming in on the map, set up multiple display style zoom ranges and assign a different style
override to each of them.
The layer zoom range turns off the layer altogether if you zoom in or out too far. There can only be one
of these per layer.
Arrows turns the display of direction arrows on or off.
Centroids turns the display of centroids on or off.
Nodes turns the display of nodes on or off.
Line specifies the style used to display line and polyline objects. A Line clause is identical to a Pen
clause, except for the use of the keyword Line instead of Pen.
Pen is a valid Pen clause that specifies the style used to display the borders of filled objects.
Symbol is a valid Symbol clause that specifies the style used to display point objects.
Brush is a valid Brush clause that specifies the style used to display filled objects.
Font is a valid Font clause that specifies the font used to display text objects.
Using is for a one-time copy (only the overridden properties get copied) to set the initial property value
of an layer override. The source and target layer do not maintain a connection.
Each vector layer supports more than one style override and more than one label override. Every style
override has its own zoom range that is not allowed to overlap with any other style override for the same
layer. Every label override also has its own zoom range that is not allowed to overlap any other label
override for the same layer. However, style and label overrides can share or have overlapping zoom
ranges between each other.
When an override comes into view (when the map's zoom range is within an override zoom range) then
the map styles or labels are displayed using the override properties rather than the layers base set of
style and label properties.
Style overrides do not display beyond the limits of the layer display zoom range regardless of what
bounds the style override zoom range defines. Likewise, label overrides do not display beyond the limits

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of the layer's label zoom range, or the layer's display zoom range, regardless of what bounds the label
override defines.
For more information about style overrides for layers, see Modifying Style Overrides for a Layer and
Enabling, Disabling, or Removing Overrides for a Layer. See also, LayerStyleInfo( ) function and
StyleOverrideInfo( ) function.
Examples
The following statement adds an override to a layer:
Set Map Layer 1
Style Override Add Zoom (0, 10000) Units "mi" Line (2, 193, 16711680)
The following statement adds multiple style overrides to a layer:
Set Map Layer 1 Display Global
Zoom (1, 10000) Units "mi"
Global Line (1, 193, 16711680)
Style Override Add Zoom (1, 1000) Units "mi" Line (4, 193, 16711680),
Line (2, 193, 16711680)
Style Override Add Zoom (1000, 10000) Units "mi"
Line (2, 193, 16711680)
Example: copy a style from one map to another map
To copy a style from one map to another map:
Set Map Layer 1 Style Override Add Using Window 81132792 Layer 1 All
Examples: adding styles from another layer
The following statement adds an override for layer 2 using style named layer1_style2 from layer 1:
Set Map Layer 2
Style Override Add Using Layer 1 layer1_style1
The following statement adds an override for layer 2 using style 3 from layer 1:
Set Map Layer 2
Style Override Add layer2_style2 Using Layer 1 Override 3
The following statement copies over all the overrides information from layer 2 to layer 3:
Set Map Layer 3 Display Global
Global Line (1, 193, 16711680)
Style Override Add Using Layer 2 All

Modifying Style Overrides for a Layer

Excluding the Add keyword from the Override clause modifies the properties for an existing multiple style
override definition within a layer specified by the integer index (1-based) or the override name.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer layer_id
[ MODIFYSTYLEOVERRIDE_CLAUSE ]
[ MODIFYSTYLEOVERRIDE_CLAUSE ] ... ]

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Where MODIFYSTYLEOVERRIDE_CLAUSE is:
[ [ Style ] Override { override_index | override_name } {
[ Zoom ( min_zoom, max_zoom ) ]
[ Units dist_unit ]
[ { Alpha alpha_value } | { Translucency translucency_percent } ]
[ Enable { On | Off } ]
[ Arrows { On | Off } ]
[ Centroids { On | Off } ]
[ Nodes { On | Off } ]
[ Line...] [ , Line... ]
[ Pen...] [ , Pen... ] ...
[ Symbol... ] [ , Symbol... ] ...
[ Brush... ] [ , Brush... ] ...
[ Font... ] } ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
override_index is an integer index (1-based) for the override definition within the layer. Each override is
tied to an zoom range and is ordered so that the smallest zoom range value is on top (index 1).
override_name is the user specified override name.
min_zoom is a numeric expression, identifying the minimum zoom at which the style override will come
into effect
max_zoom is a numeric expression, identifying the maximum zoom at which the style override will come
into effect
dist_unit is a string expression, specifying the units for the map (such as "mi" for miles, "m" for meters;
see Set Distance Units statement for a list of available unit names). This is an optional parameter. If
not present, the distance units from the table's coordinate system are used.
alpha_value is an integer value representing the alpha channel value for translucency. Values range
from 0-255. 0 is completely transparent. 255 is completely opaque. Values between 0-255 make the
image layer display translucent.
translucency_percent is an integer value representing the percentage of translucency for a vector, raster,
or grid image layer. Values range between 0-100. 0 is completely opaque. 100 is completely transparent.
Note: Specify either Alpha or Translucency but not both, since they are different ways of specifying
the same result. If you specify multiple keywords, the last value will be used.

Description
Arrows turns the display of direction arrows on or off.
Centroids turns the display of centroids on or off.
Nodes turns the display of nodes on or off.
Line specifies the style used to display line and polyline objects. A Line clause is identical to a Pen
clause, except for the use of the keyword Line instead of Pen.
Pen is a valid Pen clause that specifies the style used to display the borders of filled objects.

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Symbol is a valid Symbol clause that specifies the style used to display point objects.
Brush is a valid Brush clause that specifies the style used to display filled objects.
Font is a valid Font clause that specifies the font used to display text objects.
For more information about style overrides for layers, see Adding Style Overrides to a Layer and Enabling, Disabling, or Removing Overrides for a Layer. See also,LayerStyleInfo( ) function and
StyleOverrideInfo( ) function.
Example
Set Map Layer 1 Style Override 1 Alpha 119

Enabling, Disabling, or Removing Overrides for a Layer

If multistyle overrides are defined for a layer, they are enabled by default.
To enable or disable multistyle overrides for a layer, use the Override clauses with either the On or Off
option.
To remove an existing override definition for a layer, use Override Remove clause.
Syntax: enable or disable overrides
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer layer_id [ [ Style ] Override { On | Off } ] ]
Syntax: remove overrides
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer layer_id
[ [ Style ] Override Remove {
All | override_index [ , override_index,] } ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
override_index is an integer index (1-based) for the override definition within the layer. Each override is
tied to an zoom range and is ordered so that the smallest zoom range value is on top (index 1).
Description
If multistyle overrides are defined for a layer, they are enabled by default. To disable but not delete them
use the Overrides clause with either the On or Off option.
For more information about style overrides for layers, see Adding Style Overrides to a Layer and
Modifying Style Overrides for a Layer.
Example
Set Map Layer 1 Style Override Remove 3, 2
Set Map Layer 1 Style Override Remove All

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Adding Overrides for Layer Labels

The Label Override clause adds a zoom range to an existing label override definition or creates a new
override definition for labels.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer layer_id
[ Label
[ LABEL_OVERRIDE_CLAUSE ]
[ LABEL_OVERRIDE_CLAUSE ] ... ]
Where LABELOVERRIDE_CLAUSE is:
[ [ Label ] Override Add [ labeloverride_name ] {
[ Using [ Window window_id ] Layer layer_id {
All | Override {labeloverride_index | labeloverride_name } } ] |
Zoom ( min_vis, max_vis )
[ Enable { On | Off } ]
[ Units dist_unit ]
[ Line { Simple | Arrow | None } ]
[ Position [ Center ] [ { Above | Below } ] [ { Left | Right } ] ]
[ Auto Retry { On | Off } ]
[ Font...] [ Pen... ]
[ With label_expr ] [ Parallel { On | Off } ]
[ Follow Path [ BestPosition { On | Off } ] [ Percent Over percent ] [
Fallback { On | Off } ] ]
[ Auto { On | Off } ]
[ Overlap { On | Off } ]
[ PartialSegments { On | Off } ]
[ Duplicates { On | Off } ]
[ Max [ number_of_labels ] ]
[ Offset offset_amount ]
[ LabelAlpha alpha_value ]
[ AutoPosition { On | Off } ]
[ AutoSizes { number_font_sizes | Default } ]
[ AutoSizeStep percentage_value ]
[ SuppressIfNoFit { On | Off } ]
[ AutoCallout { On | Off } ]
[ Abbreviation { On | Off } Abbreviate with { field_expression } ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
labeloverride_index is an integer index (1-based) for the override definition within the layer. Each label
override is tied to an zoom range and is ordered so that the smallest zoom range value is on top (index
1).
labeloverride_name is the user specified override name.
min_vis, max_vis are numbers specifying the minimum and maximum zoom at which the style override
will come into effect.

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dist_unit is a string expression, specifying the units for the map (such as "mi" for miles, "m" for meters;
see Set Distance Units statement for a list of available unit names). This is an optional parameter. If
not present, the distance units from the table's coordinate system are used.
label_expr is the expression to use for creating labels.
percent when curved labels are longer than the geometry they name, this is the amount (expressed as
a percentage) of overhang permitted.
number_of_labels is an integer representing the maximum number of labels MapInfo Professional will
display for the layer. If you omit the number_of_labels argument, there is no limit.
offset_amount is a number from zero to 200 (representing a distance in points), causing the label to be
offset from its anchor point.
alpha_value is an integer value representing the alpha channel value for translucency. Values range
from 0-255. 0 is completely transparent. 255 is completely opaque. Values between 0-255 make the labels
display translucent.
number_font_sizes is a number from 1 to 10 that represents font size steps to use when fitting labels
within regions. If not specified, the default value is 4.
percentage_value is a number from 1 to 99 that represents the smallest percentage decrease of the font
size when resizing the label font to make labels fit when resizing the map. The default value is 50.
field_expression is the column name in the table that contains the abbreviations.
Description
A label property zoom range sets up labeling properties that vary with the map's zoom level. There can
be multiple label properties zoom ranges per layer. To change the labeling expression when zooming
in on the map, or to see the label font grow larger when zooming in, set up multiple label properties zoom
ranges.
The label zoom range turns off the labels if you zoom in or out too far. There can only be one of these
per layer.
Line sets the type of call-out line, if any, that should appear when a label is dragged from its original
location. You can specify Line Simple, Line Arrow, or Line None. For example:
Position controls label positions with respect to the positions of object centroids. For example, the following statement sets labels above and to the right of object centroids.
Auto Retry lets users to apply a placement algorithm that will try multiple label positions until a position
is found that does not overlap any other label, or until all positions are exhausted.
When Writing Workspaces, if the Auto Retry feature is On, we write Auto Retry On to the workspace
after the Position clause (but the order isn't important), and increase the workspace version to 9.5 or
later. If the feature is Off, we do not write anything to the workspace and do not increase the version
number. A version 9.5 or later workspace can have Auto Retry Off in it, but we do not explicitly write
it out, to avoid increasing the version unnecessarily.
When Reading Workspaces If Auto Retry On or Auto Retry Off is in the workspace, it must be a version
9.5 or later workspace, otherwise a syntax error occurs. If Auto Retry is On, different positions are
tried to place the label. If Auto Retry is Off, no retry is attemptedthis is the default behavior. Overlap

Reference

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must be Off to enable the Auto Retry feature. If Overlap is On and Auto Retry On/Off are in the same
LABELCLAUSE, the Auto Retry mechanism is initialized but ignored, so overlapping labels are allowed.
Font is a valid Font clause to specify a text style used in labels.
Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify the line style to use for call-out lines. Call-out lines only appear if
you specify Line Simple or Line Arrow, and if the user drags a label from its original location.
Set Map Layer 1 Label Line Arrow Pen( 2, 1, 255)
With specifies the expression used to construct the text for the labels. For example, the following statement
specifies a labeling expression which uses the Proper$( ) function to control capitalization in the label.
Set Map Layer 1 Label With Proper$(Cityname)
Parallel controls whether labels for line objects are rotated, so that the labels are parallel to the lines.
Set to Off for horizontal labels that are not rotated with the line segment, and set to On for labels rotated
with the line segment.
Set Map Layer 1 Label Parallel On
Follow Path is used when creating curved labels. Path is automatically calculated once and then stored
until the curved label location is edited.
The BestPosition option attempts to find a more suitable location along a polyline when the polyline
bends too sharply to place a label. The best three positions are located. If the label cannot be drawn at
one of these positions, then it falls back to the normal curved label location and then to a rotated label
if the Fallback option is on. The default value is Off.
Set Map Window 145919584 Layer 1 Label Override 1 Follow Path BestPosition
On
Percent Over only applies to curved labels. It applies when curved labels are longer than the geometry
they name, this is the amount (expressed as a percentage) of overhang permitted. For example, a sample
entry might be:
Set Map Layer 1 Label Override Follow Path Percent Over 40
Fallback only applies to curved labels. When a polyline is very jagged (not smooth or gently curved) it
is difficult to place characters along it to create a curved label. Set Fallback to On to create a straight
label when a curved label cannot be created. It rotates the straight label to match a segment near to
where the curved label would have been placed. MapInfo Professional does not prevent a rotated label
from crossing a polyline. Setting this option displays more labels on your map. By default, this option is
set to Off. When MapInfo Professional cannot draw a curved label and draws a straight label instead
(as a fallback), the overhang percent is ignored.
Auto controls whether automatic labels display. If you specify Auto Off, automatic labels will not display,
although user-edited labels will still display.
Overlap controls whether MapInfo Professional draws labels that would overlap existing labels. To prevent
overlapping labels, specify Overlap Off.
PartialSegments controls whether MapInfo Professional labels an object when the object's centroid is
not in the visible portion of the map. If you specify PartialSegments On (which corresponds to selecting
the Label Partial Objects check box in MapInfo Professional), MapInfo Professional labels the visible
portion of the object. If you specify PartialSegments Off, an object will only be labeled if its centroid
appears in the Map window.

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Duplicates controls whether MapInfo Professional allows two or more labels that have the same text.
To prevent duplicate labels, specify Duplicates Off.
Max number_of_labels sets the maximum number of labels that MapInfo Professional will display for
this layer. If you omit the number_of_labels argument, MapInfo Professional places no limit on the
number of labels.
Offset offset_amount specifies an offset distance, so that MapInfo Professional automatically places
each label away from the object's centroid. The offset_amount argument is an integer from zero to 50,
representing a distance in points. If you specify Offset 0 labels appear immediately adjacent to centroids.
If you specify Offset 10 labels appear 10 points away. The offset setting is ignored when the Position
clause specifies centered text.
AutoPosition turns on or off the advanced region labeling option. The AutoSizes, AutoSizeStep, and
SuppressIfNoFit clauses are active when this is set to On. The default value for this clause is Off.
AutoSizes defines the number of decreasing font sizes that can be used when attempting to fit labels
within regions. The value range is 1 to 10, and the default value is 4. Setting this to 1 uses the current
font size. Setting a number greater than 1 reduces the font down to the minimum font size calculated
using AutoSizeStep. Specifying Default causes MapInfo Professional to define the number of font sizes
to use (between 1 and 10).
AutoSizeStep defines a percentage for reducing font size to make labels fit when resizing a map. The
value range is 1 to 99. As an example, if the original font size is 24pt and the number_font_sizes is 66,
then the smallest font is 66 percent smaller than 24pt, so the smallest font will be 8pt. The default value
is 50.
When SuppressIfNoFit is set to On, then only the labels that still fit after resizing the map display. If a
label does not fit in a region, then it is not drawn. This clause is set to On by default.
The AutoCallout clause turns on or off the rendering of callouts for advanced region labeling. The default
value is Off. The AutoPosition and SuppressIfNoFit options must both be set to On to use the
AutoCallout clause.
Abbreviation only applies to labels. When set to On, the abbreviation field expression, field_expression,
is used for labels that cannot be drawn, because they overlap other labels or do not fit within a region.
When set to On, you must also specify the Abbreviate with clause.
The Abbreviate with clause is used with the Abbreviation clause. This clause specifies the abbreviation
field expression, field_expression, to use in the layer table.
Set Map Window 145919584 Layer 1 Label Override 1 Abbreviation On
Set Map Window 145919584 Layer 1 Label Override 1 Abbreviate with ShortName
For more information about style overrides for layers, see Modifying Layer Label Overrides and Enabling, Disabling, or Removing Overrides for Layer Labels. See also, LabelOverrideInfo( ) function.
Examples
The following example overrides label style:
Set Map Layer 1 Label Zoom (1, 100000) with State
Override Add Zoom (1, 1000) with State_Name
Override Add Zoom (1000, 10000) with State

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The following example adds a new style:
Set Map Layer 1 Label Override Add Zoom (10000, 100000)
with State Overlap Off

Modifying Layer Label Overrides

When the add keyword is excluded from the Label Override clause it will modify the properties for an
existing multiple label override definition within a layer specified by the integer index (1-based) or the
override name.
Set Map [Layer layer_id
[Label...
[ MODIFYLABEL_OVERRIDE_CLAUSE ]
[ MODIFYLABEL_OVERRIDE_CLAUSE ] ... ] ]
Where MODIFYLABEL_OVERRIDE_CLAUSE is:
[ Override { labeloverride_index | labeloverride_name } {
[ Zoom ( min_vis, max_vis ) [ Units dist_unit ] ]
[ Enable { On | Off } ]
[ Line { Simple | Arrow | None } ]
[ Position [ Center ] [ { Above | Below } ] [ { Left | Right } ] ]
[ Auto Retry { On | Off } ]
[ Font...] [ Pen... ]
[ With label_expr ] [ Parallel { On | Off } ]
[ Follow Path [ BestPosition { On | Off } ] [ Percent Over percent ] [
Fallback { On | Off } ] ]
[ Auto { On | Off } ]
[ Overlap { On | Off } ]
[ PartialSegments { On | Off } ]
[ Duplicates { On | Off } ]
[ Max [ number_of_labels ] ]
[ Offset offset_amount ]
[ LabelAlpha alpha_value ] }
[ AutoPosition { On | Off } ]
[ AutoSizes { number_font_sizes | Default } ]
[ AutoSizeStep percentage_value ]
[ SuppressIfNoFit { On | Off } ]
[ AutoCallout { On | Off } ]
[ Abbreviation { On | Off } Abbreviate with { field_expression } ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
labeloverride_index is an integer index (1-based) for the override definition within the layer. Each label
override is tied to an zoom range and is ordered so that the smallest zoom range value is on top (index
1).
labeloverride_name is the user specified override name.
min_vis, max_vis are numbers specifying the minimum and maximum zoom at which the style override
will come into effect.
dist_unit is a string expression, specifying the units for the map (such as "mi" for miles, "m" for meters;
see Set Distance Units statement for a list of available unit names). This is an optional parameter. If
not present, the distance units from the table's coordinate system are used.

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label_expr is the expression to use for creating labels.
percent when curved labels are longer than the geometry they name, this is the amount (expressed as
a percentage) of overhang permitted.
number_of_labels is an integer representing the maximum number of labels MapInfo Professional will
display for the layer. If you omit the number_of_labels argument, there is no limit.
offset_amount is a number from zero to 200 (representing a distance in points), causing the label to be
offset from its anchor point.
alpha_value is an integer value representing the alpha channel value for translucency. Values range
from 0-255. 0 is completely transparent. 255 is completely opaque. Values between 0-255 make the labels
display translucent.
number_font_sizes is a number from 1 to 10 that represents font size steps to use when fitting labels
within regions. If not specified, the default value is 4.
percentage_value is a number from 1 to 99 that represents the smallest percentage decrease of the font
size when resizing the label font to make labels fit when resizing the map. The default value is 50.
field_expression is the column name in the table that contains the abbreviations.
Description
Line sets the type of call-out line, if any, that should appear when a label is dragged from its original
location. You can specify Line Simple, Line Arrow, or Line None. For example:
Position controls label positions with respect to the positions of object centroids. For example, the following statement sets labels above and to the right of object centroids.
Auto Retry lets users to apply a placement algorithm that will try multiple label positions until a position
is found that does not overlap any other label, or until all positions are exhausted.
When Writing Workspaces, if the Auto Retry feature is On, we write Auto Retry On to the workspace
after the Position clause (but the order isn't important), and increase the workspace version to 9.5 or
later. If the feature is Off, we do not write anything to the workspace and do not increase the version
number. A version 9.5 or later workspace can have Auto Retry Off in it, but we do not explicitly write
it out, to avoid increasing the version unnecessarily.
When Reading Workspaces If Auto Retry On or Auto Retry Off is in the workspace, it must be a version
9.5 or later workspace, otherwise a syntax error occurs. If Auto Retry is On, different positions are
tried to place the label. If Auto Retry is Off, no retry is attemptedthis is the default behavior. Overlap
must be Off to enable the Auto Retry feature. If Overlap is On and Auto Retry On/Off are in the same
LABELCLAUSE, the Auto Retry mechanism is initialized but ignored, so overlapping labels are allowed.
Font is a valid Font clause to specify a text style used in labels.
Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify the line style to use for call-out lines. Call-out lines only appear if
you specify Line Simple or Line Arrow, and if the user drags a label from its original location.
Set Map Layer 1 Label Line Arrow Pen( 2, 1, 255)
With specifies the expression used to construct the text for the labels. For example, the following statement
specifies a labeling expression which uses the Proper$( ) function to control capitalization in the label.
Set Map Layer 1 Label With Proper$(Cityname)

Reference

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Parallel controls whether labels for line objects are rotated, so that the labels are parallel to the lines.
Set to Off for horizontal labels that are not rotated with the line segment, and set to On for labels rotated
with the line segment.
Set Map Layer 1 Label Parallel On
Follow Path is used when creating curved labels. Path is automatically calculated once and then stored
until the curved label location is edited.
The BestPosition option attempts to find a more suitable location along a polyline when the polyline
bends too sharply to place a label. The best three positions are located. If the label cannot be drawn at
one of these positions, then it falls back to the normal curved label location and then to a rotated label
if the Fallback option is on. The default value is Off.
Set Map Window 145919584 Layer 1 Label Override 1 Follow Path BestPosition
On
Percent Over only applies to curved labels. It applies when curved labels are longer than the geometry
they name, this is the amount (expressed as a percentage) of overhang permitted. For example, a sample
entry might be:
Set Map Layer 1 Label Override Follow Path Percent Over 40
Fallback only applies to curved labels. When a polyline is very jagged (not smooth or gently curved) it
is difficult to place characters along it to create a curved label. Set Fallback to On to create a straight
label when a curved label cannot be created. It rotates the straight label to match a segment near to
where the curved label would have been placed. MapInfo Professional does not prevent a rotated label
from crossing a polyline. Setting this option displays more labels on your map. By default, this option is
set to Off. When MapInfo Professional cannot draw a curved label and draws a straight label instead
(as a fallback), the overhang percent is ignored.
Auto controls whether automatic labels display. If you specify Auto Off, automatic labels will not display,
although user-edited labels will still display.
Overlap controls whether MapInfo Professional draws labels that would overlap existing labels. To prevent
overlapping labels, specify Overlap Off.
PartialSegments controls whether MapInfo Professional labels an object when the object's centroid is
not in the visible portion of the map. If you specify PartialSegments On (which corresponds to selecting
the Label Partial Objects check box in MapInfo Professional), MapInfo Professional labels the visible
portion of the object. If you specify PartialSegments Off, an object will only be labeled if its centroid
appears in the Map window.
Duplicates controls whether MapInfo Professional allows two or more labels that have the same text.
To prevent duplicate labels, specify Duplicates Off.
Max number_of_labels sets the maximum number of labels that MapInfo Professional will display for
this layer. If you omit the number_of_labels argument, MapInfo Professional places no limit on the
number of labels.
Offset offset_amount specifies an offset distance, so that MapInfo Professional automatically places
each label away from the object's centroid. The offset_amount argument is an integer from zero to 50,
representing a distance in points. If you specify Offset 0 labels appear immediately adjacent to centroids.
If you specify Offset 10 labels appear 10 points away. The offset setting is ignored when the Position
clause specifies centered text.

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AutoPosition turns on or off the advanced region labeling option. The AutoSizes, AutoSizeStep, and
SuppressIfNoFit clauses are active when this is set to On. The default value for this clause is Off.
AutoSizes defines the number of decreasing font sizes that can be used when attempting to fit labels
within regions. The value range is 1 to 10, and the default value is 4. Setting this to 1 uses the current
font size. Setting a number greater than 1 reduces the font down to the minimum font size calculated
using AutoSizeStep. Specifying Default causes MapInfo Professional to define the number of font sizes
to use (between 1 and 10).
AutoSizeStep defines a percentage for reducing font size to make labels fit when resizing a map. The
value range is 1 to 99. As an example, if the original font size is 24pt and the number_font_sizes is 66,
then the smallest font is 66 percent smaller than 24pt, so the smallest font will be 8pt. The default value
is 50.
When SuppressIfNoFit is set to On, then only the labels that still fit after resizing the map display. If a
label does not fit in a region, then it is not drawn. This clause is set to On by default.
The AutoCallout clause turns on or off the rendering of callouts for advanced region labeling. The default
value is Off. The AutoPosition and SuppressIfNoFit options must both be set to On to use the
AutoCallout clause.
Abbreviation only applies to labels. When set to On, the abbreviation field expression, field_expression,
is used for labels that cannot be drawn, because they overlap other labels or do not fit within a region.
When set to On, you must also specify the Abbreviate with clause.
The Abbreviate with clause is used with the Abbreviation clause. This clause specifies the abbreviation
field expression, field_expression, to use in the layer table.
Set Map Window 145919584 Layer 1 Label Override 1 Abbreviation On
Set Map Window 145919584 Layer 1 Label Override 1 Abbreviate with ShortName
For more information about style overrides for layers, see Adding Overrides for Layer Labels and
Enabling, Disabling, or Removing Overrides for Layer Labels. See also, LabelOverrideInfo( )
function.
Example
The following example modifies style:
Set Map Layer 1 Label Override 3 Zoom (1000, 10000)
Line Arrow Pen (2, 1, 255)

Enabling, Disabling, or Removing Overrides for Layer Labels

If multilabel overrides are defined for a layer, they are enabled by default.
To enable or disable label overrides for a layer, use the Label Override clauses with either the On or
Off option.
To remove an existing label override definition for a layer, use Label Override Remove clause.
Syntax: enable or disable overrides
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]

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[ Layer layer_id
[ Label [ Overrides { On | Off } ] ] ]
Syntax: remove overrides
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer layer_id
[ Label [ Override Remove { All | labeloverride_index
[ , labeloverride_index ... ] } ] ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
labeloverride_index is an integer index (1-based) for the override definition within the label. Each label
override is tied to an zoom range and is ordered so that the smallest zoom range value is on top (index
1).
For more information about style overrides for layers, see Adding Overrides for Layer Labels and
Modifying Layer Label Overrides. See also, LabelOverrideInfo( ) function.
Example
The following examples remove styles:
Set Map Layer 1 Label Override Remove 3
Set Map Layer 1 Label Override Remove All

Managing Group Layers

The following clauses affect group layers. Group properties are set like layer properties as part of the
optional group layer clause in the Set Map statement.
Note: For layer clauses, see Managing Individual Layer Properties and Appearance.

Syntax 1 (Group)
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ GroupLayer group_id [ Display { On | Off } ]
[ Title "new_ friendly_name" ] ]
Syntax 2 (Ungroup)
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ GroupLayer group_id

[ Ungroup [ All ] ] ]

window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.

group_id can be either the numeric ID or a string name. The name would refer to the first group found
in the list with that name.

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Description
Ungroup removes the group layer but insert all the children of the group list into the parent list. All
keyword will ungroup all nested group layers and insert all children into the parent list. Draw order will
be maintained.
Examples
GroupLayer "Tropics" (group 1)
Tropic_Of_Capricorn (layer 1)
Tropic_Of_Cancer (layer 2)
Wgrid15 (layer 3)
GroupLayer "World Places" (group 2)
WorldPlaces (layer 4)
WorldPlacesMajor (layer 5)
WorldPlaces_Capitals (layer 6)
Airports (layer 7)
Set Map GroupLayer 1 Ungroup results in this list (with group and layer ID's renumbered):
Tropic_Of_Capricorn (layer 1)
Tropic_Of_Cancer (layer 2)
Wgrid15 (layer 3)
GroupLayer "World Places" (group 2)
WorldPlaces (layer 4)
WorldPlacesMajor (layer 5)
WorldPlaces_Capitals (layer 6)
Airports (layer 7)
whereas
Set Map GroupLayer 1 Ungroup All results in this list:
Tropic_Of_Capricorn (layer 1)
Tropic_Of_Cancer (layer 2)
Wgrid15 (layer 3)
WorldPlaces (layer 4)
WorldPlacesMajor (layer 5)
WorldPlaces_Capitals (layer 6)
Airports (layer 7)
Title will rename to the group layer to the string contained in grouplayer_id_string. The following renames
group layer 2 in the Layer Control layer list as Hello World:
Set Map GroupLayer 2 Title "Hello World"

Reference

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Ordering Layers
The following clauses move a layer and group layer to a specific location in the layer list.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Order layer_id, [ , layer_id ... ] ]
[
[ GroupLayers group_layer_id [ , group_layer_id... ] ]
[ Layers layer_id [ , layer_id ] ] . . .
[ DestGroupLayer group_layer_id [ Position position ] ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id is a number identifying a map layer to modify, according to that layer's original position in the
map, where 1 (one) is the top-most layer number (the layer which draws last, and therefore always appears
on top).
group_layer_id is a number identifying a group layer to modify, according to its original position in the
map.
position is 1-based index within the destination group of where to insert the list of layers being moved.
The default position is the first position in the group (position = 1).
Description
The Cosmetic layer is a special layer, with a layer number of zero. The Cosmetic layer is always drawn
last; thus, a zero should not appear in an Order clause. For example: given a Map window with four
layers (not including the Cosmetic layer), the following Set Map statement will reverse the order of the
topmost two layers:
Set Map Order 2, 1, 3, 4
Set Map Order resets the order in which map layers are drawn. It moves layers, such as 3, 2, and 1 in
the following example, to the top of the layer list, removing them from whatever group they might have
been in.
Set Map Order Layers 3, 2, 1
However, using the GroupLayers and Layers clauses lets you specify moving layers and/or whole groups.
The optional DestGroupLayer specifies the group to insert the list of one or more layers and groups
into, and at what position. This clause can also be used with the older syntax to specify the exact location
to insert the layers. If missing, it means the groups and/or layers are inserted into the top level list at the
first position (as it was assumed with the old syntax). However you can specify the top level list with a
group ID = 0.
The position is the 1-based index within the destination group of where to insert the list of layers being
moved. If the position is omitted it is assumed to be the first position in the group (position = 1).
If the position given exceeds the number of items in the destination group, the new layers and/or groups
will be inserted at the end of the destination group.
Layer and group IDs may be the numeric ID or name. Group IDs range from 0 to the total number of
groups in the list.

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Once the list is reordered all IDs are renumbered sequentially from the top down.
Thematic layers and their reference base layer must always remain in a contiguous sequence, so Set
Map Order will not allow you to insert layers within a set of thematic layers. If the Position specified would
insert layers within a set of thematic layers, the layers will instead be inserted above or below the set,
which ever is closest to the original Position.

Managing the Behavior of Labels

If the map contains auto-labels for two or more layers, then not all features have labels on the map. This
is because the labels from the different layers are competing for limited space within the map, so a city
might not be labeled because a road label is in the way for example. Also, users may want to control
whether labels in a map can be selected or not. If they cant be selected, then users will not accidentally
select them when they meant to select an object that is near or overlaps with the label. The following
clause specifies that a layer have a high priority when displaying its labels, by moving the layer ID to the
top of this list and includes the ability to toggle label selection for a map.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Label
[ Selection { On | Off } ]
[ Priority { Default | layer_id [ , layer_id ... ] } ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id is a number identifying a map layer to modify, according to that layer's original position in the
map, where 1 (one) is the top-most layer number (the layer which draws last, and therefore always appears
on top).
Description
The Cosmetic layer is a special layer, with a layer number of zero. The Cosmetic layer is always drawn
last; thus, a zero should not appear in a LabelPriority clause for layer_id.
If an invalid layer ID is specified, then error 600 is generated: Invalid view layer.
Label Selection turns on or off label selection for the entire map. By default, labels can be selected in
a Map window. When disabled, you cannot:
Select labels in the map regardless of which layer the labels are from.
Double-click to open the label dialog (this is the same behavior as for map objects).
When label selection is off for a Map window, the
Set Map Label Selection Off
statement saves to the workspace and the workspace version increases to 1200.
Label Priority dictates the priority order for displaying labels on the map; the first layer listed in this
statement is the layer that gets maximum label priority. For example, for a Map window with four layers
(not including the Cosmetic layer), the default label priority is 4, 3, 2, 1, so layer 4 has top priority.

Reference

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Set Map statement

This statement can list all layer IDs from your map, but you dont have to list them all. Whatever layer
IDs you do list move to the top of the list of label priorities. The rest of the list of layer IDs remains in
whatever order they were in previously. (This is consistent for reordering layers, such as
Set Map Order 3
to move the 3rd layer to the top of the list.)
Ordering layers (moving a layer and group layer to a specific location in the layer list) affects label priority;
a layer higher in the list has a higher labeling priority. However, customizing label priority overrides the
layer order. After customizing layer priority, changing the order of layers has no effect on label priority.
Set Map LabelPriority Default resets the label priority list to match the default (bottom-up) order, which
is the same as the layer draw order in the Layer Control window.
Labels display following the order of records in the table. To change the order of priority for displaying
labels, save a copy of the table, sorted in order of priority, most important record first, and use that table
for labeling instead of the original. In a table sorted alphabetically by street (like the StreetPro Display
layer) this often means that streets with names beginning with A, B, or C are almost the only labeled
streets on your map. Labeling effectively gives a small side street like Aberdeen Street priority over
State Highway 177 or other major roads that might actually be useful in navigating or orienting a map.
Example
The following example turns on label selection for the entrie map and sets the label order, so that layer
2 has the highest priority.
Set Map Label Selection On Priority 2, 4, 3, 1

Managing the Coordinate System of the Map

The following clauses affect the coordinate system of the map and distance type in use.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ CoordSys... ]
[ Distance Type { Spherical | Cartesian } ]
[ XY Units xy_unit [
{ Display Decimal {On | Off } |
Display Grid [ { MGRS | USNG [ Datum datumid ] } ]
}
] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
xy_unit is a string representing the name of an x/y coordinate unit (for example, "m" for meters, "degree"
for degrees). If the XY Units are in degrees, the Display Decimal clause specifies whether to display
in decimal degrees. Set to On to display in decimal degrees or Off to set in degrees, minutes, or seconds.
Set Display Grid to display in Military grid reference format.
datumid is a numeric expression representing the datum id. It must evaluate to one of the following values:
DATUMID_NAD27 (62)
DATUMID_NAD83 (74)
DATUMID_WGS84 (104)

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Note: DATUMID_* are defines in MapBasic.def. WGS84 and NAD83 are treated as equivalent.

Description
CoordSys clause Assigns the Map window a different coordinate system and projection. For details on
the syntax of a CoordSys clause, see CoordSys clause.
The MapBasic coordinate system must be set explicitly with a Set CoordSys statement and can be
retrieved with the SessionInfo( ) function.
Note: When a Set Map statement includes a CoordSys clause, the MapBasic application's coordinate
system is automatically set to match the map's coordinate system.
This example only alters the map's coordinate system and units; the MapBasic coordinate system is
unaffected:
Set Map XY Units "m" CoordSys Earth Projection 8,
33, "m", -55.5, 0, 0.9999, 304800, 0
Distance Type is either Spherical or Cartesian. All distance, length, perimeter, and area calculations
for objects contained in the Map window will be performed using one of these calculation methods. Note
that if the coordinate system of the Map window is NonEarth, then the calculations will be performed
using Cartesian methods regardless of the option chosen, and if the coordinate system of the Map window
is Latitude/Longitude, then calculations will be performed using Spherical methods regardless of the
option chosen.
XY Units specifies the type of coordinate unit used to display x-, y-coordinates (for example, when the
user has specified that the map should display the cursor position on the status bar). The unit name can
be "degree" (for degrees longitude/latitude) or a distance unit such as "m" for meters.
If the XY Units are in degrees, the Display Decimal clause specifies whether to display in decimal degrees (On) or in degrees, minutes, seconds (Off). Display Grid will display coordinates in Military Grid
reference system format no matter how the XY Units are specified.
Set
Set
Set
Set

Map
Map
Map
Map

XY
XY
XY
XY

Units
Units
Units
Units

"m" Display Grid

"degree" Display Grid
"degree" Display Decimal On
"degree" Display Decimal Off

The following statement specifies meters as the coordinate unit:

Set Map XY Units "m"

Managing Image Properties

The following clauses affect image reprojection and resampling.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Image Reprojection { None | Always | Auto } ]
[ Image Resampling { CubicConvolution | NearestNeighbor } ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.

Reference

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Description
Image Reprojection has three options, Always and Auto (for Automatic) and None.
None means that MapInfo Professional treats raster layers as it has in pre-version 8.5 versions by
conforming the vector layers to the raster layer.
Always means that reprojection is always done; specifically, coordinates are calculated using precise
formulae and pixels are resampled using "cubic convolution" or "nearest neighbor".
Auto means that use of reprojection is decided based on how the destination image rectangle looks
after having been transformed into the source image space. If it looks as a "rigorous" rectangle (two
sides are parallel to x-axis and two sides parallel to y-axis), then the old MapInfo Professional code
works, for example standard Windows functions are used for only stretching the source image in both
directions. This is the fastest way of drawing resulting images. If the above is not the case (stretching
is not enough because of non-linearities and/or skew of the destination image rectangle transformed
into the source image space), the reprojection code works.
Image Resampling has two options, Cubic Convolution and Nearest Neighbor.
CubicConvolution is a method of resampling images providing for the best "restoration" of pixel values
unavailable in a source image (because of its discreteness). Here, a pixel of the destination image is
calculated based on the pixel values in a 4x4 window centered at the "basic" pixel in the source image.
The coordinates (real numbers, in general) of the basic pixel are calculated for every pixel of the destination image based on special optimized procedure. Pixels within the above window are weighted
in a special way based on the mantissas of basic pixel coordinates.
NearestNeighbor is a method of resampling images by merely putting the value of the basic pixel from
a source image into the current pixel position.

Managing Hotlinks
The hotlink settings are persisted via the Set Map statement Layer Activate clause, which supports
multiple hotlink definitions. This includes the ability to add new items, modify the attribute of existing
items, remove and reorder items. For a discussion of how MapInfo Professional supports legacy syntax,
see Exceptions to Support Backwards Compatibility.
Purpose
The purpose of Activate is to allow you to define new hotlinks. You use a hotlink to launch a file or a URL
from a Map window.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer layer_id
[ Activate LAYER_ACTIVATE_CLAUSES ] ]
Where LAYER_ACTIVATE_CLAUSES is:
Using launch_expr [ On { Labels |
[ Relative Path { On | Off } ]
[ Enable { On | Off }]

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[ Alias expression ]
[ ,LAYER_ACTIVATE_CLAUSES ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
launch_expr is an expression that will resolve to the name of the file to launch when the object is activated.
expression the placeholder of the actual file name expression being set (any URL or filename).
Description
Relative Path lets you define links to files stored in locations relative to the tables. For example: if the
table C:\DATA\STATES.TAB contains HotLinks to workspace files that are stored in directories under
C:\data. The workspace file for New York, NEWYORK.WOR, is stored in C:\data\ny and the HotLink
associated with New York is "NY\NEWYORK.WOR". Setting Relative Path to On tells MapInfo Professional to prefix the HotLink string with the location of the .tab file, in this case resulting in the launch
string "C:\DATA\NY\NEWYORK.WOR".
Note: HotLinks identified as URLs are not modified before launch, regardless of the Relative Path
setting. The ShellAPI function path's URL is used to determine if a HotLink is a URL.
Enable clause has two options On and Off. When set to On, it enables the hotlink definition and when
set to Off, it disables the hotlink definition.
For an individual hotlink the Enable clause allow the user to "turn off" a hotlink while preserving the
definition. (In versions prior to 10.0, the user disabled the hotlink by setting the expression to "", losing
the original expression.)
An active object is an object in a Map window that has a URL or filename associated with it. Clicking on
an active object with the HotLink Tool will launch the associated URL or file. For example, if the string
http://www.boston.com is associated with a point object on the map, then clicking the point, or its
label, will result in the default browser being started with the site http://www.boston.com. You can
associate other types of files with map objects; MapInfo workspace (.wor), table (.tab) or application
(.mbx) files, Word documents (.doc), executable files (.exe), etc. Any type of file that the system knows
how to "launch" can be associated with a map object. From version 10.0 onwards another clause "Alias"
has been added for hotlinks. This alias clause is used to set an expression, which will basically be the
placeholder of the actual File Name Expression being set. In the current hotlinks implementation, the
FileName Expression can be set to any URL or filename. It has been found that URL's can be very long
and hence when an user clicks on an active Hotlinks object having multiple hotlink definitions, it becomes
difficult to show the lengthy URL's in the popup window. To solve this problem, the Alias Expression has
been added to the GUI. The similar work is performed by the Alias keyword in MapBasic. When an active
object has multiple hotlink definitions, if you set the Alias Expression to a valid expression, then the
popup window shows the Alias Name, instead of the lengthy URL.
Note: The Alias expression is displayed in the popup window, only if it is set to something other than
the default value "None". Thus hotlink definitions can have Alias expression set or not. Any hotlink
created using MapBasic without the alias keyword, will have the Alias Expression in the GUI
have a value of "None".

Reference

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Set Map statement

This version of the command wipes out any existing definitions and creates one or more new definitions.
The Using clause is required and launch_expr must not be an empty string (for example, ""). When the
Enable clause is included and set to Off, the hotlink definition will be disabled.
The On, Relative Path, Enable and Alias clauses are optional.
For more information about Hotlinks, see Adding New HotLink Definitions, Modifying Existing HotLink
Definitions, Removing HotLink Definitions, and Reordering HotLink Definitions.
Exceptions to Support Backwards Compatibility
The Using clause can be omitted, but only from the first HotLink definition. The Using expression can
be empty (""), but only for the first HotLink definition.
No Using Clause
Both of the following commands omit the Using clause, and in 850 this has the consequence of updating
the properties of the one/only hotlink def, even if the user has never issues a command to set the Using
clause. As of 900 these commands are a problem because map layers are created without any hotlink
definitions.
Activate On Objects
Activate Relative Path On
To solve this problem, MapInfo Professional allows empty expressions, but only for the first hotlink
definition. As was the case in pre-900 versions, a hotlink with an empty expression is effectively disabled.
Omitting the Using clause, generates an error unless the command originates from a pre-900 application
or workspace.
Empty Using clause
The following command sets the hotlink expression to an empty string, which essentially disables hotlink
capability for the layer. In fact, the default launch expression is the empty string, so the hotlink definition
has no affect until the expression is set to a non-empty string. This works as a way to enable/disable a
hotlink in 850. In 900 we support the notion of enabling/disabling via explicit syntax in the Set map Layer
Activate Enable On/Off command, and don't really want to support hotlink definition with an empty expression string.
Set Map Layer 1 Activate Using ""
This statement allows empty expressions, but only for the first hotlink definition. As was the case in pre9.0 versions, a hotlink with an empty expression is effectively disabled.
When a Set Map Layer Activate command is encounter with no Using clause or an empty Using clause,
the action depends on the current state of the layer's hotlinks.
The table following contains examples of different scenarios.

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Action

Number of HotLinks

Result

Activate Using " "

One or More

Sets the first hotlink's expression to empty string. The definition is effectively disabled until the expression is set to a nonempty value.

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Action

Number of HotLinks

Result

Activate Using " "

Zero

Creates a new hotlink definition and sets its expression to

empty. The definition is effectively disabled until the expression is set to a non-empty value.

Activate On Objects

One or More

If issued from a pre-9.0 application or workspace:

Update the first hotlink definition with the values specified
in the command. Does not affect the expression.
If issued from a 9.0 (or later) application or workspace:
Generates a "Missing required Using clause" syntax error

Activate On Object Zero

If issued from a pre-9.0 application or workspace:

Creates a new hotlink definition, set its expression to empty
and apply the values specified in the command. The definition will effectively be disabled until the expression is set
to a non-empty value.
If issued from a 9.0 (or later) application or workspace
Generates a "Missing required Using clause" syntax error

Note that the same actions will apply when reading in table metadata.
Example
Set Map Layer 1 Activate Using Url1 On Objects Relative Path Off Enable
On, Using Url2 On Objects Relative Path On Enable On

Adding New HotLink Definitions

The following clause adds a new hotlink definition to the map. For a detailed description of the Activate
clause, see Managing Hotlinks.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer layer_id
[ Activate Add [First] LAYER_ACTIVATE_CLAUSES ] ]
Where LAYER_ACTIVATE_CLAUSES is:
Using launch_expr [ On { Labels | Objects | Labels Objects } ]
[ Relative Path { On | Off } ] [ Enable { On | Off } ]
[ Alias expression ] [ ,LAYER_ACTIVATE_CLAUSES ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.

Reference

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Set Map statement

layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
launch_expr must not be an empty string (for example, "").
expression the placeholder of the actual file name expression being set (any URL or filename).
Description
First is optional to insert the new items at the beginning of the list.
Enable clause has two options On and Off. When set to On, it enables the hotlink definition and when
set to Off, it disables the hotlink definition.
Examples
Set Map Layer 1 Activate Add Using URL1 On Objects Relative Path On Alias
URL, Using URL2 On Objects Enabled Off
Set Map Layer 1 Activate Add First Using URL1 On Objects

Modifying Existing HotLink Definitions

The following clause modifies hotlink definition on the map.For a detailed description of the Activate
clause, see Managing Hotlinks.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer layer_id
[ Activate Modify MODIFY_CLAUSES ] ]
Where MODIFY_CLAUSES is:
hotlink_id {
[ Using launch_expr ]
[ On { Labels | Objects | Labels Objects } ]
[ Relative Path { On | Off } ] [ Enable { On | Off }]
[ Alias expression ] }
[ , MODIFYCLAUSE ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
hotlink_id is an integer index (1-based) that specifies the hotlink definition to modify. At least one hotlink_id
must be specified.
launch_expr must not be an empty string (for example, "").
expression the placeholder of the actual file name expression being set (any URL or filename).
Description
Enable clause has two options On and Off. When set to On, it enables the hotlink definition and when
set to Off, it disables the hotlink definition.

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Examples
Set Map Layer
Relative Path
Set Map Layer
Set Map Layer
Set Map Layer

1 Activate
Off
1 Activate
1 Activate
1 Activate

Modify 1 Using URL1 On Objects Alias URL, 2

Modify 2 On Objects, 4 On Labels
Modify 3 Relative Path On Enable Off
Modify 2 Enable Off, 3 Enable On

Removing HotLink Definitions

The following clause removes a new hotlink definition from the map.For a detailed description of the
Activate clause, see Managing Hotlinks.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer layer_id
[Activate Remove {
All | hotlink_id [ , hotlink_id, hotlink_id, ... ] } ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
hotlink_id is an integer index (1-based) that specifies the hotlink definition to modify. At least one hotlink_id
must be specified.
Description
All specifies that all hotlink definitions are removed.
Examples
Set Map Layer 1 Activate Remove 2, 4
Set Map Layer 1 Activate Remove All

Reordering HotLink Definitions

The following clause reorders hotlink definitions on the map.For a detailed description of the Activate
clause, see Managing Hotlinks.
Syntax
Set Map
[ Window window_id ]
[ Layer layer_id
[ Activate Order hotlink_id [ , hotlink_id, hotlink_id, ... ] ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id identifies which layer to modify; can be a SmallInt (for example, use 1 to specify the top map
layer other than Cosmetic) or a string representing the name of a table displayed in the map.
hotlink_id is an integer index (1-based) that specifies the hotlink definition to modify. At least one hotlink_id
must be specified.

Reference

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Set Map3D statement

Example
Set Map Layer 1 Activate Order 2, 3, 1

Set Map3D statement

Purpose
Change the settings of an existing 3DMap window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Map3D
[ Window window_id ]
[ Camera [ Zoom factor | Pitch angle | Roll angle | Yaw angle |
Elevation angle Position (x,y,z) | FocalPoint (x,y,z) ] ]
[ Orientation ( vu_1, vu_2, vu_3, vpn_1, vpn_2, vpn_3,
clip_near, clip_far ) ] ]
[ Light [ Position ( x, y, z | Color lightcolor ] ]
[ Resolution ( res_x, res_y ) ]
[ Scale grid_scale ]
[ Background backgroundcolor ]
[ Refresh ]
mapper_creation_string specifies a command string that creates the mapper textured on the grid.
factor specifies the amount to set the zoom.
angle is an angle measurement in degrees. The horizontal angle in the dialog box ranges from 0-360
degrees and rotates the maps around the center point of the grid. The vertical angle in the dialog box
ranges from 0-90 and measures the rotation in elevation from the start point directly over the map.
res_x, res_y is the number of samples to take in the x- and y-directions. These values can increase to
a maximum of the grid resolution. The resolution values can increase to a maximum of the grid x,y dimension. If the grid is 200x200 then the resolution values will be clamped to a maximum of 200x200.
You cannot increase the grid resolution, only specify a subsample value.
grid_scale is the amount to scale the grid in the z-direction. A value >1 will exaggerate the topology in
the z-direction, a value < 1 will scale down the topological features in the z-direction.
backgroundcolor is a color to be used to set the background and is specified using the RGB( ) function.
Description
The Set Map3D statement changes the settings of an already created 3D Map. If the original tables from
which the 3D Map was created were modified either by adding labels or by modifying geometry, Refresh
will capture the changes in the mapper and recreate the 3D map based on those changes.
Camera specifies the camera position and orientation.
Pitch adjusts the camera's current rotation about the x axis centered at the camera's origin.
Roll adjusts the camera's current rotation about the z axis centered at the camera's origin.
Yaw adjusts the camera's current rotation about the y axis centered at the camera's origin.

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Elevation adjusts the current camera's rotation about the X Axis centered at the camera's focal point.
Position indicates the camera/light position.
FocalPoint indicates the camera/light focal point.
Orientation specifies the cameras ViewUp (vu_1, vu_2, vu_3), ViewPlane Normal (vpn_1, vpn_2, vpn_3)
and Clipping Range (clip_near, clip_far), used specifically for persistence of view.
Resolution is the number of samples to take in the x- and y-directions. These values can increase to a
maximum of the grid resolution. The resolution values can increase to a maximum of the grid x,y dimension. If the grid is 200x200 then the resolution values will be clamped to a maximum of 200x200. You
can't increase the grid resolution, only specify a subsample value.
Units specifies the units the grid values are in. Do not specify this for unit-less grids (for example, grids
generated using temperature or density). This option needs to be specified at creation time. If there are
units associated with your grid values, they have to specified when you create the 3DMap. You cannot
change them later with Set Map3D or the Properties dialog box.
Refresh regenerates the texture from the original tables.
Example
Dim win3D as Integer
Create Map3D Resolution(75,75) Resolution(100,100) Scale 2 Background
RGB(255,0,0)
win3D = FrontWindow( )
Set Map3D Window win3D Resolution(150,100) Scale 0.75 Background
RGB(255,255,0)
Changes the original 3DMap window's resolution in the X and Y, the scale
to de-emphasize the grid in the Z direction (< 1) and change the
background color to yellow.
See Also:
Create Map3D statement, Map3DInfo( ) function

Set Next Document statement

Purpose
Re-parents a MapInfo Professional document window (for example, so that a Map window becomes a
child window of a Visual Basic application). You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Next Document
{ Parent HWND | Style style_flag | Parent HWND Style style_flag }
HWND is an integer window handle, identifying a parent window.
style_flag is an integer code (see table below), indicating the window style.

Reference

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Set Next Document statement

Description
This statement is used in Integrated Mapping applications. For an introduction to Integrated Mapping,
see the MapBasic User Guide.
To re-parent an MapInfo Professional window, issue a Set Next Document statement, and then issue
one of these window-creation statements: Map statement, Browse statement, Graph statement,
Layout statement, or Create Legend statement.
Include the Parent clause to identify an existing window, which will become the parent of the MapInfo
Professional window you are about to create. Include the Style clause to specify a window style. If you
are creating a document window, such as a Map window, include both clauses.
The style_flag argument must be one of the codes from the following table; codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
style_flag code

ID

Effect on the next document window:

WIN_STYLE_STANDARD

This code resets the style flag to its default value. If you
issue a Set Next Document Style 1 statement, but then
you change your mind and do not want to use the child
window style, issue a Set Next Document Style 0 statement to reset the style.

WIN_STYLE_CHILD

Next window is created as a child window.

WIN_STYLE_POPUP_FULLCAPTION 2

Next window is created as a popup window, but with a

full-height title bar caption.

WIN_STYLE_POPUP

Next window is created as a popup window with a halfheight title bar caption.

The parent and style settings remain in effect until you create a new window. The new window adopts
the parent and style settings you specified; then MapInfo Professional reverts to its default parent and
style settings for any subsequent windows. To re-parent more than one window, issue a separate Set
Next Document statement for each window you will create.
Note: The Create ButtonPad statement resets the parent and style settings, although the new ButtonPad is not re-parented.
This statement re-parents document windows. To re-parent dialog box windows, use the Set Application
Window statement. To re-parent special windows such as the Info window, use the Set Window
statement.
Example
The sample program LEGENDS.MB uses the following statements to create a Theme Legend window
inside of a Map window.
Dim win As Integer
win = FrontWindow( )
...
Set Next Document
Parent WindowInfo(win, WIN_INFO_WND)

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Style 1
Create Legend From Window win
See Also:
Set Application Window statement, Set Window statement

Set Paper Units statement

Purpose
Sets the paper unit of measure that describes screen window sizes and positions. You can issue this
statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Paper Units unit
unit is a string representing the name of a paper unit (for example, "cm" for centimeters).
Description
The Set Paper Units statement changes MapBasic's paper unit of measure.
Paper units are small units of linear measure, such as "mm" (millimeters). MapBasic's uses "in" (inches)
as the default paper unit; this remains MapBasic's paper unit unless a Set Paper Units statement is issued.
Some MapBasic statements (for example, the Set Window statement) include Position, Width, and
Height clauses, through which a MapBasic program can reset the size or the position of windows on
the screen. The numbers that you specify in Position, Width, and Height clauses use MapBasic's paper
units. For example, the Set Window statement Set Window Width 5 resets the width of a window.
The window's new width depends on the paper unit in use; if MapBasic is currently using "in" as the paper
unit, the Set Window statement makes the Map five inches wide.
If MapBasic is currently using "cm" as the paper unit, the Set Map statement makes the Map five centimeters wide.
MapBasic's paper unit is internal, and invisible to the end-user. When a user performs an operation
which displays a paper measurement, the unit of measure displayed on the screen is independent of
MapBasic's internal paper unit.
The Units parameter must be one of the values listed in the following table:
Unit
name

Paper unit represen- Unit comparison

ted

"cm"

Centimeters

1 centimeter = 0.39370 inches, 10 millimeters, 2.36220 picas,

28.34646 points

"in"

Inches

1 inch = 2.54 centimeters , 254 millimeters, 6 picas, 72 points

"mm"

Millimeters

1 millimeter = 0.1 centimeters, 0.03937 inches, 0.23622 picas,

2.83465 points

Reference

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Set Path statement

Unit
name

Paper unit represen- Unit comparison

ted

"pt"

Points

1 point = 0.01389 inches, 0.03528 centimeters, 0.35278 millimeters,

0.08333 picas

"pica"

Picas

1 pica = 0.16667 inches, 0.42333 centimeters, 4.23333 millimeters,

12 points

See Also:
Set Area Units statement, Set Distance Units statement

Set Path statement

Purpose
Allows user to change programmatically the path of a special MapInfo Professional directory defined
initially in the Preferences dialog to access specific MapInfo files. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Path current_path_id path
current_path_id is one of the following values:
PREFERENCE_PATH_TABLE (0)
PREFERENCE_PATH_WORKSPACE (1)
PREFERENCE_PATH_MBX (2)
PREFERENCE_PATH_IMPORT (3)
PREFERENCE_PATH_SQLQUERY (4)
PREFERENCE_PATH_THEMETHEMPLATE (5)
PREFERENCE_PATH_MIQUERY (6)
PREFERENCE_PATH_NEWGRID (7)
PREFERENCE_PATH_CRYSTAL (8)
PREFERENCE_PATH_GRAPHSUPPORT (9)
PREFERENCE_PATH_REMOTETABLE (10)
PREFERENCE_PATH_SHAPEFILE (11)
PREFERENCE_PATH_WFSTABLE (12)
PREFERENCE_PATH_WMSTABLE (13)
path is a string value, indicating the directory or folder to be used for these files.
Description
Set Path statement given the ID of a special MapInfo Preference directory allows to set it programmatically. An example of a special MapInfo directory is the default location to which MapInfo Professional
writes out new native MapInfo tables.
Example
include "mapbasic.def"
declare sub main
sub main
Set Path PREFERENCE_PATH_WORKSPACE "C:\Temp\"

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Print GetCurrentPath$(PREFERENCE_PATH_WORKSPACE)
end sub
See Also:
GetPreferencePath$( ) function

Set PrismMap statement

Purpose
Changes the settings of an existing Prism Map window. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set PrismMap
[Window window_id ]
[ Camera [ Zoom factor | Pitch angle | Roll angle | Yaw angle |
Elevation angle Position ( x,y,z ) |
FocalPoint ( x,y,z ) ] ]
[ Orientation ( vu_1, vu_2, vu_3, vpn_1, vpn_2, vpn_3,
clip_near, clip_far ) ] ]
[ Light [ Position ( x,y,z ) | Color lightcolor ] ]
[ Scale grid_scale ]
[ Background backgroundcolor ]
[ Label With infotips_expr ]
[ Refresh ]
window_id is a window identifier a for a mapper window which contains a Grid layer. An error message
is displayed if a Grid layer is not found.
mapper_creation_string specifies a command string that creates the mapper textured on the grid.
Camera specifies the camera position and orientation.
angle is an angle measurement in degrees. The horizontal angle in the dialog box ranges from 0-360
degrees and rotates the maps around the center point of the grid. The vertical angle in the dialog box
ranges from 0-90 and measures the rotation in elevation from the start point directly over the map.
Pitch adjusts the camera's current rotation about the X-Axis centered at the camera's origin.
Roll adjusts the camera's current rotation about the Z-Axis centered at the camera's origin.
Yaw adjusts the camera's current rotation about the Y-Axis centered at the camera's origin.
Elevation adjusts the current camera's rotation about the X-Axis centered at the camera's focal point.
Position indicates the camera or light position.
FocalPoint indicates the camera or light focal point.
Orientation specifies the cameras ViewUp (vu_1, vu_2, vu_3), ViewPlane Normal (vpn_1, vpn_2, vpn_3),
and Clipping Range (clip_near, clip_far), used specifically for persistence of view.
backgroundcolor is a color to be used to set the background and is specified using the RGB( ) function.
infotips_expr is the expression to use for InfoTips.
Refresh regenerates the texture from the original tables.

Reference

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Set ProgressBars statement

Description
The Set PrismMap statement changes the settings of an already created Prism Map.
Example
The following example changes the original PrismMap window's resolution in the x and y, the scale to
de-emphasize the grid in the z-direction (< 1) and changes the background color to yellow.
Dim win3D as Integer
Create PrismMap Resolution(75,75) Resolution(100,100) Scale 2 Background
RGB(255,0,0)
win3D = FrontWindow( )
Set PrismMap Window win3D Resolution(150,100) Scale 0.75 Background
RGB(255,255,0)
See Also:
Create PrismMap statement, PrismMapInfo( ) function

Set ProgressBars statement

Purpose
Disables or enables the display of progress-bar dialog boxes. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set ProgressBars { On | Off }
Description
Some MapBasic statements, such as the Create Object statement on page 213Create Object As Buffer
statement, automatically display a progress-bar dialog box (a "percent complete" dialog box showing a
horizontal bar and a Cancel button). To suppress progress-bar dialog boxes, use the Set ProgressBars
Off statement. By suppressing these dialog boxes, you guarantee that the user will not interrupt the operation by clicking the Cancel button. To resume displaying progress-bar dialog boxes, use the Set
ProgressBars On statement.
If you issue a Set ProgressBars Off statement from within a compiled MapBasic application (MBX file),
the statement only disables progress-bar dialog boxes caused by the MBX file. Actions taken by the
user can still cause progress bars to display. Also, Run Menu Command statements can still cause
progress bars to display, because the Run Menu Command statement simulates the user selecting a
menu command.
To disable progress-bar dialog boxes that are caused by user actions or Run Menu Command statements, type a Set ProgressBars Off statement into the MapBasic window (or send the command to
MapInfo Professional through OLE Automation or DDE).
If your application minimizes MapInfo Professional (using the Set Window MapInfo Min), you
should suppress progress bars. When a progress bar displays while MapInfo Professional is
minimized, the progress bar is frozen for as long as MapInfo Professional is minimized. If you
suppress the display of progress bars, the operation can proceed, even if MapInfo Professional
is minimized.

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See Also:
ProgressBar statement, Run Menu Command statement

Set Redistricter statement

Purpose
Changes the characteristics of a districts table during a redistricting session. You can issue this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax 1 (Change)
Set Redistricter districts_table
[ Change district_name
[ To new_district_name ] [ Pen... ] [ Brush... ] [ Symbol... ] ]
[ Add new_district_name [ Pen... ] [ Brush... ] [ Symbol... ] ]
[ Remove district_name ]
Syntax 2 (Order)
Set Redistricter districts_table
Order { "Alpha" | "MRU" | "Unordered" }
Syntax 3 (Percentage)
Set Redistricter districts_table
Percentage from { column | row }
Syntax 4 (Target)
Set Redistricter districts_table
Target district_name
Syntax 5 (Selection)
Set Redistricter districts_table
Selection { As | To } Target
districts_table is the name of the districts table (for example, Districts).
district_name is a string representing the name of an existing district.
new_district_name is a string representing a new district name, used when adding a district or renaming
an existing district.
Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify a line style. For example, Pen MakePen (width, pattern, color).
Brush is a valid Brush clause to specify fill style. For example, Brush MakeBrush (pattern, forecolor,
backcolor).
Symbol is a valid Symbol clause to specify a point style. For example, Symbol MakeSymbol (shape,
color, size).

Reference

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Set Redistricter statement

Description
Set Redistricter modifies the set of districts that are in use during a redistricting session. To begin a
redistricting session, use the Create Redistricter statement. For an introduction to redistricting, see
the MapInfo Professional documentation.
To add, delete, or modify a district or districts, use Syntax 1. Use the Change clause to change the name
and/or the graphical style associated with a district. Use the Add clause to add a new district. Use the
Remove clause to remove an existing district; when you remove a district, map objects which had been
assigned to that district are re-assigned to the "all others" district.
The district_name and new_district_name parameters must always be string expressions, even if the
district column is numerical. For example, to refer to the district representing the number 33, specify the
string expression "33".
To affect the ordering of the rows in the Districts Browser, use Syntax 2. Specify "Alpha" to use alphabetical ordering. Specify "MRU" if you want the most recently used district to appear on the top row of
the Districts Browser. Specify "Unordered" if you want districts to be added to the bottom row of the
Districts Browser as they are added.
To specify the target district by name, use Syntax 4. Use an empty string " " to indicate that the target
should be the unassigned district.
To specify that the district of the selected object become the target district, use the As form of Syntax
5. This will only work if there is a single object selected and that object is in the source table. This is
similar to using the Set Target District from Map menu item on the Redistricter menu except the selection
can be from a query.
To specify that the selection should be made part of the current target district, use the To form of Syntax
5. This will only work if the selected objects are in the source table. This is similar to using the Assign
Selected Objects menu item on the Redisctricter menu except the selection can be from a query.
Examples
Once a redistricting session is in effect, the following statement creates a new district.
Set Redistricter Districts
Add "NorthWest" Brush MakeBrush(2, 255, 0)
The following statement renames the "NE" district to "NorthEast." Note that this type of change can affect
the table that is being redistricted. Initially, any rows belonging to the "NE" district have "NE" stored in
the district column. After the Set Redistricter... Change statement, each of those rows has "NorthEast"
stored in that column.
Set Redistricter Districts
Change "NE" To "NorthEast"
The following statement removes the "NorthWest" district from the Districts table:
Set Redistricter Districts
Remove "NorthWest"
The following statement sets the ordering of rows in the Districts Browser, so that the most recently used
districts appear at the top:
Set Redistricter Districts
Order "MRU"

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The following statement makes the district "NorthEast" the target:
Set Redistricter Districts
Target "NorthEast"
The following statements make the district that currently contains the province "Alberta" the target:
Select * from CANADA Where Province_Name = "Alberta"
Set Redistricter Districts
Selection As Target
The following statements assign the provinces which had a 1994 population of fewer than 100,000 people
to the current target district:
Select * from CANADA Where Pop_1994 < 100000
Set Redistricter Districts
Selection To Target
See Also:
Create Redistricter statement

Set Resolution statement

Purpose
Sets the object-editing resolution setting; this controls the number of nodes assigned to an object when
an object is converted to another object type. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Resolution node_limit
node_limit is a SmallInt value between 2 and 1,048,570 (inclusive); default is 100.
Description
By default, MapInfo Professional assigns 100 nodes per circle when converting a circle or arc into a region
or polyline. Use the Set Resolution statement to alter the number of nodes per circle. By increasing the
resolution setting, you can produce smoother result objects.
The Set Resolution statement affects subsequent operations performed by the user, such as the Objects
> Convert to Regions command and the Objects > Convert to Polylines command. The resolution
setting also affects some MapBasic statements and functions, such as the ConvertToRegion( ) function
and the ConvertToPline( ) function. The resolution setting also affects operations where MapInfo
Professional performs automatic conversion (for example, Split, Combine).
Buffering operations are not affected by the Set Resolution statement. The Create Object As Buffer
statement and the Buffer( ) function both have resolution parameters which allow you to specify buffer
resolution explicitly.
See Also:
ConvertToPline( ) function, ConvertToRegion( ) function

Reference

677

Set Shade statement

Set Shade statement

Purpose
Modifies a thematic map layer. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Set Shade
[ Window window_id ] { map_layer_id | "table ( theme_layer_id )" }
[ Style Replace { On | Off } ]
...
window_id is an integer window identifier.
map_layer_id is a SmallInt value, representing the layer number of a thematic layer.
table is the name of the table on which a thematic layer is based.
theme_layer_id is a SmallInt value, one or larger, representing which thematic layer to modify (for example,
one represents the first thematic layer created).
Description
After you use the Shade statement to create a thematic map layer, you can use the Set Shade statement
to modify the settings for that thematic layer. Issuing a Set Shade statement is analogous to choosing
Map > Modify Thematic Map. The syntax of the Set Shade statement is identical to the syntax of the
Shade statement, except for the way that the Set Shade statement identifies a map layer. A Set Shade
statement can identify a layer by its layer number, as shown below:
Set Shade
Window i_map_winid
2
With Num_Hh_90
Graduated 0.0:0 11000000:24 Vary Size By "SQRT"
Or a Set Shade statement can identify a map layer by referring to the name of a table (the base table
on which the layer was based), followed by a number in parentheses:
Set Shade
Window i_map_winid
"States(1)"
With Num_Hh_90
Graduated 0.0:0 11000000:24 Vary Size By "SQRT"
The number in parentheses represents the number of the thematic layer. To modify the first thematic
layer that was based on the States table, specify States(1), etc.
Style Replace On (default) specifies the layers under the theme are not drawn.
Style Replace Off specifies the layers under the theme are drawn, allowing for multi-variate transparent
themes.
Style Replace On is the default and provides backwards compatibility with the existing behavior so that
the underlying layers are not drawn.

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See Also:
Shade statement

Set Style statement

Purpose
Resets the current Pen, Brush, Symbol, or Font style. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Style
{ Brush... | Font... | Pen... |
BorderPen | LinePen | Symbol... }
Font is a valid Font clause to specify a text style.
Pen is a valid Pen clause to specify a line style.
Brush is a valid Brush clause to specify fill style.
Symbol is a valid Symbol clause to specify a point style.
BorderPen takes a Pen clause which specifies a border line style.
LinePen takes a Pen clause which specifies a line style.
Description
The Set Style statement resets the Pen, Brush, Symbol, or Font style currently in use.
The Pen clause sets both the line and border pen. To set them individually, use the LinePen clause to
set the line and the BorderPen clause to set the border. When the user draws a new graphical object
to a Map or Layout window, MapInfo Professional creates the object using whatever Font, Pen, Brush,
and/or Symbol styles are currently in use.
Example
Example of Brush, Symbol, and Font:
Include "mapbasic.def"
Set Style Brush MakeBrush(64, CYAN, BLUE)
Set Style Symbol MakeSymbol( 9, BLUE, 14)
Set Style Font MakeFont("Arial", 1, 14, BLACK,WHITE)
Example of Pen:
In this example, the line pen and the border pen are red.
Include "mapbasic.def"
Set Style Pen MakePen(3, 9, RED)
Example of LinePen and BorderPen:

Reference

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Set Table statement

In this example, the line pen is red and the border pen is green.
Include "mapbasic.def"
Set Style LinePen MakePen(6, 77, RED)
Set Style BorderPen MakePen(6, 77, GREEN)
See Also:
CurrentBrush( ) function, CurrentFont( ) function, CurrentPen( ) function, CurrentSymbol( )
function, MakeBrush( ) function, MakeFont( ) function, MakePen( ) function, MakeSymbol( )
function, RGB( ) function

Set Table statement

Purpose
Configures various settings of an open table. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Table tablename
[ FastEdit { On | Off } ]
[ Undo { On | Off } ]
[ ReadOnly ]
[ Seamless { On | Off } [ Preserve ] ]
[ UserMap { On | Off } ]
[ UserBrowse { On | Off } ]
[ UserClose { On | Off } ]
[ UserEdit { On | Off } ]
[ UserRemoveMap { On | Off } } ]
[ UserDisplayMap { On | Off } ]
[ Persist { On | Off } ]
[ datum datum_number ]
table is a string representing the name of the table to be set.
Description
The Set Table statement controls settings that affect how and whether a table can be edited. You can
use Set Table to flag a table as read-only (so that the user will not be allowed to make changes to the
table). You can also use Set Table to activate or de-activate special editing modes which disable safety
mechanisms for the sake of improving editing performance.
datum writes the datum index information for native tables into the map file, including the ellipsoid index,
three shift parameters, three rotation parameters, and scale parameter. Some datums are identical, so
this statement keeps the datum index along with all datum parameters in memory and writes it into the
map file.
The Persist Off clause marks a table, so that it will not be written to the workspace when a workspace
is saved. The Persist or Persist On clause marks a table, which was previously marked as Persist Off,
so that it will be written back to the workspace when a workspace is saved.

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Setting FastEdit Mode
Ordinarily, whenever a table is edited (either by the user or by a MapBasic application), MapInfo Professional does not immediately write the edit to the affected table. Instead, MapInfo Professional stores information about the edit to a temporary file known as a transaction file. By writing to a transaction file
instead of writing directly to a table, MapInfo Professional gives the user the opportunity to later discard
the edits (for example, by choosing File > Revert).
If you use the Set Table statement to set FastEdit mode to On, MapInfo Professional writes edit information directly to the table, instead of performing the intermediate step of writing the edit information to a
transaction file. Turning on FastEdit mode can make subsequent editing operations substantially faster.
While FastEdit mode is on, table edits take effect immediately, even if you do not issue a Commit Table
statement. Use FastEdit mode with caution; there is no opportunity to discard edits by choosing File >
Close or File > Revert.
You can only turn FastEdit mode on for normal, base tables; you cannot turn on FastEdit for a temporary,
query table such as Query1. You cannot turn on FastEdit mode for a table that already has unsaved
changes. You cannot turn on FastEdit mode for a linked table.
Caution: While a table is open in FastEdit mode, other network users cannot open that table. After you
have completed all edits to be made in FastEdit mode, issue a Commit Table statement or
a Rollback statement to reset the file so that other network users can access it.
If you include the optional ReadOnly clause, the table is set to read-only, so that the user cannot edit
the table for the remainder of the MapInfo Professional session. The Set Table statement does not allow
you to turn read-only mode off. You can also activate read-only mode by adding the ReadOnly keyword
to the Open Table statement.
Ordinarily, whenever an edit is made, MapInfo Professional stores information about the edit in memory,
so that the user has the option of choosing Edit > Undo. If you use the Set Table statement to set Undo
mode to Off, MapInfo Professional does not save undo information for each edit; this can make subsequent
editing operations substantially faster.
Managing Seamless Tables
A seamless table defines a list of other tables that you can treat as a group. See the MapInfo Professional
documentation for an introduction to seamless tables.
The Seamless clause enables or disables the seamless behavior for a table. Specify Seamless Off to
disable seamless behavior, so that you can access the individual rows that define a seamless table.
Specify Seamless On to restore seamless behavior. If you include the Preserve keyword, the effect is
permanent; MapInfo Professional writes a change to the table. If you omit the Preserve keyword, the
effect is temporary, only lasting for the remainder of the session.
The User... clauses allow you to limit the actions that the user can perform on a table. These clauses
are useful if you want to prevent the user from accidentally opening, closing, or changing tables or windows.
These clauses limit the user-interface only; in other words, UserMap Off prevents the user from opening
the table in a Map window, but does not prevent a MapBasic program from doing so.
Note: You cannot use these clauses on Cosmetic layers.

Reference

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Set Target statement

Example

Effect

UserMap Off

Table will not appear in the New Map Window or Add Layer dialog boxes.

UserBrowse Off

Table will not appear in the New Browser Window dialog box.

UserClose Off

Table will not appear in the Close Table dialog box.

UserEdit Off

Table will not be editable through the user interface: Browser and Info windows
are not editable, and the map layer cannot be made editable.

UserRemoveMap Off

If this table appears in a Map window, the Remove Layers button (in the
Layer Control window) is disabled for this table.

UserDisplayMap Off

If this table appears in a Map window, the Visible On/Off check box (in the
Layer Control window) is disabled for this table.

Example
The following statement prevents the World table from appearing in the Close Table dialog box.
Set Table World UserClose Off
See Also:
Set Datum Transform Version statement, TableInfo( ) function

Set Target statement

Purpose
Sets or clears the map editing target object(s). You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Target { On | Off }
Description
Use the Set Target statement to set or clear the editing target object(s); this corresponds to choosing
MapInfo Professional's Objects > Set Target and Objects > Clear Target menu items. Some of MapInfo
Professional's advanced editing operations require that an editing target be designated; for example,
you must designate an editing target before calling the Objects Split statement. For an introduction to
using the editing target, see the MapInfo Professional documentation.
Using the Set Target On statement corresponds to choosing Objects > Set Target. The current set of
selected objects becomes the editing target (or an error is generated if no objects are selected).
Using the Set Target Off statement corresponds to choosing Objects > Clear Target.
See Also:
Objects Combine statement, Objects Erase statement, Objects Intersect statement, Objects
Overlay statement, Objects Split statement

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Set Window statement

Purpose
Changes the size, position, title, or status of a window, and controls the printer, paper size, and margins
used by MapInfo Professional. This statement has been updated to accommodate the anti-aliasing
choices for vector, text, and image objects. The new code is in bold. You can issue this statement from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Set Window window_id
[ Position ( x, y ) [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Width win_width [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Height win_height [ Units paper_units ] ]
[ Font... ]
[ Enhanced { On | Off } ]
[ Smooth [ Vector { None | Antialias } ] [ Text { None | Antialias } ]
[ Image { None | Low | High } ] ]
[ Min | Max | Restore ]
[ Front ]
[ Title { new_title | Default } ]
[ Help [ { File help_file | File Default | Off } [ Permanent ] ]
[ Contents ] [ ID context_ID ] { Show | Hide } ]
[ Printer { Default | Name printer_name }
[ Orientation { Portrait | Landscape } ]
[ Copies number ]
[ Papersize number ]
[ Border { On | Off } ]
[ TrueColor { On | Off } ]
[ Dither { Halftone | ErrorDiffusion } ]
[ Method { Device | Emf | PrintOsbm } ]
[ Transparency
[ Raster { Device | ROP } ]
[ Vector { Device | Internal } ] ]
[ Margins
[ Left d1 ] [ Right d2 ] [ Top d3 ] [ Bottom d4 ]
[ Units paper_units ] ] ]
[ Export { Default |
[ Border { On | Off } ]
[ TrueColor { On | Off } ]
[ Dither { Halftone | ErrorDiffusion } ]
[ Transparency
[ Raster { Device | ROP } ]
[ Vector { Device | Internal } ]
]
[ Scale Patterns { On | Off } ]
[ Antialiasing { On | Off } ]
[ Threshold threshold_value ]
[ MaskSize size_value ]
[ Filter filter_value ] } ]
[ ScrollBars { On | Off } ]
[ Autoscroll { On | Off } ]
[ Parent HWND ]
[ ReadOnly | Default Access ]

Reference

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Set Window statement

[
[
[
[
[
[
[

Table table_name Rec record_number ]

Show | Hide ]
Smart Pan { On | Off } ]
SysMenuClose { On | Off } ]
Snap [ Mode { On | Off } ] ]
Threshold { pixel_tolerance | Default } ]
Toolbar { On | Off } ]

window_id is an integer window identifier or a special window name (for example, Help).
x states the desired distance from the left of MapInfo Professional's workspace to the left edge of the
window.
y states the desired distance from the top of MapInfo Professional's workspace to the top edge of the
window.
paper_units is a string representing a paper unit name (for example, "cm" for centimeters).
The Font clause specifies a text style.
win_width is the desired width of the window.
win_height is the desired height of the window.
new_title is a string expression representing a new title for the window.
help_file is the name of a help file (for example, "FILENAME.HLP" on Windows).
context_ID is an integer help file context ID which identifies a specific help topic.
printer_name identifies a printer. The printer can be local or networked to the computer on which MapInfo
Professional is running.
Method determines whether printing will go directly to the device driver or if MapInfo Professional will
generate a Windows Enhanced Metafile first and then send the file to the printer or MapInfo will use an
Offscreen bitmap to create the output first. EMF method enables the printing of maps with raster images
that may not have printed at all in earlier versions, and that use substantially smaller spool files. Offscreen
bitmap is invoked depending upon the type of translucent content in the map and enhanced rendering
state of the window. However setting OSBM from this window means that printing will use Offscreen
bitmaps regardless of the translucency and anti alias settings.
number is the number of copies of a print job that should be sent to the printer.
HWND is an integer window handle. The window specified by HWND will become the parent of the
window specified by window_id; however, only Legend, Statistics, Info, Ruler, and Message windows
may be re-parented in this manner.
table_name is the name of an open table to use with the Info window.
record_number is an integer: specify 1 or larger to display a record in the Info window, or specify 0 to
display a "No Record" message.
Enhanced sets the version of the rendering technology used to display and print graphics.
The On parameter enables the enhanced rendering technology and is set when the user selects the
Enable Enhanced Rendering check box in the MapInfo Professional. The Off option disables the enhanced rendering technology and is set when the user does not select the Enable Enhanced Rendering
check box in MapInfo Professional.

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Smooth sets the new rendering technology enhancements for anti-aliasing vector, text and labels, and
images.
Note: The Smooth options (Vector, Text, and Image) require that the Enhanced parameter be set to
On. MapBasic will throw an error if you turn Enhanced Off and set any of the Smooth options to
an option other than None.
Vector - sets the vector smoothing options for vectors.
None indicates that smoothing is turned off and the vector line and border objects are drawn without
anti-aliasing.
Antialias indicates that smoothing is turned on and the vector objects. This option requires that the Enhanced parameter be set to On.
Text - sets the text smoothing options for n-n-curved labels and the non-curved labels and text objects.
The None parameter indicates that smoothing is turned off for rotated and horizontal labels and text
objects.
The Antialias parameter indicates that smoothing is turned on for rotated and horizontal labels and text
objects. This option requires that the Enhanced parameter be set to On.
Image - sets the raster image smoothing options.
None indicates that the smoothing is turned off for raster images.
Low indicates that the smoothing is turned on for raster images using a bilinear interpolation method.
Using this method, the application displays better quality raster images than None but not as good as
High. Using the Low option, the application displays raster images slower than when None is used but
faster than when High is used. This option requires that the Enhanced parameter be set to On.
High indicates that the smoothing is turned on for raster images using a bicubic interpolation method.
Using this method, the application displays better quality raster images than Low but results in slower
display performance. This option requires that the Enhanced parameter be set to On.
Printer specifies window-specific overrides for printing.
Export specifies window-specific overrides for exporting.
Default will use the default values found in the output preferences corresponding to printing and/or exporting.
Name printer_name specifies the name of the printer to use.
Orientation Portrait prints the document using portrait orientation.
Orientation Landscape prints the document using landscape orientation.
Copies number specifies how many copies of the document to print.
Papersize number is the paper size information for the window. These numbers are universal for all
printers under the Windows operating system. For example, 1 corresponds to Letter size, and 5 corresponds to Legal papersize. This number can be found in the MapBasic file, PAPERSIZE.DEF. Some
printer drivers (for example big size plotters) can use their own numbering for identifying paper size.
These numbers could be different from numbers that are provided in MapBasic definition file "PaperSize.def". Because of this, users with different printer drivers may not identify paper size information
stored in a workspace correctly. In that case, paper size will be reset to the printer default value.

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Border determines whether an additional black edged rectangle will be drawn around the extents of the
window being printed or exported.
Truecolor determines whether to generate 24-bit true color output if it is possible to do so. If Truecolor
is turned off, the output will be generated using 256 colors.
Dither determines which dithering method to use when it is necessary to convert a 24-bit image to 256
colors. This option is used when outputting raster and grid images. Dithering will occur if Truecolor is
turned off or if the output device is not capable of supporting 24-bit color.
Method is a keyword that determines whether printing will go directly to the device driver or if MapInfo
Professional will generate a Windows Enhanced Metafile first and then send that file to the printer. This
method enables the printing of maps with raster images that may not have printed at all in earlier versions,
and that use substantially smaller spool files.
Transparency Raster Internal has been removed; however, if present, the keyword will still be parsed
without error to allow for compatibility with previous versions.
Transparency Raster determines how transparent pixels should be rendered. Select Device or ROP
dependent upon your printer driver or export file format. You may need to determine your selection after
trying each and determining which option produces the best output for you.
Transparency Raster ROP corresponds to the Use ROP Method to Display Transparent Raster option
in the MapInfo Professional user interface (Preferences > Output, File > Print Advanced button, and
File > Save Window As Advanced button). If ROP is selected, the transparent image is rendered using
a raster operation (ROP) to handle the transparent pixels. This method is used to draw transparent (nontranslucent) images onscreen; however, it does not always work well when printing. You will need to
experiment to determine if your printer driver handles ROP correctly. If you are exporting an image using
the Save Window As command, this option is beneficial if the output format is a metafile (EMF or WMF).
Using the ROP method allows any underlying data to be rendered in the original form.
Transparency Raster Device prevents MapInfo Professional from performing any special handling
when printing raster or grid images that contain transparency. The image will be generated using the
same method that is used to display the image(s) on screen, but there may be some problems with the
output.
Transparency Vector Internal causes MapInfo Professional to perform special handling when outputting
transparent fill patterns or transparent bitmap symbols.
Transparency Vector Device prevents MapInfo Professional performing special handling when outputting
transparent fill patterns or transparent bitmap symbols. This may cause problems with the output.
Margins User can set printer margins as floating point values in desired units. These values may be
increased by the printer driver if the printer margins are smaller than physically possible on a particular
printer.
Antialiasing determines whether anti-aliasing filter is used during image exporting. Antialiasing is ignored
when images are exported to EMF or WMF formats, and when exporting the contents of a Browser
window.
Threshold specifies a value that indicates which pixels to smooth. The application of the ant-aliasing
filter on the image associates a value with each pixel. Only pixels with values above threshold_value
are smoothed. If threshold_value is set to zero, than all pixels are smoothed. threshold_value should be
in the range from 0 to 255.

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MaskSize specifies a value that indicates the size of the anti-aliasing mask. For example, a value of
three indicates an anti-aliasing mask of 3x3. If user sets mask size_value too high, then the resulting
image can become too blurry.
Filter specifies which anti-aliasing filter to apply. Currently MapInfo Professional supports 6 different filters
as listed in the table below.
Filter

ID

Description

FILTER_VERTICALLY_AND_HORIZONTALLY

Anti-alias image vertically and horizontally.

FILTER_ALL_DIRECTIONS_1

Anti-alias image in all directions

FILTER_ALL_DIRECTIONS_2

Anti-alias image in all directions. The filter used for this

option is different than FILTER_ALL_DIRECTIONS_1 and
gets better results for anti-aliasing text.

FILTER_DIAGONALLY

Anti-alias image diagonally.

FILTER_HORIZONTALLY

Anti-alias image horizontally

FILTER_VERTICALLY

Anti-alias image vertically

Toolbar shows or hides the toolbar at the top of the window. This applies only to Browser windows.
For example:
Set Window windowId Toolbar Off
Description
The Set Window statement customizes an open window, setting such options as the window's size,
position, status, font, or title.
You can also use this statement to hide the toolbat at the top of the Legend Designer window.
The window_id parameter can be an integer window identifier, which you can obtain by calling the
FrontWindow( ) function and the WindowInfo( ) function. Alternately, when you use the Set Window
statement to affect a special MapInfo Professional window, such as the Statistics window, you can
identify the window by its name (for example, Statistics) or by its code (for example, WIN_STATISTICS);
codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
The table below lists the window names and window codes which you can use as the window_id parameter.
Window name

Window description

MapInfo

The frame window of the entire MapInfo Professional application. You can
also refer to this window by its define: WIN_MAPINFO. (The MapInfo application window cannot be renamed).

MapBasic

The MapBasic window. You can also refer to this window by the Define code:
WIN_MAPBASIC.

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Window name

Window description

Help

The Help window. You can also refer to this window by the Define code:
WIN_HELP.

Statistics

The Statistics window. You can also refer to this window by the Define code:
WIN_STATISTICS.

Legend

The Theme Legend window. You can also refer to this window by the Define
code: WIN_LEGEND.

Info

The Info Tool window (which appears when the user uses the Info tool). You
also can refer to this window by the Define code: WIN_INFO.

Ruler

The window displayed when the user uses the Ruler tool. You can also refer
to this window by the Define code: WIN_RULER.

Message

The Message window (which appears when you issue a Print statement).
You can also refer to this window by the Define code: WIN_MESSAGE.

The optional Position clause controls the window's position in the MapInfo Professional workspace. The
upper left corner of the workspace has the position 0, 0. The optional Width and Height clauses control
the window's size. Window position and size values use paper units settings, such as "in" (inches) or
"cm" (centimeters). MapBasic has a current paper units setting, which defaults to inches; a MapBasic
program can change this setting through the Set Paper Units statement. A Set Window statement can
override the current paper units by including the optional Units subclause within the Position, Width,
and/or Height clauses.
If the statement includes the optional Max keyword, the window will be maximized (it will occupy all of
MapInfo Professional's work space). If the statement includes the optional Min keyword, the window will
be minimized (it will be reduced, appearing only as a small icon in the lower part of the screen). If a
window is already minimized or maximized, and if the statement includes the optional Restore keyword,
the window is restored to its previous size.
If the statement includes the optional Front keyword, MapBasic makes the window the active window;
this is also known as setting the focus on the window. The window comes to the front, as if the user had
clicked on the window's title bar.
The statement may always specify a Position clause or a Front clause, regardless of the type of window
specified. However, some of the clauses in the Set Window statement apply only to certain types of
windows. For example, the Ruler Tool window may not be re-sized, maximized or minimized.
To change the window's title, include the optional Title clause. The Application window title (the main
"MapInfo" title bar) cannot be changed unless the user is running a runtime version of MapInfo Professional.
The SysMenuClose clause lets you disable the Close command in the window's system menu (the
menu that appears when a user clicks the box in the upper-left corner of a window). Disabling the Close
command only affects the user interface; MapBasic programs can still close the window by issuing Close
Window statement. The following example disables the Close command of the active window:
Set Window FrontWindow( ) SysMenuClose Off

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Note: Before version 10.5, you could enable or disable the Close button regardless of the toolbar's
floating or docking state. As of version 10.5, you cannot enable or disable the Close button when
the toolbar is docked. You can only change the state when it is floating or floating and hidden.

Help Window Syntax

To control the Help window, specify the Help keyword instead of the integer window_id argument. For
example, the following statement displays topic 23 from a custom help file:
Set Window Help File "custom.hlp" ID 23
The File help_file clause sets which help file is active. On Windows, this action automatically displays
the Help window (unless you also include the Hide keyword). Specifying File Default resets MapInfo
Professional to use the standard MapInfo Professional Help, but does not display the help file. MapInfo
Professional has only one help file setting, which applies to all MapBasic applications that are running.
If one application sets the current help file, other applications may be affected.
The Off clause turns off MapInfo Professional's help, so that pressing F1 on an MapInfo Professional
dialog has no effect. Use the Off clause if you are integrating MapInfo Professional functionality into
another application (for example, a Visual Basic program), if you want to prevent the user from seeing
MapInfo Professional help. (MapInfo Professional help contains references to MapInfo Professional's
menu names, which may not be available in your Visual Basic program.)
The Permanent clause sets MapInfo Professional to always use the help file specified by help_file, even
when the user presses F1 on an MapInfo Professional dialog box. (On Windows, if you omit the Permanent keyword, MapInfo Professional resets the help system to use MapInfoW.hlp whenever the user
presses F1 on a MapInfo Professional dialog box.) The Permanent setting lasts for the remainder of
the MapInfo Professional session, or until you specify a Set Window Help File... statement.
To control which help topic appears in the Help window, include the Contents keyword (to display the
Contents screen) or the ID clause (to display a specific topic).
MapBasic does not include a help compiler. For more information on working with online help, see the
MapBasic User Guide.
What to do if MapInfo Professional Resets the Help System to use MapInfoW.hlp
The MapInfo Professional Help is called MapInfoW.chm, but your Set Window Statement for MapBasic
Help may be referencing an older file called MapInfoW.hlp. You may need to change the reference
to MapInfoW.hlp to MapInfoW.chm.
On Windows, if you omit the Permanent keyword, MapInfo Professional resets the help system to use
MapInfoW.hlp whenever the user presses F1 on an MapInfo Professional dialog box. The Permanent
setting lasts for the remainder of the MapInfo Professional session, or until you specify a Set Window
Help File statement.

Map or Layout Window Syntax

The ScrollBars clause only applies to Map windows. Use the ScrollBars clause to show or hide scrollbars on a Map window.
The Autoscroll clause applies to Map and Layout windows. By default, the autoscroll feature is on for
every Map and Layout window. In other words, users can scroll a Map or Layout by selecting a draggable
tool (such as the Zoom In tool), clicking and dragging to the edge of the window. To prevent users from

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autoscrolling, specify Autoscroll Off. To determine whether a window has autoscroll turned on, call the
WindowInfo( ) function.
Smart Pan changes the status of the window's panning. When Smart Pan is turned on for a Map window
or a Layout window, panning and scrolling use off-screen bitmaps to reduce the number of white flashes.
The default for Smart Pan is off.
When Smart Pan is activated for a Layout window, redraw is only affected when the Grabber tool is
used.
When Smart Pan is activated for a Map window, there will be different effects depending on the method
of moving the map. The Grabber tool automatically paints the exposed area as you grab and move the
map. The map will move more slowly than when Smart Pan is off. A more complex map will move more
slowly. Scrollbars and autoscrolling perform similarly to the Grabber tool, but the speed of the scrolling
is not affected by smart panning. When the MapBasic command Set Map is used to center or pan with
Smart Redraw on, the Map window changes without white flashes unless the map is repositioned in
such a way that a complete redraw is required.
Note: If off-screen bitmaps have been turned off, then Smart Pan in a Map window behaves like a
Layout window.

Floating Window (Legend, Ruler, etc.) Syntax

The Parent clause allows you to specify a new parent window for a Legend, Statistics, Info, Ruler, or
Message window; this clause is only supported on Windows. The window specified by window_id becomes
a popup window, attached to the window specified by HWND.
Note: Re-parenting a window in this manner changes the window's integer ID value. To return a window
to its original parent (MapInfo Professional), specify zero as the HWND.
The ReadOnly / Default Access clause applies to the Info, Browser, and Legend windows. This clause
controls whether the window is read-only. If you specify ReadOnly, the window does not allow editing.
If you specify Default Access, the window reflects the read/write state of the table it's displaying. This
works for the main legend and cartographic legends created with the Create Legend statement or the
Create Cartographic Legend statement.
The Table clause allows you to display a specific row in the Info window; this clause is only valid when
window_id refers to the Info window. Using the Table clause displays the Info window, if it was not
already visible.
The Show or Hide clause allows you to show or hide any window that supports show/hide operations
(for example, the Ruler window). It can also be used in the MapInfo Professional application window.

Controlling the Printer

By default, windows are printed using the global printer device. This is initialized to the default Windows
printer or the MapInfo Professional preferred printer, depending on how the user has set preferences.
Using the Name clause an application, workspace, or the MapBasic window can override the printer
preferences for an individual document. Several settings for the printer can also be controlled by using
additional command clauses. Also, when the printer settings are changed through the user interface,
appropriate MapBasic commands are generated internally. These overrides are saved with the workspace

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commands for the affected windows, so they will be reapplied when the workspace is reopened. An
override can be removed from a window by running a Set Window Printer Default command.
If Scale Patterns is set to On, fill patterns are scaled based on the ratio of the output device's resolution
to the screen resolution.
Attribute codes, WIN_INFO_PRINTER_NAME (21), WIN_INFO_PRINTER_ORIENT (22) or
WIN_INFO_PRINTER_COPIES (23), are also returned with WindowInfo( ) function.
Example
Set Window frontwindow( )
Printer Name "\\Discovery\HP 2500CP"
Orientation Portrait
Copies 10
Note: To find out the window's printer name, start MapInfo Professional, go to File > Page Setup. Click
the Printer button. Use the printer name found in that dialog box.

Controlling Snap Tolerance

You can set snap to a particular pixel tolerance for a given window, set snap back to the default snap
tolerance for a given window, or retrieve the current snap tolerance for a given window. You can also
turn snap on/off for a given window, or retrieve information about whether snap is on/off for a window.
Snap mode settings for a particular window can be queried using new attribute parameters in the WindowInfo( ) function. Snap mode and tolerance can be set for each Map and Layout window. These
settings are saved in the workspace for each window.
Example
Dim win_id As Integer
Open Table "world"
Map From world
win_id = FrontWindow( )
Set Window win_id Width 5 Height 3

Saving a .WOR that Can Be Opened in Localized/Unlocalized Versions

Before MapInfo Professional/MapBasic version 9.0.2, if you created a workspace file containing a layout
and then sent it to another MapInfo Professional user working in a different locale, the workspace would
error when the user tried to open it. This occurred because the map name would change due to the
change in language.
We have created a registry entry workaround to prevent this error and allow users in different locales to
open the workspaces without error. You must enter this registry entry manually.
To prevent map name errors due to the change in locale:
1. From the command line, type regedit.
2. In the Registry Editor window, go to My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Mapinfo\Mapinfo\Common.
3. Right-click and select New > DWORD value to create a new DWORD registry entry.
4. Rename the entry WriteWindowTitle and press Enter.

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Sgn( ) function
The Edit DWORD value dialog box displays.
5. Type 1 in the Value data field and click OK to save your entry.
6. Close MapInfo Professional and reopen it.
This corrects the problem by writing the name of the table explicitly in the Layout. This prevents the
name change when the file changes locales.
See Also:
Browse statement, Graph statement, Layout statement, Map statement, Set Paper Units statement

Sgn( ) function
Purpose
Returns -1, 0, or 1, to indicate that a specified number is negative, zero, or positive (respectively). You
can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Sgn( num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression.
Return Value
Float (-1, 0, or 1)
Description
The Sgn( ) function returns a value of -1 if the num_expr is less than zero, a value of 0 (zero) if
num_expr is equal to zero, or a value of 1 (one) if num_expr is greater than zero.
Example
Dim x As Integer
x = Sgn(-0.5)
' x now has a value of -1
See Also:
Abs( ) function

Shade statement
Purpose
Creates a thematic map layer and adds it to an existing Map window. You can issue this statement from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

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Syntax
See the following sections:

Shading by Ranges of Values

Shading by Individual Values
Dot Density
Graduated Symbols
Pie Charts
Bar Charts

Description
The Shade statement creates a thematic map layer and adds the layer to an existing Map window. The
Shade statement corresponds to MapInfo Professional's Map > Create Thematic Map menu item. For
an introduction to thematic mapping and the Create Thematic Map menu item, see the MapInfo Professional documentation.
Between sessions, MapInfo Professional preserves thematic settings by storing a Shade statement in
the workspace file. Thus, to see an example of the Shade statement, you could create a Map, choose
the Map > Create Thematic Map command, save the workspace (for example, THEME.WOR), and examine the workspace in a MapBasic text edit window. You could then copy the Shade statement in your
MapBasic program. Similarly, you can see examples of the Shade statement by opening MapInfo Professional's MapBasic window before you choose Map > Create Thematic Map.

Shading by Ranges of Values

Syntax
Shade [ Window window_id ]
{ layer_id | layer_name }
With Metadata
With expr
[ Ignore value_to_ignore ]
Ranges
[ Apply { Color | Size | All } ]
[ Use { Color | Size | All } [ Line... ] [ Brush... ]
[ Symbol... ]
]
{ [ From Variable float_array Style Variable style_array ] |
minimum : maximum [ Pen... ] [ Line...] [ Brush... ]
[ Symbol... ] [ , minimum : maximum [ Pen... ]
[ Line...] [ Brush... ] [ Symbol... ] ... ]
}
[ Style Replace { On | Off } ]
[ Default [ Pen... ] [ Line... ] [ Brush... ] [ Symbol... ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id is the layer identifier of a layer in the Map (one or larger).
layer_name is the name of a layer in the Map.
expr is the expression by which the table will be shaded, such as a column name.

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value_to_ignore is a value to be ignored; this is usually zero (when using numerical expressions) or a
blank string (when using string expressions); no thematic object will be created for a row if the row's
value matches the value to be ignored.
float_array is an array of float values initialized by a Create Ranges statement.
style_array is an array of Pen, Brush or Symbol values initialized by a Create Styles statement.
minimum is the minimum numeric value for a range.
maximum is the maximum numeric value for a range.
Description
The optional window_id clause identifies which Map is to be shaded; if no window_id is provided, MapBasic
shades the topmost Map window.
The Shade statement must specify which layer to shade thematically, even if the Map window has only
one layer. The layer may be identified by number (layer_id), where the topmost map layer has a layer_id
value of one, the next layer has a layer_id value of two, etc. Alternately, the Shade statement can
identify the map layer by name (for example, "world").
Each Shade statement must specify an expr expression clause. MapInfo Professional evaluates this
expression for each object in the table being shaded; following the Shade statement, MapInfo Professional chooses each object's display style based on that record's expr value. The expression typically
includes the names of one or more columns from the table being shaded.
If you specify With Metadata, any theme metadata contained in the open table is used to create the Individual or Ranged Value theme.
The keywords following the expr clause dictate which type of shading MapInfo Professional will perform.
The Ranges keyword results in a shaded map where each object falls into a range of values.
The Pen clause specifies a line style (for example, MakePen(width, pattern, color)) to use for the borders
of filled objects (for example, regions).
The Line clause specifies a line style to use for lines, polylines, and arcs. The syntax of the Line clause
is identical to the Pen clause, except for the keyword Line appearing in place of Pen.
The Brush clause specifies a fill style (for example, MakeBrush(pattern, forecolor, backcolor)).
The Symbol clause specifies a symbol style (for example, MakeSymbol(shape, color, size)).
For the specific syntax of a Ranges map, see Syntax Shading by Ranges of Values.
In a Ranges map, you can use the From Variable and Style Variable clauses to read pre-calculated
sets of range information from array variables. The array variables must have been initialized using the
Create Ranges statement and the Create Styles statement. For an example of using arrays in Shade
statements, see Create Ranges statement.
If you specify either the Ranges or Values keyword, the statement can include the optional Default
clause. This clause lets you specify the graphic styles used by the "all others" range. If a row does not
fall into any of the specified ranges, MapInfo Professional assigns the row to the all-others range. If the
Shade statement does not read range settings from array variables, then the Ranges keyword is followed
by from one to sixteen explicit range descriptions. Each range description consists of a pair of numeric
values (separated by a colon), followed by the graphic styles that MapInfo Professional should use to
display objects belonging to that range. If a record's expr value is greater than or equal to the minimum

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value, and less than the maximum value, then that record belongs to that range. The range descriptions
are separated by commas.
Open Table "states"
Map From states
Shade states With Pop_1990 Ranges
4827000:29280000 Brush (2,0,201326591) ,
1783000: 4827000 Brush (8,0,16777215) ,
449000: 1783000 Brush (5,0,16777215)
If you are shading regions, specify Brush clauses to control the region fill styles. If you are shading
points, specify Symbol clauses. If you are shading linear objects (lines, polylines, or arcs) specify Line
clauses, not Pen clauses; the syntax is identical, except that you substitute the keyword Line instead
of the keyword Pen. (In a Shade statement, the Pen clause controls the style for the borders of filled
objects, such as regions.)
Style Replace On (default) specifies the layers under the theme are not drawn.
Style Replace Off specifies the layers under the theme are drawn, allowing for multi-variate transparent
themes.
Style Replace On is the default and provides backwards compatibility with the existing behavior so that
the underlying layers are not drawn.
You can use the Apply clause to control which display attributes MapInfo Professional applies to the
shaded objects.
Apply clause

Effect

Apply Color

The shading only changes the colors of objects in the map. Point objects
appear in their original shape and size, but the thematic shading controls the
point colors. Line objects appear in their original pattern and thickness, but
the thematic shading controls the line colors. Filled objects appear in their
original fill pattern, but the thematic shading controls the foreground color.

Apply Size

The shading only changes the sizes of point objects and the thickness of
linear objects. Point objects appear in their original shape and color, but the
thematic shading controls the symbol sizes. Line objects appear in their original pattern and color, but the shading controls the line thickness.

Apply All

The shading controls all display attributes: symbol shape, symbol size, line
pattern, line thickness, and color.

If you omit the Apply clause, Apply All is the default.

The Use clause lets you control whether MapInfo Professional applies all of the style elements from the
range styles, or only some of the style elements. This is best illustrated by example. The following example
shades the table WorldCap, which contains points. This example does not include a Use clause.
Shade WorldCap With Cap_Pop Ranges
Apply All
0 : 300000 Symbol(35,YELLOW,9) ,
300000 : 900000 Symbol(35,GREEN,18) ,
900000 : 20000000 Symbol(35,BLUE,27)

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In this thematic map, each range appears exactly as its Symbol clause dictates: Points in the low range
appear as 9-point, yellow stars (code 35 is a star shape); points in the medium range appear as 18-point,
green stars; points in the high range appear as 27-point, blue stars.
The following example shows the same statement with the addition of a Use Size clause.
Shade WorldCap With Cap_Pop Ranges
Apply All
Use Size Symbol(34, RED, 24) ' <<<<< Note!
0 : 300000 Symbol(35,YELLOW,9) ,
300000 : 900000 Symbol(35,GREEN,18) ,
900000 : 20000000 Symbol(35,BLUE,27)
Note: The Use Size clause provides its own Symbol style: Shape 34 (circle), in red.
Because of the Use Size clause, MapInfo Professional uses only the size values from the latter Symbol
clauses (9, 18, 27 point); MapInfo Professional ignores the other display attributes (for example, YELLOW,
GREEN, BLUE). The thematic map shows red circles, because the Use Size Symbol clause specifies
red circles. The end result: Points in the low range appear as 9-point, red circles; points in the medium
range appear as 18-point, red circles; points in the high range appear as 27-point, red circles.
If you specify Use Color instead of Use Size, MapInfo Professional uses only the colors from the latter
Symbol clauses. The map will show yellow, green, and blue circles, all at 24-point size.
Specifying Use All has the same effect as leaving out the Use clause.
The Use clause is only valid if you specify Apply All (or if you omit the Apply clause entirely).

Shading by Individual Values

Syntax
Shade [ Window window_id ]
{ layer_id | layer_name }
With Metadata
With expr
[ Ignore value_to_ignore ]
Values const [ Pen... ] [ Line...] [ Brush... ] [ Symbol... ]
[ , const [ Pen... ] [ Line...] [ Brush... ] [ Symbol... ] ... ]
[ Vary { Color | All } ]
[ Style Replace { On | Off } ]
[ Default [ Pen... ] [ Brush... ] [ Symbol... ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id is the layer identifier of a layer in the Map (one or larger).
layer_name is the name of a layer in the Map.
expr is the expression by which the table will be shaded, such as a column name.
value_to_ignore is a value to be ignored; this is usually zero (when using numerical expressions) or a
blank string (when using string expressions); no thematic object will be created for a row if the row's
value matches the value to be ignored.
const is a constant numeric expression or a constant string expression.

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Description
The optional window_id clause identifies which Map is to be shaded; if no window_id is provided, MapBasic
shades the topmost Map window.
The Shade statement must specify which layer to shade thematically, even if the Map window has only
one layer. The layer may be identified by number (layer_id), where the topmost map layer has a layer_id
value of one, the next layer has a layer_id value of two, etc. Alternately, the Shade statement can
identify the map layer by name (for example, "world").
Each Shade statement must specify an expr expression clause. MapInfo Professional evaluates this
expression for each object in the table being shaded; following the Shade statement, MapInfo Professional chooses each object's display style based on that record's expr value. The expression typically
includes the names of one or more columns from the table being shaded.
If you specify With Metadata, any theme metadata contained in the open table is used to create the Individual or Ranged Value theme.
The keywords following the expr clause dictate which type of shading MapInfo Professional will perform.
The Values keyword creates a map where each unique value has its own display style.
The Pen clause specifies a line style (for example, MakePen(width, pattern, color)) to use for the borders
of filled objects (for example, regions).
The Line clause specifies a line style to use for lines, polylines, and arcs. The syntax of the Line clause
is identical to the Pen clause, except for the keyword Line appearing in place of Pen.
The Brush clause specifies a fill style (for example, MakeBrush(pattern, forecolor, backcolor)).
The Symbol clause specifies a symbol style (for example, MakeSymbol(shape, color, size)).
For the specific syntax of an Individual Values map, see Syntax Shading by Individual Values.
In a Values map, the keyword Values is followed by from one to 255 value descriptions. Each value
description consists of a unique value (string or numeric), followed by the graphic styles that MapInfo
Professional should use to display objects having that exact value. If a record's expr value is exactly
equal to one of the Shade statement's value descriptions, then that record's object will be displayed with
the appropriate graphic style. The value descriptions are separated by commas.
If the Shade statement specifies either the Ranges or Values keyword, the statement can include the
optional Default clause. This clause lets you specify the graphic styles used by the "all others" range.
If a row does not fall into any of the specified ranges, MapInfo Professional assigns the row to the allothers range. The Vary clause sets how the objects will vary in appearance. The default is Vary All. If
Vary All is specified, all of the display tools for each range are applied in the theme. If Vary Color is
specified, only the color for the specified range is applied.
Style Replace On (default) specifies the layers under the theme are not drawn.
Style Replace Off specifies the layers under the theme are drawn, allowing for multi-variate transparent
themes. This enables transparent patterns to be displayed on the same layer.
Style Replace On is the default and provides backwards compatibility with the existing behavior so that
the underlying layers are not drawn.
The following example assumes that the UK_Sales table has a column called Sales_Rep; this column
contains the name of the sales representative who handles the accounts for a sales territory in the United
Kingdom. The Shade statement will display each region in a shade which depends upon that region's

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Shade statement
salesperson. Thus, all regions assigned to Bob will appear in one color, while all regions assigned to
Jan will appear in another color, etc.
Open Table "uk_sales"
Map From uk_sales
Shade 1 With Proper$(Sales_Rep)
Ignore ""
Values
"Alan" ,
"Amanda" ,
"Bob" ,
"Jan"

Dot Density
Syntax
Shade [ Window window_id ]
{ layer_id | layer_name }
With expr
Density dot_value { Circle | Square }
Width dot_size
[ Color color ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id is the layer identifier of a layer in the Map (one or larger).
layer_name is the name of a layer in the Map.
expr is the expression by which the table will be shaded, such as a column name.
dot_value is the numeric value associated with each dot in a dot density map.
dot_size is the size, in pixels, of each dot on a dot density map.
color is the RGB value for the color of the dots in a dot density map.
Description
The optional window_id clause identifies which Map is to be shaded; if no window_id is provided, MapBasic
shades the topmost Map window.
The Shade statement must specify which layer to shade thematically, even if the Map window has only
one layer. The layer may be identified by number (layer_id), where the topmost map layer has a layer_id
value of one, the next layer has a layer_id value of two, etc. Alternately, the Shade statement can
identify the map layer by name (for example, "world").
Each Shade statement must specify an expr expression clause. MapInfo Professional evaluates this
expression for each object in the table being shaded; following the Shade statement, MapInfo Professional chooses each object's display style based on that record's expr value. The expression typically
includes the names of one or more columns from the table being shaded.
The keywords following the expr clause dictate which type of shading MapInfo Professional will perform.
The Density keyword creates a dot density map.
For the specific syntax of a Dot Density map, see Syntax Dot Density.

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In a Density map, the keyword Density is followed by a dot_value clause. You can specify either a Circle
or Square thematic style. Note that a map layer must include regions in order to provide the basis for a
meaningful dot density map; this is because the number of dots displayed in each region represent some
sort of density value for that region. For example, each dot might represent one thousand households.
In a dot density map, a numeric expr value is calculated for each region; the dot_value represents a
numeric value as well. MapInfo Professional decides how many dots to draw in a given region by dividing
that region's expr value by the map's dot_value setting. Thus, if a region has an expr value of 100, and
the Shade statement specifies a dot_value of 5, then MapInfo Professional draws 20 dots in that region,
because each dot represents a quantity of 5.
The keyword Width is followed by dot_size. This specifies how large the dots should be, in terms of
pixels. For Circle dot style, the dot_size can be 2 to 25 pixels in width. For Square dot style, the dot_size
can be 1 to 25 pixels. The optional Color clause is used to set the color of the dots.
The following example creates a dot density map using the States table's Pop_1990 column, (which in
this case indicates the number of households per state, circa 1990). The resultant dot density map will
show many 4-pixel dots; each dot representing 60,000 households.
Open Table "states"
Map From states
shade window 176942288 7
with Pop_1990
density 600000 circle width 4
color 255
Note: For backwards compatibility, the older MapBasic syntax (version 7.5 or earlier) is still supported.

Graduated Symbols
Syntax
Shade [ Window window_id ]
{ layer_id | layer_name }
With expr
Graduated min_value : symbol_size max_value : symbol_size
Symbol...
[ Inflect Symbol... ]
[ Vary Size By { "LOG" | "SQRT" | "CONST" } ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id is the layer identifier of a layer in the Map (one or larger).
layer_name is the name of a layer in the Map.
expr is the expression by which the table will be shaded, such as a column name.
max_value is a number,
min_value is a number,
symbol_size is the point size to use for symbols having the appropriate value.

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Shade statement
Description
The optional window_id clause identifies which Map is to be shaded; if no window_id is provided, MapBasic
shades the topmost Map window.
The Shade statement must specify which layer to shade thematically, even if the Map window has only
one layer. The layer may be identified by number (layer_id), where the topmost map layer has a layer_id
value of one, the next layer has a layer_id value of two, etc. Alternately, the Shade statement can
identify the map layer by name (for example, "world").
Each Shade statement must specify an expr expression clause. MapInfo Professional evaluates this
expression for each object in the table being shaded; following the Shade statement, MapInfo Professional chooses each object's display style based on that record's expr value. The expression typically
includes the names of one or more columns from the table being shaded.
The keywords following the expr clause dictate which type of shading MapInfo Professional will perform.
The Graduated keyword results in a graduated symbols map.
For the specific syntax of a Graduated map, see Syntax Graduated Symbols.
In a Graduated map, the keyword Graduated is followed by a pair of value:symbol_size clauses. The
first of the value:symbol_size clauses specifies what size symbol corresponds to the minimum value,
and the second of the value:symbol_size clauses specifies what size symbol corresponds to the maximum
value. MapInfo Professional uses intermediate symbol sizes for rows having values between the extremes.
A Symbol clause dictates what type of symbol should appear (circle, star, etc.). If you include the optional Inflect clause, which specifies a second Symbol style, MapInfo Professional uses the secondary
symbol style to draw symbols for rows having negative values.
The following example creates a graduated symbols map showing profits and losses. Stores showing a
profit are represented as green triangles, pointing up. The Shade statement also includes an Inflection
clause, so that stores showing a net loss appear as red triangles, pointing down.
Shade stores With Net_Profit
Graduated
0.0:0 15000:24
Symbol(36, GREEN, 24)
Inflect Symbol(37, RED, 24)
Vary Size By "SQRT"
The optional Vary Size By clause controls how differences in numerical values correspond to differences
in symbol sizes. If you omit the Vary Size By clause, MapInfo Professional varies the symbol size using
the "SQRT" (square root) method, which assigns increasingly larger point sizes as the square roots of
the values increase. When you vary by square root, each symbol's area is proportionate to the row's
value; thus, if one row has a value twice as large as another row, the row with the larger value will have
a symbol that occupies twice as much area on the map.
Note: Having twice the area is not the same as having twice the point size. When you double an object's
point size, its area quadruples, because you are increasing both height and width.

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Pie Charts
Syntax
Shade [ Window window_id ]
{ layer_id | layer_name | Selection }
With expr [ , expr... ]
[ Half ] Pie [ Angle angle ] [ Counter ]
[ Fixed ] [ Max Size chart_size [ Units unitname ]
[ At Value max_value [ Vary Size By {"LOG" | "SQRT" | "CONST" } ] ] ]
[ Border Pen... ]
[ Position [ { Left | Right | Center } ] [ { Above | Below | Center }]]
[ Style Brush... [ , Brush... ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id is the layer identifier of a layer in the Map (one or larger).
layer_name is the name of a layer in the Map.
expr is the expression by which the table will be shaded, such as a column name.
angle is the starting angle, in degrees, of the first wedge in a pie chart.
chart_size is a float size, representing the maximum height of each pie or bar chart.
unitname is a paper unit name (for example, "in" for inches, "cm" for centimeters).
max_value is a number, used in the At Value clause to control the heights of Pie and Bar charts. For
each record, if the sum of the column expressions equals the max_value, that record's Pie or Bar chart
will be drawn at the chart_size height; the charts are smaller for rows with smaller sums.
Description
The optional window_id clause identifies which Map is to be shaded; if no window_id is provided, MapBasic
shades the topmost Map window.
The Shade statement must specify which layer to shade thematically, even if the Map window has only
one layer. The layer may be identified by number (layer_id), where the topmost map layer has a layer_id
value of one, the next layer has a layer_id value of two, etc. Alternately, the Shade statement can
identify the map layer by name (for example, "world").
Each Shade statement must specify an expr expression clause. MapInfo Professional evaluates this
expression for each object in the table being shaded; following the Shade statement, MapInfo Professional chooses each object's display style based on that record's expr value. The expression typically
includes the names of one or more columns from the table being shaded.
The keywords following the expr clause dictate which type of shading MapInfo Professional will perform.
The Pie keyword specify thematically constructed charts.
The Pen clause specifies a line style (for example, MakePen(width, pattern, color)) to use for the borders
of filled objects (for example, regions).
The Brush clause specifies a fill style (for example, MakeBrush(pattern, forecolor, backcolor)).
For the specific syntax of a Pie map, see Syntax Pie Charts.

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Shade statement
In a Pie map, MapInfo Professional creates a small pie chart for each map object to be shaded. The
With clause specifies a comma-separated list of two or more expressions to comprise each thematic
pie.
If you place the optional keyword Half before the keyword Pie, MapInfo Professional draws half-pies;
otherwise, MapInfo Professional draws whole pies.
The optional Angle clause specifies the starting angle of the first pie wedge, specified in degrees. The
default start angle is 180.
The optional Counter keyword specifies that wedges are drawn in counter-clockwise order, starting at
the start angle.
The Max Size clause controls the sizes of the pie charts, in terms of paper units (for example, "in" for
inches). For details about paper units, see Set Paper Units statement. If you include the Fixed keyword,
all charts are the same size.
For example, the following statement produces pie charts, all of the same size:
Shade sales_95 With phone_sales, retail_sales
Pie Fixed
Max Size 0.25 Units "in"
To vary the sizes of Pie charts, omit the Fixed keyword and include the At Value clause. For example,
the following statement produces a theme where the size of the Pie charts varies. If a record has a sum
of 85,000 its Pie chart will be 0.25 inches tall; records having smaller values are shown as smaller Pie
charts.
Shade sales_95 With phone_sales, retail_sales
Pie
Max Size 0.25 Units "in" At Value 85000
The optional Vary Size By clause controls how MapInfo Professional varies the Pie chart size. This
clause is discussed above (see Graduated Symbols).
Each chart is placed on the original map object's centroid, unless a Position clause is used.
The Style clause specifies a comma-separated list of Brush styles; specify one Brush style for each
expression specified in the With clause. Brush style settings are optional; if you omit these settings,
MapInfo Professional uses any Brush preferences saved by the user.
The following example creates a thematic map layer which positions each pie chart directly above each
map object's centroid.
Shade sales_95 With phone_sales, retail_sales
Pie Angle 180
Max Size 0.5 Units "in" At Value 85000
Vary Size By "SQRT"
Border Pen (1, 2, 0)
Position Center Above
Style Brush(2, RED, 0), Brush(2, BLUE, 0)

Bar Charts
Syntax
Shade [ Window window_id ]
{ layer_id | layer_name | Selection }
With expr [ , expr... ]

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{ Bar [ Normalized ] | Stacked Bar [ Fixed ] }
[ Max Size chart_size [ Units unitname ]
[ At Value max_value [ Vary Size By {"LOG" | "SQRT" | "CONST" } ]]
[ Border Pen... ]
[ Frame Brush... ]
[ Width value [ Units unitname ] ]
[ Position [ { Left | Right | Center } ] [ { Above | Below | Center }]]
[ Style Brush... [ , Brush... ] ]
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_id is the layer identifier of a layer in the Map (one or larger).
layer_name is the name of a layer in the Map.
expr is the expression by which the table will be shaded, such as a column name.
chart_size is a float size, representing the maximum height of each pie or bar chart.
max_value is a number, used in the At Value clause to control the heights of Pie and Bar charts. For
each record, if the sum of the column expressions equals the max_value, that record's Pie or Bar chart
will be drawn at the chart_size height; the charts are smaller for rows with smaller sums.
unitname is a paper unit name (for example, "in" for inches, "cm" for centimeters).
value
Description
The optional window_id clause identifies which Map is to be shaded; if no window_id is provided, MapBasic
shades the topmost Map window.
The Shade statement must specify which layer to shade thematically, even if the Map window has only
one layer. The layer may be identified by number (layer_id), where the topmost map layer has a layer_id
value of one, the next layer has a layer_id value of two, etc. Alternately, the Shade statement can
identify the map layer by name (for example, "world").
Each Shade statement must specify an expr expression clause. MapInfo Professional evaluates this
expression for each object in the table being shaded; following the Shade statement, MapInfo Professional chooses each object's display style based on that record's expr value. The expression typically
includes the names of one or more columns from the table being shaded.
The keywords following the expr clause dictate which type of shading MapInfo Professional will perform.
The Bar keyword specify thematically constructed charts.
The Pen clause specifies a line style (for example, MakePen(width, pattern, color)) to use for the borders
of filled objects (for example, regions).
The Brush clause specifies a fill style (for example, MakeBrush(pattern, forecolor, backcolor)).
For the specific syntax of a Bar map, see Syntax Bar Charts.
In a Bar map, MapInfo Professional creates a small bar chart for each map object. The With clause
specifies a comma-separated list of expressions to comprise each thematic chart.
If you place the optional keyword Stacked before the keyword Bar, MapInfo Professional draws a stacked
bar chart; otherwise, MapInfo Professional draws bars side-by-side. If you omit the keyword Stacked,
you can include the keyword Normalized to specify that the bars have independent scales.

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Sin( ) function
When you create a Stacked bar chart map, you can include the optional Fixed keyword to specify that
all bar charts in the thematic layer should appear in the same size (for example, half an inch tall) regardless
of the numeric values for that map object. If you omit the Fixed keyword, MapInfo Professional sizes
each object's bar chart according to the net sum of the values in the chart.
The Frame Brush clause specifies a fill style used for the background behind the bars.
The Position clause controls both the orientation of the bar charts (horizontal or vertical bars) and the
position of the charts relative to object centroids. If the Position clause specifies Left or Right, the bars
are horizontal, otherwise the bars are vertical.
The Style clause specifies a comma-separated list of Brush styles. Specify one Brush style for each
expression specified in the With clause.
The following example creates a thematic map layer which positions each bar chart directly above each
map object's centroid.
Shade sales_93
With phone_sales, retail_sales
Bar
Max Size 0.4 Units "in" At Value 1245000
Vary Size By "CONST"
Border Pen (1, 2, 0)
Position Center Above
Style Brush(2, RED, 0), Brush(2, BLUE, 0)
See Also:
Create Ranges statement, Create Styles statement, Map statement, Set Legend statement, Set
Map statement, Set Shade statement

Sin( ) function
Purpose
Returns the sine of a number. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Sin( num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression representing an angle in radians.
Return Value
Float
Description
The Sin( ) function returns the sine of the numeric num_expr value, which represents an angle in radians.
The result returned from Sin( ) will be between one and negative one. To convert a degree value to radians, multiply that value by DEG_2_RAD. To convert a radian value into degrees, multiply that value
by RAD_2_DEG. The codes DEG_2_RAD and RAD_2_DEG are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.

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Example
Include "mapbasic.def"
Dim x, y As Float
x = 30 * DEG_2_RAD
y = Sin(x)
' y will now be equal to 0.5
' since the sine of 30 degrees is 0.5
See Also:
Acos( ) function, Asin( ) function, Atn( ) function, Cos( ) function, Tan( ) function

Space$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string consisting only of spaces. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Space$( num_expr )
num_expr is a SmallInt numeric expression.
Return Value
String
Description
The Space$( ) function returns a string num_expr characters long, consisting entirely of space characters.
If the num_expr value is less than or equal to zero, the Space$( ) function returns a null string.
Example
Dim filler As String
filler = Space$(7)
' filler is now equal to the string "
' (7 spaces)
Note "Hello" + filler + "world!"
'this displays the message "Hello

"
world!"

See Also:
String$( ) function

SphericalArea( ) function
Purpose
Returns the area using as calculated in a Latitude/Longitude non-projected coordinate system using
great circle based algorithms. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

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SphericalConnectObjects( ) function
Syntax
SphericalArea( obj_expr, unit_name )
obj_expr is an object expression.
unit_name is a string representing the name of an area unit (for example, "sq km").
Return Value
Float
Description
The SphericalArea( ) function returns the area of the geographical object specified by obj_expr. The
function returns the area measurement in the units specified by the unit_name parameter; for example,
to obtain an area in acres, specify "acre" as the unit_name parameter. See Set Area Units statement
for the list of available unit names.
The SphericalArea( ) function will always return the area as calculated in a Latitude/Longitude nonprojected coordinate system using spherical algorithms. A value of -1 will be returned for data that is in
a NonEarth coordinate system since this data cannot be converted into a Latitude/longitude coordinate
system.
Only regions, ellipses, rectangles, and rounded rectangles have any area. By definition, the SphericalArea( ) of a point, arc, text, line, or polyline object is zero. The SphericalArea( ) function returns approximate results when used on rounded rectangles. MapBasic calculates the area of a rounded rectangle
as if the object were a conventional rectangle.
Examples
The following example shows how the SphericalArea( ) function can calculate the area of a single
geographic object. Note that the expression tablename.obj (as in states.obj) represents the geographical
object of the current row in the specified table.
Dim f_sq_miles As Float
Open Table "states"
Fetch First From states
f_sq_miles = Area(states.obj, "sq mi")
You can also use the SphericalArea( ) function within the Select statement, as shown in the following
example.
Select state, SphericalArea(obj, "sq km")
From states Into results
See Also:
CartesianArea( ) function, SphericalArea( ) function

SphericalConnectObjects( ) function
Purpose
Returns an object representing the shortest or longest distance between two objects. You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

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Syntax
SphericalConnectObjects( object1, object2, min )
object1 and object2 are object expressions.
min is a logical expression where TRUE calculates the minimum distance between the objects, and
FALSE calculates the maximum distance between objects.
Return Value
This statement returns a single section, two-point Polyline object representing either the closest distance
(min == TRUE) or farthest distance (min == FALSE) between object1 and object2.
Description
One point of the resulting Polyline object is on object1 and the other point is on object2. Note that the
distance between the two input objects can be calculated using the ObjectLen( ) function. If there are
multiple instances where the minimum or maximum distance exists (e.g., the two points returned are
not uniquely the shortest distance and there are other points representing "ties") then these functions
return one of the instances. There is no way to determine if the object returned is uniquely the shortest
distance.
SphericalConnectObjects( ) returns a Polyline object connecting object1 and object2 in the shortest
(min == TRUE) or longest (min == FALSE) way using a spherical calculation method. If the calculation
cannot be done using a spherical distance method (e.g., if the MapBasic coordinate system is NonEarth),
then this function will produce an error.

SphericalDistance( ) function
Purpose
Returns the distance between two locations. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
SphericalDistance( x1, y1, x2, y2, unit_name )
x1 and x2 are x-coordinates (for example, longitude).
y1 and y2 are y-coordinates (for example, latitude).
unit_name is a string representing the name of a distance unit (for example,"km").
Return Value
Float
Description
The SphericalDistance( ) function calculates the distance between two locations.

Reference

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SphericalObjectDistance( ) function
The function returns the distance measurement in the units specified by the unit_name parameter; for
example, to obtain a distance in miles, specify "mi" as the unit_name parameter. See Set Distance
Units statement for the list of available unit names.
The x- and y-coordinate parameters must use MapBasic's current coordinate system. By default, MapInfo
Professional expects coordinates to use a Latitude/Longitude coordinate system. You can reset MapBasic's
coordinate system through the Set CoordSys statement.
The SphericalDistance( ) function always returns a value as calculated in a Latitude/Longitude nonprojected coordinate system using great circle based algorithms. A value of -1 will be returned for data
that is in a NonEarth coordinate system since this data cannot be converted into a Latitude/longitude
coordinate system.
Example
Dim dist, start_x, start_y, end_x, end_y As Float
Open Table "cities"
Fetch First From cities
start_x = CentroidX(cities.obj)
start_y = CentroidY(cities.obj)
Fetch Next From cities
end_x = CentroidX(cities.obj)
end_y = CentroidY(cities.obj)
dist = SphericalDistance(start_x,start_y,end_x,end_y,"mi")
See Also:
CartesianDistance( ) function, Distance( ) function

SphericalObjectDistance( ) function
Purpose
Returns the distance between two objects. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
SphericalObjectDistance( object1, object2, unit_name )
object1 and object2 are object expressions.
unit_name is a string representing the name of a distance unit.
Return Value
Float
Description
SphericalObjectDistance( ) returns the minimum distance between object1 and object2 using a
spherical calculation method with the return value in unit_name. If the calculation cannot be done using
a spherical distance method (e.g., if the MapBasic coordinate system is NonEarth), then this function
will produce an error.

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SphericalObjectLen( ) function
Purpose
Returns the geographic length of a line or polyline object. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
SphericalObjectLen( obj_expr, unit_name )
obj_expr is an object expression.
unit_name is a string representing the name of a distance unit (for example, "km").
Return Value
Float
Description
The SphericalObjectLen( ) function returns the length of an object expression. Note that only line and
polyline objects have length values greater than zero; to measure the circumference of a rectangle, ellipse,
or region, use the Perimeter( ) function.
The SphericalObjectLen( ) function always returns a value as calculated in a Latitude/Longitude nonprojected coordinate system using spherical algorithms. A value of -1 will be returned for data that is in
a NonEarth coordinate system since this data cannot be converted into a Latitude/longitude coordinate
system.
The SphericalObjectLen( ) function returns a length measurement in the units specified by the unit_name
parameter; for example, to obtain a length in miles, specify "mi" as the unit_name parameter. See Set
Distance Units statement for the list of valid unit names.
Example
Dim geogr_length As Float
Open Table "streets"
Fetch First From streets
geogr_length = SphericalObjectLen(streets.obj, "mi")
' geogr_length now represents the length of the
' street segment, in miles
See Also:
CartesianObjectLen( ) function, SphericalObjectLen( ) function

SphericalOffset( ) function
Purpose
Returns a copy of the input object offset by the specified distance and angle using a spherical DistanceType. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

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SphericalOffsetXY( ) function
Syntax
SphericalOffset( object, angle, distance, units )
object is the object being offset.
angle is the angle to offset the object.
distance is the distance to offset the object.
units is a string representing the unit in which to measure distance.
Return Value
Object
Description
This function produces a new object that is a copy of the input object offset by distance along angle (in
degrees with horizontal in the positive X-axis being 0 and positive being counterclockwise). The unit
string, similar to that used for the ObjectLen( ) function or the Perimeter( ) function, is the unit for the
distance value. The DistanceType used is Spherical. If the coordinate system of the input object is
NonEarth, an error will occur, since Spherical DistanceTypes are not valid for NonEarth. This is signified
by returning a NULL object. The coordinate system used is the coordinate system of the input object.
There are some considerations for Spherical measurements that do not hold for Cartesian measurements.
If you move an object that is in Latitude/Longitude, the shape of the object remains the same, but the
area of the object will change. This is because you are picking one offset delta in degrees, and the actual
measured distance for a degree is different at different locations.
For the Offset functions, the actual offset delta is calculated at some fixed point on the object (for example,
the center of the bounding box), and then that value is converted from the input units into the coordinate
system's units. If the coordinate system is Latitude/Longitude, the conversion to degrees uses the fixed
point. The actual converted distance measurement could vary at different locations on the object. The
distance from the input object and the new offset object is only guaranteed to be exact at the single fixed
point used.
Example
SphericalOffset(Rect, 45, 100, "mi")
See Also:
SphericalOffsetXY( ) function

SphericalOffsetXY( ) function
Purpose
Returns a copy of the input object offset by the specified x- and -offset values using a Spherical DistanceType. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
SphericalOffsetXY( object, xoffset, yoffset, units )

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object is the object being offset.
xoffset and yoffset are the distance along the x- and y-axes to offset the object.
units is a string representing the unit in which to measure distance.
Return Value
Object
Description
The SphericalOffsetXY( ) function produces a new object that is a copy of the input object offset by
xoffset along the x-axis and yoffset along the y-axis. The unit string, similar to that used for the ObjectLen(
) function or the Perimeter( ) function, is the unit for distance values. The DistanceType used is
Spherical. If the coordinate system of the input object is NonEarth, an error will occur, since Spherical
DistanceTypes are not valid for NonEarth. This is signified by returning a NULL object. The coordinate
system used is the coordinate system of the input object.
There are some considerations for Spherical measurements that do not hold for Cartesian measurements.
If you move an object that is in Latitude/Longitude, the shape of the object remains the same, but the
area of the object will change. This is because you are picking one offset delta in degrees, and the actual
measured distance for a degree is different at different locations.
For the Offset functions, the actual offset delta is calculated at some fixed point on the object (for example,
the center of the bounding box), and then that value is converted from the input units into the coordinate
system's units. If the coordinate system is Latitude/Longitude, the conversion to degrees uses the fixed
point. The actual converted distance measurement could vary at different locations on the object. The
distance from the input object and the new offset object is only guaranteed to be exact at the single fixed
point used.
Example
SphericalOffsetXY(Rect, 92, -22, "mi")
See Also:
SphericalOffset( ) function

SphericalPerimeter( ) function
Purpose
Returns the perimeter of a graphical object. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
SphericalPerimeter( obj_expr, unit_name )
obj_expr is an object expression.
unit_name is a string representing the name of a distance unit (for example, "km").

Reference

711

Sqr( ) function
Return Value
Float
Description
The SphericalPerimeter( ) function calculates the perimeter of the obj_expr object. The SphericalPerimeter( ) function is defined for the following object types: ellipses, rectangles, rounded rectangles, and
polygons. Other types of objects have perimeter measurements of zero. The SphericalPerimeter( )
function returns a length measurement in the units specified by the unit_name parameter; for example,
to obtain a length in miles, specify "mi" as the unit_name parameter. See Set Distance Units statement
for the list of valid unit names.
The SphericalPerimeter( ) function always returns a value as calculated in a Latitude/Longitude nonprojected coordinate system using spherical algorithms. A value of -1 will be returned for data that is in
a NonEarth coordinate system since this data cannot be converted into a Latitude/longitude coordinate
system. The SphericalPerimeter( ) function returns approximate results when used on rounded rectangles. MapBasic calculates the perimeter of a rounded rectangle as if the object were a conventional
rectangle.
Example
The following example shows how you can use the SphericalPerimeter( ) function to determine the
perimeter of a particular geographic object.
Dim perim As Float
Open Table "world"
Fetch First From world
perim = SphericalPerimeter(world.obj, "km")
' The variable perim now contains
' the perimeter of the polygon that's attached to
' the first record in the World table.
You can also use the SphericalPerimeter( ) function within the Select statement. The following Select
statement extracts information from the States table, and stores the results in a temporary table called
Results. Because the Select statement includes the SphericalPerimeter( ) function, the Results table
will include a column showing each state's perimeter.
Open Table "states"
Select state, Perimeter(obj, "mi")
From states
Into results
See Also:
CartesianPerimeter( ) function, Perimeter( ) function

Sqr( ) function
Purpose
Returns the square root of a number. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.

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Syntax
Sqr( num_expr )
num_expr is a positive numeric expression.
Return Value
Float
Description
The Sqr( ) function returns the square root of the numeric expression specified by num_expr. Since the
square root operation is undefined for negative real numbers, num_expr should represent a value
greater than or equal to zero.
Taking the square root of a number is equivalent to raising that number to the power 0.5. Accordingly,
the expression Sqr(n) is equivalent to the expression n ^ 0.5; the Sqr( ) function, however, provides the
fastest calculation of square roots.
Example
Dim n As Float
n = Sqr(25)
See Also:
Cos( ) function, Sin( ) function, Tan( ) function

StatusBar statement
Purpose
Displays or hides the status bar, or displays a brief message on it. You can issue this statement from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
StatusBar { Show | Hide }
[ Message message ]
[ ViewDisplayPopup { On | Off } ]
[ EditLayerPopup { On | Off } ]
message is a message to display on the status bar.
Description
Use the StatusBar statement to show or hide the status bar, or to display a brief message on the status
bar.
To print a message to the status bar, use the optional Message clause.
StatusBar Message "Calculating coordinates..."

Reference

713

Stop statement
MapInfo Professional automatically updates the status bar as the user selects various buttons and menu
items. Therefore, a message displayed on the status bar may disappear quickly. Therefore, you should
not rely on status bar messages to display important prompts.
To display a message that does not disappear, use the Print statement to print a message to the
Message window.
Use the ViewDisplayPopup parameter to allow the user to change view from the status bar. If this
parameter is set to On, the user will be able to change the zoom level, scale, and cursor location settings
from the status bar.
Use the EditLayerPopup parameter to allow the user to set the editable layer of a Map window from
the status bar. If this parameter is set to On, the user will be able to select the editable layer from the
status bar.
See Also:
Note statement, Print statement

Stop statement
Purpose
Suspends a running MapBasic application, for debugging purposes. You can issue this statement from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Stop
Restrictions
You cannot issue a Stop statement from within a user-defined function or within a dialog box's handler
procedure; therefore you cannot issue a Stop statement to debug a Dialog statement while the dialog
box is still on the screen.
Description
The Stop statement is a debugging aid. It suspends the application which is running, and returns control
to the user; presumably, the user in this case is a MapBasic programmer who is debugging a program.
When the Stop occurs, a message appears in the MapBasic window identifying the program line number
of the Stop.
Following a Stop, you can use the MapBasic window to investigate the current status of the program.
If you type:
? Dim
into the MapBasic window, MapInfo Professional displays a list of the local variables in use by the suspended program. Similarly, if you type:
? Global
into the MapBasic window, MapInfo Professional displays a list of the global variables in use.

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To display the contents of a variable, type a question mark followed by the variable name. To modify
the contents of the variable, type a statement of this form:
variable_name = new_value
where variable_name is the name of a local or global variable, and new_value is an expression representing the new value to assign to the variable.
To resume the execution of the application, choose File > Continue; note that, while a program is
stopped, Continue appears on the File menu instead of Run. You can also restart a program by typing
a Continue statement into the MapBasic window.
During a Stop, MapInfo Professional keeps the application file open. As long as this file remains open,
the application cannot be recompiled. If you use a Stop statement, and you then wish to recompile your
application, choose File > Continue before attempting to recompile.
See Also:
Continue statement

Str$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string representing an expression (for example, a printout of a number). You can call this
function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Str$( expression )
expression is a numeric, Date, Pen, Brush, Symbol, Font, logical, or Object expression.
Return Value
String
Description
The Str$( ) function returns a string which represents the value of the specified expression.
If expression is a negative number, the first character in the returned string is the minus sign (-). If expression is a positive number, the first character in the string is a space.
Depending on the number of digits of accuracy in the expression you specify, and depending on how
many of the digits are to the left of the decimal point, the Str$( ) function may return a string which represents a rounded value. If you need to control the number of digits of accuracy displayed in a string,
use the Format$( ) function.
If expression is an Object expression, the Str$( ) function returns a string, indicating the object type: Arc,
Ellipse, Frame, Line, Point, Polyline, Rectangle, Region, Rounded Rectangle, or Text.
If expression is an Object expression of the form tablename.obj and if the current row from that table
has no graphic object attached, Str$( ) returns a null string.
Note: Passing an uninitialized Object variable to the Str$( ) function generates an error.

Reference

715

String$( ) function
If expression is a Date, the output from Str$( ) depends on how the user's computer is configured. For
example, the following expression:
Str$( NumberToDate(19951231) )
might return "12/31/1995" or "1995/12/31" (etc.) depending on the date formatting in use on the user's
computer. To control how Str$( ) formats dates, use the Set Format statement.
If expression is a number, the Str$( ) function uses a period as the decimal separator, even if the user's
computer is set up to use another character as decimal separator. The Str$( ) function never includes
thousands separators in the return string. To produce a string that uses the thousands separator and
decimal separator specified by the user, use the FormatNumber$( ) function.
Example
Dim s_spelled_out As String, f_profits As Float
f_profits = 123456
s_spelled_out = "Annual profits: $" + Str$(f_profits)
See Also:
Format$( ) function, FormatNumber$( ) function, Set Format statement, Val( ) function

String$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string built by repeating a specified character some number of times. You can call this function
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
String$( num_expr, string_expr )
num_expr is a positive integer numeric expression.
string_expr is a string expression.
Return Value
String
Description
The String$( ) function returns a string num_expr characters long; this result string consists of
num_expr occurrences of the first character from the string_expr string. Thus, the num_expr expression
should be a positive integer value, indicating the desired length of the result (in characters).
Example
Dim filler As String
filler = String$(5, "ABCDEFGH")
' at this point, filler contains the string "AAAAA"
' (5 copies of the 1st character from the string)
See Also:

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Space$( ) function

StringCompare( ) function
Purpose
Performs case-sensitive string comparisons. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
StringCompare( string1, string2 )
string1 and string2 are string expressions.
Return Value
SmallInt: -1 if first string precedes second; 1 if first string follows second; zero if strings are equal.
Description
The StringCompare( ) function performs case-sensitive string comparisons. MapBasic string comparisons
which use the "=" operator are case-insensitive. Thus, a comparison expression such as the following:
If "ABC" = "abc" Then
evaluates as TRUE, because string comparisons are case-insensitive.
The StringCompare( ) function performs a case-sensitive string comparison and returns an indication
of how the strings compare.
Return value:

When:

-1

first string precedes the second string, alphabetically

the two strings are equal

first string follows the second string, alphabetically

Example
The function call StringCompare("ABC", "abc") returns a value of -1, since "A" precedes "a" in
the set of character codes.
See Also:
Like( ) function, StringCompareIntl( ) function

StringCompareIntl( ) function
Purpose
Performs language-sensitive string comparisons. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.

Reference

717

StringToDate( ) function
Syntax
StringCompareIntl( string1, string2 )
string1 and string2 are the string expressions being compared.
Return Value
SmallInt: -1 if first string precedes second; 1 if first string follows second; zero if strings are equal.
Description
The StringCompareIntl( ) function performs language-sensitive string comparisons. Call this function
if you need to determine the alphabetical order of two strings, and the strings contain characters that
are outside the ordinary U.S. character set (for example, umlauts).
The comparison uses whatever language settings are in use on the user's computer. For example, a
Windows user can control language settings through the Control Panel.
Return value:

When:

-1

first string precedes the second string, using the current language setting

the two strings are equal

first string follows the second string, using the current language setting

See Also:
Like( ) function, StringCompare( ) function

StringToDate( ) function
Purpose
Returns a Date value, given a string. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
StringToDate( datestring )
datestring is a string expression representing a date.
Return Value
Date
Description
The StringToDate( ) function returns a Date value, given a string that represents a date. MapBasic interprets the date string according to the date-formatting options that are set up on the user's computer.
Computers within the U.S. are usually configured to format dates as Month/Day/Year, but computers in
other countries are often configured with a different order (for example, Day/Month/Year) or a different

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separator character (for example, a period instead of a /). To force the StringToDate( ) function to apply
U.S. formatting conventions, use the Set Format statement.
Note: To avoid the entire issue of how the user's computer is set up, call the NumberToDate( ) function
instead of StringToDate( ). The NumberToDate( ) function is not affected by how the user's
computer is set up.
The datestring argument must indicate the month (1 - 12, represented as one or two digits) and the day
of the month (1 - 31, represented as one or two digits). You can specify the year as a four-digit number
or as a two-digit number, or you can omit the year entirely. If you do not specify a year, MapInfo Professional uses the current year. If you specify the year as a two-digit number (for example, 96), MapInfo
Professional uses the current century or the century as determined by the Set Date Window( ) statement
Example
The following example specifies date strings with U.S. formatting: Month/Day/Year. Before calling
StringToDate( ), this program calls the Set Format statement to guarantee that the U.S. date strings
are interpreted correctly, regardless of how the system is configured.
Dim d_start, d_end As Date
Set Format Date "US"
d_start = StringToDate("12/17/92")
d_end = StringToDate("01/02/1995")
Set Format Date "Local"
In this example, the variable Date1 = 19890120, Date2 = 20101203 and MyYear = 1990.
DIM Date1, Date2 as Date
DIM MyYear As Integer
Set Format Date "US"
Set Date Window 75
Date1 = StringToDate("1/20/89")
Date2 = StringToDate("12/3/10")
MyYear = Year("12/30/90")
These results are due to the Set Date Window( ) statement which allows you to control the century
value when given a two-digit year.
See Also:
NumberToDate( ) function, NumberToDateTime( ) function, Set Format statement, Str$( ) function,
StringToDateTime( ) function, StringToTime( ) function

StringToDateTime( ) function
Purpose
Returns a DateTime value given a string that represents a date and time. MapBasic interprets the
date/time string according to the date and time-formatting options that are set up on the user's computer.
At least one space must be between the date and time. See StringToDate( ) function and StringToTime(
) function for details. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
StringToDateTime( String )

Reference

719

StringToTime( ) function
Return Value
DateTime, which is an integer value DateTime in nine bytes: 4 bytes for date, 5 bytes for time. Five bytes
for time include: 2 for millisec, 1 for sec, 1 for min, 1 for hour.
Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function. Note that this is using
a United States date example that uses colons to separate year, month, day, hour, minutes, and seconds.
dim strX as string
dim Z as datetime
strX = "1999:09:25:12:32:45"
Z = StringtoDateTime(strX)
Print FormatDate$(Z)
Print FormatTime$(Z,"hh:mm:ss.fff tt")
See Also:
NumberToDateTime( ) function, Set Format statement, Str$( ) function, StringToDate( ) function,
StringToTime( ) function

StringToTime( ) function
Purpose
Returns a Time value given a string that represents a time. MapBasic interprets the time string according
to the time-formatting options that are set up on the user's computer. However, either 12 or 24-hour time
representations are accepted. In addition, the less significant components of a time may be omitted. In
other words, the hour must be specified, but the minutes, seconds, and milliseconds are optional. You
can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
StringToTime( String )
Return Value
Time
Example
Copy this example into the MapBasic window for a demonstration of this function. Note that this is using
a United States date example that uses colons to separate hour, minutes, and seconds.
dim strY as string
dim X as time
strY = "12:32:45"
X = StringtoTime(strY)
Print FormatTime$ (X,"hh:mm:ss.fff tt")
See Also:
NumberToDateTime( ) function, NumberToTime( ) function, Set Format statement, Str$( ) function,
StringToTime( ) function

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StyleAttr( ) function
Purpose
Returns one attribute of a Pen, Brush, Font, or Symbol style. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
StyleAttr( style, attribute )
style is a Pen, Brush, Font, or Symbol style value.
attribute is an integer code specifying which component of the style should be returned.
Return Value
string or integer, depending on the attribute parameter.
Description
The StyleAttr( ) function returns information about a Pen, Brush, Symbol, or Font style.
Each style type consists of several components. For example, a Brush style definition consists of three
components: pattern, foreground color, and background color. When you call the StyleAttr( ) function,
the attribute parameter controls which style attribute is returned.
The attribute parameter must be one of the codes in the table below. Codes in the left column (for example,
PEN_WIDTH) are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
Brush settings:
attribute setting

ID

StyleAttr( ) returns:

BRUSH_PATTERN

Integer, indicating the Brush style's pattern.

BRUSH_FORECOLOR

Integer, indicating the Brush style's foreground color, as

an RGB value.

BRUSH_BACKCOLOR

Integer, indicating the Brush style's background color as

an RGB value, or -1 if the brush has a transparent background.

attribute setting

ID

StyleAttr( ) returns:

FONT_NAME

String, indicating the Font name.

FONT_STYLE

Integer value, indicating the Font style (0 = Plain, 1 = Bold,

etc.); see Font clause for details.

Font settings:

Reference

721

StyleAttr( ) function
attribute setting

ID

StyleAttr( ) returns:

FONT_POINTSIZE

Integer indicating the Font size, in points.

Note: If the Text object is in a mappable table (as opposed to a Layout window), the point size is returned as zero, and the text height is dictated by
the Map window's current zoom.

FONT_FORECOLOR

Integer value representing the RGB color of the font foreground.

FONT_BACKCOLOR

Integer value representing the RGB color of the font

background, or -1 if the font has a transparent background.
If the font style includes a halo, the RGB color represents
the halo color.

attribute setting

ID

StyleAttr( ) returns:

PEN_WIDTH

Integer, indicating the Pen style's line width, in pixels or

points.

PEN_PATTERN

Integer, indicating the Pen style's pattern.

PEN_COLOR

Integer, indicating the Pen style's RGB color value.

PEN_INDEX

Integer, representing the pen index number from the pen

pattern.

PEN_INTERLEAVED

Logical, TRUE if line style is interleaved.

attribute setting

ID

StyleAttr( ) returns:

SYMBOL_CODE

Integer, indicating the Symbol style's shape code. Applies

to TrueType symbols.

SYMBOL_COLOR

Integer, indicating the Symbol style's color as an RGB

value.

SYMBOL_POINTSIZE

Integer from 1 to 48, indicating the Symbol's size, in points.

SYMBOL_ANGLE

Float number, indicating the rotation angle of a TrueType

symbol.

SYMBOL_FONT_NAME

String, indicating the name of the font used by a TrueType

symbol.

Pen settings:

Symbol settings:

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attribute setting

ID

StyleAttr( ) returns:

SYMBOL_FONT_STYLE

Integer, indicating the style attributes of a TrueType symbol (0 = plain, 1 = Bold, etc.). See Symbol clause for a
listing of possible values.

SYMBOL_KIND

Integer, indicating the type of symbol: 2 for TrueType

symbols; 3 for bitmap file symbols.

SYMBOL_CUSTOM_NAME

String, indicating the file name used by a bitmap file

symbol.

SYMBOL_CUSTOM_STYLE

Integer, indicating the style attributes of a bitmap file

symbol (0 = plain, 1 = show background, etc.). See Symbol clause for a listing of possible values.

Error Conditions
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error is generated if an argument is outside of the valid range.
Example
The following example uses the CurrentPen( ) function to determine the pen style currently in use by
MapInfo Professional, then uses the StyleAttr( ) function to determine the thickness of the pen, in pixels.
Include "mapbasic.def"
Dim cur_width As Integer
cur_width = StyleAttr(CurrentPen( ), PEN_WIDTH)
See Also:
Brush clause, Font clause, Pen clause, Symbol clause, MakeBrush( ) function, MakeFont( )
function, MakePen( ) function, MakeSymbol( ) function

StyleOverrideInfo( ) function
Returns information about a specific display style override.
Syntax
StyleOverrideInfo( window_id, layer_number, override_index, attribute )
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
layer_number is the number of a layer in the current Map window (for example, 1 for the top layer); to
determine the number of layers in a Map window, call the MapperInfo( ) function.
override_index is an integer index (1-based) for the override definition within the layer.
attribute is a code indicating the type of information to return; see table below.
Return Value
Return value depends on attribute parameter.

Reference

723

StyleOverrideInfo( ) function
Description
This function returns information about the specified display style override for one layer in an existing
Map window. The layer_number must be a valid layer (1 is the topmost table layer, and so on). The attribute parameter must be one of the codes from the following table; codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
Attribute Code

ID

LayerInfo( ) Return Value

STYLE_OVR_INFO_NAME

Style override name.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_VISIBILITY

Smallint value, indicating whether the style override is

visible; Return value will be one of the values:
STYLE_OVR_INFO_VIS_OFF (0)
override is disabled/off; never visible
STYLE_OVR_INFO_VIS_ON (1)
override is currently visible in the map
STYLE_OVR_INFO_VIS_ZOOM (2)
override is currently not visible because it's outside the
map zoom range

STYLE_OVR_INFO_ZOOM_MIN

Float value, indicating the minimum zoom value at which

the style override displays.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_ZOOM_MAX

Float value, indicating the maximum zoom value at which

the style override displays.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_ARROWS

Logical value; TRUE if override displays direction arrows

on linear objects.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_NODES

Logical value; TRUE if override displays object nodes.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_CENTROIDS

Logical value; TRUE if override displays object centroids.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_ALPHA

SmallInt value, representing the alpha factor for the specified override.
0=fully transparent.
255=fully opaque.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_TRANSLUCENCY

SmallInt value, representing the translucency percentage

for the specified override.
100=fully transparent.
0=fully opaque.

STYLE_OVR _INFO_LINE

724

10

Pen style used for displaying linear objects. If there are

multiple styles, the bottom Pen style is returned.

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Attribute Code

ID

LayerInfo( ) Return Value

STYLE_OVR _INFO_PEN

11

Pen style used for displaying the borders of filled objects.

If there are multiple styles, the bottom Pen style is returned.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_BRUSH

12

Brush style used for displaying filled objects. If there are

multiple styles, the bottom Brush style is returned.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_SYMBOL

13

Symbol style used for displaying point objects. If there are

multiple styles, the bottom Symbol style is returned.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_FONT

14

Font style used for displaying text objects. If there are

multiple styles, the bottom Font style is returned.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_SYMBOL_COUNT

15

SmallInt value, indicating the number of multiple SYMBOL

styles.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_LINE_COUNT

16

SmallInt value, indicating the number of multiple LINE

styles.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_PEN_COUNT

17

SmallInt value, indicating the number of multiple PEN

styles.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_BRUSH_COUNT 18

SmallInt value, indicating the number of multiple BRUSH

styles.

STYLE_OVR_INFO_FONT_COUNT 19

SmallInt value, indicating the number of multiple FONT

styles.

Example
StyleOverrideInfo(nMID, nLayer, nOverride, STYLE_OVR_INFO_PEN_COUNT)
See Also:
LabelOverrideInfo( ) function, LayerStyleInfo( ) function, Set Map statement, LayerInfo( ) function

Sub...End Sub statement

Purpose
Defines a procedure, which can then be called through the Call statement.
Syntax
Sub proc_name [ ( [ ByVal ] parameter As var_type [ , ... ] ) ]
statement_list
End Sub
proc_name is the name of the procedure.
parameter is the name of a procedure parameter.
var_type is a standard MapBasic variable type (for example, integer) or a custom variable Type.

Reference

725

Sub...End Sub statement

statement_list is a list of zero or more statements comprising the body of the procedure.
Restrictions
You cannot issue a Sub...End Sub statement through the MapBasic window.
Description
The Sub...End Sub statement defines a sub procedure (often, simply called a procedure). Once a procedure is defined, other parts of the program can call the procedure through the Call statement.
Every Sub...End Sub definition must be preceded by a Declare Sub statement.
A procedure may have zero or more parameters. parameter is the name of the parameter; each of a
procedure's parameters must be unique. If a sub procedure has two or more parameters, they must be
separated by commas.
By default, each sub procedure parameter is defined "by reference." When a sub procedure has a byreference parameter, the caller must specify the name of a variable as the parameter. Subsequently, if
the sub procedure alters the contents of the by-reference parameter, the caller's variable will reflect the
change. This allows the caller to examine the results returned by the sub procedure. Alternately, any or
all sub procedure parameters may be passed "by value" if the keyword ByVal appears before the parameter name in the Sub statement. When a parameter is passed by value, the sub procedure receives
a copy of the value of the caller's parameter expression; thus, the caller can pass any expression, rather
than having to pass the name of a variable. A sub procedure can alter the contents of a ByVal parameter
without having any impact on the status of the caller's variables.
A procedure can take an array as a parameter. To declare a procedure parameter as an array, place
parentheses after the parameter name in the Sub...End Sub statement (as well as in the Declare Sub
statement). The following example defines a procedure which takes an array of Integers as a parameter.
Sub ListProcessor(items( ) As Integer)
When a sub procedure expects an array as a parameter, the procedure's caller must specify the name
of an array variable, without the parentheses.
If a sub procedure's local variable has the same name as an existing global variable, all of the sub procedure's references to that variable name will access the local variable.
A sub procedure terminates if it encounters an Exit Sub statement.
You cannot pass arrays, custom Type variables, or Alias variables as ByVal (by-value) parameters to
sub procedures. However, you can pass any of those data types as by-reference parameters.
Example
In the following example, the sub procedure Cube cubes a number (raises the number to the power of
three), and returns the result. The sub procedure takes two parameters; the first parameter contains the
number to be cubed, and the second parameter passes the results back to the caller.
Declare Sub Main
Declare Sub Cube(ByVal original As Float, cubed As Float)
Sub Main
Dim x, result As Float
Call Cube(2, result)

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' result now contains the value: 8 (2 x 2 x 2)
x = 1
Call Cube(x + 2, result)
' result now contains the value: 27 (3 x 3 x 3)
End Sub
Sub Cube (ByVal original As Float, cubed As Float)
' Cube the "original" parameter value, and store
' the result in the "cubed" parameter.
cubed = original ^ 3
End Sub
See Also:
Call statement, Declare Sub statement, Dim statement, Exit Sub statement, Function...End
Function statement, Global statement

Symbol clause
Purpose
Specifies a symbol style for point objects. You can use this clause in the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.

MapInfo 3.0 Symbols

Syntax
Symbol( shape, color, size )
shape is an integer, 31 or larger, specifying which character to use from MapInfo Professional's standard
symbol set. To create an invisible symbol, use 31; see table below. The standard set of symbols includes
symbols 31 through 67, but the user can customize the symbol set by using the Symbol application.
color is an integer RGB color value; see RGB( ) function.
size is an integer point size, from 1 to 48.
Description
Note: The Symbol clause specifies the settings that dictate the appearance of a point object. Note that
Symbol is a clause, not a complete MapBasic statement. Various object-related statements, such
as Create Point, allow you to specify a Symbol clause; this lets you specify the symbol style of
the new object.
Some MapBasic statements (for example, Alter Object...Info OBJ_INFO_SYMBOL) take a Symbol
expression as a parameter (for example, the name of a Symbol variable), rather than a full Symbol clause
(the keyword Symbol followed by the name of a Symbol variable).
The following table lists the standard symbol shapes that are available when you use MapInfo 3.0 symbols:

Reference

727

Symbol clause

Example
The following example shows how a Set Map statement can incorporate a Symbol clause. Set Map
statement below specifies that symbol objects in the mapper's first layer should be displayed using
symbol 34 (a filled circle), filled in red, at a size of eighteen points.
Include "mapbasic.def"
Set Map
Layer 1 Display Global
Global Symbol MakeSymbol(34,RED,18)

True Type Font

Syntax
Symbol( shape, color, size, fontname, fontstyle, rotation )
shape is an integer, 32 or larger, specifying which character to use from a TrueType font. To create an
invisible symbol, use 32.
color is an integer RGB color value; see RGB( ) function.
size is an integer point size, from 1 to 48.
fontname is a string representing a TrueType font name (for example, "WingDings").
fontstyle is an integer code controlling attributes such as bold; see table below.
rotation is a floating-point number representing a rotation angle, in degrees.

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Description
When you specify a TrueType font symbol, the fontstyle argument controls attributes such as Bold. The
following table lists the fontstyle values you can specify:
fontstyle value

Symbol Style

Plain

Bold

16

Border (black outline)

32

Drop Shadow

256

Halo (white outline)

To specify two or more style attributes, add the values from the left column. For example, to specify both
the Bold and the Drop Shadow attributes, use a fontstyle value of 33. Styles 16 and 256 are mutually
exclusive.

Custom Bitmap File

Syntax
Symbol( filename, color, size, customstyle )
filename is a string up to 31 characters long, representing the name of a bitmap file. The file must be in
the CustSymb directory.
color is an integer RGB color value; see RGB( ) function.
size is an integer point size, from 1 to 48.
customstyle is an integer code controlling color and background attributes. See table below.
Description
When you specify a custom symbol, the customstyle argument controls background, color, and display
size settings, as described in the following table.
customstyle value

Symbol Style

The Show Background, the Apply Color, and the Display at Actual Size settings are off; the symbol appears in its default state at the point size specified
by the size parameter. White pixels in the bitmap are displayed as transparent,
allowing whatever is behind the symbol to show through.

The Show Background setting is on; white pixels in the bitmap are opaque.

The Apply Color setting is on; non-white pixels in the bitmap are replaced
with the symbol's color setting.

Both Show Background and Apply Color are on.

Reference

729

SystemInfo( ) function
customstyle value

Symbol Style

The Display at Actual Size setting is on; the bitmap image is rendered at its
native width and height in pixels.

The Show Background and Display at Actual Size settings are on.

The Show Background, the Apply Color, and the Display at Actual Size settings are on.

Symbol Expression
Syntax
Symbol symbol_expr
symbol_expr is a Symbol expression, which can either be the name of a Symbol variable, or a function
call that returns a Symbol value, for example, MakeSymbol(shape, color, size).
See Also:
MakeCustomSymbol( ) function, MakeFontSymbol( ) function, MakeSymbol( ) function, StyleAttr(
) function

SystemInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about the operating system or software version. You can call this function from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
SystemInfo( attribute )
attribute is an integer code indicating which system attribute to query.
Note: The MAPBASIC.DEF constant for this function is 18.

Return Value
SmallInt, logical, or string
Description
The SystemInfo( ) function returns information about MapInfo Professional's system status. The attribute
can be any of the codes listed in the table below. The codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF

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attribute code

ID

SystemInfo( ) Return Value

SYS_INFO_PLATFORM

Integer value, indicating the hardware platform on which

the application is running. The return value will be PLATFORM_WIN.

SYS_INFO_APPVERSION

Integer value: the version number with which the application was compiled, multiplied by 100.

SYS_INFO_MIVERSION

Integer value, indicating the version of MapInfo Professional that is currently running, multiplied by 100.

SYS_INFO_RUNTIME

Logical value: TRUE if invoked within a run-time version

of MapInfo Professional, FALSE otherwise.

SYS_INFO_CHARSET

String value: the name of the native character set.

SYS_INFO_COPYPROTECTED

Logical value: TRUE means the user is running a copyprotected version of MapInfo Professional.

SYS_INFO_APPLICATIONWND

Integer, representing the Windows HWND specified by

the Set Application Window statement (or zero if no
such HWND has been set).

SYS_INFO_DDESTATUS

Integer value, representing the number of elements in the

DDE execute queue. If the queue is empty, SystemInfo(
) returns zero (if an incoming execute would be enqueued)
or -1 (if an execute would be executed immediately).

SYS_INFO_MAPINFOWND

Integer, representing a Windows HWND of the MapInfo

Professional frame window, or zero on non-Windows
platforms.

SYS_INFO_NUMBER_FORMAT

10

String: "9,999.9" or "Local" depending on the number

formatting in effect; for details, see Set Format statement.

SYS_INFO_DATE_FORMAT

11

String: "US" or "Local" depending on the date formatting

in effect; for details, see Set Format statement.

SYS_INFO_DIG_INSTALLED

12

Logical value: TRUE if a digitizer is installed, along with

a compatible driver.

SYS_INFO_DIG_MODE

13

Logical value: TRUE if Digitizer Mode is on.

SYS_INFO_MIPLATFORM

14

Integer value, indicating the type of MapInfo Professional

software that is running.

SYS_INFO_MDICLIENTWND

15

Integer, representing a Windows HWND of the MapInfo

Professional MDICLIENT window, or 0 on non-Windows
platforms.

SYS_INFO_PRODUCTLEVEL

16

Integer value, indicating the product level of the of the

version of MapInfo Professional that is running either 100

Reference

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TableInfo( ) function
attribute code

ID

SystemInfo( ) Return Value

for MapInfo Desktop (a retired product) or 200 for MapInfo
Professional.

SYS_INFO_APPIDISPATCH
(value=17)

17

Integer, representing the IDispatch OLE Automation

pointer for the MapInfo Application.

SYS_INFO_MIBUILD_NUMBER)

18

This function has an attribute to return the current build

number so you can distinguish between MapInfo Professional point versions in MapBasic.
For example, SystemInfo(SYS_INFO_MIVERSION) returns 850 for MapInfo Professional 8.5 and 8.5.2. You can
further distinguish between 8.5 and 8.5.2 with SystemInfo(SYS_INFO_MIBUILD_NUMBER), which returns
32 for 8.5, and 60 for 8.5.2.

SYS_INFO_MIFULLVERSION

19

Integer value, representing the full version number, including minor and maintenance versions, of the currently
running MapInfo Professional. This value represents the
version string without decimal points.
SystemInfo(SYS_INFO_MIFULLVERSION) returns 1103
for version 11.0.3. This is more detail than using SystemInfo(SYS_INFO_MIVERSION), which returns 1100
for MapInfo Professional 11.0 and 11.0.3.

Error Conditions
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error is generated if an argument is outside of the valid range.
Example
The following example uses the SystemInfo( ) function to determine what type of MapInfo software is
running. The program only calls a DDE-related procedure if the program is running some version of
MapInfo Professional.
Declare Sub DDE_Setup
If SystemInfo(SYS_INFO_PLATFORM) = PLATFORM_WIN Then
Call DDE_Setup
End If

TableInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about an open table. Has a define for FME (Universal Data) tables. You can call
this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

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Syntax
TableInfo( table_id, attribute )
table_id is a string representing a table name, a positive integer table number, or 0 (zero).
attribute is an integer code indicating which aspect of the table to return (see table of attributes below).
The following example returns the coordsys clause with bounds:
TableInfo(table_id, TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE)
TableInfo(table_id, 29)
Return Value
String, SmallInt, or logical, depending on the attribute parameter specified.
Description
The TableInfo( ) function returns one piece of information about an open table.
The table_id can be a string representing the name of the open table. Alternately, table_id can be a table
number. If table_id is 0 (zero), the TableInfo( ) function returns information about the most recently
opened, most recently created table; or a table that has just been renamed. This allows a MapBasic
program to determine the working name of a table in cases where the Open Table statement did not
include an As clause. If there are no open tables, or if the most recently-opened table has already been
closed, the TableInfo( ) function generates an error.
The attribute parameter can be any value from the table below. Codes in the left column (for example,
TAB_INFO_NAME) are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
attribute code

ID

TableInfo( ) returns

TAB_INFO_NAME

String result, indicating the name of the table.

TAB_INFO_NUM

SmallInt result, indicating the number of the table.

TAB_INFO_TYPE

SmallInt result, indicating the type of table. The returned

value will match one of these:
TAB_TYPE_BASE (1)
if a normal or seamless table
TAB_TYPE_RESULT (2)
if results of a query
TAB_TYPE_VIEW (3)
if table is actually a view; for example, StreetInfo tables
are actually views
TAB_TYPE_IMAGE (4)
if table is a raster image
TAB_TYPE_LINKED (5)
if this table is linked
TAB_TYPE_WMS (6)
if table is from a Web Map Service

Reference

733

TableInfo( ) function
attribute code

ID

TableInfo( ) returns
TAB_TYPE_WFS (7)
if table is from a Web Feature Service
TAB_TYPE_FME (8)
if table is opened through FME
TAB_TYPE_TILESERVER (9)
if table is a raster image from a Tile Server

734

TAB_INFO_NCOLS

SmallInt, indicating the number of columns.

TAB_INFO_MAPPABLE

Logical result; TRUE if the table is mappable.

TAB_INFO_READONLY

Logical result; TRUE if the table is read-only.

TAB_INFO_TEMP

Logical result; TRUE if the table is temporary (for example,

QUERY1).

TAB_INFO_NROWS

Integer, indicating the number of rows.

TAB_INFO_EDITED

Logical result; TRUE if table has unsaved edits.

TAB_INFO_FASTEDIT

10

Logical result; TRUE if the table has FastEdit mode turned

on, FALSE otherwise. (See Set Table statement for information on FastEdit mode.)

TAB_INFO_UNDO

11

Logical result; TRUE if the undo system is being used with

the specified table, or FALSE if the undo system has been
turned off for the table through the Set Table statement.

TAB_INFO_MAPPABLE_TABLE

12

String result indicating the name of the table containing

graphical objects. Use this code when you are working
with a table that is actually a relational join of two other
tables, and you need to know the name of the base table
that contains the graphical objects.

TAB_INFO_USERMAP

13

Logical result: FALSE if a Set Table statement has set

the UserMap option to Off.

TAB_INFO_USERBROWSE

14

Logical result: FALSE if a Set Table statement has set

the UserBrowse option to Off.

TAB_INFO_USERCLOSE

15

Logical result: FALSE if a Set Table statement has set

the UserClose option to Off.

TAB_INFO_USEREDITABLE

16

Logical result: FALSE if a Set Table statement has set

the UserEdit option to Off.

TAB_INFO_USERREMOVEMAP

17

Logical result: FALSE if a Set Table statement has set

the UserRemoveMap option to Off.

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attribute code

ID

TableInfo( ) returns

TAB_INFO_USERDISPLAYMAP

18

Logical result: FALSE if a Set Table statement has set

the UserDisplayMap option to Off.

TAB_INFO_TABFILE

19

String result, representing the table's full directory path.

Returns an empty string if the table is a query table.

TAB_INFO_MINX,

20

TAB_INFO_MINY,

21

TAB_INFO_MAXX,

22

TAB_INFO_MAXY

23

TAB_INFO_SEAMLESS

24

TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_MINX,

25

TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_MINY,

26

TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_MAXX,

27

TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_MAXY

28

TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE

29

String result, indicating the table's CoordSys clause, such

as "CoordSys Earth Projection 1, 0". Returns
empty string if table is not mappable.

TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_NAME

30

String result, representing the name of the coordinate

system as listed in MAPINFOW.PRJ (but without the optional "\p..." suffix that appears in MAPINFOW.PRJ). Returns empty string if table is not mappable, or if coordinate
system is not found in MAPINFOW.PRJ.

TAB_INFO_NREFS

31

SmallInt, indicating the number of other base tables that

reference this table. (Returns zero for most tables, or nonzero in cases where a table is defined as a join of two
other tables, such as a StreetInfo table.) May only be used
with base tables (TAB_TYPE_BASE).

TAB_INFO_SUPPORT_MZ

32

Logical result: TRUE if table supports m and z-values.

TAB_INFO_Z_UNIT_SET

33

Logical result: TRUE if unit is set for z-values.

TAB_INFO_Z_UNIT

34

String result: indicates distance units used for z-values.

Return empty string if units are not specified.

TAB_INFO_BROWSER_LIST

35

String result: indicates which columns will be displayed in

a browser. This information is stored in table metadata.
Return empty string if this information is absent.

Reference

Float results, indicating the minimum and maximum xand y-coordinates of all objects in the table.

Logical result; TRUE if seamless behavior is on for this

table.
Float results, indicating the minimum or maximum x or y
map coordinates that the table is able to store; if table is
not mappable, returns zero.

735

TableInfo( ) function
attribute code

ID

TableInfo( ) returns

TAB_INFO_THEME_METADATA

36

Logical result; TRUE if the table has default theme

metadata.

TAB_INFO_COORD37
SYS_CLAUSE_WITHOUT_BOUNDS

String result, representing the table's CoordSys clause

without bounds.
TableInfo(table_id,
TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE_WITHOUT_BOUNDS)
returns the coordsys clause without bounds
or
TableInfo(table_id, TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE)
returns the coordsys clause with bounds

TAB_INFO_DESCRIPTION

38

String result: returns a table description string that can be

specified in a TAB file. If there is no description in a TAB
file, then it returns an empty string.

TAB_INFO_TABLEID

39

String result: returns the unique table ID for a TAB file. If

there is no Table ID in a TAB file, then it returns an empty
string.

TAB_INFO_PARENTTABLEID

40

String result: returns the table ID from which this TAB file
was copied. If this was not created from another TAB file,
then it returns an empty string.

TAB_INFO_ISMANAGED

41

Logical result: TRUE if table is managed in a library service.

TAB_INFO_ADSK_TEXTOBJECT

42

Logical result: TRUE if the table is an Autodesk text table.

TAB_INFO_OVERRIDE_COORDIN- 43
ATE_ORDER

Logical result: TRUE if the table is a Web Feature Service

(WFS) table or a Web Map Service (WMS) table with the
coordinate order override turned on.

TAB_INFO_PERSIST

Logical result: TRUE if the table should be persisted to

the workspace.

44

Error Conditions
ERR_TABLE_NOT_FOUND (405) error is generated if the specified table was not available.
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error is generated if an argument is outside of the valid range.
Examples
Include "mapbasic.def"
Dim i_numcols As SmallInt, L_mappable As Logical
Open Table "world"

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i_numcols = TableInfo("world", TAB_INFO_NCOLS)
L_mappable = TableInfo("world", TAB_INFO_MAPPABLE)
TableInfo(table_id, TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE)
TableInfo(table_id, 29) - Returns the coordsys clause with bounds
To determine if a Web Feature Service (WFS) table has the coordinate order override set, use the
TAB_INFO_OVERRIDE_COORDINATE_ORDER (43) attribute. This returns TRUE if the table is a WFS
table with the coordinate order override turned on and it returns FALSE otherwise.
TableInfo(MyWFSTable, TAB_INFO_OVERRIDE_COORDINATE_ORDER)
See Also:
Open Table statement

TableListInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about the Table List window.
Syntax
TableListInfo( attribute )
attribute is a code indicating the type of information to return; see table below.
Description
The TableListInfo( ) function returns one piece of information about the Table List window.
The attribute parameter is a value from the table below. Codes in the left column are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF.
attribute code

ID

TableInfo( ) returns

TL_INFO_SEL_COUNT

Smallint result, indicating the number of selected items.

Examples
TableListInfo(TL_INFO_SEL_COUNT)
The following example uses this function in conjunction with a custom item on the Table List shortcut
menu.
include "mapbasic.def"
include "menu.def"
declare sub main
declare sub ShowTABPaths
'================================================================
sub main
' Add new item to Table List context menu
alter menu ID M_SHORTCUT_TLV_TABLES add
"Show TAB path..." calling ShowTABPaths
end sub
'================================================================
sub ShowTABPaths()
' Get the number of selected items

Reference

737

TableListSelectionInfo( ) function
dim selCount as integer
selCount = TableListInfo(TL_INFO_SEL_COUNT)
' Print the table name and TAB file location fo all selected items
dim index as integer
for index = 1 to selCount
' Get the table id
dim tableId as integer
tableId = TableListSelectionInfo(index, TL_SEL_INFO_ID)
' Use the table in call to get the TAB path
dim tablePath as string
tablePath = TableInfo(tableId, TAB_INFO_TABFILE)
' Print the info
print tableName + " - " + tablePath
next
end sub
See Also:
TableListSelectionInfo( ) function

TableListSelectionInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a selected item in the Table List window.
Syntax
TableListSelectionInfo( selection_index, attribute )
selection_id is the index of a selected item in Table List.
attribute is a code indicating the type of information to return; see table below.
Description
The attribute parameter can be any value from the table below. Codes in the left column are defined in
MAPBASIC.DEF.
attribute code

ID

TableInfo( ) returns

TL_SEL_INFO_NAME

String result, representing the name of the selected.

TL_SEL_INFO_ID

Smallint value, indicating the id of the table associated

with the selected item. This value can be used in calls to
TableInfo().

Example
TableListSelectionInfo(index, TL_SEL_INFO_ID)
See Also:
TableListInfo( ) function

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Tan( ) function
Purpose
Returns the tangent of a number. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Tan( num_expr )
num_expr is a numeric expression representing an angle in radians.
Return Value
Float
Description
The Tan( ) function returns the tangent of the numeric num_expr value, which represents an angle in
radians.
To convert a degree value to radians, multiply that value by DEG_2_RAD (0.01745329252). To convert
a radian value into degrees, multiply that value by RAD_2_DEG (57.29577951). (Note that your program
will need to Include "MAPBASIC.DEF" in order to reference DEG_2_RAD or RAD_2_DEG).
Example
Include "mapbasic.def"
Dim x, y As Float
x
y
'
'

= 45 * DEG_2_RAD
= Tan(x)
y will now be equal to 1,
since the tangent of 45 degrees is 1

See Also:
Acos( ) function, Asin( ) function, Atn( ) function, Cos( ) function, Sin( ) function

TempFileName$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a name that can be used when creating a temporary file. You can call this function from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
TempFileName$( dir )

Reference

739

Terminate Application statement

dir is the string that specifies the directory that will store the file; "" specifies the system temporary storage
directory.
Return Value
Returns a string that specifies a unique file name, including its path.
Description
Use the TempFileName$( ) function when you need to create a temporary file, but you do not know
what file name to use.
When you call TempFileName$( ), MapBasic returns a string representing a file name. The TempFileName$( ) function does not actually create the file. To create the file, issue an Open File statement.
If the dir parameter is an empty string (""), the returned file name will represent a file in the system's
temporary storage directory, such as "G:\TEMP\~MAP0023.TMP".
In a networked environment, it is possible that two users could attempt to create the same file at the
same time. If you try to create a file using a filename returned by TempFileName$( ), and an error occurs
because that file already exists, it is likely that another network user created the file moments after your
program called TempFileName$( ). To reduce the likelihood of such file conflicts, issue the Open File
statement immediately after calling TempFileName$( ). To eliminate all chances of file sharing conflicts,
create an error handler, and enable the error handler (by issuing an OnError statement) before issuing
the Open File statement.
See Also:
FileExists( ) function

Terminate Application statement

Purpose
Halts execution of a running or sleeping MapBasic application. You can issue this statement from the
MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Terminate Application app_name
app_name is a string representing the name of the running application (for example, SCALEBAR.MBX).
Description
If a MapBasic program creates custom menu items or ButtonPad buttons, that MapBasic program can
remain in memory, "sleeping," until the user exits MapInfo Professional. To force a sleeping application
to halt, issue a Terminate Application statement. For example, if you need to halt an application for
debugging purposes, you can issue the Terminate Application statement from the MapBasic window.
If your application launches another MapBasic application (using the Run Application statement), you
can use the Terminate Application statement to halt the other MapBasic application.

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Note: Terminate Application allows one program to halt another program. The easiest way for a
program to halt itself is to issue an End Program statement.
See Also:
End Program statement, Run Application statement

TextSize( ) function
Purpose
Returns the point size of a text object in a window. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
TextSize( window_id, text_obj )
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map or Layout window. Call the FrontWindow( ) function
or the WindowID( ) function to obtain window identifiers.
text_obj is a text object.
Note: If the text object is from a Map window, the window ID must be the ID of a Map window. If the
text object is from a Layout, the window ID must be the ID of a Layout window.

Return Value
Float
Description
The TextSize( ) function will return the point size of a text object in a window at its current zoom level.
This function correlates to selecting a text object and selecting Edit > Get Info or pressing F7.
Example
If the active window is a map and a text object is selected:
print TextSize(FrontWindow( ), selection.obj)
See Also:
Font clause

Time( ) function
Purpose
The time function returns the current system time in string format. The time may be returned in 12- or
24-hour time format. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Note: This function is equivalent to calling FormatTime$(CurTime()). So print Time("hh:mm:ss") is the
same as FormatTime$(CurTime(), "hh:mm:ss").

Reference

741

Timer( ) function
Syntax
StringVar = Time( Format )
Description
StringVar is a string variable which will be given the system time in HH:MM:SS format. Format is an integer
value indicating the format of the string to return. The time will be returned in 24-hour format if Format
is 24. Any other value will return the time in 12-hour format.
See also:
FormatTime$( ) function, GetTime() function

Timer( ) function
Purpose
Returns the number of elapsed seconds. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Timer( )
Return Value
Integer
Description
The Timer( ) function returns the number of seconds that have elapsed since Midnight, January 1, 1970.
By calling the Timer( ) function before and after a particular operation, you can time how long the operation took (in seconds).
Example
Declare Sub Ubi
Dim start, elapsed As Integer
start = Timer( )
Call Ubi
elapsed = Timer( ) - start
'
' elapsed now contains the number of seconds
' that it took to execute the procedure Ubi
'

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ToolHandler procedure
Purpose
A reserved procedure name; works in conjunction with a special ToolButton (the MapBasic tool).
Syntax
Declare Sub ToolHandler
Sub ToolHandler
statement_list
End Sub
statement_list is a list of statements to execute when the user clicks with the MapBasic tool.
Description
ToolHandler is a special-purpose MapBasic procedure name, which operates in conjunction with the
MapBasic tool.
Defining a ToolHandler procedure is a simple way to add a custom button to MapInfo Professional's
Main ButtonPad. However, the button associated with a ToolHandler procedure is restricted; you cannot
use custom icons or drawing modes with the ToolHandler's button. To create a custom button which has
no restrictions, use the Alter ButtonPad statement and Create ButtonPad statement statements.
If the user runs an application which contains a procedure named ToolHandler, a plus-shaped tool (the
MapBasic tool) appears on the Main ButtonPad. The MapBasic tool is enabled whenever a Browser,
Map, or Layout window is the active window. If the user selects the MapBasic tool and clicks in the
Browser, Map, or Layout window, MapBasic automatically calls the ToolHandler procedure.
A ToolHandler procedure can use the CommandInfo( ) function to determine where the user clicked.
If the user clicked in a Browser, the CommandInfo( ) function returns the row and column where the user
clicked. If the user clicked in a Map, the CommandInfo( ) function returns the map coordinates of the
location where the user clicked; these coordinates are in MapBasic's current coordinate system (see
Set CoordSys statement).
If the user clicked in a Layout window, the CommandInfo( ) function returns the layout coordinates (for
example, distance from the upper left corner of the page) where the user clicked; these coordinates are
in MapBasic's current paper units (see Set Paper Units statement).
By calling the CommandInfo( ) function, you can also detect whether the user held down the Shift key
and/or the Ctrl key while clicking. This allows you to write applications which react differently to click
events than to Shift+click events.
To make the MapBasic tool the active tool, issue the statement:
Run Menu Command M_TOOLS_MAPBASIC
For a ToolHandler procedure to take effect, the user must run the application. If an application contains
a special procedure namesuch as ToolHandlerthe application "goes to sleep" when the Main procedure runs out of statements to execute.
The Main procedure may be explicit or implied. The application is said to be "sleeping" because the
ToolHandler procedure is still in memory, although it may be inactive. If the user selects the MapBasic

Reference

743

TriggerControl( ) function
tool and clicks with it, MapBasic automatically calls the ToolHandler procedure, so that the procedure
may react to the click event.
When any procedure in an application executes the End Program statement, the application is completely
removed from memory. That is, a program which executes an End Program statement is no longer
sleeping-it is terminated altogether. So, you can use the End Program statement to terminate a ToolHandler procedure once it is no longer wanted. Conversely, you should be careful not to issue an End
Program statement while the ToolHandler procedure is still needed.
Depending on the circumstances, a ToolHandler procedure may need to issue a Set CoordSys statement before determining the coordinates of where the user clicked. If the ToolHandler procedure is
called because the user clicked in a Browser, no Set CoordSys statement is necessary. If the user
clicks in a Layout window, the ToolHandler procedure may need to issue a Set CoordSys Layout
statement before determining where the user clicked in the layout. If the user clicks in a Map window,
and the application's current coordinate system does not match the coordinate system of the Map (because
the application has issued a Set CoordSys statement), the ToolHandler procedure may need to issue
a Set CoordSys statement before determining where the user clicked in the map.
Example
The following program sets up a ToolHandler procedure that will be called if the user selects the MapBasic
tool, then clicks on a Map, Browser, or Layout window. In this example, the ToolHandler simply displays
the location where the user clicked.
Include "mapbasic.def"
Declare Sub ToolHandler
Note "Ready to test the MapBasic tool."
Sub ToolHandler
Note "x:" + Round(CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_X), 0.1) + Chr$(10) +
" y:" + Round(CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_Y), 0.1)
End Sub
See Also:
CommandInfo( ) function

TriggerControl( ) function
Purpose
Returns the ID of the last dialog control chosen by the user. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
TriggerControl( )
Return Value
Integer

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Description
Within a Dialog statement's handler procedure, the TriggerControl( ) function returns the control ID
of the last control which the user operated.
Each control in a dialog box can have its own dedicated handler procedure; alternately, one procedure
can act as the handler for two or more controls. A procedure which handles multiple controls can use
the TriggerControl( ) function to detect which control the user clicked.
Error Conditions
ERR_INVALID_TRIG_CONTROL (843) error is generated if the TriggerControl( ) function is called
when no dialog box is active.
See Also:
Alter Control statement, Dialog statement, Dialog Preserve statement, Dialog Remove statement,
ReadControlValue( ) function

TrueFileName$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a full file specification, given a partial specification. You can call this function from the MapBasic
window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
TrueFileName$( file_spec )
file_spec is a string representing a partial file specification (for example, "C:PARCELS.TAB")
Description
This function returns a full file specification (including full drive name and full directory name), given a
partial specification.
In some circumstances, you may need to process a partial file specification. For example, on a DOS
system, the following file specification is partial (it includes a drive letter, C:, but it omits the current directory name):
"C:parcels.tab"
If the current directory on drive C: is "\mapinfo\data" then the following function call:
TrueFileName$("C:parcels.tab")
returns the string:
"C:\mapinfo\data\parcels.tab"
If your application prompts the user to type in the name of a hard drive or file path, you may want to use
TrueFileName$( ) to expand the path entered by the user into a full path.
The TrueFileName$( ) function does not verify the existence of the named file; it merely expands the
partial drive letter and directory path. To determine whether a file exists, use the FileExists( ) function.
See Also:

Reference

745

Type statement
ProgramDirectory$( ) function

Type statement
Purpose
Defines a custom variable type which can be used in later Dim statements and Global statements.
Syntax
Type type_name
element_name As var_type
[ ... ]
End Type
type_name is the name you define for the data type.
element_name is the name you define for each element of the type.
var_type is the data type of that element.
Restrictions
Any Type statements must appear at the "global" level in a program file (for example, outside of any
sub procedure). You cannot issue a Type statement through the MapBasic window. You cannot pass
a Type variable as a by-value parameter to a procedure or function. You cannot write a Type variable
to a file using a Put statement.
Description
The Type statement creates a new data type composed of elements of existing data types. You can
address each element of a variable of a custom type using an expression structured as variable_name.element_name. A Type can contain elements of other custom types and elements which are arrays. You
can also declare arrays of variables of a custom Type. You cannot copy the entire contents of a Type
variable to another Type variable using an assignment of the form var_name = var_name.
Example
Type Person
fullname As String
age As Integer
dateofbirth As Date
End Type
Dim sales_mgr, sales_people(10) As Person
sales_mgr.fullname = "Otto Carto"
sales_people(1).fullname = "Melinda Robertson"
See Also:
Dim statement, Global statement, ReDim statement

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UBound( ) function
Purpose
Returns the current size of an array. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
UBound( array )
array is the name of an array variable.
Return Value
Integer
Description
The UBound( ) function returns an integer value indicating the current size (or "upper bound") of an array
variable.
Every array variable has an initial size, which can be zero or larger. This initial size is specified in the
variable's Dim statement or Global statement. However, an array's size can be reset through the
ReDim statement. The UBound( ) function returns an array's current size, as an integer value indicating
how many elements can currently be stored in the array. A MapBasic array can have up to 32,767 items.
Example
Dim matrix(10) As Float
Dim depth As Integer
depth = UBound(matrix)
' depth now has a value of 10
ReDim matrix(20)
depth = UBound(matrix)
' depth now has a value of 20
See Also:
Dim statement, Global statement, ReDim statement

UCase$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string, converted to upper-case. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
UCase$( string_expr )

Reference

747

UnDim statement
string_expr is a string expression.
Return Value
String
Description
The UCase$( ) function returns the string which is the upper-case equivalent of the string expression
string_expr.
Conversion from lower to upper case only affects alphabetic characters (A through Z); numeric digits
and punctuation marks are not affected. Thus, the function call UCase$("A#12a") returns the string
value "A#12A".
Example
Dim regular, upper_case As String
regular = "Los Angeles"
upper_case = UCase$(regular)
' upper_case now contains the value "LOS ANGELES"
See Also:
LCase$( ) function, Proper$( ) function

UnDim statement
Purpose
Undefines a variable. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
UnDim variable_name
variable_name is the name of a variable that was declared through the MapBasic window or through a
workspace.
Restrictions
The UnDim statement cannot be used in a compiled MapBasic program; it may only be used within a
workspace or entered through the MapBasic window.
Description
After you use the Dim statement to create a variable, you can use the UnDim statement to destroy that
variable definition. For example, suppose you type a Dim statement into the MapBasic window to declare
the variable X:
Dim X As Integer

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Now suppose you want to redefine X to be a Float. The following statements redefine X:
UnDim X
Dim X As Float
See Also:
Dim statement, ReDim statement

UnitAbbr$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string representing the abbreviated version of a standard MapInfo Professional unit name.
You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
UnitAbbr$( unit_name )
unit_name is a string representing a standard MapInfo Professional unit name (for example, "km").
Return Value
String expression, representing an abbreviated unit name (for example, "km")
Description
The unit_name parameter must be one of MapInfo Professional's standard, English-language unit names,
such as "km" (for kilometers) or "sq km" (for square kilometers).
The UnitAbbr$( ) function returns an abbreviated version of the unit name. The exact string returned
depends on whether the user is running the English-language version of MapInfo Professional or a
translated version. For example, if a user is running the German-language version of MapInfo Professional, the following function call returns the German translation of "sq km":
UnitAbbr$("sq km")
The UnitAbbr$( ) function can operate on units of distance, area, paper, and time. For a listing of MapInfo
Professional's standard distance unit names (for example, "km"), see Set Distance Units statement.
For a listing of area unit names (for example, "sq km"), see Set Area Units statement. For a listing of
paper unit names (for example, "in" for inches on a page layout), see Set Paper Units statement. Time
unit names include seconds ("sec"), minutes ("min"), and hours ("hr").
The unit_name parameter can also be "degree" (in which case, UnitAbbr$( ) returns "deg").
See Also:
Set Area Units statement, Set Distance Units statement, Set Paper Units statement, UnitName$(
) function

Reference

749

UnitName$( ) function

UnitName$( ) function
Purpose
Returns a string representing the full version of a standard MapInfo Professional unit name. You can
call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
UnitName$( unit_name )
unit_name is a string representing a standard MapInfo Professional unit name (for example, "km")
Return Value
String expression, representing a full unit name (for example, "kilometers")
Description
The unit_name parameter must be one of MapInfo Professional's standard, English-language unit names,
such as "km" (for kilometers) or "sq km" (for square kilometers).
The UnitName$( ) function returns a string representing the full version of the unit name. The exact
string returned depends on whether the user is running the English-language version of MapInfo Professional or a translated version. For example, if a user is running the French-language version of MapInfo
Professional, the following function call returns the French translation of "square kilometers":
UnitName$("sq km")
The UnitName$( ) function can operate on units of distance, area, paper, and time. For a listing of
MapInfo Professional's standard distance unit names (for example, "km"), see Set Distance Units
statement. For a listing of area unit names (for example, "sq km"), see Set Area Units statement. For
a listing of paper unit names (for example, "in" for inches on a page layout), see Set Paper Units
statement. Time unit names include seconds ("sec"), minutes ("min"), and hours ("hr").
The unit_name parameter can also be "degree" (in which case, UnitName$( ) returns "degrees").
See Also:
Set Area Units statement, Set Distance Units statement, Set Paper Units statement, UnitAbbr$(
) function

Unlink statement
Purpose
Unlinks a table which was downloaded and linked from a remote database with the Server Link Table
statement. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Unlink TableName

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TableName is the name of an open MapInfo linked table.
Description
Unlinking a table removes the link to the remote database. This statement doesn't work if edits are
pending (in other words, the user must first commit or rollback). All metadata associated with the table
linkage is removed. Fields that were marked non-editable are now editable. The end product is a normal
MapInfo base table.
Example
Unlink "City_1k"
See Also:
Commit Table statement, Server Link Table statement

Update statement
Purpose
Modifies one or more rows in a table. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
Update table Set column = expr [ , column = expr, ...]
[ Where RowID = idnum ]
table is the name of an open table.
column is the name of a column.
expr is an expression to assign to a column.
idnum is the number of a row in the table.
Description
The Update statement modifies one or more columns in a table. By default, the Update statement will
affect all rows in the specified table. However, if the statement includes a Where Rowid clause, only
one particular row will be updated. The Set clause specifies what sort of changes should be made to
the affected row or rows.
To update the map object that is attached to a row, specify the column name Obj in the Set clause; see
example below.
Examples
In the following example, we have a table of employee data; each record states the employee's department
and salary. Let's say we wish to give a seven percent raise to all employees of the marketing department

Reference

751

Update Window statement

currently earning less than $20,000. The example below uses a Select statement to select the appropriate employee records, and then uses an Update statement to modify the salary column accordingly.
Select * From employees
Where department ="marketing" And salary < 20000
Update Selection
Set salary = salary * 1.07
By using a Where RowID clause, you can tell MapBasic to only apply the Set operation to one particular
row of the table. The following example updates the salary column of the tenth record in the employees
table:
Update employees
Set salary = salary * 1.07
Where Rowid = 10
The next example stores a point object in the first row of a table:
Update sites
Set Obj = CreatePoint(x, y)
Where Rowid = 1
See Also:
Insert statement

Update Window statement

Purpose
Forces MapInfo Professional to process all pending changes to a window. You can issue this statement
from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Update Window window_id
window_id is an integer window identifier.
Description
The Update Window statement forces MapInfo Professional to process any pending window display
changes.
Under some circumstances, window operations performed by a MapBasic application do not appear
immediately. For example, if an application issues a Dialog statement immediately after modifying a
Map window, the changes to the Map window may not appear until after the user dismisses the dialog
box. To force MapInfo Professional to process pending display changes, use the Update Window
statement.
See Also:
Set Event Processing statement

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URL clause
Purpose
Specifies the library service URL. You can use this clause in the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
URL url
url is a valid Library Service URL.
Description
The URL clause specifies the default Library Service URL to use. It checks that the input is a valid Library
Service URL, and displays an error message if it is not valid.
The default Library service URL is set to an empty string "" to indicate that the Library Service is not
currently set. Once set to a valid URL, you can reset the Library Service URL to an empty string to reset
it.
Example
Include "MAPBASIC.DEF"
Set LibraryServiceInfo URL
http://localhost:8080/LibraryService/LibraryService
See Also:
Set LibraryServiceInfo statement, LibraryServiceInfo( ) function

USNGToPoint( ) function
Purpose
Converts a string representing an USNG (United States National Grid) coordinate into a point object in
the current MapBasic coordinate system. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
USNGToPoint( string )
string is a string expression representing a USNG grid reference.
Return Value
Object.

Reference

753

Val( ) function
Description
The returned point will be in the current MapBasic coordinate system, which by default is Long/Lat (no
datum). For the most accurate results when saving the resulting points to a table, set the MapBasic coordinate system to match the destination table's coordinate system before calling USNGToPoint( ). This
will prevent MapInfo Professional from doing an intermediate conversion to the datumless Long/Lat coordinate system, which can cause a significant loss of precision.
Example 1
dim obj1 as Object
dim s_USNG As String
dim obj2 as Object
obj1 = CreatePoint(-74.669, 43.263)
s_USNG = PointToUSNG$(obj1)
obj2 = USNGToPoint(s_USNG)
Example 2
Open Table "C:\Temp\MyTable.TAB" as USNGfile
' When using the PointToUSNG$( ) or USNGToPoint( ) functions,
' it is very important to make sure that the current MapBasic
' coordsys matches the coordsys of the table where the
' point object is being stored.
'Set the MapBasic coordsys to that of the table used
Set CoordSys Table USNGfile
'Update a Character column (for example COL2) with USNG strings from
'a table of points
Update USNGfile
Set Col2 = PointToUSNG$(obj)
'Update two float columns (Col3 & Col4) with
'CentroidX & CentroidY information
'from a character column (Col2) that contains USNG strings.
Update USNGfile
Set Col3 = CentroidX(USNGToPoint(Col2))
Update USNGtestfile ' USNGfile
Set Col4 = CentroidY(USNGToPoint(Col2))
Commit Table USNGfile
Close Table USNGfile
See Also:
PointToUSNG$(obj, datumid)

Val( ) function
Purpose
Returns the numeric value represented by a string. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Val( string_expr )
string_expr is a string expression.

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Return Value
Float
Description
The Val( ) function returns a number based on the string_expr string expression. Val( ) ignores any white
spaces (tabs, spaces, line feeds) at the start of the string_expr string, then tries to interpret the first
character(s) as a numeric value. The Val( ) function then stops processing the string as soon as it finds
a character that is not part of the number. If the first non-white-space character in the string is not a
period, a digit, a minus sign, or an ampersand character (&), Val( ) returns zero. (The ampersand is used
in hexadecimal notation; see example below.)
Note: If the string includes a decimal separator, it must be a period, regardless of whether the user's
computer is set up to use some other character as the decimal separator. Also, the string cannot
contain thousands separators. To remove thousands separators from a numeric string, call the
DeformatNumber$( ) function.

Example
Dim f_num As Float
f_num = Val("12 thousand")
' f_num is now equal to 12
f_num = Val("12,345")
' f_num is now equal to 12
f_num = Val(" 52 - 62 Brunswick Ave")
' f_num is now equal to 52
f_num = Val("Eighteen")
' f_num is now equal to 0 (zero)
f_num = Val("&H1A")
' f_num is now equal to 26 (which equals hexadecimal 1A)
See Also:
DeformatNumber$( ) function, Format$( ) function, Set Format statement, Str$( ) function

Weekday( ) function
Purpose
Returns an integer from 1 to 7, indicating the weekday of a specified date. You can call this function from
the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Weekday( date_expr )
date_expr is a date expression.

Reference

755

WFS Refresh Table statement

Return Value
SmallInt value from 1 to 7, inclusive; 1 represents Sunday.
Description
The Weekday( ) function returns an integer representing the day-of-the-week component (one to seven)
of the specified date.
The Weekday( ) function only works for dates on or after January 1, in the year 100. If date_expr specifies
a date before the year 100, the Weekday( ) function returns a value of zero.
Example
If Weekday( CurDate( ) ) = 6 Then
'
' then the date is a Friday
'
End If
See Also:
CurDate( ) function, Day( ) function, Month( ) function, Year( ) function

WFS Refresh Table statement

Purpose
Refreshes a WFS table from the server. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
WFS Refresh Table alias
[ Using Map [ Window window_id ] ]
[ Override Coordinate Order { On | Off } ]
alias is the an alias for an open registered WFS table.
window_id is the integer window identifier of a Map window.
Description
If the table was created with a row filter where the geometry of the wfs table is within the current mapper
(the row filter operation will be ogc:BBOX and the value is CURRENT_MAPPER), then the only data in
the table will be what is inside the mapper's bounds. Refreshing the table will use the old mapper bounds
and ignore any zoom or pan changes made since unless the optional Using Map clause is used. In this
case, the bounds of the current mapper will be used and any zoom and pan operations that have occurred
will be taken into account.
If the window is not provided, then the topmost map window is used for the bounds. Otherwise the bounds
of the map window specified by the window_id will be used.
Specifying a row filter using the mapper bounds can speed up the initial display of the WFS table, since
it restricts the amount of data being transferred from the server.

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The Override Coordinate Order clause is applied when the coordinate order is incorrect for only some
tables retrieved from a server. This clause applies a coordinate order override at the table level (instead
of at the server level). This clause can be used in conjunction with the Using Map clause. For an example
of how to determine if a Web Feature Service (WFS) table has the coordinate order override set, see
the examples under TableInfo( ) function has New Attributes.
Example
The following example refreshes the local table named watershed.
WFS Refresh Table watershed
If the WFS table was created with a row filter of the bounds of the mapper, and the mapper has been
panned, then the parts of the wfs table may not be displayed. To update the table so that it displays
everything in the current mapper, the following can be used.
WFS Refresh Table watershed Using Map
See Also:
Register Table statement, TableInfo( ) function

WKTToCoordSysString$( ) function
Purpose
Converts a Well-Known Text (WKT) string into a MapBasic coordinate system (CoordSys) clause. The
CoordSys clause specifies the coordinate system used by the paper map. For more details, see CoordSys clause. You can issue this statement from the MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
WKTToCoordSysString$( wkt_string )
wkt_string is a Well-Known Text (WKT) string value.
Return Value
String expression, representing a coordinate system. If no string value is found, returns an empty string.
Example
The following example:
print WKTToCoordSysString$("GEOGCS["+"""NAD27 Latitude/Longitude,Degrees"""+",DATUM["+"""North_American_Datum_1927"""+",SPHEROID["+"""Clarke 1866"""+",6378206.4,294.9786982139006],AUTHORITY["+"""EPSG"""+","+"""6267"""+"]],PRIMEM["+"""Greenwich"+""",0],UNIT["+"""degree"""+",0.0174532925199433]]")
Produces the following string:
CoordSys Earth Projection 1, 62
See Also:
CoordSys clause, CoordSysStringToWKT$( ) function, Set CoordSys statement

Reference

757

While...Wend statement

While...Wend statement
Purpose
Defines a loop which executes as long as a specified condition evaluates as TRUE.
Syntax
While condition
statement_list
Wend
condition is a conditional expression which controls when the loop should stop.
statement_list is the group of statements to execute with each iteration of the loop.
Restrictions
You cannot issue a While...Wend statement through the MapBasic window.
Description
The While...Wend statement provides loop control. MapBasic evaluates the condition; if it is TRUE,
MapBasic will execute the statement_list (and then evaluate the condition again, etc.).
As long as the condition remains TRUE, MapBasic will repeatedly execute the statement_list. When and
if the condition becomes FALSE, MapBasic will skip the statement_list, and continue execution with the
first statement following the Wend keyword.
Note that a statement of this form:
While condition
statement_list
Wend
is functionally identical to a statement of this form:
Do While condition
statement_list
Loop
The While...Wend syntax is provided for stylistic reasons (for example, for the sake of those programmers
who prefer the While...Wend syntax over the Do...Loop statement syntax).
Example
Dim psum As Float, i As Integer
Open Table "world"
Fetch First From world
i = 1
While i <= 10
psum = psum + world.population
Fetch Next From world
i = i + 1
Wend
See Also:

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Do...Loop statement, For...Next statement

WinChangedHandler procedure
Purpose
A reserved procedure, called automatically when a Map window is panned or zoomed, or whenever a
map layer is added or removed.
Syntax
Declare Sub WinChangedHandler
Sub WinChangedHandler
statement_list
End Sub
statement_list is a list of statements to execute when the map is panned or zoomed.
Description
WinChangedHandler is a special-purpose MapBasic procedure name. If the user runs an application
containing a procedure named WinChangedHandler, the application "goes to sleep" when the Main
procedure runs out of statements to execute. As long as the sleeping application remains in memory,
MapBasic calls WinChangedHandler whenever a Map window's extents are modified (for example,
the Map is scrolled, zoomed or re-sized). Within the WinChangedHandler procedure, call the CommandInfo( ) function to determine the integer window ID of the affected window.
Multiple MapBasic applications can be "sleeping" at the same time. When a Map window changes,
MapBasic automatically calls all sleeping WinChangedHandler procedures, one after another.
Under some circumstances, MapBasic may call a WinChangedHandler procedure as a result of an
event which did not affect the map extents. For example, drawing a new object may trigger the WinChangedHandler procedure. To halt a sleeping application and remove it from memory, use the End
Program statement.
Auto-scrolling Map Windows
MapInfo Professional automatically scrolls the Map window if the user clicks with the mouse and then
drags to the edge of the window. If the user auto-scrolls a Map window, MapInfo Professional calls
WinChangedHandler after the tool action is completed or canceled.
For example, if you use MapInfo Professional's Ruler tool and you autoscroll the window during each
segment, MapInfo Professional calls WinChangedHandler once, after you double-click to complete the
measurement (or after you press Esc to cancel the Ruler tool). If the user auto-scrolls while using a
custom MapBasic tool, MapInfo Professional calls the tool's handler procedure, and then calls WinChangedHandler.
MapInfo Professional will not call WinChangedHandler if the user auto-scrolls but then returns to the
original location before completing the operation or pressing Esc.
To disable the autoscroll feature, use the Set Window statement.

Reference

759

WinClosedHandler procedure
Example
For an example of using a WinChangedHandler procedure, see the OverView sample program.
See Also:
CommandInfo( ) function, WinClosedHandler procedure

WinClosedHandler procedure
Purpose
A reserved procedure, called automatically when a Map, Browse, Graph, Layout, Redistricting, Legend,
Legend Designer, or MapBasic window is closed.
Syntax
Declare Sub WinClosedHandler
Sub WinClosedHandler
statement_list
End Sub
statement_list is a list of statements to execute when a window is closed.
Description
WinClosedHandler is a special-purpose MapBasic sub procedure name. If the user runs an application
containing a procedure named WinClosedHandler, the application "goes to sleep" when the Main procedure runs out of statements to execute. As long as the sleeping application remains in memory,
MapBasic automatically calls the WinClosedHandler procedure whenever a window is closed.
Within the WinClosedHandler procedure, you can use issue the function call:
CommandInfo( CMD_INFO_WIN )
to determine the window identifier of the closed window.
Note: When any procedure in an application executes the End Program statement, the application
is completely removed from memory. Thus, you can use the End Program statement to terminate
a WinClosedHandler procedure once it is no longer wanted. Conversely, you should be careful
not to issue an End Program statement while the WinClosedHandler procedure is still needed.
Multiple MapBasic applications can be "sleeping" at the same time. When a window is closed, MapBasic
automatically calls all sleeping WinClosedHandler procedures, one after another.
See Also:
CommandInfo( ) function, EndHandler procedure, RemoteMsgHandler procedure, SelChangedHandler procedure, ToolHandler procedure, WinChangedHandler procedure

WindowID( ) function
Purpose
Returns a MapInfo Professional window identifier. You can call this function from the MapBasic window
in MapInfo Professional.

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Syntax
WindowID( window_num )
window_num is a number or a numeric code; see table below.
Return Value
Integer
Description
A window identifier is an integer value which uniquely identifies an existing window. Several MapBasic
statements (for example, the Set Map statement) take window identifiers as parameters.
The following table lists the various ways that you can specify the window_num parameter:
Value of window_num

Result

Positive SmallInt value (1, 2, ... n )

MapInfo Professional returns the window ID of a document

window, such as a Map or Browse window. For example, if
you specify 1, MapInfo Professional returns the integer ID of
the first document window. Note that n is the number of open
document windows; call the NumWindows( ) function to
determine n.

Negative SmallInt value (-1,-2, ...-m)

MapInfo Professional returns the window ID of a window,

which may be a document window or a floating window such
as the Info window. Note that m is the total number of windows
owned by MapInfo Professional; call the NumAllWindows(
) function to determine m. Using this syntax, you could call
WindowID( ) within a loop to build a list of the ID numbers of
all open windows.

Zero ( 0 )

MapInfo Professional returns the window ID of the most recently opened document window, custom Legend window,
or ButtonPad; returns zero if no windows are open.

Window code (for example,

WIN_RULER)

If you specify a window code with a value from 1001 to 1013,

MapInfo Professional returns the ID of a special window.
Window codes are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF. For example,
the code WIN_RULER (with a value of 1007) represents the
window used by MapInfo Professional's Ruler tool.

Error Conditions
ERR_BAD_WINDOW_NUM (648) error is generated if the window_num parameter is invalid.
See Also:
WindowInfo( ) function, FrontWindow( ) function, NumWindows( ) function

Reference

761

WindowInfo( ) function

WindowInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns information about a window. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in MapInfo
Professional.
Syntax
WindowInfo( window_spec, attribute )
window_spec is a number or a code that specifies which window you want to query.
attribute is an integer code indicating which information about the window to return.
Return Value
Depends on the attribute parameter.
Description
The WindowInfo( ) function returns one piece of information about an existing window.
Many of the values that you pass as the parameters to WindowInfo( ) are defined in the standard
MapBasic definitions file, MAPBASIC.DEF. Your program should Include "MAPBASIC.DEF" if you are
going to call WindowInfo( ).
The following table lists the various ways that you can specify the window_spec parameter:

762

Value of window_spec

Description

Integer window ID

You can use an integer window ID (which you can obtain by

calling the WindowID( ) function or the FrontWindow( )
function) to specify which window you want to query.

Positive SmallInt value (1, 2, ... n )

The function queries a document window, such as a Map or

Browser window. For example, specify 1 to retrieve information on the first document window. Note that n is the number
of open document windows; call the NumWindows( ) function to determine n.

Negative SmallInt value (-1,-2, ...-m)

The function queries a window, which may be a document

window or a floating window such as the Info window. Note
that m is the total number of windows owned by MapInfo
Professional; call the NumAllWindows( ) function to determine m. Using this syntax, you could call WindowInfo( ) within
a loop to query every open window.

Zero ( 0 )

The function queries the most recently-opened window. If no

windows are open, an error occurs.

MapBasic 12.0

Chapter 3: A to Z MapBasic Language Reference

Value of window_spec

Description

Window code (for example,

WIN_RULER)

If you specify a window code with a value from 1001 to 1013,

the function queries a special system window. Window codes
are defined in MAPBASIC.DEF. For example, MAPBASIC.DEF
contains the code WIN_RULER (with a value of 1007), which
represents the window used by MapInfo Professional's Ruler
tool.

The attribute parameter dictates which window attribute the function should return. The attribute parameter must be one of the codes from the table below:
attribute code

ID

WindowInfo( attribute ) returns:

WIN_INFO_NAME

String value: the name of the window.

WIN_INFO_TYPE

SmallInt value: window type, such as WIN_LAYOUT (3).

See table below.

WIN_INFO_WIDTH

Float value: window width (in paper units). For details

about paper units, see Set Paper Units statement.

WIN_INFO_HEIGHT

Float value: window height (in paper units).

WIN_INFO_X

Float value: the window's distance from the left edge of

the MapInfo Professional work area (in paper units).

WIN_INFO_Y

Float value: the window's distance from the left edge of

the MapInfo Professional work area (in paper units).

WIN_INFO_TOPMOST

Logical value: TRUE if this is the active window.

WIN_INFO_STATE

SmallInt value: WIN_STATE_NORMAL if at normal size,

WIN_STATE_MINIMIZED (1) if minimized,
WIN_STATE_MAXIMIZED (2) if maximized.

WIN_INFO_TABLE

10

String value: For Map windows, the name of the window's

"CosmeticN" table. For Layout windows, the name of the
window's "LayoutN" table. For Browser or Graph windows,
the name of the table displayed in the window.

WIN_INFO_ADORNMENTS_MAP

10

Overloaded with the same value as WIN_INFO_TABLE

(10).
Integer value: If the WindowID is a Adornment, this returns
the integer WindowID of the Map window used to create
the Adornment.

WIN_INFO_LEGENDS_MAP

10

Overloaded with the same value as WIN_INFO_TABLE

(10).
Integer value: If the WindowID is a Legend created using
the Create Legend statement, this returns the integer

Reference

763

WindowInfo( ) function
attribute code

ID

WindowInfo( attribute ) returns:

window ID of the Map or Graph window that owns the legend. When you query the standard Legend window, returns 0.

764

WIN_INFO_OPEN

11

Logical value: TRUE if the window is open (used with

special windows such as the Info window).

WIN_INFO_WND

12

Integer value. On Windows, the value represents a Windows HWND for the window you are querying.

WIN_INFO_WINDOWID

13

Integer value, representing the window's ID; identical to

the value returned by the WindowID( ) function. This is
useful if you pass zero as the window_spec.

WIN_INFO_WORKSPACE

14

String value: the string of MapBasic statements that a

Save Workspace operation would write to a workspace
to record the settings for this map. Differs from
WIN_INFO_CLONEWINDOW (15) in that the results include Open Table statement, etc.

WIN_INFO_CLONEWINDOW

15

String value: a string of MapBasic statements that can be

used in a Run Command statement to duplicate a window.

WIN_INFO_SYSMENUCLOSE

16

Logical value: FALSE indicates that a Set Window

statement has disabled the Close command on the window's system menu.

WIN_INFO_AUTOSCROLL

17

Logical value: TRUE if the autoscroll feature is on for this

window, allowing the user to scroll the Map or Layout
window by dragging to the window's edge. To turn autoscroll on or off, use the Set Window statement.

WIN_INFO_SMARTPAN

18

Logical value; TRUE if Smart Pan has been set on.

WIN_INFO_SNAPMODE

19

Returns a logical value. TRUE if snap mode is on. FALSE

if snap mode is off.

WIN_INFO_SNAPTHRESHOLD

20

Returns a SmallInt value representing the pixel tolerance.

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_NAME

21

Returns string value with printer identifier (for example,

\\DISCOVERY\HP4_DEVEL)

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_ORIENT

22

Returns WIN_PRINTER_PORTRAIT (1) or WIN_PRINTER_LANDSCAPE (2)

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_COPIES

23

Returns integer number of copies.

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_PAPERSIZE

24

Integer value. Refer to the PAPERSIZE.DEF file (In the

\MapInfo\MapBasic directory) for the meaning of the
return value.

MapBasic 12.0

Chapter 3: A to Z MapBasic Language Reference

attribute code

ID

WindowInfo( attribute ) returns:

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_LEFTMARGIN 25

Float value: left printer margin value in current units.

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_RIGHTMARGIN

Float value: right printer margin value in current units.

26

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_TOPMARGIN 27

Float value: top margin value in current units.

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_BOTTOMMAR- 28
GIN

Float value: bottom printer margin value in current units.

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_BORDER (29) 29

String value: ON if a black border will be on the printer

output, OFF otherwise.

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_TRUECOLOR 30

String value: ON if use 24-bit true color to print raster and

grid images. This is possible when the image is 24 bit and
the printer supports more than 256 colors, OFF otherwise.

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_DITHER

31

String value: return dithering method, which is used when

it is necessary to convert a 24-bit image to 256 colors.
Possible return values are HALFTONE and ERRORDIFFUSION. This option is used when printing raster and grid
images. Dithering will occur if WIN_INFO_PRINTER_TRUECOLOR (30) is disabled or if the printer color
depth is 256 colors or less.

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_METHOD

32

String value: possible return values are DEVICE, EMF,

or PRINTOSBM.

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_TRANSPRAS- 33
TER

String value: possible return values are DEVICE and INTERNAL.

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_TRANSPVECTOR

34

String value: possible return values are DEVICE and INTERNAL.

WIN_INFO_EXPORT_BORDER

35

String value: possible return values are ON and OFF.

WIN_INFO_EXPORT_TRUECOLOR 36

String value: possible return values are ON and OFF.

WIN_INFO_EXPORT_DITHER

37

String value: possible return values are HALFTONE and

ERRORDIFFUSION.

WIN_INFO_EXPORT_TRANSPRAS- 38
TER

String value: possible return values are DEVICE and INTERNAL.

WIN_INFO_EXPORT_TRANSPVECTOR

39

String value: possible return values are DEVICE and INTERNAL.

WIN_INFO_PRINTER_SCALE_PAT- 40
TERNS

Logical value. TRUE if window is scaled on printer output.

FALSE if not scaled.

WIN_INFO_EXPORT_ANTIALIASING 41

String value: ON if a anti-aliasing filter will be used for

exporting, OFF otherwise.

Reference

765

WindowInfo( ) function
attribute code

ID

WindowInfo( attribute ) returns:

WIN_INFO_EXPORT_THRESHOLD 42

Integer value between 0 and 255 that specifies anti-aliasing threshold.

WIN_INFO_EXPORT_MASKSIZE

43

Integer value between 0 and 100

WIN_INFO_EXPORT_FILTER

44

Integer value that return one of possible anti-aliasing filters:

FILTER_VERTICALLY_AND_HORIZONTALLY (0)
FILTER_ALL_DIRECTIONS_1 (1)
FILTER_ALL_DIRECTIONS_2 (2)
FILTER_DIAGONALLY (3)
FILTER_HORIZONTALLY (4)
FILTER_VERTICALLY (5)

WIN_INFO_ENHANCED_RENDER- 45
ING

Logical value: TRUE if enhanced rendering is on for this

window. To turn enhanced rendering on or off, use the
Set Window statement.

WIN_INFO_SMOOTH_TEXT

46

String value: The string representation of the current

smooth text mode for the window. To change the smooth
mode, use the Set Window statement.

WIN_INFO_SMOOTH_IMAGE

47

String value: The string representation of the current

smooth image mode for the window. To change the
smooth mode, use the Set Window statement.

WIN_INFO_SMOOTH_VECTOR

48

String value: The string representation of the current

smooth vector mode for the window. To change the
smooth mode, use the Set Window statement.

If you specify WIN_INFO_TYPE as the attribute, WindowInfo( ) returns one of these values:

766

Window type

ID

Window description

WIN_MAPPER

Map window

WIN_BROWSER

Browse window

WIN_LAYOUT

Layout window

WIN_GRAPH

Graph window

WIN_BUTTONPAD

19

A ButtonPad window

WIN_TOOLBAR

25

The Toolbar window

WIN_CART_LEGEND

27

The Cartographic Legend window

WIN_3DMAP

28

The 3D Map window

WIN_ADORNMENT

32

The Adornment window

MapBasic 12.0

Chapter 3: A to Z MapBasic Language Reference

Window type

ID

Window description

WIN_LEGEND_DESIGNER

35

The Legend Designer window

WIN_HELP

1001 The Help window

WIN_MAPBASIC

1002 The MapBasic window

WIN_MESSAGE

1003 The Message window (used with the Print statement)

WIN_RULER

1007 The Ruler window (displays the distances measured by

the Ruler tool)

WIN_INFO

1008 The Info window (displays data when the user clicks with
the Info tool)

WIN_LEGEND

1009 The Theme Legend window

WIN_STATISTICS

1010 The Statistics window

WIN_MAPINFO

1011 The MapInfo Professional application window

Each Map window has a special, temporary table, which represents the "cosmetic layer" for that map.
These tables (which have names like "Cosmetic1", "Cosmetic2", etc.) are invisible to the MapInfo Professional user. To obtain the name of a Cosmetic table, specify WIN_INFO_TABLE (10). Similarly, you
can obtain the name of a Layout window's temporary table (for example, "Layout1") by calling WindowInfo( ) with the WIN_INFO_TABLE (10) attribute.
Error Conditions
ERR_BAD_WINDOW (590) error is generated if the window_id parameter is invalid.
ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE (644) error is generated if an argument is outside of the valid range.
Example
The following example opens the Statistics window if it isn't open already.
If Not WindowInfo(WIN_STATISTICS,WIN_INFO_OPEN) Then
Open Window WIN_STATISTICS
End If
See Also:
WindowID( ) function, Browse statement, Graph statement, Map statement

WinFocusChangedHandler procedure
Purpose
A reserved procedure name, called automatically when the window focus changes.
Syntax
Declare Sub WinFocusChangedHandler
Sub WinFocusChangedHandler

Reference

767

Write # statement
statement_list
End Sub
Description
If a MapBasic application contains a sub procedure called WinFocusChangedHandler, MapInfo Professional calls the sub procedure automatically, whenever the window focus changes. This behavior applies
to all MapInfo Professional window types (Browsers, Maps, etc.). Within the WinFocusChangedHandler
procedure, you can obtain the integer window ID of the current window by calling CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_WIN).
The WinFocusChangedHandler procedure should not use the Note statement and should not open
or close any windows. These restrictions are similar to those for other handlers, such as the
SelChangedHandler procedure.
The WinFocusChangedHandler procedure should be as short as possible, to avoid slowing system
performance.
Example
The following example shows how to enable or disable a menu item, depending on whether the active
window is a Map window.
Include "mapbasic.def"
Include "menu.def"
Declare Sub Main
Declare sub WinFocusChangedHandler
Sub Main
' At this point, we could create a custom menu item
' which should only be enabled if the current window
' is a Map window...
End Sub
Sub WinFocusChangedHandler
Dim i_win_type As SmallInt
i_win_type=WindowInfo(CommandInfo(CMD_INFO_WIN),WIN_INFO_TYPE)
If i_win_type = WIN_MAPPER Then
' here, we could enable a map-related menu item
Else
' here, we could disable a map-related menu item
End If
End Sub
See Also:
WinChangedHandler procedure

Write # statement
Purpose
Writes data to an open file.

768

MapBasic 12.0

Chapter 3: A to Z MapBasic Language Reference

Syntax
Write # file_num [ , expr ... ]
file_num is the number of an open file.
expr is an expression to write to the file.
Description
The Write # statement writes data to an open file. The file must have been opened in a sequential mode
which allows modification of the file (Output or Append).
The file_num parameter corresponds to the number specified in the As clause of the Open File statement.
If the statement includes a comma-separated list of expressions, MapInfo Professional automatically
inserts commas into the file to separate the items. If the statement does not include any expressions,
MapInfo Professional writes a blank line to the file.
The Write # statement automatically encloses string expressions in quotation marks within the file. To
write text to a file without quotation marks, use the Print # statement.
Use the Input # statement to read files that were created using Write #.
See Also:
Input # statement, Open File statement, Print # statement

Year( ) function
Purpose
Returns the year component of a date value. You can call this function from the MapBasic window in
MapInfo Professional.
Syntax
Year( date_expr )
date_expr is a date expression.
Return Value
SmallInt
Description
If the Set Date Window( ) statement is off, then the year also depends on your system clock.
Examples
The following example shows how you can use the Year( ) function to extract only the year component
of a particular date value.
Dim sampleDate as Date
Set Date Window Off
sampleDate=StringToDate("10/1/98")

Reference

769

Year( ) function
Print Year(sampleDate)
' 2098 (or 1998 if the computer's system date is set in the 1900's)
' because with date windowing off MapInfo uses the current century
Set Date Window 50
' now assume that two-digit dates fall in the period 1950-2049
print Year(sampleDate)
' still 2098, because date variable has already been assigned!
sampleDate=StringToDate("10/1/98")
' re-assign variable now that the date window has changed
print Year(sampleDate) ' 1998
Undim sampleDate
The Year( ) function can also take a string, rather than a Date variable. In that case, implicit conversion
to date format occurs. The following example illustrates this:
Set Date Window Off
Print Year("10/1/99") ' prints 2099
Set Date Window 50
Print Year("10/1/99") ' prints 1999
You can also use the Year( ) function within the SQL Select statement. The following Select statement
selects only particular rows from the Orders table. This example assumes that the Orders table has a
Date column, called OrderDate. The Select statement's Where clause tells MapInfo Professional to only
select the orders from December of 1993.
Open Table "orders"
Select * From orders
Where Month(orderdate) = 12 And Year(orderdate) = 1993
See Also:
CurDate( ) function, Day( ) function, DateWindow( ) function, Minute( ) function, Month( ) function,
Second( ) function, Weekday( ) function

770

MapBasic 12.0

HTTP and FTP Libraries

This appendix details the HTTP and FTP libraries that enable MapBasic programmers to use web-based technology. These libraries allow access to RSS feeds
and other web-based location information such as weather information, traffic
feeds, vehicle locations, etc., as well as the ability to set up FTP connections and
search, receive, and send files through a MapBasic program. This library uses
the common DEF files: HTTPLib.DEF, HTTPType.DEF, and HTTPUtil.DEF,
which are installed in <Your MapBasic Installation Directory>\Samples\MapBasic\INC. Make sure you include these files as header
files into your programs. All the functionality described in this appendix is also
dependent on the presence of GmlXlat.dll which is installed with MapInfo
Professional.
We have provided sample applications that demonstrate the use of these libraries.
See <Your MapBasic Installation Directory>\Samples\MapBasic\HTTPLib and <Your MapBasic Installation Directory>\Samples\MapBasic\FTPLib for the specific samples.
All of the functions and procedures listed in this appendix are wrappers of the
corresponding methods of Microsoft MFC Classes. The wrapped classes include
CInternetSession, CHttpConnection, CFtpConnection, CHttpFile,
and CFtpFileFind. For more detailed information about the usage of the related
classes refer to the MSDN reference for MFC classes (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bk77x1wx(en-US,vs.80).aspx).
Note: As this is a library, the functions and procedures listed in this appendix
do not execute from a MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

In this section:

MICloseContent( ) procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .773

MICloseFtpConnection( ) procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .773
MICloseFtpFileFind( ) procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .774
MICloseHttpConnection( ) procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .774
MICloseHttpFile( ) procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .775
MICloseSession( ) procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .775

772

MICreateSession( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .776

MICreateSessionFull( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .776
MIErrorDlg( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .778
MIFindFtpFile( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .779
MIFindNextFtpFile( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .780
MIGetContent( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .781
MIGetContentBuffer( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .781
MIGetContentLen( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .782
MIGetContentString( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .782
MIGetContentToFile( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .783
MIGetContentType( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .784
MIGetCurrentFtpDirectory( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .784
MIGetErrorCode( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .785
MIGetErrorMessage( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .786
MIGetFileURL( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .786
MIGetFtpConnection( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .787
MIGetFtpFile( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .788
MIGetFtpFileFind( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .789
MIGetFtpFileName( ) procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .790
MIGetHttpConnection( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .791
MIIsFtpDirectory( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .791
MIIsFtpDots( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .792
MIOpenRequest( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .793
MIOpenRequestFull( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .794
MIParseURL( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .795
MIPutFtpFile( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .796
MIQueryInfo( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .797
MIQueryInfoStatusCode( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .798
MISaveContent( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .799
MISendRequest( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800
MISendSimpleRequest( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .801
MISetCurrentFtpDirectory( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .801
MISetSessionTimeout( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .802

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

MICloseContent( ) procedure
Purpose
Closes and disposes of the CString handle and frees its memory.
Syntax
MICloseContent( ByVal hContent As CString )
hContent is the CString object handle to be disposed of.
Description
Use the MICloseContent( ) procedure to close and free the CString object handle, obtained by calling
the MIGetContent( ) function, when the handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIGetContent( ) function

MICloseFtpConnection( ) procedure
Purpose
Closes and disposes of the CFtpConnection handle and frees its memory.
Syntax
MICloseFtpConnection( ByVal hConnection As CFtpConnection )
hConnection is the CFtpConnection object handle to be disposed of.
Description
Use the MICloseFtpConnection( ) procedure to close and free the CFtpConnection handle, obtained
by calling the MIGetFtpConnection( ) function, when the handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIGetFtpConnection( ) function

Reference

773

MICloseFtpFileFind( ) procedure

MICloseFtpFileFind( ) procedure
Purpose
Closes and disposes of the CFtpFileFind handle and frees its memory.
Syntax
MICloseFtpFileFind( ByVal hFTPFind As CFtpFileFind )
hFTPFind is the handle to a CFtpFileFind object to be disposed of.
Description
Use the MICloseFtpFileFind( ) procedure to close and free the CFtpFileFind handle, obtained by calling
the MIGetFtpFileFind( ) function, when the handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIGetFtpFileFind( ) function

MICloseHttpConnection( ) procedure
Purpose
Closes and disposes of the CHttpConnection handle and frees its memory.
Syntax
MICloseHttpConnection( ByVal hConnection As CHttpConnection )
hConnection is the CHttpConnection object handle to be disposed of.
Description
Use the MICloseHttpConnection( ) to close and free the CHttpConnection handle, obtained by calling
the MIGetHttpConnection( ) function, when the handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIGetHttpConnection( ) function

774

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

MICloseHttpFile( ) procedure
Purpose
Closes and disposes of the CHttpFile handle and frees its memory.
Syntax
MICloseHttpFile( ByVal hFile As CHttpFile )
hFile is the CHttpFile object handle to be disposed of.
Description
Use the MICloseHttpFile( ) procedure to close and free the CHttpFile object handle, obtained by calling
the MIOpenRequest( ) function or the MIOpenRequestFull( ) function, when the handle is no longer
in use.
See Also:
MIOpenRequest( ) function, MIOpenRequestFull( ) function

MICloseSession( ) procedure
Purpose
Closes and disposes of the CInternetSession handle and frees its memory.
Syntax
MICloseSession( ByVal hSession As CInternetSession )
hSession is the CInternetSession object handle to be disposed of.
Description
Use the MICloseSession( ) procedure to close and free the CInternetSession handle, obtained by calling
the MICreateSession( ) function or the MICreateSessionFull( ) function, when the handle is no longer
in use.
See Also:
MICreateSession( ) function, MICreateSessionFull( ) function

Reference

775

MICreateSession( ) function

MICreateSession( ) function
Purpose
Creates a CInternetSession object and returns the handle to it.
Syntax
MICreateSession( ByVal strAgent As String ) As CInternetSession
strAgent is a string that identifies the name of the application or entity calling the Internet functions (for
example, "MapInfo Professional"). If the string is empty, the application name will be used.
Return Value
A handle to a CInternetSession object. If the call fails, Null is returned. To determine the cause of the
failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage( ) function.
Description
MICreateSession( ) is the first Internet function called by an application. Use CInternetSession to create
and initialize a single, or several simultaneous Internet sessions, and, if necessary, to describe your
connection to a proxy server. If you want to perform service-specific (for example, HTTP, FTP) actions
on files located on a server, you must establish the appropriate connection with that server. To open a
particular kind of connection directly to a particular service, use the proper functions, such as the MIGetHttpConnection( ) function or the MIGetFtpConnection( ) function. For detailed information, refer
to the Microsoft MSDN library.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling the MICloseSession( ) procedure when the handle
is no longer in use.
See Also:
MICloseSession( ) procedure

MICreateSessionFull( ) function
Purpose
Creates a CInternetSession object and returns the handle to it.
Syntax
MICreateSessionFull( ByVal strAgent As String, ByVal dwContext As Integer,
ByVal dwAccessType As Integer, ByVal strProxyName As String,

776

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

ByVal strProxyBypass As String, ByVal dwFlags As Integer
As CInternetSession
strAgent is a string that identifies the name of the application or entity calling the Internet functions (for
example, "MapInfo Professional"). If the string is empty, the application name is used.
dwContext is the context identifier for the operation.
dwAccessType is The type of access required. The following are the valid values, exactly one of which
may be supplied:
dwAccessType value

Definition

INTERNET_OPEN_TYPE_PRECONFIG

Connect using preconfigured settings in the registry. This access type is set as default. To connect through a TIS proxy, set dwAccessType to
this value; you then set the registry appropriately.

INTERNET_OPEN_TYPE_DIRECT

Connect directly to Internet.

INTERNET_OPEN_TYPE_PROXY

Connect through a CERN proxy.

strProxyName is the name of the preferred CERN proxy if dwAccessType is set as INTERNET_OPEN_TYPE_PROXY. Default is an empty string.
strProxyBypass is a string that contains an option list of server addresses. These addresses may be
bypassed when using proxy access. If an empty string is supplied, the bypass list will be read from the
registry. This parameter is meaningful only if dwAccessType is set to INTERNET_OPEN_TYPE_PROXY.
dwFlags indicates various caching options. The default is set to 0. The possible values include:
dwFlag value

Definition

INTERNET_FLAG_DONT_CACHE

Do not cache the data, either locally or in any

gateway servers.

INTERNET_FLAG_OFFLINE

Download operations are satisfied through the

persistent cache only. If the item does not exist in
the cache, an appropriate error code is returned.

Return Value
A handle to a CInternetSession object. If the call fails, Null is returned. To determine the cause of the
failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage( ) function.
Description
MICreateSessionFull( ) is the first Internet function called by an application. Use CInternetSession to
create and initialize a single or several simultaneous Internet sessions and, if necessary, to describe
your connection to a proxy server. If you want to perform service-specific (for example, HTTP, FTP) actions
on files located on a server, you must establish the appropriate connection with that server. To open a
particular kind of connection directly to a particular service, use the proper functions, such as the MIGetHttpConnection( ) function or the MIGetFtpConnection( ) function. For detailed information, refer
to the Microsoft MSDN library.

Reference

777

MIErrorDlg( ) function
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling the MICloseSession( ) procedure when the handle
is no longer in use.
See Also:
MICreateSession( ) function, MICloseSession( ) procedure

MIErrorDlg( ) function
Purpose
Displays an error message dialog box.
Displays a dialog box for the error that is passed to MIErrorDlg, if an appropriate dialog box exists. The
function also checks the headers of the specified CHttpFile for any hidden errors and displays a dialog
box if needed.
Syntax
MIErrorDlg( ByVal hFile As CHttpFile, ByVal dwError As Integer) As Integer
hFile is a CHttpFile handle.
dwError is the error code which is used to get the error message.
Return Value
Returns one of the following values, otherwise returns an error value.
Error Code

Description

ERROR_SUCCESS

The function completed successfully. In the case

of authentication this indicates that the user clicked
the Cancel button.

ERROR_CANCELLED

The function was canceled by the user.

ERROR_INTERNET_FORCE_RETRY

This indicates that the function needs to redo its

request. In the case of authentication this indicates
that the user clicked the OK button.

Description
Use this function to get the error message in the form of a dialog box if an appropriate dialog box exists.
It also checks the headers for any hidden errors and displays a dialog box if needed. For more information,
refer to the Microsoft MSDN library. Allowable error codes are as follows:

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Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

Error Code

Description

ERROR_INTERNET_HTTP_TO_HTTPS_ON_REDIR

Notifies the user of the zero crossing to and from

a secure site.

ERROR_INTERNET_INCORRECT_PASSWORD Displays a dialog box requesting the user's name

and password.
ERROR_INTERNET_INVALID_CA

Notifies the user that the function does not recognize the certificate authority that generated the
certificate for this Secure Socket Layer (SSL) site.

ERROR_INTERNET_POST_IS_NON_SECURE

Displays a warning about posting data to the server

through a nonsecure connection.

ERROR_INTERNET_SEC_CERT_CN_INVALID

Indicates that the SSL certificate Common Name

(host name field) is incorrect. Displays an Invalid
SSL Common Name dialog box and lets the user
view the incorrect certificate. Also allows the user
to select a certificate in response to a server request.

ERROR_INTERNET_SEC_CERT_DATE_INVALID Notifies the user that the SSL certificate has expired.
For more information, refer to the Microsoft MSDN Library.
See Also:
MIOpenRequest( ) function, MISendRequest( ) function

MIFindFtpFile( ) function
Purpose
Finds an FTP file with the given CFtpFileFind handle.
Syntax
MIFindFtpFile( ByVal hFTPFind As CFtpFileFind, ByVal strName As String )
As SmallInt
hFTPFind is a CFtpFileFind handle.
strDirName is a string that contains the name of the file to find. If it is empty, the call performs a wildcard
search (*).

Reference

779

MIFindNextFtpFile( ) function
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
After calling MIFindFtpFile( ) to retrieve the first FTP file, you can call the MIFindNextFtpFile( ) function
to retrieve subsequent FTP files.
See Also:
MIGetFtpFileFind( ) function, MIFindNextFtpFile( ) function, MIGetFtpFileName( ) procedure,
MIIsFtpDirectory( ) function, MIIsFtpDots( ) function

MIFindNextFtpFile( ) function
Purpose
Continues a file search begun with a call to the MIFindFtpFile( ) function with the given CFtpFileFind
handle.
Syntax
MIFindNextFtpFile( ByVal hFTPFind As CFtpFileFind ) As SmallInt
hFTPFind is a CFtpFileFind handle.
Return Value
Nonzero if there are more files; zero if the file found is the last one in the directory or if an error occurred.
Description
You must call MIfindNextFtpFile( ) at least once before calling any attribute function, such as MIGetFtpFileName( ) procedure, MIIsFtpDirectory( ) function, and MIIsFtpDots( ) function.
See Also:
MIGetFtpFileFind( ) function, MIFindFtpFile( ) function, MIGetFtpFileName( ) procedure, MIIsFtpDirectory( ) function, MIIsFtpDots( ) function

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Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

MIGetContent( ) function
Purpose
Gets the content of the file.
Syntax
MIGetContent( ByVal hFile As CHttpFile )

As CString

hFile is a CHttpFile handle

Return Value
A handle to a CString object that contains the content of the file. If the call fails, Null is returned. To determine the cause of the failure, call MIGetErrorMessage( ) function.
Description
MIGetContent( ) gets the content of a file and stores it in a CString object, which is an alternative to the
MIGetContentToFile( ) function. It has to remember that MIGetContentToFile and MIGetContent are
exclusive, which means you can only use one of them during the life time of a CHttpFile object.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling the MICloseContent( ) procedure when the handle
is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIOpenRequest( ) function, MISendRequest( ) function, MICloseContent( ) procedure, MIGetContentToFile( ) function

MIGetContentBuffer( ) function
Purpose
Gets the content in the format of a string with the given size.
Syntax
MIGetContentBuffer( ByVal hContent As CString, pBuffer As String,
ByVal nLen As Integer As SmallInt
hContent is a CString handle.
pBuffer is a reference to a string that receives the content of the file.
nLen is the size of pBuffer in number of characters or bytes.

Reference

781

MIGetContentLen( ) function
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
Use MIGetContentBuffer( ) to get the content of the file in string format with a given size. You have to
allocate memory for pBuffer before calling this function.
See Also:
MIGetContent( ) function, MIGetContentLen( ) function, MIGetContentString( ) function.

MIGetContentLen( ) function
Purpose
Gets the content length.
Syntax
MIGetContentLen( ByVal hContent As CString ) As Integer
hContent is a CString handle.
Return Value
The content length in number of characters or bytes. Zero could be either that the call fails or that content
is empty. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage( ) function.
Description
Use MIGetContentLen( ) to get the content length of the file in number of characters or bytes.
See Also:
MIGetErrorMessage( ) function

MIGetContentString( ) function
Purpose
Gets the content in the format of string.

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Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

Syntax
MIGetContentString( ByVal hContent As CString ) As String
hContent s a CString handle.
Return Value
A string that contains the content of the file. To determine the cause of the failure if an empty string is
returned, call the MIGetErrorMessage( ) function.
Description
Use this function to get the content of the file in string format.
See Also:
MIGetContent( ) function, MIGetContentLen( ) function

MIGetContentToFile( ) function
Purpose
Saves the contents to a given file.
Syntax
MIGetContentToFile( ByVal hFile As CHttpFile,
ByVal strFileName As String As SmallInt
hFile is a CHttpFile handle
strFileName is a string that identifies the local file name that receives the content of hFile.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
This function is used to save the content to a CHttpFile to a local file, which is an alternative to MIGetContent. It will create a new file with given file name. If the file exists already, it is truncated to 0 length.
It has to remember that MIGetContentToFile and MIGetContent are exclusive, which means you can
only use one of them during the life time of a CHttpFile object.
See Also:
MIOpenRequest( ) function, MISendRequest( ) function, MIGetContent( ) function.

Reference

783

MIGetContentType( ) function

MIGetContentType( ) function
Purpose
Gets the content type of the file.
Syntax
MIGetContentType( ByVal hFile As CHttpFile, pBuffer As String,
pBufferLength As Integer As SmallInt
hFile is a CHttpFile handle.
pBuffer is a reference to a string that receives the content type.
pBufferLength is a reference to an integer that contains the length of pBuffer in number of characters or
bytes on entry. When the function succeeds (a string is written to pBuffer), it contains the length of the
string in characters, minus 1 for the terminating NULL character.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
Use MIGetContentType( ) to get the content type of the file in string format. For example, written value
in pBuffer could be "image/jpeg" or "text/html".
See Also:
MIQueryInfo( ) function

MIGetCurrentFtpDirectory( ) function
Purpose
Gets the name of the current directory on the FTP server with the given CFtpConnection handle.
Syntax
MIGetCurrentFtpDirectory( Byval hConnection As CFtpConnection,
pDirName As String, pLen As Integer As SmallInt
hConnection is a CFtpConnection handle.
pDirName is a reference to a string that receives the name of the directory.

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Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

pLen is a reference to an integer that contains the size of the buffer referenced by pDirName as input;
the number of characters stored to pDirName as output.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
The parameters pDirName can be either fully qualified, or partially qualified, file names relative to the
current directory. A backslash (\) or forward slash (/) can be used as the directory separator for either
name. MIGetCurrentFtpDirectory( ) translates the directory name separators to the appropriate characters before they are used.
See Also:
MIGetFtpConnection( ) function, MISetCurrentFtpDirectory( ) function

MIGetErrorCode( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves the last error that was set as a result of a call to a function in this library.
Syntax
MIGetErrorCode() As Integer
Return Value
Error code of the last error set.
Description
MIGetErrorCode( ) is called if the function's return value indicates its failure and you want to know the
error code. To obtain an error message as a String, call the MIGetErrorMessage( ) function.
The error value retrieved is only set when certain errors occur during calls to other functions in the HTTP
and FTP API. It is primarily useful for determining which error occurred as a result of a call to the MISendRequest( ) function or the MISendSimpleRequest( ) function so the correct value can be passed
to the MIErrorDlg( ) function.
See Also:
MIGetErrorMessage( ) function, MISendRequest( ) function, MISendSimpleRequest( ) function,
MIErrorDlg( ) function

Reference

785

MIGetErrorMessage( ) function

MIGetErrorMessage( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves the last error message.
Syntax
MIGetErrorMessage( ) As String
Return Value
A string that contains the error message.
Description
MIGetErrorMessage( ) should be called immediately to get useful data when a function's return value
indicates its failure and you want to know the cause. Many of the returned errors are system-set errors.

MIGetFileURL( ) function
Purpose
Gets the name of the HTTP file as a URL.
Syntax
MIGetFileURL( ByVal hFile As CHttpFile, pURL As String,
ByVal lURLLen As Integer ) As SmallInt
hFile is a CHttpFile handle.
pURL is a reference to a string that receives the name of the HTTP file as a URL.
pURLLen is the size of pURL in number of characters or bytes.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
Use MIGetFileURL( ) to get the name of the HTTP file as a URL.

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Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

See Also:
MISendRequest( ) function, MIOpenRequest( ) function

MIGetFtpConnection( ) function
Purpose
Establishes an FTP connection and gets a handle to a CFtpConnection object.
Syntax
MIGetFtpConnection( ByVal hSession As CInternetSession,
ByVal strServer As String, ByVal strUserName As String,
ByVal strPassword As String, ByVal nPort As INTERNET_PORT )
As CFtpConnection
hSession is a CinternetSession handle.
strServer is a string that contains the FTP server name.
strUserName is a string that specifies the name of the user to log in.
strPassword is a string that specifies the password to use to log in.
nPort is a number that identifies the TCP/IP port to use on the server.
Return Value
A handle to a CFtpConnection object. If the call fails, Null is returned. To determine the cause of the
failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage( ) function.
Description
MIGetFtpConnection( ) connects to an FTP server, creates and returns a handle to a CFtpConnection
object. It does not perform any specific operation on the server. If you intend to get or put files, for example,
you must perform those operations as separate steps.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling the MICloseFtpConnection( ) procedure when the
handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MICloseFtpConnection( ) procedure, MIGetHttpConnection( ) function, MICreateSession( ) function,
MICreateSessionFull( ) function, MIParseURL( ) function

Reference

787

MIGetFtpFile( ) function

MIGetFtpFile( ) function
Purpose
Gets a file from an FTP server with the given CFtpConnection handle and stores it on the local. machine.
Syntax
MIGetFtpFile( ByVal hConnection As CFtpConnection,
ByVal strRemoteFile As String, ByVal strLocalFile As String,
ByVal bFailIfExists As SmallInt, ByVal dwAttributes As Integer,
ByVal dwFlags As Integer ) As SmallInt
hConnection is a CFtpConnection handle.
strRemoteFile is a string that contains the name of a file to retrieve from the FTP server.
strLocalFile is a string that contains the name of the file to create on the local system.
bFailIfExists indicates whether the file name may already be used by an existing file. If the local file name
already exists, and this parameter is TRUE, MIGetFtpFile( ) fails. Otherwise, MIGetFtpFile( ) erases
the existing copy of the file.
dwAttributes indicates the attributes of the file. This can be any combination of the following FILE_ATTRIBUTE_* flags.

788

dwAttirbute value

Definition

FILE_ATTRIBUTE_ARCHIVE

The file is an archive file. Applications use this attribute to mark files for backup or removal.

FILE_ATTRIBUTE_COMPRESSED

The file or directory is compressed. For a file,

compression means that all of the data in the file
is compressed. For a directory, compression is the
default for newly created files and subdirectories.

FILE_ATTRIBUTE_DIRECTORY

The file is a directory.

FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL

The file has no other attributes set. This attribute

is valid only if used alone. All other file attributes
override FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL:

FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN

The file is hidden. It is not to be included in an ordinary directory listing.

FILE_ATTRIBUTE_READONLY

The file is read only. Applications can read the file

but cannot write to it or delete it.

FILE_ATTRIBUTE_SYSTEM

The file is part of, or is used exclusively by, the

operating system.

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

dwAttirbute value

Definition

FILE_ATTRIBUTE_TEMPORARY

The file is being used for temporary storage. Applications should write to the file only if absolutely necessary. Most of the file's data remains in memory
without being flushed to the media because the file
will soon be deleted.

dwFlags specifies the conditions under which the transfer occurs. This parameter can be any of the following values:
dwFlags value

Definition

FTP_TRANSFER_TYPE_ASCII

Transfers the file using FTP's ASCII (Type A)

transfer method. Control and formatting information
is converted to local equivalents.

FTP_TRANSFER_TYPE_BINARY

Transfers the file using FTP's Image (Type I)

transfer method. The file is transferred exactly as
it exists with no changes. This is the default transfer
method.

FTP_TRANSFER_TYPE_UNKNOWN

Defaults to FTP_TRANSFER_TYPE_BINARY.

Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
Both strRemoteFile and strLocalFile can be either partially qualified file names relative to the current
directory, or fully qualified. A backslash (\) or forward slash (/) can be used as the directory separator
for either name.
See Also:
MIGetFtpConnection( ) function, MIPutFtpFile( ) function

MIGetFtpFileFind( ) function
Purpose
Gets a handle to a CFtpFileFind object.
Syntax
MIGetFtpFileFind( ByVal hConnection As CFtpConnection ) As CFtpFileFind

Reference

789

MIGetFtpFileName( ) procedure
hConnection is a CFtpConnection handle.
Return Value
A handle to a CFtpFileFind object. If the call fails, Null is returned. To determine the cause of the failure,
call the MIGetErrorMessage( ) function.
Description
The CFtpFileFind class aids in Internet file searches of FTP servers.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling MICloseFtpFileFind( ) procedure when the handle
is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIGetFtpConnection( ) function, MICloseFtpFileFind( ) procedure

MIGetFtpFileName( ) procedure
Purpose
Gets the name of the found file with the given CFtpFileFind handle.
Syntax
MIGetFtpFileName( ByVal hFTPFind As CFtpFileFind, pFileName As String,
ByVal bufferlen As Integer )
hFTPFind is a CFtpFileFind handle.
pFileName is a reference to a string that will receive the name of the found file.
bufferlen is the size of the buffer referenced by pFileName.
Description
You must call MIFindNextFtpFile( ) function at least once before calling MIGetFtpFileName( ).
See Also:
MIGetFtpFileFind( ) function, MIFindNextFtpFile( ) function, MIFindFtpFile( ) function

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Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

MIGetHttpConnection( ) function
Purpose
Establishes an HTTP connection and gets a handle to a CHttpConnection object.
Syntax
MIGetHttpConnection( ByVal hSession As CInternetSession,
ByVal strServer As String, ByVal nPort As INTERNET_PORT
As CHttpConnection
hSession is a CinternetSession handle.
strServer is a string that contains the HTTP server name.
nPort is a number that identifies the TCP/IP port to use on the server.
Return Value
A handle to a CHttpConnection object. If the call fails, Null is returned. To determine the cause of the
failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage( ) function.
Description
MIGetHttpConnection( ) connects to an HTTP server, creates and returns a handle to a CHttpConnection
object. It does not perform any specific operation on the server. If you intend to query an HTTP header,
for example, you must perform this operation in separate steps.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling the MICloseHttpConnection( ) procedure when the
handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MICloseHttpConnection( ) procedure, MIGetFtpConnection( ) function, MICreateSession( ) function,
MICreateSessionFull( ) function, MIParseURL( ) function

MIIsFtpDirectory( ) function
Purpose
Determines if the found file is a directory with the given CFtpFileFind handle.
Syntax
MIIsFtpDirectory( ByVal hFTPFind As CFtpFileFind ) As SmallInt

Reference

791

MIIsFtpDots( ) function
hFTPFind is a CFtpFileFind handle.
Return Value
Nonzero if the found file is a directory; otherwise 0.
Description
You must call MIFindNextFtpFile( ) function at least once before calling MIIsFtpDirectory( ).
See Also:
MIGetFtpFileFind( ) function, MIFindNextFtpFile( ) function, MIFindFtpFile( ) function, MIGetFtpFileName( ) procedure

MIIsFtpDots( ) function
Purpose
Tests for the current directory and parent directory markers while iterating through files with the given
CFtpFileFind handle.
Syntax
MIIsFtpDots( ByVal hFTPFind As CFtpFileFind ) As SmallInt
hFTPFind is a CFtpFileFind handle.
Return Value
Nonzero if the found file has the name "." or "..", which indicates that the found file is actually a directory.
Otherwise 0.
Description
You must call the MIFindNextFtpFile( ) function at least once before calling MIIsFtpDots( ).
See Also:
MIGetFtpFileFind( ) function, MIFindNextFtpFile( ) function, MIFindFtpFile( ) function, MIGetFtpFileName( ) procedure

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Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

MIOpenRequest( ) function
Purpose
Opens an HTTP connection.
Syntax
MIOpenRequest( ByVal hConnection As CHttpConnection,
ByVal nVerb As Integer, ByVal strObjectName As String
) As CHttpFile
hConnection is a CHttpConnection handle.
nVerb is a number associated with the HTTP request type. Can be one of the following:
HTTP_VERB_POST
HTTP_VERB_GET
HTTP_VERB_HEAD
HTTP_VERB_PUT
HTTP_VERB_LINK
HTTP_VERB_DELETE
HTTP_VERB_UNLINK
strObjectName is a string containing the target object of the specified verb. This is generally a file name,
an executable module, or a search specifier.
Return Value
A handle to a CHttpFile object requested. If the call fails, Null is returned. To determine the cause of the
failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage( ) function.
Description
This function opens an HTTP connection and returns a handle to a CHttpFile object, which provides
services requesting and reading files on an HTTP server. If your Internet session reads data from an
HTTP server, you must get a handle to CHttpFile object.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling MICloseHttpFile( ) procedure when the handle is no
longer in use.
See Also:
MIOpenRequestFull( ) function, MIParseURL( ) function

Reference

793

MIOpenRequestFull( ) function

MIOpenRequestFull( ) function
Purpose
Opens an HTTP connection.
Syntax
MIOpenRequestFull( ByVal hConnection As CHttpConnection,
ByVal nVerb As Integer, ByVal strObjectName As String,
ByVal strReferer As String, ByVal dwContext As Integer,
ByVal strVersion As String, ByVal dwFlags As Integer )
As CHttpFile
hConnection is a CHttpConnection handle.
nVerb is a number associated with the HTTP request type. Can be one of the following:

HTTP_VERB_POST
HTTP_VERB_GET
HTTP_VERB_HEAD
HTTP_VERB_PUT
HTTP_VERB_LINK
HTTP_VERB_DELETE
HTTP_VERB_UNLINK

strObjectName is a string containing the target object of the specified verb. This is generally a file name,
an executable module, or a search specifier.
strReferer is a string that specifies the address (URL) of the document from which the URL in the request
(strObjectName) was obtained. If the string is empty, no HTTP header is specified.
dwContext is the context identifier for the MIOpenRequestFull( ) operation. For detailed information,
refer to the Microsoft MSDN library.
strVersion is a string defining the HTTP version. If the string is empty, "HTTP/1.0" is used.
dwFlags is any combination of the following INTERNET_ FLAG_* flags:

794

dwFlag value

Definition

INTERNET_FLAG_RELOAD

Forces a download of the requested file, object, or

directory listing from the origin server, not from the
cache.

INTERNET_ FLAG_DONT_CACHE

Does not add the returned entry to the cache.

INTERNET_FLAG_MAKE_PERSISTENT

Adds the returned entity to the cache as a persistent entity. This means that standard cache cleanup,
consistency checking, or garbage collection cannot
remove this item from the cache.

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

dwFlag value

Definition

INTERNET_ FLAG_SECURE

Use secure transaction semantics. This translates

to using SSL/PCT and is only meaningful in HTTP
requests.

INTERNET_ FLAG_NO_AUTO_REDIRECT

Used only with HTTP, specifies that redirection

should not be automatically handled in the MISendRequest( ) function.

Return Value
A handle to a CHttpFile object requested. If the call fails, Null is returned. To determine the cause of the
failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage( ) function.
Description
This function opens an HTTP connection and returns a handle to a CHttpFile object, which provides
services requesting and reading files on an HTTP server. If your Internet session reads data from an
HTTP server, you must get a handle to CHttpFile object. This function wraps the MFC function OpenRequest which has an additional parameter to indicate accepted types. In this version, the wrapper function
always sets this parameter to NULL.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling the MICloseHttpFile( ) procedure when the handle
is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIGetHttpConnection( ) function, MIOpenRequest( ) function, MIParseURL( ) function

MIParseURL( ) function
Purpose
Parses a URL string and returns the type of service and its components.
Syntax
MIParseURL( ByVal strURL As String, pServiceType As Integer,
pServer As String, ByVal nServerLen As Integer,
pObject As String, ByVal nObjectLen As Integer,
pPort As INTERNET_PORT )
As SmallInt
strURL is a string that contains the URL to be parsed.
pServiceType is a reference to a integer that receives the type of Internet service. The possible values
are one of the following:
INTERNET_SERVICE_FTP

Reference

795

MIPutFtpFile( ) function

INTERNET_SERVICE_GOPHER
INTERNET_SERVICE_HTTP
AFX_INET_SERVICE_UNK
AFX_INET_SERVICE_FILE
AFX_INET_SERVICE_MAILTO
AFX_INET_SERVICE_MID
AFX_INET_SERVICE_CID
AFX_INET_SERVICE_NEWS
AFX_INET_SERVICE_NNTP
AFX_INET_SERVICE_PROSPERO
AFX_INET_SERVICE_TELNET
AFX_INET_SERVICE_WAIS
AFX_INET_SERVICE_AFS
AFX_INET_SERVICE_HTTPS

strsServer is a reference to a string that specifies the first segment of the URL following the service type.
nServerLen is the size of the buffer referenced by strsServer.
pObject is a reference to an object that the URL refers to (may be empty).
nObjectLen is the size of the buffer referenced by pObject.
pPort is a reference to an integer that contains the determined port number from either the Server or
Object portions of the URL, if either exists. The port number is used to identify the TCP/IP port to use
on the server.
Return Value
Nonzero if the URL was successfully parsed; otherwise, 0 if it is empty or does not contain a known Internet service type. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage( ) function.
Description
MIParseURL( ) parses a URL string and returns the type of service and its components. For example,
it parses URLs of the form: ftp://ftp.mysite.org/ and returns its components stored as follows:
pServer == "ftp.mysite.org"
pObject == "/"
nPort == #port
pServiceType == INTERNET_SERVICE_FTP

MIPutFtpFile( ) function
Purpose
Stores a file on an FTP server with the given CFtpConnection handle.

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Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

Syntax
MIPutFtpFile( ByVal hConnection As CFtpConnection,
ByVal strLocalFile As String, ByVal strRemoteFile As String,
ByVal dwFlags As Integer )
As SmallInt
hConnection is a CFtpConnection handle.
strLocalFile is a string that contains the name of the file to send from the local system.
strRemoteFile is a string that contains the name of the file to create on the FTP server.
dwFlags specifies the conditions under which the transfer occurs. This parameter can be any of the following values:
dwFlag value

Definition

FTP_TRANSFER_TYPE_ASCII

The file transfers using FTP ASCII (Type A) transfer

method. Converts control and formatting information to local equivalents.

FTP_TRANSFER_TYPE_BINARY

The file transfers data using FTP's Image (Type I)

transfer method. The file transfers data exactly as
it exists, with no changes. This is the default
transfer method.

Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
Both strRemoteFile and strLocalFile can be either partially qualified file names relative to the current
directory, or fully qualified. A backslash (\) or forward slash (/) can be used as the directory separator
for either name.
See Also:
MIGetFtpConnection( ) function, MIGetFtpFile( ) function

MIQueryInfo( ) function
Purpose
Returns response or request headers from an HTTP request.

Reference

797

MIQueryInfoStatusCode( ) function
Syntax
MIQueryInfo( ByVal hFile As CHttpFile, ByVal dwInfoLevel As Integer,
pBuffer As String, pBufferLength As Integer ) As SmallInt
hFile is a CHttpFile handle.
dwInfoLevel is a combination of the attribute to query, and a modifier flag that specifies the type of information requested: For a list of the modifier flags, refer to the Microsoft MSDN library.
pBuffer is a reference to a string that receives the information. For the attribute HTTP_QUERY_CUSTOM,
pBuffer is also an input indicating which header name to query.
pBufferLength is a reference to an integer that contains the length of pBuffer in number of characters or
bytes on entry. When the function succeeds (a string is written to pBuffer), it contains the length of the
string in characters minus 1 for the terminating NULL character.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
Use this function to get response or request headers from an HTTP request. For a description of attribute
values, refer to the Microsoft MSDN library for information on Query Info flags (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/wininet/wininet/query_info_flags.asp).
See Also:
MIOpenRequest( ) function, MISendRequest( ) function

MIQueryInfoStatusCode( ) function
Purpose
Gets the status code associated with an HTTP request.
Syntax
MIQueryInfoStatusCode( ByVal hFile As CHttpFile, pStatusCode As Integer
s SmallInt
hFile is a CHttpFile handle.
pStatusCode is a reference to an integer that receives the status code. Status codes indicate the success
or failure of the requested event. HTTP status codes fall into groups indicating the success or failure of
the request. The following tables outline the status code groups and the most common HTTP status
codes.

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Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

Table 6: HTTP Status Code Groups
Group

Meaning

200-299

Success

300-399

Information

400-499

Request error

500-599

Server error

Table 7: Common HTTP Status Codes

Status code

Meaning

200

URL located, transmission follows.

400

Unintelligible request.

404

Requested URL not found.

405

Server does not support requested method.

500

Unknown server error.

503

Server capacity reached.

Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
Use this function to get the status code associated with an HTTP request. For information, refer to the
Microsoft MSDN library.
See Also:
MIOpenRequest( ) function, MISendRequest( ) function

MISaveContent( ) function
Purpose
Saves the content to a given file.

Reference

799

MISendRequest( ) function
Syntax
MISaveContent( ByVal hContent As CString, ByVal strFileName As String
As SmallInt
hContent is a CString handle.
strFileName is a string that identifies the file name that receives the content.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
This function is used to save the content to a file. It will create a new file with the given file name. If the
file exists already, it is truncated to 0 length.
See Also:
MIGetContent( ) function

MISendRequest( ) function
Purpose
Sends a request to an HTTP server.
Syntax
MISendRequest( ByVal hFile As CHttpFile, ByVal strHeaders As String,
ByVal dwHeadersLen As Integer, ByVal strOptional As String,
ByVal dwOptionalLen As Integer, ByVal bAuthenticate As SmallInt
As SmallInt
hFile is a CHttpFile handle.
strHeaders is a string containing the name of the headers to send.
dwHeadersLen is the length of the headers identified by strHeaders.
strOptional is any optional data to send immediately after the request headers. This is generally used
for POST and PUT operations. This can be empty if there is no optional data to send.
dwOptionalLen is the length of strOptional.
bAuthenticate indicates whether to check authentication or not.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.

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Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

Description
This function sends a request to an HTTP server.
See Also:
MIOpenRequest( ) function, MIOpenRequestFull( ) function

MISendSimpleRequest( ) function
Purpose
Sends a request to an HTTP server.
Syntax
MISendSimpleRequest( ByVal hFile As CHttpFile,
ByVal bAuthenticate As SmallInt ) As SmallInt
hFile is a CHttpFile handle.
bAuthenticate indicates whether to check authentication or not.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
This function sends a request to an HTTP server.
See Also:
MIOpenRequest( ) function, MIOpenRequestFull( ) function, MISendRequest( ) function

MISetCurrentFtpDirectory( ) function
Purpose
Changes to a different directory on the FTP server with the given CFtpConnection handle.
Syntax
MISetCurrentFtpDirectory( Byval hConnection As CFtpConnection,
Byval strDirName As String ) As SmallInt

Reference

801

MISetSessionTimeout( ) function
hConnection is a CFtpConnection handle.
strDirName is a string that contains the name of the directory.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
The pDirName parameter can be either a partially or fully qualified file name relative to the current directory. A backslash (\) or forward slash (/) can be used as the directory separator for either name.
MISetCurrentFtpDirectory( ) translates the directory name separators to the appropriate characters
before they are used.
See Also:
MIGetFtpConnection( ) function, MIGetCurrentFtpDirectory( ) function

MISetSessionTimeout( ) function
Purpose
Sets the time-out options for the Internet session.
Syntax
MISetSessionTimeout( ByVal hSession As CInternetSession,
ByVal Connect As Integer, ByVal Send As Integer,
ByVal Receive As Integer ) As SmallInt
hSession is the CInternetSession object handle.
Connect is an integer that contains time-out value in millisecond to use for the Internet connection request.
Send is an integer that contains the time-out value in milliseconds to use for sending a request.
Receive is an integer that contains the time-out value in milliseconds to use for receiving a request.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
Use this function to set time-out values for the Internet session. The default value of each setting (Connect,
Send, Receive) is 0. For detailed information, refer to the Microsoft MSDN library.

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Appendix A: HTTP and FTP Libraries

See Also:
MICreateSession( ) function, MICreateSessionFull( ) function

Reference

803

XML Library

This appendix details the XML document library that enables MapBasic programmers to create and parse XML documents and other web-based technology. This
library uses common DEF files: XMLLib.DEF and XMLTypes.DEF, which are
installed in <Your MapBasic Installation Directory>\Samples\MapBasic\INC. Make
sure you include these files as header files into your programs. All the functionality
described in this appendix is also dependent on the presence of GmlXlat.dll
which is installed with MapInfo Professional.
All of the functions and procedures listed in this appendix are wrappers of the
corresponding methods of Microsoft XML Interfaces and Classes. Wrapped
classes include: IXMLDOMNode, IXMLDOMNodeList, IXMLDOMNamedNodeMap,
IXMLDOMSchemaCollection2, and IXMLDOMDocument2. For more detailed
information about the usage of the related classes and interfaces refer to the
MSDN reference http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/enus/xmlsdk/html/39b17b9c-04c7-4fa8-bcee-1f7d57eefd74.asp
Note: As this is a library, the functions and procedures listed in this appendix
do not execute from a MapBasic window in MapInfo Professional.

In this section:

MIXmlAttributeListDestroy( ) procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . .807

MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .807
MIXmlDocumentDestroy( ) procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . .808
MIXmlDocumentGetNamespaces( ) function . . . . . . . . .808
MIXmlDocumentGetRootNode( ) function . . . . . . . . . . .809
MIXmlDocumentLoad( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .809
MIXmlDocumentLoadXML( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .810
MIXmlDocumentLoadXMLString( ) function . . . . . . . . . .811
MIXmlDocumentSetProperty( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . .812
MIXmlGetAttributeList( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .813
MIXmlGetChildList( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .814
MIXmlGetNextAttribute( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .814
MIXmlGetNextNode( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .815

806

MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .816

MIXmlNodeGetAttributeValue( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .816
MIXmlNodeGetFirstChild( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .817
MIXmlNodeGetName( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .817
MIXmlNodeGetParent( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .818
MIXmlNodeGetText( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .819
MIXmlNodeGetValue( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .819
MIXmlNodeListDestroy( ) procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .820
MIXmlSCDestroy( ) procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .821
MIXmlSCGetLength( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .821
MIXmlSCGetNamespace( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .822
MIXmlSelectNodes( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .822
MIXmlSelectSingleNode( ) function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .823

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix B: XML Library

MIXmlAttributeListDestroy( ) procedure
Purpose
Disposes of the MIXmlNamedNodeMap object and frees its memory.
Syntax
MIXmlNodeListDestroy( ByVal hXMLNodeList As MIXmlNodeList )
hXMLAttributeList is The MIXmlNamedNodeMap object handle to be disposed of.
Description
The caller has to call this function to free the MIXmlNamedNodeMap handle obtained by calling the
MIXmlGetAttributeList( ) function, when the handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIXmlGetAttributeList( ) function

MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) function
Purpose
Creates an MIXmlDocument object and gets a handle to the object.
Syntax
MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) As MIXmlDocument
Return Value
A handle to the MIXmlDocument object. If the call fails, Null is returned. To determine the cause of the
failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage( ) function.
Description
MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) creates and returns a handle to an MIXmlDocument object. It represents the
top level of the XML source.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling the MIXmlDocumentDestroy( ) procedure when the
handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentDestroy( ) procedure

Reference

807

MIXmlDocumentDestroy( ) procedure

MIXmlDocumentDestroy( ) procedure
Purpose
Disposes of the MIXmlDocument and frees its memory.
Syntax
MIXmlDocumentDestroy( ByVal hXMLDocument As MIXmlDocument )
hXMLDocument is the MIXmlDocument object handle to be disposed of.
Description
The caller has to call this function to close and free the MIXmlDocument handle obtained by calling the
MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) function when the handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) function

MIXmlDocumentGetNamespaces( ) function
Purpose
Creates an MIXMLSchemaCollection object and gets a handle to the object.
Syntax
MIXmlDocumentGetNamespaces( ByVal hXMLDocument As MIXmlDocument )
As MIXMLSchemaCollection
hXMLDocument is the MIXmlDocument object handle.
Return Value
A handle to an MIXMLSchemaCollection object if successful; otherwise NULL.
Description
This method creates an MIXMLSchemaCollection object.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling the MIXmlSCDestroy( ) procedure when the handle
is no longer in use.

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Appendix B: XML Library

See Also:
MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) function, MIXmlSCDestroy( ) procedure

MIXmlDocumentGetRootNode( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves the root element of the document.
Syntax
MIXmlDocumentGetRootNode( ByVal hXMLDocument As MIXmlDocument )
As MIXmlNode
hXMLDocument is the MIXmlDocument object handle.
Return Value
A handle to an MIXmlNode object representing the root element of the document if successful; otherwise
NULL.
Description
MIXmlDocumentGetRootNode( ) retrieves a handle to an MIXmlNode object that represents the root
of the XML document tree. It returns NULL if no root exists.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling the MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure when the handle
is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) function, MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure

MIXmlDocumentLoad( ) function
Purpose
Loads an XML document from the specified location.
Syntax
MIXmlDocumentLoad( ByVal hXMLDocument As MIXmlDocument,
ByVal strPath As String, pbParsingError As SmallInt,
ByVal bValidate As SmallInt, ByVal bResolveExternals As SmallInt )
As SmallInt
hXMLDocument is the MIXmlDocument object handle.

Reference

809

MIXmlDocumentLoadXML( ) function
strPath is a string containing the path/URL that specifies the location of the XML file.
pbParsingError is a reference to a SmallInt that indicates TRUE if the load succeeded; FALSE if the load
failed.
bValidate is a SmallInt that indicates whether the parser should validate this document. If TRUE (1), it
validates during parsing. If FALSE (0), it parses only for well-formed XML.
bResolveExternals is a SmallInt that indicates whether external definitions, resolvable namespaces,
document type definition (DTD) external subsets, and external entity references, are to be resolved at
parse time, independent of validation. When the bResolveExternals parameter is TRUE (1), external
definitions are resolved at parse time. This allows default attributes and data types to be defined on
elements from the schema and allows use of the DTD as a file inclusion mechanism. This setting is independent of whether validation is to be performed, as indicated by the value of the bValidate property.
If externals cannot be resolved during validation, a validation error occurs. When the value of bResolveExternals is FALSE (0), externals are not resolved and validation is not performed.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful, otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
If the URL cannot be resolved or accessed or does not reference an XML document, this method returns
FALSE. Calling MIXmlDocumentLoad( ) on an existing document immediately discards the content of
the document. If loading an XML document from a resource, the load must be performed asynchronously
or the load will fail.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) function, MIXmlDocumentLoadXML( ) function, MIXmlDocumentLoadXMLString( ) function

MIXmlDocumentLoadXML( ) function
Purpose
Loads an XML document using the supplied string.
Syntax
MIXmlDocumentLoadXML( ByVal hXMLDocument As MIXmlDocument,
ByVal hContent As CString, pbParsingError As SmallInt,
ByVal bValidate As SmallInt, ByVal bResolveExternals As SmallInt )
As SmallInt
hXMLDocument is The MIXmlDocument object handle.

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Appendix B: XML Library

hContent is a CString handle to the string containing the XML string to load into this XML document object.
This string can contain an entire XML document or a well-formed fragment.
pbParsingError is a reference to a SmallInt that indicates TRUE (nonzero) if the load succeeded; FALSE
(0) if the load failed.
bValidate is a SmallInt that Indicates whether the parser should validate this document. If TRUE (1), it
validates during parsing. If FALSE (0), it parses only for well-formed XML.
bResolveExternals is a SmallInt that indicates whether external definitions, resolvable namespaces,
document type definition (DTD) external subsets, and external entity references, are to be resolved at
parse time, independent of validation. When the bResolveExternals parameter is TRUE (1), external
definitions are resolved at parse time. This allows default attributes and data types to be defined on
elements from the schema and allows use of the DTD as a file inclusion mechanism. This setting is independent of whether validation is to be performed, as indicated by the value of the bValidate property.
If externals cannot be resolved during validation, a validation error occurs. When the value of bResolveExternals is FALSE (0), externals are not resolved and validation is not performed.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful, otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
Calling MIXmlDocumentLoadXML( ) on an existing document immediately discards the content of the
document. It will work only with UTF-16 or UCS-2 encodings.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) function, MIXmlDocumentLoad( ) function, MIXmlDocumentLoadXMLString( ) function

MIXmlDocumentLoadXMLString( ) function
Purpose
Loads an XML document using a supplied string.
Syntax
MIXmlDocumentLoadXMLString( ByVal hXMLDocument As MIXmlDocument,
ByVal strXML As String, pbParsingError As SmallInt,
ByVal bValidate As SmallInt, ByVal bResolveExternals As SmallInt )
As SmallInt
hXMLDocument is the MIXmlDocument object handle.
strXML is a string containing the XML string to load into this XML document object. This string can contain
an entire XML document or a well-formed fragment.

Reference

811

MIXmlDocumentSetProperty( ) function
pbParsingError is a reference to a SmallInt that indicates TRUE (nonzero) if the load succeeded; FALSE
(0) if the load failed.
bValidate is a SmallInt that Indicates whether the parser should validate this document. If TRUE (1), it
validates during parsing. If FALSE (0), it parses only for well-formed XML.
bResolveExternals is a SmallInt that indicates whether external definitions, resolvable namespaces,
document type definition (DTD) external subsets, and external entity references, are to be resolved at
parse time, independent of validation. When the bResolveExternals parameter is TRUE (1), external
definitions are resolved at parse time. This allows default attributes and data types to be defined on
elements from the schema and allows use of the DTD as a file inclusion mechanism. This setting is independent of whether validation is to be performed, as indicated by the value of the bValidate property.
If externals cannot be resolved during validation, a validation error occurs. When the value of bResolveExternals is FALSE (0), externals are not resolved and validation is not performed.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful, otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
Calling MIXmlDocumentLoadXMLString( ) on an existing document immediately discards the content
of the document. It will work only with UTF-16 or UCS-2 encodings.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) function, MIXmlDocumentLoad( ) function, MIXmlDocumentLoadXML(
) function

MIXmlDocumentSetProperty( ) function
Purpose
Sets the properties for the MIXmlDocument object.
Syntax
MIXmlDocumentSetProperty( ByVal hXMLDocument As MIXmlDocument,
ByVal strPropertyName As String, ByVal strPropertyValue As String )
As SmallInt
hXMLDocument is the MIXmlDocument object handle.
strPropertyName is a string that contains the name of the property to be set. For a list of properties that
can be set using this method, refer to the Microsoft MSDN library.
strPropertyValue is a string that contains the value of the specified property. For a list of property values
that can be set using this method, refer to the Microsoft MSDN library.

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Appendix B: XML Library

Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0.
Description
This method sets the property on the MIXmlDocument object. There are some limitation on which properties can be set using this method. For details, refer to the Microsoft MSDN library.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) function, MIXmlDocumentLoad( ) function

MIXmlGetAttributeList( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves the MIXmlNamedNodeMap object with the given node.
Syntax
MIXmlGetAttributeList( ByVal hXMLNode As MIXmlNode ) As MIXmlNamedNodeMap
hXMLNode is the MIXmlNode object handle.
Return Value
A handle to the MIXmlNamedNodeMap object that contains the nodes which can return attributes. Returns
NULL for all other node types.
Description
MIXmlGetAttributeList( ) creates an MIXmlNamedNodeMap object and returns the handle to the object.
This object only contains the nodes which can return attributes (Element, Entity, and Notation nodes).
Null is returned for all other node types. For the valid node types, a handle to an MIXmlNamedNodeMap
object is always returned; when there are no attributes on the element, the list length is set to zero. For
detailed information and the list of valid node types, refer to the Microsoft MSDN library.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling the MIXmlAttributeListDestroy( ) procedure when
the returned handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentGetRootNode( ) function, MIXmlAttributeListDestroy( ) procedure

Reference

813

MIXmlGetChildList( ) function

MIXmlGetChildList( ) function
Purpose
Gets an MIXmlNodeList object that contains the children nodes of the given node instance.
Syntax
MIXmlGetChildList( ByVal hXMLNode As MIXmlNode) As MIXmlNodeList
hXMLNode is the MIXmlNode object handle.
Return Value
A handle to the MIXmlNodeList object that contains the children nodes of the given node instance if
successful; otherwise NULL.
Description
MIXmlGetChildList( ) is used to get a list of children in the given node. An MIXmlNodeList object is returned even if there are no children of the node. In such a case, the length of the list is set to 0. This
value depends on the value of the node type. For more information, refer to the Microsoft MSDN library.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling the MIXmlNodeListDestroy( ) procedure when the
handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIXmlNodeListDestroy( ) procedure, MIXmlSelectNodes( ) function

MIXmlGetNextAttribute( ) function
Purpose
Returns the next node in the collection.
Syntax
MIXmlGetNextAttribute( ByVal hXMLAttributeList As MIXmlNamedNodeMap )
As MIXmlNode
hXMLAttributeList is the MIXmlNamedNodeMap object handle.

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Appendix B: XML Library

Return Value
A handle to the MIXmlNode object which refers to the next node in the collection if successful; returns
NULL if there is no next node.
Description
The iterator initially points before the first node in the list so that the first call to the MIXmlGetNextAttribute( ) function returns the first node in the list. This functions returns NULL when the current node is the
last node or there are no items in the list.
The caller has to dispose of the returned handle by calling MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure when the
handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIXmlGetAttributeList( ) function, MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure

MIXmlGetNextNode( ) function
Purpose
Returns the next node in the collection.
Syntax
MIXmlGetNextNode( ByVal hXMLNodeList As MIXmlNodeList ) As MIXmlNode
hXMLNodeList is the MIXmlNodeList object handle.
Return Value
A handle to the MIXmlNode object which refers to the next node in the collection represented by, hXMLNodeList, if successful; returns NULL if there is no next node.
Description
The iterator initially points before the first node in the list so that the first call to the MIXmlGetNextNode(
) function returns the first node in the list. This functions returns NULL when the current node is the last
node or there are no items in the list.
The caller has to dispose of the returned handle by calling the MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure when
the handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure, MIXmlSelectNodes( ) function, MIXmlGetChildList( ) function

Reference

815

MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure

MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure
Purpose
Disposes of the MIXmlNode object and frees its memory.
Syntax
MIXmlNodeDestroy( ByVal hXMLNode As MIXmlNode )
hXMLNode is the MIXmlNode object handle to be disposed of.
Description
The caller has to call this function to free a MIXmlNode object handle obtained, such as by calling
MIXmlDocumentGetRootNode( ) function, when the handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentDestroy( ) procedure

MIXmlNodeGetAttributeValue( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves the text associated with the specified name.
Syntax
MIXmlNodeGetAttributeValue( ByVal hXMLNode As MIXmlNode,
ByVal strAttributeName As String, pValue As String,
ByVal nLen As Integer ) As SmallInt
hXMLNode is the MIXmlNode object handle.
strAttributeName is a string specifying the name of the attribute.
pValue is a reference to a string that receives the node value of the specified attribute.
nLen is the size of the buffer referenced by pValue.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0.

816

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Appendix B: XML Library

Description
MIXmlNodeGetAttributeValue( ) first finds out if there is a valid MIXmlNamedNodeMap object with the
given node, hXMLNode. As it is stated in MIXmlGetAttributeList( ) function, this object only contains
the nodes which can return attributes (Element, Entity, and Notation nodes). When there is a valid
MIXmlNamedNodeMap object and the specified name is found in the object, its node value will fill in
pValue.
See Also:
MIXmlGetAttributeList( ) function, MIXmlNodeGetValue( ) function

MIXmlNodeGetFirstChild( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves the first child of the given node instance.
Syntax
MIXmlNodeGetFirstChild( ByVal hXMLNode As MIXmlNode ) As MIXmlNode
hXMLNode is the MIXmlNode object handle.
Return Value
A handle to the MIXmlNode object which is the first child of the given node instance, hXMLNode, if
successful; otherwise NULL.
Description
MIXmlNodeGetFirstChild( ) gets a handle to a MIXmlNode object that is the first child of the given node
instance. It returns NULL if no child exists.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure when the handle
is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure, MIXmlNodeGetParent( ) function

MIXmlNodeGetName( ) function
Purpose
Gets the node name of the given node instance.

Reference

817

MIXmlNodeGetParent( ) function
Syntax
MIXmlNodeGetName( ByVal hXMLNode As MIXmlNode, pName As String,
ByVal nLen As Integer ) As SmallInt
hXMLNode is the MIXmlNode object handle.
pName is a reference to a string that receives the node name, which varies depending on the node type.
nLen is the size of the buffer referenced by pName.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0.
Description
This function is used to get the node name with a given node. The node name is the qualified name for
the element, attribute, or entity reference. The node name value varies, depending on the note type.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentGetRootNode( ) function, MIXmlNodeGetText( ) function, MIXmlNodeGetValue(
) function

MIXmlNodeGetParent( ) function
Purpose
Retrieves the parent of the given node instance.
Syntax
MIXmlNodeGetParent( ByVal hXMLNode As MIXmlNode ) As MIXmlNode
hXMLNode is the MIXmlNode object handle.
Return Value
A handle to the MIXmlNode object which is the parent of the given node instance, hXMLNode, if successful; otherwise NULL.
Description
MIXmlNodegetParent( ) gets a handle to a MIXmlNode object that is the parent of the given node instance. It returns NULL if no parent exists.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling the MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure when the handle
is no longer in use.

818

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix B: XML Library

See Also:
MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure

MIXmlNodeGetText( ) function
Purpose
Gets the text content of the given node or the concatenated text representing the node and its descendants.
Syntax
MIXmlNodeGetText( ByVal hXMLNode As MIXmlNode, pText As String,
ByVal nLen As Integer ) As SmallInt
hXMLNode is the MIXmlNode object handle.
pText is a reference to a string that receives the text content of the given node and its descendants. This
value varies depending on the value of the note type.
nLen is the size of the buffer referenced by pText.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0.
Description
MIXmlNodegettext( ) is used to get the node text with a given node instance. Its value varies, depending
on the node type. For more details and more precise control over text manipulation in an XML document,
refer to the Microsoft MSDN library.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentGetRootNode( ) function, MIXmlNodeGetName( ) function, MIXmlNodeGetValue(
) function

MIXmlNodeGetValue( ) function
Purpose
Gets the text associated with the given node instance.

Reference

819

MIXmlNodeListDestroy( ) procedure
Syntax
MIXmlNodeGetValue( ByVal hXMLNode As MIXmlNode, pValue As String,
ByVal nLen As Integer ) As SmallInt
hXMLNode is the MIXmlNode object handle.
pValue is a reference to a string that receives the value, which varies depending on the node type.
nLen is the size of the buffer referenced by pValue.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0.
Description
This function is used to get the node value with a given node instance. The node value varies, depending
on the node type.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentGetRootNode( ) function, MIXmlNodeGetName( ) function, MIXmlNodeGetText(
) function

MIXmlNodeListDestroy( ) procedure
Purpose
Disposes of the MIXmlNodeList object and frees its memory.
Syntax
MIXmlNodeListDestroy( ByVal hXMLNodeList As MIXmlNodeList )
hXMLNodeList is the MIXmlNodeList object handle to be disposed of.
Description
Use MIXmlNodeListDestroy( ) to free the MIXmlNodeList handle obtained with functions such as the
MIXmlSelectNodes( ) function, and the MIXmlGetChildList( ) function, when the MIXmlNodeList
handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentDestroy( ) procedure, MIXmlGetChildList( ) function, MIXmlSelectNodes( ) function

820

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix B: XML Library

MIXmlSCDestroy( ) procedure
Purpose
Disposes of the MIXMLSchemaCollection object and frees its memory.
Syntax
MIXmlSCDestroy( ByVal hXMLSchemaCollection As MIXMLSchemaCollection )
hXMLSchemaCollection is the MIXMLSchemaCollection object handle to be disposed of.
Description
Use MIXmlSCDestroy( ) to free the MIXMLSchemaCollection handle obtained with a function such as
the MIXmlDocumentGetNamespaces( ) function, when the handle is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentGetNamespaces( ) function

MIXmlSCGetLength( ) function
Purpose
Gets the number of namespaces currently in the collection.
Syntax
MIXmlSCGetLength( ByVal hXMLSchemaCollection As MIXMLSchemaCollection )
As Integer
hXMLSchemaCollection is the MIXMLSchemaCollection object handle.
Return Value
The number of namespaces currently in the collection.
Description
MIXmlSCGetLength( ) allows you to retrieve the number of namespaces currently in the collection.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentGetNamespaces( ) function, MIXmlSCGetNamespace( ) function

Reference

821

MIXmlSCGetNamespace( ) function

MIXmlSCGetNamespace( ) function
Purpose
Gets the namespace at the specified index.
Syntax
MIXmlSCGetNamespace( ByVal hXMLSchemaCollection As MIXMLSchemaCollection,
ByVal index As Integer, pNamespace As String, ByVal nLen As Integer )
As SmallInt
hXMLSchemaCollection is the MIXMLSchemaCollection object handle.
index is an integer that indicates the index between 0 and count -1.
pNamespace is a reference to a string that receives the name of the namespace.
nLen is the size of the buffer referenced by pNamespace.
Return Value
Nonzero if successful; otherwise 0. To determine the cause of the failure, call the MIGetErrorMessage(
) function.
Description
MIXmlSCGetNamespace( ) allows you to iterate through the collection to discover its contents.
See Also:
MIXmlDocumentGetNamespaces( ) function, MIXmlSCGetLength( ) function

MIXmlSelectNodes( ) function
Purpose
Applies the specified pattern-matching operation to this node's context and returns the list of matching
nodes as an MIXmlNodeList object.
Syntax
MIXmlSelectNodes( ByVal hXMLNode As MIXmlNode, ByVal strPattern As String
) As MIXmlNodeList
hXMLNode is the MIXmlNode object handle.
strPattern is a string specifying an XPath expression.

822

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix B: XML Library

Return Value
A handle to an MIXmlNodeList object. It is the collection of nodes selected by applying the given patternmatching operation. If no nodes are selected, returns an empty collection. NULL is returned if it fails.
Description
MIXmlSelectNodes( ) is used to get a collection of matching nodes as an MIXmlNodeList object with
the specified pattern-matching operation. The MIXmlSelectNodes( ) is similar to MIXmlSelectSingleNode( ) function, but returns a list of all of the matching nodes rather than the first matching node.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling MIXmlNodeListDestroy( ) procedure when the handle
is no longer in use.
See Also:
MIXmlNodeListDestroy( ) procedure, MIXmlSelectSingleNode( ) function, MIXmlGetChildList( )
function

MIXmlSelectSingleNode( ) function
Purpose
Applies the specified pattern-matching operation to this node's context and returns the first matching
node as an MIXmlNode object.
Syntax
MIXmlSelectSingleNode( ByVal hXMLNode As MIXmlNode,
ByVal strPattern As String ) As MIXmlNode
hXMLNode is the MIXmlNode object handle.
strPattern is a string specifying an XPath expression.
Return Value
A handle to the MIXmlNode object. Returns the first node that matches the given pattern-matching operation. If no nodes match the expression, returns a NULL value.
Description
MIXmlSelectSingleNode( ) gets a handle to an MIXmlNode object that is the first matching node with
the given pattern-matching operation. It returns NULL if no child exists. MIXmlSelectSingleNode( ) is
similar to the MIXmlSelectNodes( ) function, but returns the first matching node rather than a list of all
the matching nodes.
The caller has to dispose of the handle by calling the MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure when the handle
is no longer in use.
See Also

Reference

823

MIXmlSelectSingleNode( ) function
MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure, MIXmlSelectNodes( ) function

824

MapBasic 12.0

Character Code Table

Every character on a computer keyboard corresponds to a numeric code. For

example, the letter A corresponds to the character code 65. A character set is a
set of characters that appear on a computer, and a set of numeric codes that
correspond to those characters.
Different character sets are used in different countries. For example, in the version
of Windows for North America and Western Europe, character code 176 corresponds to a degrees symbol; however, if Windows is configured to use a different
character set, character code 176 may represent a different character. For information about working with international character sets, see Platform-Specific and
International Character Sets in the MapBasic User Guide.
If your program needs to read an existing file that contains special characters,
and if the file was created in a character set that does not match the character
set in use when you run your program, your program should use the CharSet
clause. The CharSet clause should indicate what character set was in use when
the file was created.

In this section:
Character Code Table Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .826

Character Code Table Definitions

Character Code Table Definitions

The following table summarizes the displayable portion of the Windows Latin 1 character set. The range
of characters from 32 (space) to 126 (tilde) are identical in most other character sets as well. Special
characters of interest: 9 is a tab, 10 is a line feed, 12 is a form feed and 13 is a carriage return.

826

MapBasic 12.0

Summary of Operators

Operators act on one or more values to produce a result. Operators can be classified by the data types they use and the type result they produce.

In this section:

Numeric Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .828

Comparison Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .828
Logical Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .829
Geographical Operators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .829
Automatic Type Conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .831
Wildcards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .832

Numeric Operators

Numeric Operators
The following numeric operators act on two numeric values, producing a numeric result.
Operator

Performs

Example

addition

a + b

subtraction

a - b

multiplication

a * b

division

a / b

integer divide (drop remainder)

a \ b

Mod

remainder from integer division

a Mod b

exponentiation

a ^ b

Two of these operators are also used in other contexts. The plus sign acting on a pair of strings concatenates them into a new string value. The minus sign acting on a single number is a negation operator,
producing a numeric result. The ampersand also performs string concatenation.
Operator

Performs

Example

numeric negation

- a

string concatenation

a + b

&

string concatenation

a & b

Comparison Operators
The comparison operators compare two items of the same general type to produce a logical value of
TRUE or FALSE. Although you cannot directly compare numeric data with non-numeric data (e.g., string
expressions), a comparison expression can compare integer, SmallInt, and float data types. Comparison
operators are often used in conditional expressions, such as If...Then.

828

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix D: Summary of Operators

Operator

Returns TRUE if:

Example

a is equal to b

a = b

<>

a is not equal to b

a <> b

<

a is less than b

a < b

>

a is greater than b

a > b

<=

a is less than or equal to b

a <= b

>=

a is greater than or equal to b

a >= b

Logical Operators
The logical operators operate on logical values to produce a logical result of TRUE or FALSE:
Operator

Returns TRUE if:

Example

And

both operands are TRUE

a And b

Or

either operand is TRUE

a Or b

Not

the operand is FALSE

Not a

Geographical Operators
The geographic operators act on objects to produce a logical result of TRUE or FALSE:

Reference

829

Precedence
Operator

Returns TRUE if:

Example

Contains

first object contains the centroid

of the second object

objectA Contains objectB

Contains Part

first object contains part of the

second object

objectA Contains Part objectB

Contains Entire

first object contains all of the

second object

objectA Contains Entire

objectB

Within

first object's centroid is within the objectA Within objectB

second object

Partly Within

part of the first object is within the objectA Partly Within objectB
second object

Entirely Within

the first object is entirely inside

the second object

Intersects

the two objects intersect at some objectA Intersects objectB

point

objectA Entirely Within

objectB

Precedence
A special type of operators are parentheses, which enclose expressions within expressions. Proper use
of parentheses can alter the order of processing in an expression, altering the default precedence. The
table below identifies the precedence of MapBasic operators. Operators which appear on a single row
have equal precedence. Operators of higher priority are processed first. Operators of the same precedence
are evaluated left to right in the expression (with the exception of exponentiation, which is evaluated
right to left).
Priority

MapBasic Operator

(Highest Priority)

parenthesis
exponentiation
negation
multiplication, division, Mod, integer division
addition, subtraction

830

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix D: Summary of Operators

Priority

MapBasic Operator
geographic operators

(Lowest Priority)

comparison operators, Like operator

Not
And
Or

For example, the expression 3 + 4 * 2 produces a result of 11 (multiplication is performed before

addition). The altered expression (3 + 4) * 2 produces 14 (parentheses cause the addition to be
performed first). When in doubt, use parentheses.

Automatic Type Conversions

When you create an expression involving data of different types, MapInfo performs automatic type conversion in order to produce meaningful results. For example, if your program subtracts a Date value from
another Date value, MapBasic will calculate the result as an integer value (representing the number of
days between the two dates).
The table below summarizes the rules that dictate MapBasic's automatic type conversions. Within this
chart, the keyword Integer represents an integer value, which can be an integer variable, a SmallInt
variable, or an integer constant. The keyword Number represents a numeric expression which is not
necessarily an integer.
Operator

Combination of Operands

Result

Date + Number

Date

Number + Date

Date

Integer + Integer

Integer

Number + Number

Float

Other + Other

String

Date - Number

Date

Reference

831

Wildcards
Operator

Combination of Operands

Result

Date - Date

Integer

Integer - Integer

Integer

Number - Number

Float

Integer * Integer

Integer

Number * Number

Float

Number / Number

Float

Number \ Number

Integer

MOD

Number MOD Number

Integer

Number ^ Number

Float

Wildcards
The LIKE operator uses the percent (%) and underscore ( _ ) characters as wildcards.

832

Wildcard

Performs

Example

matches one character

select * from table where Name

Like "New%" into Selection

matches zero or more characters

select * from table where Name

Like "New Yor_" into Selection

MapBasic 12.0

MapBasic Definitions File

The MapBasic development environment includes a MapBasic Definitions File

(mapbasic.def) that lists definitions and defaults useful when programming in
MapBasic. To have MapBasic statements and function calls work properly, add
an Include statement for the mapbasic.def in the beginning of your programs.
Include "mapbasic.def"
Codes that are defined in mapbasic.def may not be entered in the MapBasic
window. The mapbasic.def file contains many Define statements, including
statements for TRUE, FALSE, and commonly-used colors (such as BLACK,
WHITE, RED, GREEN, BLUE, CYAN, MAGENTA, and YELLOW). Each Define
statements sets a code with a specific value; for example, the code BLACK has
a numerical value of zero (0). When you are entering commands into the MapBasic window, you must use the actual value of each code, instead of using the
name of the code (for example, use 0 instead of BLACK).
For more information about the MapBasic development environment, see the
MapBasic User Guide.

In this section:
The MAPBASIC.DEF File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .834

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

The following are the contents of the MAPBASIC.DEF file, which is located under the MapBasic directory.
'============================================================================
' MapInfo version 12.0 - System defines
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' This file contains defines useful when programming in the MapBasic
' language. There are three versions of this file:
'
MAPBASIC.DEF - MapBasic syntax
'
MAPBASIC.BAS - Visual Basic syntax
'
MAPBASIC.H
- C/C++ syntax
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' The defines in this file are organized into the following sections:
'
General Purpose defines:
'
macros, logical constants, angle conversion, colors, string length
'
BrowserInfo() defines
'
ButtonPadInfo() defines
'
ColumnInfo() and column type defines
'
CommandInfo() and task switch defines
'
DateWindow() defines
'
FileAttr() and file access mode defines
'
GetFolderPath$() defines
'
GetPreferencePath$() defines
'
IntersectNodes() parameters
'
LabelInfo() defines
'
GroupLayerInfo() defines
'
LayerListInfo() defines
'
LayerInfo(), display mode, label property, layer type, hotlink defines
'
LegendInfo() and legend orientation defines
'
LegendFrameInfo() and frame type defines
'
LegendTextFrameInfo() defines
'
LegendStyleInfo() defines
'
LibraryServiceInfo() defines
'
LocateFile$() defines
'
Map3DInfo() defines
'
MapperInfo(), display mode, calculation type, and clip type defines
'
MenuItemInfoByID() and MenuItemInfoByHandler() defines
'
ObjectGeography() defines
'
ObjectInfo() and object type defines
'
PrismMapInfo() defines
'
SearchInfo() defines
'
SelectionInfo() defines
'
Server statement and function defines
'
SessionInfo() defines
'
Set Next Document Style defines
'
StringCompare() return values
'
StyleAttr() defines
'
SystemInfo(), platform, and version defines
'
TableInfo() and table type defines
'
WindowInfo(), window type and state, and print orientation defines
'
Abbreviated list of error codes
'
Backward Compatibility defines
'============================================================================
' MAPBASIC.DEF is converted into MAPBASIC.H by doing the following:

834

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File

'
- concatenate MAPBASIC.DEF and MENU.DEF into MAPBASIC.H
'
- search & replace "'" at begining of a line with "//"
'
- search & replace "Define" at begining of a line with "#define"
'
- delete the following sections:
'
* General Purpose defines:
'
Macros, Logical Constants, Angle Conversions
'
* Abbreviated list of error codes
'
* Backward Compatibility defines
'
* Menu constants whose names have changed
'
* Obsolete menu items
'============================================================================
' MAPBASIC.DEF is converted into MAPBASIC.BAS by doing the following:
'
- concatenate MAPBASIC.DEF and MENU.DEF into MAPBASIC.BAS
'
- search & replace "Define <name>" with "Global Const <name> ="
'
e.g. "<Define {[!-z]+} +{[!-z]}" with "Global Const \0 = \1" with Brief
'
- delete the following sections:
'
* General Purpose defines:
'
Macros, Logical Constants, Angle Conversions
'
* Abbreviated list of error codes
'
* Backward Compatibility defines
'
* Menu constants whose names have changed
'
* Obsolete menu items
'============================================================================
'============================================================================
' General Purpose defines
'============================================================================
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Macros
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define CLS
Print Chr$(12)
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Logical constants
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define TRUE
1
Define FALSE
0
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Angle conversion
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define DEG_2_RAD
0.01745329252
Define RAD_2_DEG
57.29577951
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Time conversion
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define SECONDS_PER_DAY
86400
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Colors
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reference

835

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

-Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

BLACK
WHITE
RED
GREEN
BLUE
CYAN
MAGENTA
YELLOW

0
16777215
16711680
65280
255
65535
16711935
16776960

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------'Maximum length for character string

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define MAX_STRING_LENGTH
32767
'============================================================================
' BrowserInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define BROWSER_INFO_NROWS
1
Define BROWSER_INFO_NCOLS
2
Define BROWSER_INFO_CURRENT_ROW
3
Define BROWSER_INFO_CURRENT_COLUMN
4
Define BROWSER_INFO_CURRENT_CELL_VALUE
5
'============================================================================
' ButtonPadInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define BTNPAD_INFO_FLOATING
1
Define BTNPAD_INFO_WIDTH
2
Define BTNPAD_INFO_NBTNS
3
Define BTNPAD_INFO_X
4
Define BTNPAD_INFO_Y
5
Define BTNPAD_INFO_WINID
6
Define BTNPAD_INFO_DOCK_POSITION
7
'============================================================================
' New as per MI Pro 10.5.
' Codes returned from ButtonPadInfo() when 'BTNPAD_INFO_DOCK_POSITION' code
' is used to inquiry about the tool bar position
'============================================================================
Define BBTNPAD_INFO_DOCK_NONE
0
Define BTNPAD_INFO_DOCK_LEFT
1
Define BTNPAD_INFO_DOCK_TOP
2
Define BTNPAD_INFO_DOCK_RIGHT
3
Define BTNPAD_INFO_DOCK_BOTTOM
4
'============================================================================
' ColumnInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define COL_INFO_NAME
1
Define COL_INFO_NUM
2
Define COL_INFO_TYPE
3
Define COL_INFO_WIDTH
4
Define COL_INFO_DECPLACES
5
Define COL_INFO_INDEXED
6
Define COL_INFO_EDITABLE
7
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------

836

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File

' Column type defines, returned by ColumnInfo() for COL_INFO_TYPE
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define COL_TYPE_CHAR
1
Define COL_TYPE_DECIMAL
2
Define COL_TYPE_INTEGER
3
Define COL_TYPE_SMALLINT
4
Define COL_TYPE_DATE
5
Define COL_TYPE_LOGICAL
6
Define COL_TYPE_GRAPHIC
7
Define COL_TYPE_FLOAT
8
Define COL_TYPE_TIME
37
Define COL_TYPE_DATETIME
38
'============================================================================
' CommandInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define CMD_INFO_X
1
Define CMD_INFO_Y
2
Define CMD_INFO_SHIFT
3
Define CMD_INFO_CTRL
4
Define CMD_INFO_X2
5
Define CMD_INFO_Y2
6
Define CMD_INFO_TOOLBTN
7
Define CMD_INFO_MENUITEM
8
Define CMD_INFO_WIN
1
Define CMD_INFO_SELTYPE
1
Define CMD_INFO_ROWID
2
Define CMD_INFO_INTERRUPT
3
Define CMD_INFO_STATUS
1
Define CMD_INFO_MSG
1000
Define CMD_INFO_DLG_OK
1
Define CMD_INFO_DLG_DBL
1
Define CMD_INFO_FIND_RC
3
Define CMD_INFO_FIND_ROWID
4
Define CMD_INFO_XCMD
1
Define CMD_INFO_CUSTOM_OBJ
1
Define CMD_INFO_TASK_SWITCH
1
Define CMD_INFO_EDIT_TABLE
1
Define CMD_INFO_EDIT_STATUS
2
Define CMD_INFO_EDIT_ASK
1
Define CMD_INFO_EDIT_SAVE
2
Define CMD_INFO_EDIT_DISCARD
3
Define CMD_INFO_HL_WINDOW_ID
17
Define CMD_INFO_HL_TABLE_NAME
18
Define CMD_INFO_HL_ROWID
19
Define CMD_INFO_HL_LAYER_ID
20
Define CMD_INFO_HL_FILE_NAME
21
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Task Switches, returned by CommandInfo() for CMD_INFO_TASK_SWITCH
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define SWITCHING_OUT_OF_MAPINFO
0
Define SWITCHING_INTO_MAPINFO
1
'============================================================================
' DateWindow() defines
'============================================================================
Define DATE_WIN_SESSION
1

Reference

837

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

Define DATE_WIN_CURPROG

'============================================================================
' FileAttr() defines
'============================================================================
Define FILE_ATTR_MODE
1
Define FILE_ATTR_FILESIZE
2
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' File Access Modes, returned by FileAttr() for FILE_ATTR_MODE
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define MODE_INPUT
0
Define MODE_OUTPUT
1
Define MODE_APPEND
2
Define MODE_RANDOM
3
Define MODE_BINARY
4
'============================================================================
' GetFolderPath$() defines
'============================================================================
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

FOLDER_MI_APPDATA
FOLDER_MI_LOCAL_APPDATA
FOLDER_MI_PREFERENCE
FOLDER_MI_COMMON_APPDATA
FOLDER_APPDATA
FOLDER_LOCAL_APPDATA
FOLDER_COMMON_APPDATA
FOLDER_COMMON_DOCS
FOLDER_MYDOCS
FOLDER_MYPICS

-1
-2
-3
-4
26
28
35
46
5
39

'============================================================================
' GetPreferencePath$(), GetCurrentPath$(), and Set Path defines
'============================================================================
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

PREFERENCE_PATH_TABLE
PREFERENCE_PATH_WORKSPACE
PREFERENCE_PATH_MBX
PREFERENCE_PATH_IMPORT
PREFERENCE_PATH_SQLQUERY
PREFERENCE_PATH_THEMETHEMPLATE
PREFERENCE_PATH_MIQUERY
PREFERENCE_PATH_NEWGRID
PREFERENCE_PATH_CRYSTAL
PREFERENCE_PATH_GRAPHSUPPORT
PREFERENCE_PATH_REMOTETABLE
PREFERENCE_PATH_SHAPEFILE
PREFERENCE_PATH_WFSTABLE
PREFERENCE_PATH_WMSTABLE

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

'============================================================================
' IntersectNodes() defines
'============================================================================
Define INCL_CROSSINGS
1
Define INCL_COMMON
6
Define INCL_ALL
7
'============================================================================

838

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File

' LabelInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define LABEL_INFO_OBJECT
1
Define LABEL_INFO_POSITION
2
Define LABEL_INFO_ANCHORX
3
Define LABEL_INFO_ANCHORY
4
Define LABEL_INFO_OFFSET
5
Define LABEL_INFO_ROWID
6
Define LABEL_INFO_TABLE
7
Define LABEL_INFO_EDIT
8
Define LABEL_INFO_EDIT_VISIBILITY
9
Define LABEL_INFO_EDIT_ANCHOR
10
Define LABEL_INFO_EDIT_OFFSET
11
Define LABEL_INFO_EDIT_FONT
12
Define LABEL_INFO_EDIT_PEN
13
Define LABEL_INFO_EDIT_TEXT
14
Define LABEL_INFO_EDIT_TEXTARROW
15
Define LABEL_INFO_EDIT_ANGLE
16
Define LABEL_INFO_EDIT_POSITION
17
Define LABEL_INFO_EDIT_TEXTLINE
18
Define LABEL_INFO_SELECT
19
Define LABEL_INFO_DRAWN
20
Define LABEL_INFO_ORIENTATION
21
'============================================================================
' Codes passed to the GroupLayerInfo function to get info about a group layer.
'============================================================================
Define GROUPLAYER_INFO_NAME
1
Define GROUPLAYER_INFO_LAYERLIST_ID
2
Define GROUPLAYER_INFO_DISPLAY
3
Define GROUPLAYER_INFO_LAYERS
4
Define GROUPLAYER_INFO_ALL_LAYERS
5
Define GROUPLAYER_INFO_TOPLEVEL_LAYERS
6
Define GROUPLAYER_INFO_PARENT_GROUP_ID
7
'============================================================================
' Values returned by GroupLayerInfo() for GROUPLAYER_INFO_DISPLAY. These
' defines correspond to the MapBasic defines in MAPBASIC.DEF. If you alter
' these you must alter MAPBASIC.DEF.
'============================================================================
Define GROUPLAYER_INFO_DISPLAY_OFF
0
Define GROUPLAYER_INFO_DISPLAY_ON
1
'****************************************************************************
' Codes passed to the LayerListInfo function to help enumerating all layers
in a Map.
'****************************************************************************
Define LAYERLIST_INFO_TYPE
1
Define LAYERLIST_INFO_NAME
2
Define LAYERLIST_INFO_LAYER_ID
3
Define LAYERLIST_INFO_GROUPLAYER_ID
4
'****************************************************************************
' Values returned by LayerListInfo() for LAYERLIST_INFO_TYPE. These
' defines correspond to the MapBasic defines in MAPBASIC.DEF. If you alter
' these you must alter MAPBASIC.DEF.
'****************************************************************************
Define LAYERLIST_INFO_TYPE_LAYER
Define LAYERLIST_INFO_TYPE_GROUP

Reference

0
1

839

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

'============================================================================
' LayerInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define LAYER_INFO_NAME
1
Define LAYER_INFO_EDITABLE
2
Define LAYER_INFO_SELECTABLE
3
Define LAYER_INFO_ZOOM_LAYERED
4
Define LAYER_INFO_ZOOM_MIN
5
Define LAYER_INFO_ZOOM_MAX
6
Define LAYER_INFO_COSMETIC
7
Define LAYER_INFO_PATH
8
Define LAYER_INFO_DISPLAY
9
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_LINE
10
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_PEN
11
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_BRUSH
12
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_SYMBOL
13
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_FONT
14
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_EXPR
15
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_LT
16
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_CURFONT
17
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_FONT
18
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_PARALLEL
19
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS
20
Define LAYER_INFO_ARROWS
21
Define LAYER_INFO_NODES
22
Define LAYER_INFO_CENTROIDS
23
Define LAYER_INFO_TYPE
24
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_VISIBILITY
25
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_ZOOM_MIN
26
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_ZOOM_MAX
27
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTODISPLAY
28
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_OVERLAP
29
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_DUPLICATES
30
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_OFFSET
31
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_MAX
32
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_PARTIALSEGS
33
Define LAYER_INFO_HOTLINK_EXPR
34
Define LAYER_INFO_HOTLINK_MODE
35
Define LAYER_INFO_HOTLINK_RELATIVE
36
Define LAYER_INFO_HOTLINK_COUNT
37
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_ORIENTATION
38
Define LAYER_INFO_LAYER_ALPHA
39
Define LAYER_INFO_LAYER_TRANSLUCENCY
40
Define LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ALPHA
41
Define LAYER_INFO_LAYERLIST_ID
42
Define LAYER_INFO_PARENT_GROUP_ID
43
'Code 44 - 52 are for override style & label
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_STYLE_COUNT
44
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_LBL_COUNT
45
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_STYLE_CURRENT
46
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_LBL_CURRENT
47
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_LINE_COUNT
48
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_PEN_COUNT
49
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_BRUSH_COUNT
50
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_SYMBOL_COUNT
51
Define LAYER_INFO_OVR_FONT_COUNT
52
Define LAYER_INFO_TILE_SERVER_LEVEL
53
'Advanced labelling options
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTO_POSITION
54
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTO_SIZES
55
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_SUPPRESS_IF_NO_FIT
56

840

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File

Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTO_SIZE_STEP
LAYER_INFO_LBL_CURVED_BEST_POSITION
LAYER_INFO_LBL_CURVED_FALLBACK
LAYER_INFO_LBL_USE_ABBREVIATION
LAYER_INFO_ABBREVIATION_EXPR
LAYER_INFO_LBL_AUTO_CALLOUT
LAYER_INFO_LBL_ORDER

57
58
59
60
61
62
63

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Values returned by LayerInfo() for LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENTATION and

' LABEL_INFO_ORIENTATION.
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_HORIZONTAL
0
Define LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_PARALLEL
1
Define LAYER_INFO_LABEL_ORIENT_CURVED
2
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Display Modes, returned by LayerInfo() for LAYER_INFO_DISPLAY
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define LAYER_INFO_DISPLAY_OFF
0
Define LAYER_INFO_DISPLAY_GRAPHIC
1
Define LAYER_INFO_DISPLAY_GLOBAL
2
Define LAYER_INFO_DISPLAY_VALUE
3
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Label Linetypes, returned by LayerInfo() for LAYER_INFO_LBL_LT
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_LT_NONE
0
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_LT_SIMPLE
1
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_LT_ARROW
2
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Label Positions, returned by LayerInfo() for LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS and
' LabelInfo() for LABEL_INFO_POSITION
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_AUTO
-1
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CC
0
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TL
1
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TC
2
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_TR
3
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CL
4
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_CR
5
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BL
6
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BC
7
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_POS_BR
8
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Layer Types, returned by LayerInfo() for LAYER_INFO_TYPE
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define LAYER_INFO_TYPE_NORMAL
0
Define LAYER_INFO_TYPE_COSMETIC
1

Reference

841

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

LAYER_INFO_TYPE_IMAGE
LAYER_INFO_TYPE_THEMATIC
LAYER_INFO_TYPE_GRID
LAYER_INFO_TYPE_WMS
LAYER_INFO_TYPE_TILESERVER

2
3
4
5
6

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Label visibility modes, from LayerInfo() for LAYER_INFO_LBL_VISIBILITY

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_VIS_OFF
1
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_VIS_ZOOM
2
Define LAYER_INFO_LBL_VIS_ON
3
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Code passed to StyleOverrideInfo function to get override style information
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_NAME
1
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_VISIBILITY
2
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_ZOOM_MIN
3
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_ZOOM_MAX
4
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_ARROWS
5
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_NODES
6
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_CENTROIDS
7
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_ALPHA
8
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_TRANSLUCENCY
9
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_LINE
10
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_PEN
11
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_BRUSH
12
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_SYMBOL
13
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_FONT
14
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_SYMBOL_COUNT
15
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_LINE_COUNT
16
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_PEN_COUNT
17
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_BRUSH_COUNT
18
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_FONT_COUNT
19
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Possible return value of StyleOverrideInfo for code STYLE_OVR_INFO_VISIBILITY
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_VIS_OFF
0
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_VIS_ON
1
Define STYLE_OVR_INFO_VIS_OFF_ZOOM
2
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Code passed to LabelOverrideInfo function to get override label information
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define LBL_OVR_INFO_NAME
1
Define LBL_OVR_INFO_VISIBILITY
2
Define LBL_OVR_INFO_ZOOM_MIN
3
Define LBL_OVR_INFO_ZOOM_MAX
4
Define LBL_OVR_INFO_EXPR
5
Define LBL_OVR_INFO_LT
6
Define LBL_OVR_INFO_FONT
7

842

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File

Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

LBL_OVR_INFO_PARALLEL
8
LBL_OVR_INFO_POS
9
LBL_OVR_INFO_OVERLAP
10
LBL_OVR_INFO_DUPLICATES
11
LBL_OVR_INFO_OFFSET
12
LBL_OVR_INFO_MAX
13
LBL_OVR_INFO_PARTIALSEGS
14
LBL_OVR_INFO_ORIENTATION
15
LBL_OVR_INFO_ALPHA
16
LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTODISPLAY
17
LBL_OVR_INFO_POS_RETRY
18
LBL_OVR_INFO_LINE_PEN
19
LBL_OVR_INFO_PERCENT_OVER
20
LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTO_POSITION
21
LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTO_SIZES
22
LBL_OVR_INFO_SUPPRESS_IF_NO_FIT 23
LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTO_SIZE_STEP
24
LBL_OVR_INFO_CURVED_BEST_POSITION 25
LBL_OVR_INFO_CURVED_FALLBACK
26
LBL_OVR_INFO_USE_ABBREVIATION
27
LBL_OVR_INFO_ABBREVIATION_EXPR 28
LBL_OVR_INFO_AUTO_CALLOUT
29

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Possible return value of LabelOverrideInfo for code LBL_OVR_INFO_VISIBILITY

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define LBL_OVR_INFO_VIS_OFF
0
Define LBL_OVR_INFO_VIS_ON
1
Define LBL_OVR_INFO_VIS_OFF_ZOOM
2
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' LayerControlInfo() defines
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define LC_INFO_SEL_COUNT
1
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' LayerControlSelectionInfo() defines
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define LC_SEL_INFO_NAME
1
Define LC_SEL_INFO_TYPE
2
Define LC_SEL_INFO_MAPWIN_ID
3
Define LC_SEL_INFO_LAYER_ID
4
Define LC_SEL_INFO_OVR_ID
5
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Values returned by LayerControlSelectionInfo() for LC_SEL_INFO_TYPE.
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define LC_SEL_INFO_TYPE_MAP
0
Define LC_SEL_INFO_TYPE_LAYER
1
Define LC_SEL_INFO_TYPE_GROUPLAYER
2
Define LC_SEL_INFO_TYPE_STYLE_OVR
3
Define LC_SEL_INFO_TYPE_LABEL_OVR
4

Reference

843

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' HotlinkInfo() defines'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define HOTLINK_INFO_EXPR
1
Define HOTLINK_INFO_MODE
2
Define HOTLINK_INFO_RELATIVE
3
Define HOTLINK_INFO_ENABLED
4
Define HOTLINK_INFO_ALIAS
5
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Hotlink activation modes, from LayerInfo() for LAYER_INFO_HOTLINK_MODE
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define HOTLINK_MODE_LABEL
0
Define HOTLINK_MODE_OBJ
1
Define HOTLINK_MODE_BOTH
2
'============================================================================
' LegendInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define LEGEND_INFO_MAP_ID
1
Define LEGEND_INFO_ORIENTATION
2
Define LEGEND_INFO_NUM_FRAMES
3
Define LEGEND_INFO_STYLE_SAMPLE_SIZE
4
Define LEGEND_INFO_LINE_SAMPLE_WIDTH
5
Define LEGEND_INFO_REGION_SAMPLE_WIDTH
6
Define LEGEND_INFO_REGION_SAMPLE_HEIGHT
7
Define LEGEND_INFO_NUM_TEXTFRAMES
8
'============================================================================
' Orientation codes, returned by LegendInfo() for LEGEND_INFO_ORIENTATION
'============================================================================
Define ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT
1
Define ORIENTATION_LANDSCAPE
2
Define ORIENTATION_CUSTOM
3
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Style sample codes, from LegendInfo() for LEGEND_INFO_STYLE_SAMPLE_SIZE
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define STYLE_SAMPLE_SIZE_SMALL
0
Define STYLE_SAMPLE_SIZE_LARGE
1
'============================================================================
' LegendFrameInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define FRAME_INFO_TYPE
1
Define FRAME_INFO_MAP_LAYER_ID
2
Define FRAME_INFO_REFRESHABLE
3
Define FRAME_INFO_POS_X
4
Define FRAME_INFO_POS_Y
5
Define FRAME_INFO_WIDTH
6
Define FRAME_INFO_HEIGHT
7
Define FRAME_INFO_TITLE
8
Define FRAME_INFO_TITLE_FONT
9
Define FRAME_INFO_SUBTITLE
10
Define FRAME_INFO_SUBTITLE_FONT
11
Define FRAME_INFO_BORDER_PEN
12

844

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File

Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

FRAME_INFO_NUM_STYLES
FRAME_INFO_VISIBLE
FRAME_INFO_COLUMN
FRAME_INFO_LABEL
FRAME_INFO_COLUMNS
FRAME_INFO_NUM_VISIBLE_ROWS
FRAME_INFO_LINE_SAMPLE_WIDTH
FRAME_INFO_REGION_SAMPLE_WIDTH
FRAME_INFO_REGION_SAMPLE_HEIGHT
FRAME_INFO_AUTO_FONT_SIZE

13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22

'============================================================================
' LegendTextFrameInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define TEXTFRAME_INFO_POS_X
1
Define TEXTFRAME_INFO_POS_Y
2
Define TEXTFRAME_INFO_WIDTH
3
Define TEXTFRAME_INFO_HEIGHT
4
Define TEXTFRAME_INFO_TEXT
5
Define TEXTFRAME_INFO_TEXT_FONT
6
'============================================================================
' Frame Types, returned by LegendFrameInfo() for FRAME_INFO_TYPE
'============================================================================
Define FRAME_TYPE_STYLE
1
Define FRAME_TYPE_THEME
2
'============================================================================
' Geocode Attributes, returned by GeocodeInfo()
'============================================================================
Define GEOCODE_STREET_NAME
1
Define GEOCODE_STREET_NUMBER
2
Define GEOCODE_MUNICIPALITY
3
Define GEOCODE_MUNICIPALITY2
4
Define GEOCODE_COUNTRY_SUBDIVISION
5
Define GEOCODE_COUNTRY_SUBDIVISION2
6
Define GEOCODE_POSTAL_CODE
7
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

GEOCODE_DICTIONARY
GEOCODE_BATCH_SIZE
GEOCODE_FALLBACK_GEOGRAPHIC
GEOCODE_FALLBACK_POSTAL
GEOCODE_OFFSET_CENTER
GEOCODE_OFFSET_CENTER_UNITS
GEOCODE_OFFSET_END
GEOCODE_OFFSET_END_UNITS
GEOCODE_MIXED_CASE
GEOCODE_RESULT_MARK_MULTIPLE
GEOCODE_COUNT_GEOCODED
GEOCODE_COUNT_NOTGEOCODED
GEOCODE_UNABLE_TO_CONVERT_DATA
GEOCODE_MAX_BATCH_SIZE
GEOCODE_PASSTHROUGH

9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
100

Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

DICTIONARY_ALL
DICTIONARY_ADDRESS_ONLY
DICTIONARY_USER_ONLY
DICTIONARY_PREFER_ADDRESS
DICTIONARY_PREFER_USER

1
2
3
4
5

'============================================================================

Reference

845

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

' ISOGRAM Attributes, returned by IsogramInfo()
'============================================================================
Define ISOGRAM_BANDING
1
Define ISOGRAM_MAJOR_ROADS_ONLY
2
Define ISOGRAM_RETURN_HOLES
3
Define ISOGRAM_MAJOR_POLYGON_ONLY
4
Define ISOGRAM_MAX_OFFROAD_DIST
5
Define ISOGRAM_MAX_OFFROAD_DIST_UNITS
6
Define ISOGRAM_SIMPLIFICATION_FACTOR
7
Define ISOGRAM_DEFAULT_AMBIENT_SPEED
8
Define ISOGRAM_AMBIENT_SPEED_DIST_UNIT
9
Define ISOGRAM_AMBIENT_SPEED_TIME_UNIT
10
Define ISOGRAM_PROPAGATION_FACTOR
11
Define ISOGRAM_BATCH_SIZE
12
Define ISOGRAM_POINTS_ONLY
13
Define ISOGRAM_RECORDS_INSERTED
14
Define ISOGRAM_RECORDS_NOTINSERTED
15
Define ISOGRAM_MAX_BATCH_SIZE
16
Define ISOGRAM_MAX_BANDS
17
Define ISOGRAM_MAX_DISTANCE
18
Define ISOGRAM_MAX_DISTANCE_UNITS
19
Define ISOGRAM_MAX_TIME
20
Define ISOGRAM_MAX_TIME_UNITS
21
'============================================================================
' LegendStyleInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define LEGEND_STYLE_INFO_TEXT
1
Define LEGEND_STYLE_INFO_FONT
2
Define LEGEND_STYLE_INFO_OBJ
3
Define LEGEND_STYLE_INFO_ROW_VISIBLE
4
'============================================================================
' LocateFile$() defines
'============================================================================
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

LOCATE_PREF_FILE
LOCATE_DEF_WOR
LOCATE_CLR_FILE
LOCATE_PEN_FILE
LOCATE_FNT_FILE
LOCATE_ABB_FILE
LOCATE_PRJ_FILE
LOCATE_MNU_FILE
LOCATE_CUSTSYMB_DIR
LOCATE_THMTMPLT_DIR
LOCATE_GRAPH_DIR
LOCATE_WMS_SERVERLIST
LOCATE_WFS_SERVERLIST
LOCATE_GEOCODE_SERVERLIST
LOCATE_ROUTING_SERVERLIST
LOCATE_LAYOUT_TEMPLATE_DIR

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15

'============================================================================
' Map3DInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define MAP3D_INFO_SCALE
1
Define MAP3D_INFO_RESOLUTION_X
2
Define MAP3D_INFO_RESOLUTION_Y
3
Define MAP3D_INFO_BACKGROUND
4
Define MAP3D_INFO_UNITS
5

846

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File

Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_X
MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_Y
MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_Z
MAP3D_INFO_LIGHT_COLOR
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_X
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_Y
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_Z
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_X
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Y
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Z
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VU_1
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VU_2
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VU_3
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_1
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_2
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_3
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_NEAR
MAP3D_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_FAR

6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23

'============================================================================
' MapperInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define MAPPER_INFO_ZOOM
1
Define MAPPER_INFO_SCALE
2
Define MAPPER_INFO_CENTERX
3
Define MAPPER_INFO_CENTERY
4
Define MAPPER_INFO_MINX
5
Define MAPPER_INFO_MINY
6
Define MAPPER_INFO_MAXX
7
Define MAPPER_INFO_MAXY
8
Define MAPPER_INFO_LAYERS
9
Define MAPPER_INFO_EDIT_LAYER
10
Define MAPPER_INFO_XYUNITS
11
Define MAPPER_INFO_DISTUNITS
12
Define MAPPER_INFO_AREAUNITS
13
Define MAPPER_INFO_SCROLLBARS
14
Define MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY
15
Define MAPPER_INFO_NUM_THEMATIC
16
Define MAPPER_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE
17
Define MAPPER_INFO_COORDSYS_NAME
18
Define MAPPER_INFO_MOVE_DUPLICATE_NODES
19
Define MAPPER_INFO_DIST_CALC_TYPE
20
Define MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_DMS
21
Define MAPPER_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE_WITH_BOUNDS 22
Define MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_TYPE
23
Define MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_REGION
24
Define MAPPER_INFO_REPROJECTION
25
Define MAPPER_INFO_RESAMPLING
26
Define MAPPER_INFO_MERGE_MAP
27
Define MAPPER_INFO_ALL_LAYERS
28
Define MAPPER_INFO_GROUPLAYERS
29
Define MAPPER_INFO_NUM_ADORNMENTS
200
Define MAPPER_INFO_ADORNMENT
200
Define MAPPER_INFO_LABELS_SELECTABLE
30
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Display Modes, returned by MapperInfo() for MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_DMS
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_DECIMAL
0

Reference

847

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

Define
Define
Define
Define

MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_DEGMINSEC
MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_MGRS
MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_USNG_WGS84
MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_USNG_NAD27

1
2
3
4

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Display Modes, returned by MapperInfo() for MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_SCALE
0
Define MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_ZOOM
1
Define MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_POSITION
2
Define MAPPER_INFO_DISPLAY_CARTOGRAPHIC_SCALE
3
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Distance Calculation Types from MapperInfo() for MAPPER_INFO_DIST_CALC_TYPE
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define MAPPER_INFO_DIST_SPHERICAL
0
Define MAPPER_INFO_DIST_CARTESIAN
1
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Clip Types, returned by MapperInfo() for MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_TYPE
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_DISPLAY_ALL
0
Define MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_DISPLAY_POLYOBJ
1
Define MAPPER_INFO_CLIP_OVERLAY
2
'============================================================================
' MenuItemInfoByID() and MenuItemInfoByHandler() defines
'============================================================================
Define MENUITEM_INFO_ENABLED
1
Define MENUITEM_INFO_CHECKED
2
Define MENUITEM_INFO_CHECKABLE
3
Define MENUITEM_INFO_SHOWHIDEABLE
4
Define MENUITEM_INFO_ACCELERATOR
5
Define MENUITEM_INFO_TEXT
6
Define MENUITEM_INFO_HELPMSG
7
Define MENUITEM_INFO_HANDLER
8
Define MENUITEM_INFO_ID
9
'============================================================================
' ObjectGeography() defines
'============================================================================
Define OBJ_GEO_MINX
1
Define OBJ_GEO_LINEBEGX
1
Define OBJ_GEO_POINTX
1
Define OBJ_GEO_MINY
2
Define OBJ_GEO_LINEBEGY
2
Define OBJ_GEO_POINTY
2
Define OBJ_GEO_MAXX
3
Define OBJ_GEO_LINEENDX
3
Define OBJ_GEO_MAXY
4
Define OBJ_GEO_LINEENDY
4
Define OBJ_GEO_ARCBEGANGLE
5
Define OBJ_GEO_TEXTLINEX
5
Define OBJ_GEO_ROUNDRADIUS
5
Define OBJ_GEO_CENTROID
5

848

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File

Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

OBJ_GEO_ARCENDANGLE
OBJ_GEO_TEXTLINEY
OBJ_GEO_TEXTANGLE
OBJ_GEO_POINTZ
OBJ_GEO_POINTM

6
6
7
8
9

'============================================================================
' ObjectInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define OBJ_INFO_TYPE
1
Define OBJ_INFO_PEN
2
Define OBJ_INFO_SYMBOL
2
Define OBJ_INFO_TEXTFONT
2
Define OBJ_INFO_BRUSH
3
Define OBJ_INFO_NPNTS
20
Define OBJ_INFO_TEXTSTRING
3
Define OBJ_INFO_SMOOTH
4
Define OBJ_INFO_FRAMEWIN
4
Define OBJ_INFO_NPOLYGONS
21
Define OBJ_INFO_TEXTSPACING
4
Define OBJ_INFO_TEXTJUSTIFY
5
Define OBJ_INFO_FRAMETITLE
6
Define OBJ_INFO_TEXTARROW
6
Define OBJ_INFO_FILLFRAME
7
Define OBJ_INFO_REGION
8
Define OBJ_INFO_PLINE
9
Define OBJ_INFO_MPOINT
10
Define OBJ_INFO_NONEMPTY
11
Define OBJ_INFO_Z_UNIT_SET
12
Define OBJ_INFO_Z_UNIT
13
Define OBJ_INFO_HAS_Z
14
Define OBJ_INFO_HAS_M
15
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Object types, returned by ObjectInfo() for OBJ_INFO_TYPE
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define OBJ_TYPE_ARC
1
Define OBJ_TYPE_ELLIPSE
2
Define OBJ_TYPE_LINE
3
Define OBJ_TYPE_PLINE
4
Define OBJ_TYPE_POINT
5
Define OBJ_TYPE_FRAME
6
Define OBJ_TYPE_REGION
7
Define OBJ_TYPE_RECT
8
Define OBJ_TYPE_ROUNDRECT
9
Define OBJ_TYPE_TEXT
10
Define OBJ_TYPE_MPOINT
11
Define OBJ_TYPE_COLLECTION
12
'----------------------*
' RegionInfo() Defines
'----------------------*
Define REGION_INFO_IS_CLOCKWISE

'============================================================================
' PrismMapInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define PRISMMAP_INFO_SCALE

Reference

849

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

PRISMMAP_INFO_BACKGROUND
PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_X
PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_Y
PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_Z
PRISMMAP_INFO_LIGHT_COLOR
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_X
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_Y
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_Z
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_X
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Y
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_FOCAL_Z
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VU_1
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VU_2
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VU_3
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_1
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_2
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_VPN_3
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_NEAR
PRISMMAP_INFO_CAMERA_CLIP_FAR
PRISMMAP_INFO_INFOTIP_EXPR

4
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24

'============================================================================
' SearchInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define SEARCH_INFO_TABLE
1
Define SEARCH_INFO_ROW
2
'============================================================================
' SelectionInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define SEL_INFO_TABLENAME
1
Define SEL_INFO_SELNAME
2
Define SEL_INFO_NROWS
3
'============================================================================
' Server statement and function defines
'============================================================================
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Return Codes
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define SRV_SUCCESS
0
Define SRV_SUCCESS_WITH_INFO
1
Define SRV_ERROR
-1
Define SRV_INVALID_HANDLE
-2
Define SRV_NEED_DATA
99
Define SRV_NO_MORE_DATA
100
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Special values for the status associated with a fetched value
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define SRV_NULL_DATA
-1
Define SRV_TRUNCATED_DATA
-2
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Server_ColumnInfo() defines
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------

850

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File

-Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

SRV_COL_INFO_NAME
SRV_COL_INFO_TYPE
SRV_COL_INFO_WIDTH
SRV_COL_INFO_PRECISION
SRV_COL_INFO_SCALE
SRV_COL_INFO_VALUE
SRV_COL_INFO_STATUS
SRV_COL_INFO_ALIAS

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Column types, returned by Server_ColumnInfo() for SRV_COL_INFO_TYPE

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define SRV_COL_TYPE_NONE
0
Define SRV_COL_TYPE_CHAR
1
Define SRV_COL_TYPE_DECIMAL
2
Define SRV_COL_TYPE_INTEGER
3
Define SRV_COL_TYPE_SMALLINT
4
Define SRV_COL_TYPE_DATE
5
Define SRV_COL_TYPE_LOGICAL
6
Define SRV_COL_TYPE_FLOAT
8
Define SRV_COL_TYPE_FIXED_LEN_STRING
16
Define SRV_COL_TYPE_BIN_STRING
17
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Server_DriverInfo() Attr defines
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define SRV_DRV_INFO_NAME
1
Define SRV_DRV_INFO_NAME_LIST
2
Define SRV_DRV_DATA_SOURCE
3
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Server_ConnectInfo() Attr defines
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define SRV_CONNECT_INFO_DRIVER_NAME
1
Define SRV_CONNECT_INFO_DB_NAME
2
Define SRV_CONNECT_INFO_SQL_USER_ID
3
Define SRV_CONNECT_INFO_DS_NAME
4
Define SRV_CONNECT_INFO_QUOTE_CHAR
5
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Fetch Directions (used by ServerFetch function in some code libraries)
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define SRV_FETCH_NEXT
-1
Define SRV_FETCH_PREV
-2
Define SRV_FETCH_FIRST
-3
Define SRV_FETCH_LAST
-4
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------'Oracle workspace manager
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reference

851

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

Define SRV_WM_HIST_NONE
Define SRV_WM_HIST_OVERWRITE
Define SRV_WM_HIST_NO_OVERWRITE

0
1
2

'============================================================================
' SessionInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define
Define
Define
Define

SESSION_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE
SESSION_INFO_DISTANCE_UNITS
SESSION_INFO_AREA_UNITS
SESSION_INFO_PAPER_UNITS

1
2
3
4

'============================================================================
' Set Next Document Style defines
'============================================================================
Define WIN_STYLE_STANDARD
0
Define WIN_STYLE_CHILD
1
Define WIN_STYLE_POPUP_FULLCAPTION
2
Define WIN_STYLE_POPUP
3
'============================================================================
' StringCompare() defines
'============================================================================
Define STR_LT
-1
Define STR_GT
1
Define STR_EQ
0
'============================================================================
' StyleAttr() defines
'============================================================================
Define PEN_WIDTH
1
Define PEN_PATTERN
2
Define PEN_COLOR
4
Define PEN_INDEX
5
Define PEN_INTERLEAVED
6
Define BRUSH_PATTERN
1
Define BRUSH_FORECOLOR
2
Define BRUSH_BACKCOLOR
3
Define FONT_NAME
1
Define FONT_STYLE
2
Define FONT_POINTSIZE
3
Define FONT_FORECOLOR
4
Define FONT_BACKCOLOR
5
Define SYMBOL_CODE
1
Define SYMBOL_COLOR
2
Define SYMBOL_POINTSIZE
3
Define SYMBOL_ANGLE
4
Define SYMBOL_FONT_NAME
5
Define SYMBOL_FONT_STYLE
6
Define SYMBOL_KIND
7
Define SYMBOL_CUSTOM_NAME
8
Define SYMBOL_CUSTOM_STYLE
9
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Symbol kinds returned by StyleAttr() for SYMBOL_KIND
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define SYMBOL_KIND_VECTOR
1
Define SYMBOL_KIND_FONT
2

852

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File

Define SYMBOL_KIND_CUSTOM

'============================================================================
' SystemInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define SYS_INFO_PLATFORM
1
Define SYS_INFO_APPVERSION
2
Define SYS_INFO_MIVERSION
3
Define SYS_INFO_RUNTIME
4
Define SYS_INFO_CHARSET
5
Define SYS_INFO_COPYPROTECTED
6
Define SYS_INFO_APPLICATIONWND
7
Define SYS_INFO_DDESTATUS
8
Define SYS_INFO_MAPINFOWND
9
Define SYS_INFO_NUMBER_FORMAT
10
Define SYS_INFO_DATE_FORMAT
11
Define SYS_INFO_DIG_INSTALLED
12
Define SYS_INFO_DIG_MODE
13
Define SYS_INFO_MIPLATFORM
14
Define SYS_INFO_MDICLIENTWND
15
Define SYS_INFO_PRODUCTLEVEL
16
Define SYS_INFO_APPIDISPATCH
17
Define SYS_INFO_MIBUILD_NUMBER
18
Define SYS_INFO_MIFULLVERSION
19
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Platform, returned by SystemInfo() for SYS_INFO_PLATFORM
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define PLATFORM_SPECIAL
0
Define PLATFORM_WIN
1
Define PLATFORM_MAC
2
Define PLATFORM_MOTIF
3
Define PLATFORM_X11
4
Define PLATFORM_XOL
5
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Version, returned by SystemInfo() for SYS_INFO_MIPLATFORM
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define MIPLATFORM_SPECIAL
0
Define MIPLATFORM_WIN16
1
Define MIPLATFORM_WIN32
2
Define MIPLATFORM_POWERMAC
3
Define MIPLATFORM_MAC68K
4
Define MIPLATFORM_HP
5
Define MIPLATFORM_SUN
6
Define MIPLATFORM_WIN64
7
'============================================================================
' TableInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define TAB_INFO_NAME
1
Define TAB_INFO_NUM
2
Define TAB_INFO_TYPE
3
Define TAB_INFO_NCOLS
4
Define TAB_INFO_MAPPABLE
5
Define TAB_INFO_READONLY
6
Define TAB_INFO_TEMP
7

Reference

853

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

TAB_INFO_NROWS
TAB_INFO_EDITED
TAB_INFO_FASTEDIT
TAB_INFO_UNDO
TAB_INFO_MAPPABLE_TABLE
TAB_INFO_USERMAP
TAB_INFO_USERBROWSE
TAB_INFO_USERCLOSE
TAB_INFO_USEREDITABLE
TAB_INFO_USERREMOVEMAP
TAB_INFO_USERDISPLAYMAP
TAB_INFO_TABFILE
TAB_INFO_MINX
TAB_INFO_MINY
TAB_INFO_MAXX
TAB_INFO_MAXY
TAB_INFO_SEAMLESS
TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_MINX
TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_MINY
TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_MAXX
TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_MAXY
TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE
TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_NAME
TAB_INFO_NREFS
TAB_INFO_SUPPORT_MZ
TAB_INFO_Z_UNIT_SET
TAB_INFO_Z_UNIT
TAB_INFO_BROWSER_LIST
TAB_INFO_THEME_METADATA
TAB_INFO_COORDSYS_CLAUSE_WITHOUT_BOUNDS
TAB_INFO_DESCRIPTION
TAB_INFO_ID
TAB_INFO_PARENTID
TAB_INFO_ISMANAGED
TAB_INFO_ADSK_TEXTOBJECT
TAB_INFO_OVERRIDE_COORDINATE_ORDER
TAB_INFO_PERSIST

8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Table type defines, returned by TableInfo() for TAB_INFO_TYPE

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define TAB_TYPE_BASE
1
Define TAB_TYPE_RESULT
2
Define TAB_TYPE_VIEW
3
Define TAB_TYPE_IMAGE
4
Define TAB_TYPE_LINKED
5
Define TAB_TYPE_WMS
6
Define TAB_TYPE_WFS
7
Define TAB_TYPE_FME
8
Define TAB_TYPE_TILESERVER
9
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Defines used in LibraryServiceInfo function for what information to return.
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define LIBSRVC_INFO_LIBSRVCMODE
1
Define LIBSRVC_INFO_LIBVERSION
2
Define LIBSRVC_INFO_DEFURLPATH
3

854

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File

Define LIBSRVC_INFO_LISTCSWURL

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' TableListInfo() defines

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define TL_INFO_SEL_COUNT
1
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' TableListSelectionInfo() defines
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define TL_SEL_INFO_NAME
1
Define TL_SEL_INFO_ID
2
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' RasterTableInfo() defines
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define RASTER_TAB_INFO_IMAGE_NAME
1
Define RASTER_TAB_INFO_WIDTH
2
Define RASTER_TAB_INFO_HEIGHT
3
Define RASTER_TAB_INFO_IMAGE_TYPE
4
Define RASTER_TAB_INFO_BITS_PER_PIXEL
5
Define RASTER_TAB_INFO_IMAGE_CLASS
6
Define RASTER_TAB_INFO_NUM_CONTROL_POINTS
7
Define RASTER_TAB_INFO_BRIGHTNESS
8
Define RASTER_TAB_INFO_CONTRAST
9
Define RASTER_TAB_INFO_GREYSCALE
10
Define RASTER_TAB_INFO_DISPLAY_TRANSPARENT
11
Define RASTER_TAB_INFO_TRANSPARENT_COLOR
12
Define RASTER_TAB_INFO_ALPHA
13
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Image type defines returned by RasterTableInfo() for RASTER_TAB_INFO_IMAGE_TYPE
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define IMAGE_TYPE_RASTER
0
Define IMAGE_TYPE_GRID
1
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Image class defines returned by RasterTableInfo() for RASTER_TAB_INFO_IMAGE_CLASS
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define IMAGE_CLASS_BILEVEL
0
Define IMAGE_CLASS_GREYSCALE
1
Define IMAGE_CLASS_PALETTE
2
Define IMAGE_CLASS_RGB
3
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' GridTableInfo() defines
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reference

855

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

Define GRID_TAB_INFO_MIN_VALUE
Define GRID_TAB_INFO_MAX_VALUE
Define GRID_TAB_INFO_HAS_HILLSHADE

1
2
3

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' ControlPointInfo() defines

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define RASTER_CONTROL_POINT_X
1
Define RASTER_CONTROL_POINT_Y
2
Define GEO_CONTROL_POINT_X
3
Define GEO_CONTROL_POINT_Y
4
Define TAB_GEO_CONTROL_POINT_X
5
Define TAB_GEO_CONTROL_POINT_Y
6
'============================================================================
' WindowInfo() defines
'============================================================================
Define WIN_INFO_NAME
1
Define WIN_INFO_TYPE
3
Define WIN_INFO_WIDTH
4
Define WIN_INFO_HEIGHT
5
Define WIN_INFO_X
6
Define WIN_INFO_Y
7
Define WIN_INFO_TOPMOST
8
Define WIN_INFO_STATE
9
Define WIN_INFO_TABLE
10
Define WIN_INFO_LEGENDS_MAP
10
Define WIN_INFO_ADORNEMNTS_MAP
10
Define WIN_INFO_OPEN
11
Define WIN_INFO_WND
12
Define WIN_INFO_WINDOWID
13
Define WIN_INFO_WORKSPACE
14
Define WIN_INFO_CLONEWINDOW
15
Define WIN_INFO_SYSMENUCLOSE
16
Define WIN_INFO_AUTOSCROLL
17
Define WIN_INFO_SMARTPAN
18
Define WIN_INFO_SNAPMODE
19
Define WIN_INFO_SNAPTHRESHOLD
20
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_NAME
21
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_ORIENT
22
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_COPIES
23
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_PAPERSIZE
24
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_LEFTMARGIN
25
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_RIGHTMARGIN
26
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_TOPMARGIN
27
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_BOTTOMMARGIN
28
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_BORDER
29
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_TRUECOLOR
30
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_DITHER
31
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_METHOD
32
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_TRANSPRASTER
33
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_TRANSPVECTOR
34
Define WIN_INFO_EXPORT_BORDER
35
Define WIN_INFO_EXPORT_TRUECOLOR
36
Define WIN_INFO_EXPORT_DITHER
37
Define WIN_INFO_EXPORT_TRANSPRASTER
38
Define WIN_INFO_EXPORT_TRANSPVECTOR
39
Define WIN_INFO_PRINTER_SCALE_PATTERNS
40
Define WIN_INFO_EXPORT_ANTIALIASING
41

856

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File

Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

WIN_INFO_EXPORT_THRESHOLD
WIN_INFO_EXPORT_MASKSIZE
WIN_INFO_EXPORT_FILTER
WIN_INFO_ENHANCED_RENDERING
WIN_INFO_SMOOTH_TEXT
WIN_INFO_SMOOTH_IMAGE
WIN_INFO_SMOOTH_VECTOR

42
43
44
45
46
47
48

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Window types, returned by WindowInfo() for WIN_INFO_TYPE

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define WIN_MAPPER
1
Define WIN_BROWSER
2
Define WIN_LAYOUT
3
Define WIN_GRAPH
4
Define WIN_BUTTONPAD
19
Define WIN_TOOLBAR
25
Define WIN_CART_LEGEND
27
Define WIN_3DMAP
28
Define WIN_ADORNMENT
32
Define WIN_LEGEND_DESIGNER
35
Define WIN_HELP
1001
Define WIN_MAPBASIC
1002
Define WIN_MESSAGE
1003
Define WIN_RULER
1007
Define WIN_INFO
1008
Define WIN_LEGEND
1009
Define WIN_STATISTICS
1010
Define WIN_MAPINFO
1011
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Version 2 window types no longer used in version 3 or later versions
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define WIN_TOOLPICKER
1004
Define WIN_PENPICKER
1005
Define WIN_SYMBOLPICKER
1006
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Window types which can be used in Open/Close Window statements
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define WIN_TABLE_LIST
2001
Define WIN_LAYER_CONTROL
2002
Define WIN_MOVE_MAP_TO
2003
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Window states, returned by WindowInfo() for WIN_INFO_STATE
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define WIN_STATE_NORMAL
0
Define WIN_STATE_MINIMIZED
1
Define WIN_STATE_MAXIMIZED
2
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reference

857

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

' Print orientation, returned by WindowInfo() for WIN_INFO_PRINTER_ORIENT
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define WIN_PRINTER_PORTRAIT
1
Define WIN_PRINTER_LANDSCAPE
2
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Antialiasing filters, returned by WindowInfo() for WIN_INFO_EXPORT_FILTER
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define FILTER_VERTICALLY_AND_HORIZONTALLY
0
Define FILTER_ALL_DIRECTIONS_1
1
Define FILTER_ALL_DIRECTIONS_2
2
Define FILTER_DIAGONALLY
3
Define FILTER_HORIZONTALLY
4
Define FILTER_VERTICALLY
5
'============================================================================
' Abbreviated list of error codes
'
' The following are error codes described in the Reference manual. All
' other errors are listed in ERRORS.DOC.
'============================================================================
Define ERR_BAD_WINDOW
590
Define ERR_BAD_WINDOW_NUM
648
Define ERR_CANT_INITIATE_LINK
698
Define ERR_CMD_NOT_SUPPORTED
642
Define ERR_FCN_ARG_RANGE
644
Define ERR_FCN_INVALID_FMT
643
Define ERR_FCN_OBJ_FETCH_FAILED
650
Define ERR_FILEMGR_NOTOPEN
366
Define ERR_FP_MATH_LIB_DOMAIN
911
Define ERR_FP_MATH_LIB_RANGE
912
Define ERR_INVALID_CHANNEL
696
Define ERR_INVALID_READ_CONTROL
842
Define ERR_INVALID_TRIG_CONTROL
843
Define ERR_NO_FIELD
319
Define ERR_NO_RESPONSE_FROM_APP
697
Define ERR_PROCESS_FAILED_IN_APP
699
Define ERR_NULL_SELECTION
589
Define ERR_TABLE_NOT_FOUND
405
Define ERR_WANT_MAPPER_WIN
313
Define ERR_CANT_ACCESS_FILE
825
'============================================================================
' Backward Compatibility defines
'
' These defines are provided so that existing MapBasic code will continue
' to compile & run correctly. Please use the new define (on the right)
' when writing new code.
'============================================================================
Define OBJ_ARC
OBJ_TYPE_ARC
Define OBJ_ELLIPSE
OBJ_TYPE_ELLIPSE
Define OBJ_LINE
OBJ_TYPE_LINE
Define OBJ_PLINE
OBJ_TYPE_PLINE
Define OBJ_POINT
OBJ_TYPE_POINT
Define OBJ_FRAME
OBJ_TYPE_FRAME
Define OBJ_REGION
OBJ_TYPE_REGION
Define OBJ_RECT
OBJ_TYPE_RECT
Define OBJ_ROUNDRECT
OBJ_TYPE_ROUNDRECT

858

MapBasic 12.0

Appendix E: MapBasic Definitions File

Define OBJ_TEXT

OBJ_TYPE_TEXT

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------' Codes for AdornmentInfo function to get info about an adornment win
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------Define ADORNMENT_INFO_TYPE
1
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_WINDOWID
2
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_IS_FIXED_POS
3
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_FIXED_POS_X
4
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_FIXED_POS_Y
5
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_FIXED_POS_UNITS
6
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_DOCKED_POS
7
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_DOCKED_OFFSET_X
8
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_DOCKED_OFFSET_Y
9
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_DOCKED_UNITS
10
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_BACKGROUND_PEN
11
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_BACKGROUND_BRUSH
12
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_TYPE
20
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_MAP_UNITS
21
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_PAPER_UNITS
22
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_BAR_LENGTH
23
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_BAR_DRAW_LEN
24
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_BAR_HEIGHT
25
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_AUTO_SCALING
26
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_CARTO_SCALE
27
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_BAR_PEN
28
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_BAR_BRUSH
29
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_BAR_FONT
30
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_DISPLAY_SCALE
31
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_AUTOOFF_SCALE
32
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_AUTOON_SCALE
33
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_SCALE_STRING
34
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_CARTO_VALUE
35
Define ADORNMENT_INFO_SB_CARTO_STRING
36
'============================================================================
' Codes used to position Adornments relative to mapper
'============================================================================
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define
Define

ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_TL
0
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_TC
1
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_TR
2
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CL
3
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CC
4
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_CR
5
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_BL
6
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_BC
7
ADORNMENT_INFO_MAP_POS_BR
8
SCALEBAR_INFO_BARTYPE_CHECKEDBAR
SCALEBAR_INFO_BARTYPE_SOLIDBAR
SCALEBAR_INFO_BARTYPE_LINEBAR
SCALEBAR_INFO_BARTYPE_TICKBAR

0
1
2
3

'============================================================================
' Coordinate system datum id's. These match the id's from mapinfow.prj.
'============================================================================
Define DATUMID_NAD27 62
Define DATUMID_NAD83 74
Define DATUMID_WGS84 104

Reference

859

The MAPBASIC.DEF File

'============================================================================
' end of MAPBASIC.DEF
'============================================================================

860

MapBasic 12.0

Index
^ (caret)
exponentiation 828
show/hide menu text 207
! (exclamation point) in menus 207
.Net Interoperability
Declare Method statement 258
( (open parenthesis) in menus 206
* (asterisk)
fixed length strings 273
multiplication 828
/ (slash)
division 828
in menus 204, 207
\ (backslash)
in menus 204
integer division 828
& (ampersand)
dialog hotkeys 266
finding street intersections 305
hexadecimal numbers 754
menu hotkeys 207
string concatenation 828
(less than) character
in menus 204
+ (plus) 828
3D maps
changing window settings 668
creating 203
prism maps 221
reading window settings 408

A
Abs( ) function 48
absolute value, Abs( ) function 48
accelerator keys
in dialog boxes 266
in menus 207

Access databases
connection string attributes 561
Acos( ) function 49
Add Cartographic Frame statement 50
Add Column statement 52
Add Designer Frame statement 57
Add Designer Text statement 60
Add Map statement 61
adding
animation layers 62
buttons 66
columns to a table 52, 57, 93
map layers 61
menu items 81, 84
nodes 88, 461, 477
addresses
finding 305
AdornmentInfo( ) function 63
aggregate functions 550, 551
alias variables 273
all-caps text 311
Alter Button statement 65
Alter ButtonPad statement 66
Alter Cartographic Frame statement 71
Alter Control statement 72
Alter Designer Frame statement 74
Alter Designer Text statement 78
Alter MapInfoDialog statement 79
Alter Menu Bar statement 85
Alter Menu Item statement 87
Alter Menu statement 81
Alter Object statement 88
Alter Table statement 93
animation layers
adding 62
removing 518
ApplicationDirectory$( ) function 95
ApplicationName$( ) function 96
arc objects
creating 168
determining length of 441

arc objects (continued)

modifying 88
querying the pen style 437
storing in a new row 354
storing in an existing row 751
area
spherical calculation 705
units of measure 598
Area( ) function 96
AreaOverlap( ) function 97
array variables
declaring 274
determining size of array 747
resizing 505
Asc( ) function 98
ASCII files
See also file input/output 47
exporting 293
using as tables 506, 512
Asin( ) function 99
Ask( ) function 100
assigning local storage
Server Bind Column statement 557
Atn( ) function 101
AutoCAD
importing files 347, 351
AutoLabel statement 101
automatic type conversions 831
automation
handling button event 169
handling menu event 207
autoscroll feature
list of affected draw modes 66
reading current setting 764
turning on or off 689
WinChangedHandler 759
Avg( ) aggregate function 550, 551

B
background colors
Brush clause 105
Font clause 311
MakeBrush( ) function 399
MakeFont( ) function 401
bar charts
in graph windows 340
in thematic maps 702
beep statement 102
beginning a transaction
Server Begin Transaction 556
binary file i/o
closing files 127

862

binary file i/o (continued)

opening files 472
reading data 331
writing data 498
bitmap (*.bmp) files
creating 537
bold text 311
bounding rectangle 416
branching
Do Case...End Case statement 277
If...Then statement 346
breakpoints (debugging) 714
Browse statement 103
Browser windows
closing 128
determining the name of the table 763
modifying 599, 683, 691
opening 103
restricting which columns appear 521
BrowserInfo( ) function 104
Brush clause 105
brush styles
Brush clause defined 105
creating 399
modifying an object's style 88
querying an object's style 437
querying parts of 719, 720, 721
reading current style 242
setting current style 679
brush variables 273
BrushPicker controls 150
buffer regions
Buffer( ) function 107
CartesianBuffer( ) function 112
Create Object statement 213
Buffer( ) function 107
button controls (in dialog boxes) 143
ButtonPadInfo( ) function 108
ButtonPads
adding/removing a button 66, 743
creating a new pad 169
docked vs. floating 66, 169
drawing modes 66
enabling/disabling a button 65
querying current settings 108
resetting to defaults 174
responding to user action 133
selecting/deselecting a button 65
setting which button is active 531
showing/hiding a pad 66
byte order in file i/o 472

MapBasic 12.0

C
Call statement 110
Calling clause 169, 207
callout lines
map labels 638, 648, 652
text objects 239
CancelButton clause 143
capitalization
lower case 383
mixed case 497
upper case 747
CartesianArea( ) function 111
CartesianBuffer( ) function 112
CartesianConnectObjects( ) function 113
CartesianDistance( ) function 114
CartesianObjectDistance( ) function 115
CartesianObjectLen( ) function 115
CartesianOffset( ) function 116
CartesianOffsetXY( ) function 117
CartesianPerimeter( ) function 118
cartographic legends
adding frames, Add Cartographic Frame statement 50
changing a frame 71
controlling settings 602
creating 175, 182
removing a frame 517
case, converting
LCase$( ) function 383
Proper$( ) function 497
UCase$( ) function 747
Centroid( ) function 119
centroids
displaying 635, 643, 645
setting a region's 88
CentroidX( ) function 120
CentroidY( ) function 121
character codes
character sets 122
converting codes to strings 125
converting strings to codes 98
CharSet clause 122
checkable menu items, creating 204
CheckBox controls 143
checking
dialog box check boxes (custom) 72
dialog box check boxes (standard) 79
menu items 87
ChooseProjection$( ) function 124
Chr$( ) function 125
circle objects
creating 178, 188
determining area of 96

Reference

circle objects (continued)

determining perimeter of 484
modifying 88
querying the pen or brush style 437
storing in a new row 354
storing in an existing row 751
clause
URL 753
clauses
Brush clause 105
CharSet 122
Control BrushPicker 150
Control Button 143
Control CancelButton 143
Control CheckBox 144
Control DocumentWindow 145
Control EditText 146
Control FontPicker 150
Control GroupBox 147
Control ListBox 148
Control MultiListBox 148
Control OKButton 143
Control PenPicker 150
Control PopupMenu 152
Control RadioGroup 154
Control StaticText 155
Control SymbolPicker 150
CoordSys 158
Font 311
Pen 481
Symbol 727
cleaning objects 450
clicking and dragging.
See ButtonPads 47
clipping a map 631
cloning a map 529
Close All statement 126
Close Connection statement 126
Close File statement 127
Close Table statement 127
Close Window statement 128
closing tables
Server Close statement 558
collection objects
combining 132
creating 180
resetting objects within collection 88
color
RGB values 522
ColumnInfo( ) function 130
columns in a table
adding 52, 57, 93
deleting 93
determining column information 130, 432

863

columns in a table (continued)

dynamic columns 57
indexing 198
Combine( ) function 132
combining objects
Combine( ) function 132
Create Object statement 213
Objects Clean statement 450
Objects Combine statement 451
CommandInfo( ) function 133
Commit Table statement 137
comparing strings 392, 717
comparison operators 828
compiler directives
Define statement 261
Include statement 352
concatenating strings
& operator 828
+ operator 828
conditional execution
Do Case...End Case statement 277
If...Then statement 345, 346
Conflict Resolution dialog box 137
Connect option
DLG=1 561
connect_string, defined 561
connecting to a data source
Server_Connect 561
connection number, returning 561
ConnectObjects( ) function 142
Continue statement 143
Control BrushPicker clause 150
Control Button clause 143
Control CheckBox clause 144
Control DocumentWindow clause 145
Control EditText clause 146
Control FontPicker clause 150
Control GroupBox clause 147
control key
detecting control-click 133
entering line feeds in EditText boxes 146
selecting multiple list items 148
Control ListBox clause 148
Control MultiListBox clause 148
control panels
date formatting 618
number formatting 618
Control PenPicker clause 150
Control PopupMenu clause 152
Control RadioGroup clause 154
Control StaticText clause 155
Control SymbolPicker clause 150
ControlPointInfo( ) function 151

864

controls in dialog boxes

BrushPicker 150
Button 143
CancelButton 143
EditText 146
FontPicker 150
GroupBox 147
ListBox 148
MultiListBox 148
OKButton 143
PenPicker 150
RadioGroup 154
StaticText 155
SymbolPicker 150
converting
character codes to strings 125
numbers to dates 430, 431
numbers to strings 715
objects to polylines 156
objects to regions 156
strings to character codes 98
strings to dates 718
strings to numbers 754
text to lower case 383
text to mixed case 497
text to upper case 747
two-digit input into four-digit years 610
ConvertToPline( ) function 156
ConvertToRegion( ) function 156
convex hull
Create Object parameter 213
ConvexHull( ) function 157
coordinate systems 660
CoordSys clause
changing a table's CoordSys 137
querying a table's coordinate system 735
querying a window's coordinate system 412
setting current MapBasic coordinate system 609
specifying a coordinate system 158
CoordSysName$( ) function 161
CoordSysStringToEPSG( ) function 162
CoordSysStringToPRJ$( ) function 163
CoordSysStringToWKT$( ) function 163
copying
a projection
from a table 158, 161
from a window 158, 161
an object
offset by distance 709
offset by XY values 710
offset from source 459
files 534
object offset 466, 467

MapBasic 12.0

copying (continued)
objects
offset by specified distance 116
tables 137
copying objects
offset by XY values 117
Cos( ) function 164
cosmetic layer
accessing as a table 763
Count( ) aggregate function 550, 551
Create Adornment statement 165
Create Arc statement 168
Create ButtonPad statement 169
Create ButtonPads As Default statement 174
Create Cartographic Legend statement 175
Create Collection statement 180
Create Cutter statement 181
Create Designer Legend statement 182
Create Frame statement 189
Create Grid statement 191
Create Index statement 198
Create Legend statement 199
Create Line statement 201
Create Map statement 202
Create Map3D statement 203
Create Menu Bar statement 210
Create Menu statement 204
Create Multipoint statement 211
Create Object statement 213
Create Pline statement 218
Create Point statement 220
Create PrismMap statement 221
Create Query statement 223
Create Ranges statement 223
Create Rect statement 226
Create Redistricter statement 227
Create Region statement 228
Create Report From Table statement 230
Create RoundRect statement 230
Create Styles statement 231
Create Table statement 233
Create Text statement 239
CreateCircle( ) function 178
CreateLine( ) function 200
CreatePoint( ) function 219
CreateText( ) function 238
Create Adornment statement 165
Create Arc statement 168
Create ButtonPad As Default statement 174
Create ButtonPad statement 169
Create ButtonPads As Default statement 174
Create Collection statement 180
Create Cutter statement 181
Create Designer Legend statement 182

Reference

Create Ellipse statement 188

Create Frame statement 189
Create Grid statement 191
Create Index statement 198
Create Legend statement 199
Create Line statement 201
Create Map statement 202
Create Map3D statement 203
Create Menu Bar statement 210
Create Menu statement 204
Create MultiPoint statement 211
Create Object As Isogram 217
Create Object statement 213
Create Pline statement 218
Create Point statement 220
Create PrismMap statement 221
Create Query statement 223
Create Ranges statement 223
Create Rect statement 226
Create Redistricter statement 227
Create Region statement 228
Create Report From Table statement 230
Create RoundRect statement 230
Create Styles statement 231
Create Table statement 233
Create Text statement 239
CreateCircle( ) function 178
CreateLine( ) function 200
CreatePoint( ) function 219
CreateText( ) function 238
Crystal Reports
creating 230
loading 473
CurDate( ) function 240
CurDateTime( ) function 241
CurrentBorder Pen( ) function 242
CurrentBrush( ) function 242
CurrentFont( ) function 243
CurrentLinePen( ) function 244
CurrentPen( ) function 244
CurrentSymbol( ) function 245
cursor coordinates, displaying 631
cursor shapes 66
cursor, position in table
end-of-table condition 285
positioning the row cursor 299, 301
CurTime( ) function 246
custom sort order 77, 187
custom symbols
Reload Symbols statement 513
syntax 727, 730
cutter objects, creating 181

865

D
data aggregation
combining objects 450, 451
filling a column with data from another table 54,
57
grouping rows 550, 551
data disaggregation
erasing part of an object 455, 457
splitting objects 464
data structures 746
databases
using as tables 506, 512
date
variables 273
date functions
converting numbers to dates 430
converting strings to dates 618, 718
current date 240
date window setting 246
extracting day-of-month 247
extracting day-of-week 755
extracting the month 425
extracting the year 769
formatting based on locale 618
DateTime feature
description 273
DateWindow( ) function 246
Day( ) function 247
DBF files, exporting 293
DDE, acting as client
closing a conversation 254, 255
executing a command 248
initiating a conversation 248
reading data from the server 253, 254
sending data to the server 252
DDE, acting as server
handling execute event 514
handling peek request 515
retrieving execute string 133
DDEExecute statement 248
DDEInitiate( ) function 248
DDEPoke statement 252
DDERequest$( ) function 253
DDETerminate statement 254
DDETerminateAll statement 255
debugging
Continue statement 143
Stop statement 714
decimal separators 262, 318, 618
decision-making
Do Case...End Case statement 277
If...Then statement 345, 346
Declare Function statement 256

866

Declare Method statement 258

Declare Sub statement 260
Define statement 261
DeformatNumber$( ) function 262
delaying when user drags mouse 616
Delete statement 263
deleting
all objects from a table 281
columns from a table 93
files 361
nodes from an object 88
rows or objects 263
tables 282
dialog boxes, custom
accelerator keys 266
creating 264
determining ID of a control 744
determining if user clicked OK 133
determining if user double-clicked 133
modal vs. modeless 264
modifying 72
preserving after user clicks OK 270
reading user's input 266, 502
sizes of dialog boxes and controls 264
tab order 267
terminating 266, 271
dialog boxes, standard
altering MapInfo dialog boxes 79
asking OK/Cancel question 100
opening a file 302
percent complete 495
saving a file 304
simple messages 429
suppressing progress bars 674
Dialog Preserve statement 270
Dialog Remove statement 271
Dialog statement 264
digitizer
setup 611, 613
status 731
Dim statement 272
directory names
extracting from a file name 479
user's home directory 344
user's windows directory 344
where application is installed 95
where MapInfo is installed 494
disabling
ButtonPad buttons 65
dialog box controls (custom) 72
dialog box controls (standard) 79
handler procedures 623
menu items 87
progress bar dialog boxes 674

MapBasic 12.0

disabling (continued)
shortcut menus 204
system menu's Close command 683
discarding changes
to a local table 524
to a remote server 587
distance
spherical calculation 707
units of measure 615
Distance( ) function 276
DLG=1 connect option 561
DLLs
declaring as functions 256
declaring as procedures 260
Do Case...End Case statement 277
Do...Loop statement 279
dockable
ButtonPads, querying current status 108
document conventions 24, 48
DOS commands, executing 534
dot density maps
thematic maps 698
double byte character sets (DBCS)
extracting part of a DBCS string 423
double-clicking in dialog boxes 133, 148
dragging with the mouse
time threshold 616
turning off autoscroll 689
drawing
modes 66
drawing objects on a map
See objects, creating 47
drawing tools, custom 66
Drop Index statement 280
Drop Map statement 281
Drop Table statement 282
duplicating a map 529
DXF files
exporting 293
importing 347, 351
dynamic columns 57
dynamic link libraries. See DLLs 256

E
editable map layers 411, 635
editing objects
See arithmetic functions 47
See math functions 47
edits
determining if there are unsaved edits 732
discarding 524
saving 137

Reference

EditText controls 146

elapsed time 742
ellipse objects
Cartesian area of 111
Cartesian perimeter of 118
creating 178, 188
determining area of 96
determining perimeter of 484
modifying 88
querying pen or brush style 437
storing in a new row 354
storing in an existing row 751
enabling
ButtonPad buttons 65
dialog box controls 72
menu items 87
End MapInfo statement 283
End Program statement 283
EndHandler procedure 284
enlarging arrays 505
EOF( ) function 284
EOT( ) function 285
EPSGToCoordSysString$( ) function 286
Erase( ) function 287
erasing
entire objects 263
files 361
part of an object 287, 455, 457
tables 282
Err( ) function 287
error handling 767
determining error code 287
determining error message 289
enabling an error handler 468
generating an error 289
returning from an error handler 521
Error statement 289
Error$( ) function 289
Escape key
cancelling draw operations 66
dismissing a dialog box 133
interrupting selection 546
events, handling
application terminated 284
automation method used 514
See also error handling 47
execute string received 133, 514
map window changed 133, 759
MapInfo got or lost focus 133, 314
peek request received 515
selection changed 133
user clicked with custom tool 133, 743
user double-clicked in a dialog box 133
window closed 133, 760

867

events, handling (continued)

window focus changed 767
See also error handling
Excel files
opening 506, 512
executing
interpreted strings 529
menu commands 531
Run Application statement 528
Run Program statement 533
executing an SQL string
Server_Execute( ) 577
execution speed
animation layers 62
screen updates 616
table editing 680
Exit Do statement 290
Exit For statement 290
Exit Function statement 291
Exit Sub statement 292
exiting MapInfo Professional
End MapInfo statement 283
Exp( ) function 292
expanded text 311
exponentiation 292
Export statement 293
extents of entire table 735
external functions 256
extracting part of a string
Left$( ) function 384
Mid$( ) function 423
MidByte$( ) function 423
Right$( ) function 523
ExtractNodes( ) function 296

F
Farthest statement 297
Fetch statement 299
file input/output
closing a file 127
determining if file exists 302
end-of-file condition 284
file attributes, reading 301
length of file 395
opening a file 471, 473
reading current position 544
reading data in binary mode 331
reading data in random mode 331
reading data in sequential mode 353, 393
setting current position 545
writing data in binary mode 498
writing data in random mode 498

868

file input/output (continued)

writing data in sequential mode 490, 768
file names
determining full file spec 745
determining temporary name 739
extracting directory from 479
extracting from full file spec 479
file sharing conflicts 617
FileAttr( ) function 301
FileExists( ) function 302
FileOpenDlg( ) function 302
files
copying 534
Custom Bitmap 729
deleting 361
determining if file exists 302
DXF, importing 349
GML 2.1, importing 351
GML, importing 351
importing 347, 351
length 395
locating 394
MapInfo for DOS, importing 347
MIF/MID, importing 347
PICT, importing 347
renaming 519
WOR, saving a workspace 691
FileSaveAsDlg( ) function 304
fill styles. See brush styles 399
filtering data 548
Find statement 305
Find Using statement 309
finding
a substring within a string 355
an address in a map 305
an intersection of two streets 305
objects from map coordinates 539, 542, 543, 544
Fix( ) function 310
fixed length strings 273
floating point variables 273
flow control
exiting a Do loop 290
exiting a For loop 290
exiting a function 291
exiting a procedure 292
exiting an application 283
exiting MapInfo 283
halting another application 740
unconditional jump 340
FME Refresh Table statement 321
focus
active window changes 767
getting or losing 133, 314
within a dialog box 72

MapBasic 12.0

folder names. See directory names 479

Font clause 311
font styles
creating 401
Font clause defined 311
modifying an object's style 88
querying an object's style 437
querying parts of 719, 720, 721
reading current style 243
setting current style 679
FontPicker controls 150
fonts
True Type 728
variables 273
For...Next statement 313
ForegroundTaskSwitchHandler procedure 314
foreign character sets 122
Format$( ) function 315
FormatDate$( ) function 317
FormatNumber$( ) function 318
FormatTime$( ) function 319
frame objects
creating 189
inserting into a layout 354
modifying 88, 751
querying the pen or brush style 437
frames, cartographic legend
adding a frame 50
controlling settings 602
creating 175, 182
modifying 71
removing 517
FrontWindow( ) function 321
FTP Library 771
Function...End Function statement 322
functions
Abs( ) 48
Acos( ) 49
AdornmentInfo( ) 63
ApplicationDirectory$( ) 95
ApplicationName$( ) 96
Area( ) 96
AreaOverlap( ) 97
Asc( ) 98
Asin( ) 99
Ask( ) 100
Atn( ) 101
BrowserInfo( ) 104
Buffer( ) 107
ButtonPadInfo( ) 108
CartesianArea( ) 111
CartesianBuffer( ) 112
CartesianConnectObjects( ) 113
CartesianDistance( ) 114

Reference

functions (continued)
CartesianObjectDistance( ) 115
CartesianObjectLen( ) 115
CartesianOffset( ) 116
CartesianOffsetXY( ) 117
CartesianPerimeter( ) 118
Centroid( ) 119
CentroidX( ) 120
CentroidY( ) 121
ChooseProjection$( ) 124
Chr$( ) 125
ColumnInfo( ) 130
Combine( ) 132
CommandInfo( ) 133
ConnectObjects( ) 142
ControlPointInfo( ) 151
ConvertToPline( ) 156
ConvertToRegion( ) 156
ConvexHull( ) 157
CoordSysName$( ) 161
CoordSysStringToEPSG( ) 162
CoordSysStringToPRJ$( ) 163
CoordSysStringToWKT( ) 163
Cos( ) 164
CreateCircle( ) 178
CreateLine( ) 200
CreatePoint( ) 219
CreateText( ) 238
CurDate( ) 240
CurDateTime( ) 241
CurrentBorderPen( ) 242
CurrentBrush( ) 242
CurrentFont( ) 243
CurrentLinePen( ) 244
CurrentPen( ) 244
CurrentSymbol( ) 245
CurrTime( ) 246
DateWindow( ) 246
Day( ) 247
DDEInitiate( ) 248
DDERequest$( ) 253
DeformatNumber$( ) 262
Distance( ) 276
EOF( ) 284
EOT( ) 285
EPSGToCoordSysString$( ) 286
Erase( ) 287
Err( ) 287
Error$( ) 289
Exp( ) 292
ExtractNodes( ) 296
FileAttr( ) 301
FileExists( ) 302
FileOpenDlg( ) 302

869

functions (continued)
FileSaveAsDlg( ) 304
Fix( ) 310
Format$( ) 315
FormatDate$( ) 317
FormatNumber$( ) 318
FormatTime$( ) 319
FrontWindow( ) 321
GeocodeInfo( ) 328
GetCurrentPath$( ) 332
GetDate( ) 333
GetFolderPath$( ) 334
GetGridCellValue( ) 335
GetMetadata$( ) 336
GetPreferencePath$( ) 336
GetSeamlessSheet( ) 337
GetTime( ) 338
GridTableInfo( ) 342
GroupLayerInfo 342
HomeDirectory$( ) 344
HotLinkInfo( ) 344
Hour( ) 345
InStr( ) 355
Int( ) 356
IntersectNodes( ) 357
IsGridCellNull( ) 357
IsogramInfo( ) 358
IsPenWidthPixels( ) 360
LabelFindByID( ) 362
LabelFindFirst( ) 363
LabelFindNext( ) 364
Labelinfo( ) 364
LabelOverrideInfo( ) 367
LayerControlInfo( ) 371
LayerControlSelectionInfo( ) 371
LayerInfo( ) 372
LayerListInfo( ) 380
LayerStyleInfo( ) 381
LCase$( ) 383
Left$( ) 384
LegendFrameInfo( ) 385
LegendInfo( ) 386
LegendStyleInfo( ) 388
LegendTextFrameInfo( ) 390
Len( ) 390
LibraryServiceInfo( ) 391
Like( ) 392
LocateFile$( ) 394
LOF( ) 395
Log( ) 396
LTrim$( ) 397
MakeBrush( ) 399
MakeCustomSymbol( ) 400
MakeDateTime( ) 401

870

functions (continued)
MakeFont( ) 401
MakeFontSymbol( ) 402
MakePen( ) 403
MakeSymbol( ) 404
Map3DInfo( ) 408
MapperInfo( ) 410
Maximum( ) 415
MBR( ) 416
MenuItemInfoByHandler( ) 417
MenuItemInfoByID( ) 418
MGRSToPoint( ) 421
Mid$( ) 423
MidByte$( ) 423
Minimum( ) 424
Minute( ) 425
Month( ) 425
NumAllWindows( ) 430
NumberToDate( ) 430
NumberToDateTime( ) 431
NumberToTime( ) 431
NumCols( ) 432
NumTables( ) 433
NumWindows( ) 434
ObjectDistance( ) 434
ObjectGeography( ) 435
ObjectInfo( ) 437
ObjectLen( ) 441
ObjectNodeHasM( ) 442
ObjectNodeHasZ( ) 443
ObjectNodeM( ) 444
ObjectNodeX( ) 445
ObjectNodeY( ) 446
ObjectNodeZ( ) 447
Offset( ) 466
OffsetXY( ) 467
Overlap( ) 476
OverlayNodes( ) 477
PathToDirectory$( ) 479
PathToFileName$( ) 479
PathToTableName$( ) 480
PenWidthToPoints( ) 484
Perimeter( ) 484
PointsToPenWidth( ) 486
PointToMGRS$( ) 486
PointToUSNG$( ) 488
PrismMapInfo( ) 492
ProgramDirectory$( ) 494
Proper$( ) 497
ProportionOverlap( ) 498
RasterTableInfo( ) 500
ReadControlValue( ) 502
RegionInfo( ) 502
RemoteQueryHandler( ) 515

MapBasic 12.0

functions (continued)
RGB( ) 522
Right$( ) 523
Rnd( ) 524
Rotate( ) 525
RotateAtPoint( ) 526
Round( ) 527
RTrim$( ) 528
SearchInfo( ) 539
SearchPoint( ) 542
SearchRect( ) 543
Second( ) 544
Seek( ) 544
SelectionInfo( ) 555
Server_ColumnInfo( ) 559
Server_Connect( ) 561
Server_ConnectInfo( ) 568
Server_DriverInfo( ) 576
Server_EOT( ) 577
Server_Execute( ) 577
Server_GetODBCHConn( ) 580
Server_GetODBCHStmt( ) 581
Server_NumCols( ) 584
Server_NumDrivers( ) 585
SessionInfo( ) 593
Sgn( ) 692
Sin( ) 704
Space( ) 705
SphericalArea( ) 705
SphericalConnectObjects( ) 706
SphericalDistance( ) 707
SphericalObjectDistance( ) 708
SphericalObjectLen( ) 709
SphericalOffset( ) 709
SphericalOffsetXY( ) 710
SphericalPerimeter( ) 711
Sqr( ) 712
Str$( ) 715
String$( ) 716
StringCompare( ) 717
StringCompareIntl( ) 717
StringToDate( ) 718
StringToDateTime( ) 719
StringToTime( ) 720
StyleAttr( ) 721
StyleOverrideInfo( ) 723
SystemInfo( ) 730
TableInfo( ) 732
TableListInfo( ) 737
TableListSelectionInfo( ) 738
Tan( ) 739
TempFileName$( ) 739
TextSize( ) 741
Time( ) 741

Reference

functions (continued)
Timer( ) 742
TriggerControl( ) 744
TrueFileName$( ) 745
UBound( ) 747
UCase$( ) 747
UnitAbbr$( ) 749
UnitName$( ) 750
Val( ) 754
Weekday( ) 755
WindowID( ) 760
WindowInfo( ) 762
WKTToCoordSysString$( ) 757
Year( ) 769
functions, creating
Declare Function statement 256
Exit Function statement 291
Function....End Function statement 322

G
gaps
checking in regions 448
cleaning 450
snapping nodes 462
Geocode statement 324
GeocodeInfo( ) function 328
geographic
operators 553
geographic calculations
area of object 96
area of overlap 97
distance 276
length of object 441
perimeter of object 484
See also objects, querying
See objects, querying 47
geographic operators 829
Get statement 331
GetCurrentPath$( ) function 332
GetDate( ) function 333
GetFolderPath$( ) function 334
GetGridCellValue( ) function 335
GetMetadata$( ) function 336
GetPreferencePath$( ) function 336
GetSeamlessSheet( ) function 337
GetTime( ) function 338
Global statement 339
GML files, importing 347, 351
Goto statement 340
GPS applications 62
Graph statement 340

871

Graph windows
closing 128
determining the name of the table 763
modifying 619, 683, 691
opening 333, 334, 340
great circle distance 276
grid
appearance description 195
cells, get information 357
change path location 672
convert to TAB 506
create 191
create with IDW Interpolator values 195
find cell value 335
find path location 332
get layer type 372
layer properties and appearance 635
layer style overrides 645
path location preference 336
set as read-only for TIN and IDW 198
surface theme description 193
tables, adding relief shade information 513
tables, get information 342, 500
templates description 195
translucency override 643
grid surface maps
in thematic maps 191, 193
modifying 630, 661
GridTableInfo( ) function 342
Group By clause 550, 553
group layers 656
GroupBox controls 147
GroupLayerInfo function 342

H
halo text 311
halting another application 740
handlers, assigning to menu items 204
hardware platform, determining 730
help messages
button tooltips 66, 169
status bar messages 66, 169
Help window
closing 128
modifying 683, 691
opening 475, 683, 691
hexadecimal numbers 754
hiding
ButtonPads 66
dialog box controls (custom) 72
dialog box controls (standard) 79
menu bar 416

872

hiding (continued)
progress bar dialog boxes 674
screen activity 616
hierarchical menus
Alter Menu statement 82
Create Menu statement 204
HomeDirectory$( ) function 344
HotLink tool
querying object attributes 133
HotLinkInfo( ) function 344
HotLinks 662
adding 665
modifying 666
querying 372
removing 667
reordering 667
Hour( ) function 345
HTTP and FTP Library
MICloseContent() procedure 773
MICloseFtpConnection() procedure 773
MICloseFtpFileFind() procedure 774
MICloseHttpConnection() procedure 774
MICloseHttpFile() procedure 775
MICloseSession() procedure 775
MICreateSession() function 776
MICreateSessionFull() function 776
MIErrorDlg() function 778
MIFindFtpFile() function 779
MIFindNextFtpFile() function 780
MIGetContent() function 781
MIGetContentBuffer() function 781
MIGetContentLen() function 782
MIGetContentString() function 782
MIGetContentToFile() function 783
MIGetContentType() function 784
MIGetCurrent FtpDirectory() function 784
MIGetErrorCode() function 785
MIGetErrorMessage() function 786
MIGetFileURL() function 786
MIGetFtpConnection() function 787
MIGetFtpFile() function 788
MIGetFtpFileFind() function 789
MIGetFtpFileName() procedure 790
MIGetHttpConnection() function 791
MIIsFtpDirectory() function 791
MIIsFtpDots() function 792
MIOpenRequest() function 793
MIOpenRequestFull() function 794
MIParseURL() function 795
MIPutFtpFile() function 796
MIQueryInfo() function 797
MIQueryInfoStatusCode() function 798
MISaveContent() function 799
MISendRequest() function 800

MapBasic 12.0

HTTP and FTP Library (continued)

MISendSimpleRequest() function 801
MISetCurrentFtpDirectory() function 801
MISetSessionTimeout() function 802
HWND values, querying
SystemInfo( ) function 731
WindowInfo( ) function 764

I
iconizing MapInfo
Set Window statement 683
suppressing progress bars 674
icons for ButtonPads 66
identifiers, defining 261
IDW Interpolator 195
If...Then statement 345, 346
Import statement 347
Include statement 352
indexed columns
creating an index 198
deleting an index 280
infinite loops, avoiding 623
Info tool
closing Info window 128
modifying Info window 683, 691
opening Info window 475
setting to read-only 690
setting which data displays 690
initializing variables 275
Input # statement 353
input/output 47
Insert statement 354
inserting
columns in a table 52, 57, 93
nodes in an object 88
rows in a table 354
InStr( ) function 355
Int( ) function 356
integer division 828
integer variables 273
integrated mapping
managing legends 199
reparenting dialog boxes 597
reparenting document windows 669
international
character sets 122
formatting 618
interpreting strings as commands 529
interrupting the selection 546
intersection of objects
Create Object statement 213
Intersects operator 553

Reference

intersection of objects (continued)

Objects Intersect statement 457
Overlap( ) function 476
intersection of two streets, finding 305
IntersectNodes( ) function 357
IsGridCellNull( ) function 357
IsogramInfo( ) function 358
IsPenWidthPixels( ) function 360
italic text 311

J
joining tables 548
JPEG file interchange format (*.jpg)
creating 537

K
keys, metadata 419, 420
keywords 274, 550
Kill statement 361

L
LabelFindByID( ) function 362
LabelFindFirst( ) function 363
LabelFindNext( ) function 364
Labelinfo( ) function 364
LabelOverrideInfo( ) funtion 367
labels
in dialog boxes 155
in programs 340
on maps 101, 362, 363, 364, 638
reading label expressions 372
launching other applications
Run Application statement 528
Run Program statement 533
LayerControlSelectionInfo( ) function 371
LayerInfo( ) function 371, 372
LayerListInfo( ) function 380
layers
adding 61
cosmetic 763
group 656
groups 658, 659
modifying settings 630, 661
reading settings 372
removing 518
thematic maps 678, 692, 702
LayerStyleInfo( ) funtion 381
Layout statement 382
Layout windows
accessing as tables 763

873

Layout windows (continued)

closing 128
creating frames 189
modifying 624, 683, 691
opening 382
specifying layout coordinates 158, 161, 609
LCase$( ) function 383
Left$( ) function 384
legend frames
querying attributes 385
querying styles 388
legend text frames
querying attributes 390
Legend windows
closing 128
modifying 626, 683, 691
opening 199, 475
querying 386
legend, cartographic
adding a frame 50
controlling settings 602
creating 175, 182
modifying a frame 71
removing a frame 517
LegendFrameInfo( ) function 385
LegendInfo( ) function 386
LegendStyleInfo( ) function 388
LegendTextFrameInfo( ) function 390
Len( ) function 390
length
of a file 395
of an object 441
spherical calculation of 709
LibraryServiceInfo( ) function 391
Like( ) function 392
line feed character
Chr$(10) function 125
used in EditText controls 146
used in text objects 239
Line Input statement 393
line objects
Cartesian length of 115
creating 200, 201
determining length of 441
modifying 88
querying the pen style 437
storing in a new row 354
storing in an existing row 751
linked tables
creating 582
determining if table is linked 733
refreshing 585
saving 137
unlinking 750

874

ListBox controls 148

lists
reordering 77, 187
locale settings 262, 318, 618
LocateFile$( ) function 394
LOF( ) function 395
Log( ) function 396
logical
operators 829
variables 273
looping
Do...Loop statement 279
For...Next statement 313
While...Wend statement 758
Lotus 1-2-3 tables
opening files 506, 512
lower case, converting to 383
LTrim$( ) function 397

M
Main procedure 398
MakeBrush( ) function 399
MakeCustomSymbol( ) function 400
MakeDateTime( ) function 401
MakeFont( ) function 401
MakeFontSymbol( ) function 402
MakePen( ) function 403
MakeSymbol( ) function 404
map projections
changing a table's projection 137
copying from a table or window 158, 161
querying a table's CoordSys 735
querying a window's CoordSys 412
setting 660
setting the current MapBasic CoordSys 609
map scale
determining in map windows 411
displaying 634
Map statement 405
Map windows
adding map layers 61
clipping 631
closing 128
controlling redrawing 61, 616, 631
creating thematic layers 692, 702
duplicating 529
handling window-changed event 133, 759
labeling 638
modifying 630, 661, 683, 691
modifying thematic layers 678
opening 405
prism 221

MapBasic 12.0

Map windows (continued)

reading layer settings 372
reading window settings 410
removing map layers 518
Map3DInfo( ) function 408
MapBasic
language overview 24
MapBasic window
Add Column statement 52
Add Designer Frame statement 57
Add Designer Text statement 60
Alter Designer Text statement 78
CartesianOffsetXY( ) function 117
CoordSys clause 158
Font clause 311
reference description 47
Remove Designer Text statement 517
Rename Table statement 520
Symbol clause 727
MapInfo 3.0 symbols 727, 730
MapInfo Professional
technical support 37
MapInfo-L
archive database 38
MAPINFOW.ABB file 308
MapperInfo( ) function 410
math functions
absolute value 48
arc-cosine 49
arc-sine 99
arc-tangent 101
area of object 96
area of overlap 97
converting strings to numbers 754
cosine 164
distance 276
exponentiation 292
logarithms 396
maximum value 415
minimum value 424
rounding off a number 310, 356, 527
sign 692
sine 704
square root 712
tangent 739
Max( ) aggregate function 550, 551
Maximum( ) function 415
MBR( ) function 416
memo fields 93, 137
menu
commands, executing 531
Menu Bar statement 416
MenuitemInfoByHandler( ) function 417
MenuitemInfoByID( ) function 418

Reference

menus, customizing
adding hierarchical menus 82
adding menu items 81, 84
altering menu items 87
creating checkable menu items 204
creating new menus 204
disabling shortcut menus 204
querying menu item status 417, 418
redefining the menu bar 85, 210
removing menu items 81, 84
showing/hiding the menu bar 416
merging objects. See combining objects 450
messages
displaying in a Note dialog box 429
displaying on the status bar 713
opening the Message window 475
printing to the Message window 489
metadata
code example 421
keys 419, 420
managing in tables 419
reading keys 336
Metadata statement 419
metric units
area 598
distance 615
MGRSToPoint( ) function 421
MICloseContent( ) procedure 773
MICloseFtpConnection( ) procedure 773
MICloseFtpFileFind( ) procedure 774
MICloseHttpConnection( ) procedure 774
MICloseHttpFile( ) procedure 775
MICloseSession( ) procedure 775
MICreateSession( ) function 776
MICreateSessionFull( ) function 776
Microsoft Access tables
connection string attributes 561
Mid$( ) function 423
MidByte$( ) function 423
MIErrorDlg( ) function 778
MIF files
exporting 293
importing 347, 351
MIFindFtpFile( ) function 779
MIFindNextFtpFile( ) function 780
MIGetContent( ) function 781
MIGetContentBuffer( ) function 781
MIGetContentLen( ) function 782
MIGetContentString( ) function 782
MIGetContentToFile( ) function 783
MIGetContentType( ) function 784
MIGetCurrentFtpDirectory( ) function 784
MIGetErrorCode( ) function 785
MIGetErrorMessage( ) function 786

875

MIF files (continued)

MIGetFileURL( ) function 786
MIGetFtpConnection( ) function 787
MIGetFtpFile( ) function 788
MIGetFtpFileFind( ) function 789
MIGetFtpFileName( ) procedure 790
MIGetHttpConnection( ) function 791
MIIsFtpDirectory( ) function 791
MIIsFtpDots( ) function 792
military grid reference format 411, 661
Min( ) aggregate function 550, 551
Military Grid Reference System 410, 421, 486
minimizing MapInfo
Set Window statement 683
suppressing progress bars 674
minimum bounding rectangle
of an object 416
of entire table 735
Minimum( ) function 424
Minute( ) function 425
MIOpenRequest( ) function 793
MIOpenRequestFull( ) function 794
MIParseURL( ) function 795
MIPutFtpFile( ) function 796
MIQueryInfo( ) function 797
MIQueryInfoStatusCode( ) function 798
MISaveContent( ) function 799
MISendRequest( ) function 800
MISendSimpleRequest( ) function 801
MISetCurrentFtpDirectory( ) function 801
MISetSessionTimeout( ) function 802
mixed case, converting to 497
MIXmlAttributeListDestroy( ) procedure 807
MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) function 807
MIXmlDocumentDestroy( ) procedure 808
MIXmlDocumentGetNamespaces( ) function 808
MIXmlDocumentGetRootNode( ) function 809
MIXmlDocumentLoad( ) function 809
MIXmlDocumentLoadXML( ) function 810
MIXmlDocumentLoadXMLString( ) function 811
MIXmlDocumentSetProperty( ) function 812
MIXmlGetAttributeList( ) function 813
MIXmlGetChildList( ) function 814
MIXmlGetNextAttribute( ) function 814
MIXmlGetNextNode( ) function 815
MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure 816
MIXmlNodeGetAttributeValue( ) function 816
MIXmlNodeGetFirstChild( ) function 817
MIXmlNodeGetName( ) function 817
MIXmlNodeGetParent( ) function 818
MIXmlNodeGetText( ) function 819
MIXmlNodeGetValue( ) function 819
MIXmlNodeListDestroy( ) procedure 820
MIXmlSCDestroy( ) procedure 821

876

MIXmlSCGetLength( ) function 821

MIXmlSCGetNamespace( ) function 822
MIXmlSelectNodes( ) function 822
MIXmlSelectSingleNode( ) function 823
Mod operator 828
modal dialog boxes 264
modifying an object
See specific object type:arc, ellipse, frame, line,
point, polyline, rectangle, region, rounded rectangle, text 47
Month( ) function 425
most-recently-used list (File menu) 206
mouse actions 616
mouse cursor
customizing shape of 66
displaying coordinates of 631
moving
an object 458
MRU list (File menu) 206
Mstatements
Create Line 201
MultiListBox controls 148
multipoint objects
combining 132
creating 211
inserting nodes 88

N
natural break
thematic ranges 223
Nearest statement 426
network file sharing 617
nodes
adding 88, 461, 477
displaying 635, 643, 645
extracting a range of nodes from an object 296
maximum number per object 218, 229
querying number of nodes 438
querying x/y coordinates 445, 446
removing 88
Noselect keyword 550
Note statement 429
null handling 579
NumAllWindows( ) function 430
number of characters in a string 390
NumberToDate( ) function 430
NumberToDateTime( ) function 431
NumberToTime( ) funtion 431
NumCols( ) function 432
numeric operators 828
NumTables( ) function 433
NumWindows( ) function 434

MapBasic 12.0

O
object variables 273
ObjectDistance( ) function 434
ObjectGeography( ) function 435
ObjectInfo( ) function 437
ObjectLen( ) function 441
ObjectNodeHasM( ) function 442
ObjectNodeHasZ( ) function 443
ObjectNodeM( ) function 444
ObjectNodeX( ) function 445
ObjectNodeY( ) function 446
ObjectNodeZ( ) function 447
objects
moving within input table 458
Objects Check statement 448
Objects Clean statement 450
Objects Combine statement 451
Objects Disaggregate statement 452
Objects Enclose statement 454
Objects Erase statement 455
Objects Intersect statement 457
Objects Move statement 458
Objects Offset statement 459
Objects Overlay statement 461
Objects Pline statement 461
Objects Snap statement 462
Objects Split statement 464
objects, copying
offset by distance 466, 467
to offset location 459
objects, creating
arcs 168
by buffering 107, 213, 217
by combining objects 132
by intersecting objects 476
circles 178, 188
convex hull 213
ellipses 178, 188
frames 189
lines 200, 201
map labels 101
multipoint 211
points 219, 220
polylines 218
rectangles 226
regions 228, 230
rounded rectangles 230
text 238, 239
voronoi polygons 213
objects, modifying
adding nodes 88, 461
combining 132, 451
converting to polylines 156

Reference

objects, modifying (continued)

converting to regions 156
erasing entire object 263
erasing part of an object 287, 455, 457
moving nodes 88
resolution of converted objects 677
rotating 525
rotating around specified point 526
setting the target object 682
snap setting 462
splitting 464
objects, querying 484
area 96
boundary gaps 448
boundary overlap 448
centroid 119, 120, 121
content of a text object 439
coordinates 435, 445, 446
HotLink support 133
length 441
minimum bounding rectangle 416
number of nodes 438
number of polygons in a region 438
number of sections in a polyline 438
overlap, area of 97
overlap, proportion of 498
perimeter 484
points of intersection 357
styles 437
type of object 438
ODBC connection 137
ODBC tables
changing object styles in mappable tables 587
Offset( ) function 466
OffsetXY( ) function 467
OKButton clause 143
OLE Automation
handling button event 169
handling menu event 207
OnError statement 468
Open Connection statement 469
Open File statement 471
Open Report statement 473
Open Table statement 473
Open Window statement 475
opening windows
Browse statement 103
Create Redistricter statement 227
Graph statement 333, 334, 340
Layout statement 382
Map statement 405
Open Window statement 475
OpenStreetMap tile server 233
operating environment, determining 730

877

operators
automatic type conversions 831
summary of 827
optimizing performance
animation layers 61, 62
screen updates 616
table editing 680
Oracle
databases, connection string attributes 562
Oracle Spatial databases
connection string attributes 562, 564
Order By clause
sorting rows 553
ordering layers 658, 659
Overlap( ) function 476
overlaps
checking in regions 448
cleaning 450
snapping nodes 462
OverlayNodes( ) function 477

P
Pack Table statement 478
page layout, opening 382
paper units of measure 671
papersize attribute 764
parallel labels 638, 640, 648, 650, 654
parent windows
reparenting dialog boxes 597
reparenting document windows 669
partialsegments option 638, 648, 654
PathToDirectory$( ) function 479
PathToFileName$( ) function 479
PathToTableName$( ) function 480
pattern matching 392
peek requests 515
Pen clause 481
pen styles
creating 403
modifying an object's style 88
Pen clause defined 481
querying an object's style 437
querying parts of 719, 720, 721
reading current border style 242
reading current line style 244
reading current style 244
setting current style 679
pen variables 273
PenPicker controls 150
PenWidthToPoints( ) function 484
per-object styles 571
percent complete dialog box 495

878

performance, improving
animation layers 61, 62
screen updates 616
table editing 680
Perimeter( ) function 484
PICT files
creating 537
importing 347, 351
pie charts
in graph windows 333, 334, 340
in thematic maps 701
platform, determining 730
PNG files
creating 537
point objects
creating 219, 220
modifying 88
querying the symbol style 437
storing in a new row 354
storing in an existing row 751
point styles. See symbol styles 400
PointsToPenWidth( ) function 486
PointToMGRS$( ) function 486
PointToUSNG$( ) function 488
polygon draw mode 70
polyline objects
adding/removing nodes 88
Cartesian length of 115
converting objects to polylines 156
creating 218
creating cutter objects 181
determining length of 441
extracting a range of nodes from 296
modifying the pen style 88
querying the pen style 437
storing in a new row 354
storing in an existing row 751
PopupMenu controls 152
positioning the row cursor 299, 301
precedence of operators 830
Preferences dialog box(es) 532
preventing user from closing windows 683
Print # statement 490
Print statement 489
printer settings 683, 691
overriding default printer 690
printing
attributes 765
controlling the printer 690
PrintWin statement 491
prism maps
creating 221
properties 492
setting 673

MapBasic 12.0

PrismMapInfo( ) function 492

procedures
EndHandler 284
ForegroundTaskSwitchHandler 314
Main 398
RemoteMapGenHandler 514
RemoteMsgHandler 514
SelChangedHandler 545
ToolHandler 743
WinChangedHandler 759
WinClosedHandler 760
procedures, creating
Call statement 110
Declare Sub statement 260
Exit Sub statement 292
Sub...End Sub statement 725
procedures, special
EndHandler 284
ForegroundTaskSwitchHandler 314
Main 398
RemoteMapGenHandler 514
RemoteMsgHandler 514
SelChangedHandler 545
ToolHandler 743
WinChangedHandler 759
WinClosedHandler 760
WinFocusChangedHandler 767
ProgramDirectory$( ) function 494
progress bars, hiding 674
ProgressBar statement 495
projections
changing a table's projection 137
copying from a table or window 158, 161
querying a table's CoordSys 735
querying a window's CoordSys 412
setting the current MapBasic CoordSys 609
setting within an application 124
Proper$( ) function 497
proportionate aggregates
Proportion Avg( ) 54, 57
Proportion Sum( ) 54, 57
Proportion WtAvg( ) 54, 57
ProportionOverlap( ) function 498
PSD files
creating 537
Put statement 498

Q
quantiled ranges 223

Reference

R
RadioGroup controls 154
random file i/o
closing files 127
opening files 471
reading data 331
writing data 498
random numbers
Randomize statement 499
Rnd( ) function 524
Randomize statement 499
range of values 77, 187
ranged thematic maps 223, 693
raster
translucency override 643
RasterTableInfo( ) function 500
ReadControlValue( ) function 502
realtime applications 61
rectangle objects
Cartesian area of 111
Cartesian perimeter of 118
creating 226, 230
determining area of 96
determining perimeter of 484
modifying 88
querying the pen or brush style 437
storing in a new row 354
storing in an existing row 751
ReDim statement 505
Redistricting windows
closing 128
modifying 675, 683, 691
opening 227
region objects
adding/removing nodes 88
Cartesian area of 111
Cartesian perimeter of 118
checking for data errors 448
converting objects to regions 156
creating 228, 230
creating convex hull objects 157
determining area of 96
determining perimeter of 484
extracting a range of nodes from 296
modifying the pen or brush style 88
querying the pen or brush style 437
returning a buffer region 112
setting a centroid 88
storing in a new row 354
storing in an existing row 751
regional settings 618
RegionInfo( ) function 502
Register Table statement 506

879

relational joins 548

Relief Shade statement 513
Reload Symbols statement 513
remote databases
creating new tables 572
refreshing linked tables 585
retrieving active database connection info 568
shutting down server connection 575
RemoteMapGenHandler procedure 514
RemoteMsgHandler procedure 514
RemoteQueryHandler( ) function 515
Remove Cartographic Frame statement 517
Remove Designer Frame statement 517
Remove Designer Text statement 517
Remove Map statement 518
removing
buttons 66
menu items 81, 84
nodes 88
Rename File statement 519
Rename Table statement 520
reorder a list 77, 187
reports
creating 230
loading 473
Reproject statement 521
reserved words 274
resizing
arrays 505
Resume statement 521
retrieving
column information
Server_ColumnInfo( ) 559
data source information
Server_DriverInfo( ) 576
number of columns in a results set
Server_NumCols( ) 584
number of toolkits
Server_NumDrivers( ) 585
records from an open table
Fetch statement 299
rows from a results set
Server Fetch 579
retrying on file access 617
returning
a connection number
Server_Connect 561
a coordinate system
ChooseProjection$( ) function 124
a date
FormatDate$( ) function 317
a pen width for a point size
PointsToPenWidth( ) function 486

880

returning (continued)
a point size for a pen width
PenWidthToPoints( ) function 484
ODBC connection handle
Server_GetodbcHConn( ) function 580
ODBC statement handle
Server_GetodbcHStmt( ) function 581
pen width units
IsPenWidthPixels( ) function 360
RGB( ) function 522
Right$( ) function 523
Rnd( ) function 524
Rollback statement 524
Rotate( ) function 525
RotateAtPoint( ) function 526
rotated
map labels 638, 640, 648, 650, 654
symbols 402, 728
Round( ) function 527
rounded rectangle objects
Cartesian area of 111
Cartesian perimeter of 118
creating 230
modifying 88
querying the pen or brush style 437
storing in a new row 354
storing in an existing row 751
rounding off a number
Fix( ) function 310
Format$( ) function 315
Int( ) function 356
Round( ) function 527
RowID
after Find operations 133
with SelChangedHandler 133
rows in a Browser, positioning 599
rows in a table
deleting rows 263
end-of-table condition 285
inserting new rows 354
packing (purging deleted rows) 478
positioning the row cursor 299, 301
selecting rows that satisfy criteria 548
updating existing rows 751
RPC (Remote Procedure Calls) 260
RTrim$( ) function 528
Ruler tool
closing Ruler window 128
modifying Ruler window 683, 691
opening Ruler window 475
Run Application statement 528
Run Command statement 529
Run Menu Command statement 531
Run Program statement 533

MapBasic 12.0

runtime errors, trapping. See error handling 468

S
Save File statement 534
Save MWS statement 535
Save Window statement 537
Save Workspace statement 539
saving
changes to a table 137
linked tables 137
work to the database, Server Commit 561
scale bar 63
scale of a map
determining 411
displaying 634
scope of variables
global 339
local 272
scroll bars
showing/hiding 689
scrolling
automatically 689
seamless tables
determine if table is seamless 735
prompt user to choose a sheet 336, 337, 338
turn seamless behavior on/off 680
SearchInfo( ) function 539
searching for map objects
at a point 542
processing search results 539
within a rectangle 543
SearchPoint( ) function 542
SearchRect( ) function 543
Second( ) function 544
seconds, elapsed 742
See file input/output 47
Seek statement 545
Seek( ) function 544
SelChangedHandler procedure 545
Select statement 546
selectable map layers 635
selection
handling selection-changed event 133, 545
interrupted by Esc key 546
querying current selection 555
Select statement 546
SelectionInfo( ) function 555
self-intersections
checking in regions 448
sequential file i/o
closing files 127
opening files 471

Reference

sequential file i/o (continued)

reading data 353, 393
writing data 490, 768
Server Begin Transaction statement 556
Server Bind Column statement 557
Server Close statement 558
Server Commit statement 561
Server Create Map statement 569
Server Create Table statement 572
Server Create Workspace statement 574
Server Disconnect statement 575
Server DriverInfo( ) function 576
Server Fetch statement 579
Server Link Table statement 582
Server Refresh statement 585
Server Remove Workspace statement 586
Server Rollback statement 587
Server Set Map statement 587
Server Versioning statement 588
Server Workspace Merge statement 590
Server Workspace Refresh statement 591
Server_ColumnInfo( ) function 559
Server_Connect( ) function 561
Server_ConnectInfo( ) function 568
Server_EOT( ) function 577
Server_Execute function 577
Server_GetODBCHConn( ) function 580
Server_GetODBCHStmt( ) function 581
Server_NumCols( ) function 584
Server_NumDrivers( ) function 585
server_string, defined 577
SessionInfo( ) function 593
Set Adornment statement 594
Set Application Window statement 597
Set Area Units statement 598
Set Browse statement 599
Set Buffer Version statement 601
Set Cartographic Legend statement 602
Set Combine Version statement 603
Set Command Info statement 604
Set Connection GeoCode statement 605
Set Connection Isogram statement 607
Set CoordSys statement 609
Set Date Window( ) statement 610
Set Datum Transform Version statement 611
Set Designer Legend statement 612
Set Digitizer statement 613
Set Distance Units statement 615
Set Drag Threshold statement 616
Set Event Processing statement 616
Set File Timeout statement 617
Set Format statement 618
Set Graph statement 619
Set Handler statement 623

881

Set Layout statement 624

Set Legend statement 626
Set LibraryServiceInfo statement 629
Set Map statement 630
Set Map3D statement 668
Set Next Document statement 669
Set Paper Units statement 671
Set Path statement 672
Set PrismMap statement 673
Set ProgressBars statement 674
Set Redistricter statement 675
Set Resolution statement 677
Set Shade statement 678
Set Style statement 679
Set Table statement 680
Set Target statement 682
Set Window statement 683
Sgn( ) function 692
shade statement 692
shadow text 311
shapefiles 510
Shift key
detecting shift-click 133
effect on drawing tools 66
selecting multiple list items 148
shortcut menus
disabling 204
example 84
Show/Hide menu commands 207
showing
ButtonPads 66
dialog box controls 72
menu bar 416
shutting down the connection
Server Disconnect 575
simulating a menu selection 531
Sin( ) function 704
small integer variables 273
smart redraw 634
snap tolerance
controlling 691
snapping nodes 462
sort order
customizing 77, 187
sorting rows in a table 553
sounds, beeping 102
Space$( ) function 705
spaces
trimming from a string 397
spaces, trimming from a string 528
speed, improving
animation layers 61, 62
screen updates 616
table editing 680

882

SphericalArea( ) function 705

SphericalConnectObjects( ) function 706
SphericalDistance( ) function 707
SphericalObjectDistance( ) function 708
SphericalObjectLen( ) function 709
SphericalOffset( ) function 709
SphericalOffsetXY( ) function 710
SphericalPerimeter( ) function 711
splitting objects 464
spreadsheets
using as tables 506, 512
SQL Select command 546
SQL Server
databases connection string attributes 564
Sqr( ) function 712
starting other applications
Run Application statement 528
Run Program statement 533
statements
Add Cartographic Frame 50
Add Map statement 61
Alter Button statement 65
Alter ButtonPad statement 66
Alter Cartographic Frame statement 71
Alter Control 72
Alter Designer Frame statement 74
Alter MapInfoDialog 79
Alter Menu 81
Alter Menu Bar 85
Alter Menu Item 87
Alter Object 88
Alter Table 93
AutoLabel 101
Beep 102
Browse 103
Call 110
Close All 126
Close Connection 126
Close File 127
Close Table 127
Close Window 128
Commit Table 137
Continue 143
Create Adornment 165
Create Arc 168
Create ButtonPad 169
Create ButtonPads As Default 174
Create Cartographic Legend 175
Create Collection 180
Create Cutter 181
Create Designer Legend 182
Create Ellipse 188
Create Frame 189
Create Grid 191

MapBasic 12.0

statements (continued)
Create Index 198
Create Legend 199
Create Map 202
Create Map3D 203
Create Menu 204
Create Menu Bar 210
Create MultiPoint 211
Create Object 213
Create Pline 218
Create Point 220
Create PrismMap 221
Create Query 223
Create Ranges 223
Create Rect 226
Create Redistricter 227
Create Region 228
Create Report From Table 230
Create RoundRect 230
Create Styles 231
Create Table 233
Create Text 239
DDEExecute 248
DDETerminate 254
DDETerminate All 255
Declare Function 256
Declare Method 258
Declare Sub 260
Define 261
Delete 263
Dialog 264
Dialog Preserve 270
Dialog Remove 271
Dim 272
Do Case...End Case 277
Do...Loop 279
Drop Index 280
Drop Map 281
Drop Table 282
End MapInfo 283
End Program 283
Error 289
Exit Do 290
Exit For 290
Exit Function 291
Exit Sub 292
Export 293
Farthest 297
Fetch 299
File Using 309
Find 305
FME Refresh Table 321
For...Next 313
Function...End 322

Reference

statements (continued)
Geocode 324
Get 331
Global 339
Goto 340
Graph 340
If...Then 346
Import 347
Include 352
Input # 353
Insert 354
Kill 361
Layout 382
Line Input 393
Map 405
Menu Bar 416
Metadata 419
Nearest 426
Note 429
Objects Check 448
Objects Clean 450
Objects Combine 451
Objects Disaggregate 452
Objects Enclose 454
Objects Erase 455
Objects Intersect 457
Objects Move 458
Objects Offset 459
Objects Overlay 461
Objects Pline 461
Objects Snap 462
Objects Split 464
OnError 468
Open Connection 469
Open File 471
Open Report 473
Open Table 473
Open Window 475
Pack Table 478
Print 489
Print # 490
PrintWin 491
ProgressBar 495
Put 498
Randomize 499
ReDim 505
Register Table 506
Relief Shade 513
Reload Symbols 513
Remove Cartographic Frame 517
Remove Designer Frame 517
Remove Map 518
Rename File 519
Rollback 524

883

statements (continued)
Run Application 528
Run Command 529
Run Menu Command 531
Run Program 533
Save File 534
Save MWS 535
Save Window 537
Save Workspace 539
Select 546
Selrver Begin Transaction 556
Serve Create Map 569
Server Bind Column 557
Server Close 558
Server Commit 561
Server Create Table 572
Server Create Workspace 574
Server Disconnect 575
Server Fetch 579
Server Link Table 582
Server Refresh 585
Server Remove Workspace 586
Server Rollback 587
Server Set Map 587
Server Versioning 588
Server Workspace Merge 590
Server Workspace Refresh 591
Set Adornment 594
Set Application Window 597
Set Area Units 598
Set Browse 599
Set Buffer Version 601
Set Cartographic Legend 602
Set Combine Version 603
Set Command Info 604
Set Connection Geocode 605
Set Connection Isogram 607
Set CoordSys 609
Set Date Window( ) 610
Set Datum Version 611
Set Designer Legend 612
Set Digitizer 613
Set Distance Units 615
Set Drag Threshold 616
Set Event Processing 616
Set File Timeout 617
Set Format 618
Set Graph 619
Set Handler 623
Set Layout 624
Set Legend 626
Set LibraryServiceInfo 629
Set Map 630
Set Map3D 668

884

statements (continued)
Set Next Document 669
Set Paper Units 671
Set Path 672
Set PrismMap 673
Set ProgressBars 674
Set Redistricter 675
Set Resolution 677
Set Shade 678
Set Style 679
Set Table 680
Set Target 682
Set Window 683
Shade 692
StatusBar 713
Stop 714
Sub...End Sub 725
Terminate Application 740
Type 746
UnDim 748
Unlink 750
Update 751
Update Window 752
WFS Refresh Table 756
While...Wend 758
WinFocusChangedHandler 767
Write # 768
StaticText controls 155
statistical calculations
average 54, 550, 551
count 54, 550, 551
min/max 54, 550, 551
quantile 223
standard deviation 223
sum 54, 550, 551
weighted average 54, 551, 552
Statistics window
closing 128
modifying 683, 691
opening 475
Status bar help 169
Status Bar help 66
StatusBar statement 713
Stop statement 714
Str$( ) function 715
street address, finding 305
string concatenation
& operator 828
+ operator 828
string functions
capitalization 383, 497, 747
comparison 717
converting codes to strings 125
converting strings to codes 98

MapBasic 12.0

string functions (continued)

converting strings to dates 618, 718
converting strings to numbers 618, 754
converting values to strings 715
extracting part of a string 384, 423, 523
finding a substring within a string 355
formatting a number 262, 315, 318, 618
formatting based on locale 618
length of string 390
locale settings 618
pattern matching 392
repeated strings 716
spaces 705
trimming spaces from end 528
trimming spaces from start 397
string variables 273
String$( ) function 716
StringCompare( ) function 717
StringCompareIntl( ) function 717
StringToDate( ) function 718
StringToDateTime( ) function 719
StringToTime( ) function 720
structures 746
style override
add for layer labels 648
enable/disable for layer 647
enable/disable layer labels 655
layers 643
modify for layers 645
modify layer labels 652
remove from layer 647
remove layer labels 655
StyleAttr( ) function 721
StyleOverrideInfo( ) function 723
sub procedures, see procedures 725
Sub...End Sub statement 725
subtotals, calculating 550, 551
Sum( ) aggregate function 550, 551
support
technical support 37
symbol
variables 273
Symbol clause 727
symbol styles
creating 400, 402, 404
modifying an object's style 88
querying an object's style 437
querying parts of 719, 720, 721
reading current style 245
reloading symbol sets 513
setting current style 679
Symbol clause defined 727
SYMBOL.MBX utility
custom symbols 513

Reference

SymbolPicker controls 150

symbols
Graduated 699
SystemInfo( ) function 730

T
TAB files, storing metadata in 419
tab order 267
table names
determining _ in Browse or Graph window 763
determining from file 480
determining table name from number 732
special names for Cosmetic layers 763
special names for Layout windows 763
table structure
3DMap 203
adding/removing columns 93
determining how many columns 432, 732
making a table mappable 202
making an ODBC table mappable 569
TableInfo( ) function 732
TableListInfo( ) function 737
TableListSelectionInfo( ) function 738
tables
CoordSys 161
tables, closing
Close All statement 126
Close Table statement 127
tables, copying 137
tables, creating
creating a new table 233
importing a file 347, 351
on remote databases 572
using a spreadsheet or database 506, 512
tables, deleting 282
tables, importing 347, 351
tables, modifying
adding columns 52, 57, 93
adding metadata 419
adding rows 354
creating an index 198
deleting a table's objects 281
deleting an index 280
deleting columns 93
deleting rows or objects 263
discarding changes 524
optimizing edit operations 680
packing 478
renaming 520
saving changes 137
setting a map's default view 638
setting a map's projection 137

885

tables, modifying (continued)

setting to read-only 680
sorting rows 553
updating existing rows 751
tables, opening 473
tables, querying
column information 130
directory path 735
end-of-table condition 285
finding a map address 305
joining 548
metadata 336, 419
number of open tables 433
objects at a point 542
objects in a rectangle 543, 544
positioning the row cursor 285, 299, 301
SQL Select 546, 553
table information 732
Tan( ) function 739
technical support
contacting 37
obtaining 37
offerings 37
TempFileName$( ) function 739
temporary columns 52
Terminate Application statement 740
text files
See also file input/output, files 47
using as tables 506, 512
text objects
creating 238, 239
modifying 88
querying the font style or string 438
storing in a new row 354
storing in an existing row 751
TextSize( ) function 741
thematic
get layer type 372
thematic maps
bar chart maps 702
counting themes in a 3D map window 408
counting themes in a map window 410
creating arrays of ranges 223
creating arrays of styles 231
dot density maps 698
grid surface maps 191, 193
modifying 678
pie chart maps 701
quantiled ranges 223
ranged maps 693
thinning objects 462
thousands separators 262, 318, 618
TIFF files
creating 537

886

time delay when user drags mouse 616

Time feature
description 273
Time( ) function 741
Timer( ) function 742
ToolHandler procedure 743
tooltip help 66, 169
totals, calculating 550, 551
transparent fill patterns 105
trapping errors. See error handling 468
TriggerControl( ) function 744
trigonometric functions
arc-cosine 49
arc-sine 99
arc-tangent 101
cosine 161, 164
sine 704
tangent 739
trimming spaces
from end of string 528
from start of string 397
TrueFileName$( ) function 745
TrueType fonts, using as symbols 402
TrueType symbols 727, 730
Type statement 746

U
UBound( ) function 747
UCase$( ) function 747
unchecking
dialog box check boxes (custom) 72
dialog box check boxes (standard) 79
menu items 87
underlined text 311
UnDim statement 748
undo system, disabling 680
UnitAbbr$( ) function 749
United States National Grid 488, 753
UnitName$( ) function 750
units
CoordSys Layout 160
units of measure
abbreviated names 749
area 598
distance 615
full names 750
paper 671
Unlink statement 750
unselecting 127
Update statement 751
Update Window statement 752
upper case, converting to 747

MapBasic 12.0

URL 629
URL clause 753
USNGToPoint( ) function 753

V
Val( ) function 754
value range 77, 187
variable length strings 273
variables
arrays 274, 505, 747
custom types 746
global variables 339
initializing 275
list of types 272
local variables 272
reading another application's variables 339
restrictions on names 274
strings variables 274
undefining 748
version number
.MBX version 731
MapInfo version 731
voronoi polygons
Create Object statement 213

W
Weekday( ) function 755
weighted averages 551, 552
Add Column statement 54
WFS Refresh Table statement 756
While...Wend statement 758
wildcard
matching 392
WinChangedHandler procedure 759
WinClosedHandler procedure 760
WindowID( ) function 760
WindowInfo( ) function 762
windows
CoordSys 161
Help 689
labeling in Map 638
Map and Layout syntax 689
Open Window statement 475
windows operating system, 16- v. 32-bit 731
windows, closing
Close Window statement 128
preventing user from closing windows 683
windows, modifying
adding map layers 61
browser windows 599
forcing windows to redraw 752

Reference

windows, modifying (continued)

general window settings 683, 691
graph windows 619
layout windows 624
legend window 626
map windows 630, 661
redistrict windows 675
removing map layers 518
windows, opening
Browse statement 103
Create Redistricter statement 227
Graph statement 340
Layout statement 382
Map statement 405
Open Window statement 475
windows, printing
to a file 537
to an output device 491
windows, querying
3D map window settings 408
general window settings 762
ID of a window 760
ID of front window 321
map window settings 372, 410
number of document windows 434
total number of windows 430
WinFocusChangedHandler procedure 767
WKS files, opening 506, 512
WKTToCoordSysString$( ) function 757
WMF files, creating 537
workspaces
loading 528
workspaces, saving
Save Workspace statement 539
Write # statement 768
WtAvg( ) aggregate function 551, 552

X
XCMDs 260
XFCNs 256
XLS files, opening 506, 512
XML Library
MIXmlAttributeListDestroy( ) procedure 807
MIXmlDocumentCreate( ) function 807
MIXmlDocumentDestroy( ) procedure 808
MIXmlDocumentGetNamespaces( ) function 808
MIXmlDocumentGetRootNode( ) function 809
MIXmlDocumentLoad( ) function 809
MIXmlDocumentLoadXML( ) function 810
MIXmlDocumentLoadXMLString( ) function 811
MIXmlDocumentSetProperty( ) function 812
MIXmlGetAttributeList( ) function 813

887

XML Library (continued)

MIXmlGetChildList( ) function 814
MIXmlGetNextAttribute( ) function 814
MIXmlGetNextNode( ) function 815
MIXmlNodeDestroy( ) procedure 816
MIXmlNodeGetAttributeValue( ) function 816
MIXmlNodeGetFirstChild( ) function 817
MIXmlNodeGetName( ) function 817
MIXmlNodeGetParent( ) function 818
MIXmlNodeGetText( ) function 819
MIXmlNodeGetValue( ) function 819

888

XML Library (continued)

MIXmlNodeListDestroy( ) procedure 820
MIXmlSCDestroy( ) procedure 821
MIXmlSCGetLength( ) function 821
MIXmlSCGetNamespace( ) function 822
MIXmlSelectNodes( ) function 822
MIXmlSelectSingleNode( ) function 823

Y
Year( ) function 769

MapBasic 12.0