Section Two: Importing Data

Part Two: Opening and Importing Tables

MapInfo tables (.tab)

MapInfo tables with which we can work have the extension .tab (for example, filename.tab). However, much of the data we acquired in Section Two, Part One were in other file formats such as Excel (.xls) or MapInfo Interchange format (.mif and .mid), and must therefore be converted into .tab files before we can begin to use them in MapInfo.

Opening tables in different file formats for making maps and graphs may also be done in stage 1, Data, and stage 2, Maps, of the Mapping Wizard Tool.

To open a MapInfo table (.tab), go to File > Open. Navigate to the directory where the table is stored, select it, and click Open.

MapInfo Interchange Format (.mif and .mid)

In Section Two, Part One we saw that data obtained from Casweb and UK Borders are in MapInfo Interchange Format, providing a .mif and .mid file for each coverage. Data which is supplied to you from other sources are also likely to come in this format. We will convert these two files into one MapInfo table, a .tab file.
Open MapInfo (Start > Programs > MapInfo > MapInfo Professional 7.5). Go to Table > Import.
Navigate to the directory where your .mif file is stored. Open the .mif file.
The Import Into Table dialog box will appear asking you to save the .mif file as a .tab file. It is adivsable to use the same filename. Save the .mif file as a .tab file now.
The table can now be opened using File > Open.
This procedure also applies to .dxf files, .img files and Ordnance Survey MasterMap files (.gml).

Excel files (.xls)

In Section Two, Part One we saw that data obtained from Nomisweb are in comma separated values (.csv) files, which we converted into Microsoft Excel (.xls) files. Much other data are available in this format, from a variety of sources. Older data are particularly likely to be in .csv format, for example, 1981 census data available on CD-ROM. We will convert a .xls file to a MapInfo table, a .tab file.
Go to File > Open. Navigate to the directory where your Excel file is stored. From the drop down menu Files of Type, select Microsoft Excel (*.xls). Select your Excel file and click Open.
The Excel Information dialog box appears, asking for the range of cells in the Excel sheet which contain the data you wish to import. By default this is the whole sheet. If the column headings are in the top row of the Excel sheet, tick the Use Row Above Selected Range for Column Titles button. Click OK. The table now opens in a browser.
If your Excel file is not in this format, e.g. if there are extra rows of headings, edit a copy of your Excel sheet (in Excel) so that it has one row of headings only, and no other text than the headings and the data itself, before attempting to import it into MapInfo.

ArcInfo files (.e00)

ArcGIS is another piece of GIS software. It has some similarities to MapInfo. It has many features which MapInfo does not have, although most of these are related to analysis of the physical environment, for example, producing Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), viewsheds and stream networks. However, it is much more complex to use than MapInfo, requires far greater computing power, extensive memory, high processor speed and the latest operating system, and as such is far more expensive to buy, and less user friendly, particularly to non GIS specialists. However, data may be moved between ArcGIS and MapInfo, and vice versa.
To import ArcGIS data (.e00 files) into MapInfo go to Tools > ArcLink > ARCINFO->MapInfo.
In the left hand field, choose the files you wish to export from ArcGIS to bring into MapInfo. Use the select all button to select all the files in the current directory. Use the right hand field to choose where to save them. It is advisable to leave all the boxes checked.
Click Translate.

The reverse process, i.e. exporting MapInfo tables, is discussed in Section Three, Part Four.

On to Section Two, Part Three: Appending Columns of Data to Mappable Tables.

Section Two
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