MapInfo Products KnowledgeBase

Product: MapInfo Professional
Version: 8.0, 7.8, 7.5
Platform: All Windows Platforms
Category: Documentation

Summary:
Difference between linking to an Excel file and making a copy for use in MapInfo.

Question:
What is the difference between opening an Excel file in MapInfo and making a copy in MapInfo format?

Answer:
Excel files can be used in two ways in MapInfo:
1. Native Excel file linked to MapInfo to allow Microsoft Excel editing OR
2. Copy of the Excel file made to work with inside MapInfo to allow MapInfo editing.

Option 1:
By default, when opening an Excel file using MapInfo, it is opened as read-only. That means the data that MapInfo is referring to is linked to the Excel file data.
It is not possible to have the file open in MapInfo and the file opened in Excel at the same time.

Advantages:
Edits made in Excel are automatically viewed in MapInfo. Analysis created in MapInfo Professional i.e. Thematic maps, automatically work from Excel's latest data.

Limitations:
The file in MapInfo is opened as read only.
No edits are possible in MapInfo Professional.

Option 2:
An alternative way to work with Excel files is to open the file in MapInfo exclusively, while making a copy as the file is opened.
The copy will allow direct changes to be made from inside MapInfo, where all work can now be done.
Once the work is complete, the file can be exported out of MapInfo into a .csv file that can be brought back into Excel.

Advantages:
Can be edited in MapInfo Professional using any and all MapInfo capabilities.

Limitations:
The source Excel data is no longer dynamically linked to the file.

Notes:
One reason to keep the file native to Excel and have MapInfo link to this file instead of working from a copy is if the file will remain the same, but the data in the fields will be modified/updated. If only the data in the fields is being updated, this method works well. However, if the structure of the table is incorrect, or fields need to be sorted, added or removed, this is best done in MapInfo. Another reason, such as data manipulation, is better done in MapInfo as well.

Last Modified:
Document URL: http://testdrive.mapinfo.com/techsupp/miprod.nsf/kbase_by_product/4EDC84C339C9CF3385257145005997A9

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