Data Sources Examples

 

Example: Closing without Saving

An example that shows how File - Close without saving the project can affect local tables and components differently from those saved already into a data source, such as an .mdb file database.

Example: Create a New Data Source from a Web Server

Many web servers are image servers, providing image.  tiles for a geographic view to browsers or to applications.  Typical image servers are Bing, Google Maps, Yandex and many others. Image servers can provide street maps, overhead satellite imagery, combinations of streets and satellite imagery and other data as well.  This topic shows how to create a new data source that is an image server.  Using image servers is one of the most popular Manifold features.

Example: Create a New Data Source from a MAP File

Create a new data source from an existing Manifold .map project file.   This is the classic way to nest projects, one calling another, to create libraries of data and projects.   Access to nested projects has effectively zero performance loss and the links within projects take up effectively zero space so we can create huge constellations of data at our fingertips.

Example: Create a Data Source within an Existing Data Source

When a data source is writable, for example, if the data source is a Manifold .map file, we can work within that data source as if it were at the top level of our project.   For example, we can create a new data source that is nested within the existing data source.   This example shows how.

Example: Create and Use New Data Source using an MDB Database

This example Illustrates the step-by-step creation of a new data source using an .mdb file database, followed by use of SQL.  Although now deprecated in favor of the more current Access Database Engine formats, .mdb files are ubiquitous in the Microsoft world, one of the more popular file formats in which file databases are encountered.  

Example: Link GPKG and Save Style

A companion topic to the GPKG topic.   How to link a GPKG, open a drawing, Style it and then save so the styling is retained within the GPKG file.

Example: Convert an ESRI File Geodatabase into a .map Project

How to convert data in ESRI's current file geodatabase format into a  Manifold .map project in a single step.  We convert ESRI's example NapervilleGas GDB geodatabase, all 857 files, into a single, unified Manifold .map project.

Example: Convert an ESRI Personal Geodatabase into a .map Project

How to convert data in ESRI's legacy personal geodatabase format into a  Manifold .map project in a single step.

Example: Connect to a WFS Server for State Government Data

Gathering our courage, we connect to a WFS server that provides 1200 vector layers, run by the state of Massachusetts.   We open a layer showing airports and then scrape the vector data into our own local storage.  

Example: Connect to a Custom Server for Cadastral Data

We connect to a custom image server that provides cadastral information originally from the French national cartographic agency, IGN.  We create a map and use the Style pane to re-style the web served image on the fly into a more usable form.

Example: Connect to a Custom OpenRailwayMap Server

We connect to a custom server that provides an OpenRailwayMap view of railroads worldwide, showing railway, tram, and subway infrastructure based on OpenStreetMap data.  Our first try at creating a data source does not work.  After consulting the Log Window we try again with a slight adjustment and our second try works.

Example: Connect to an OSM Vector Server

We connect to an OSM Server that provides a vector layer containing points lines and areas in the OpenStreetMap database.  We then show how to scrape (copy) data from the OpenStreetMap server into local storage.

Example: Raster Layers from an ArcGIS REST Image Server

Visit an ESRI web site, copy a URL, and then use that URL to connect to an ArcGIS REST web server that provide a raster layer showing a mosaic of aerial photographs near Portland, Oregon.