MWS, Manifold

Manifold MWS format is a deprecated, legacy format, used in early Manifold versions such as Manifold System Release 4.50 and earlier to save workspaces, that included use of one or more other files in Manifold MFD/MDB format. Release 4.50 and earlier Manifold versions stored drawings in an ensemble of two files, an .mdb Access database format file to store attributes, and an .mfd file to store geometry. A typical 4.50 project will be stored using at least three files: an .mfd and .mdb pair of files for drawings, plus an .mws workspace file that saves formatting and other project information.

Importing a .mws workspace will automatically import from any .mfd and .mdb files that workspace includes.

Manifold uses Microsoft facilities to work with Microsoft .mdb files. If Manifold cannot import from, link to, or export to an .mdb file, that means the Windows system we are using is missing the necessary facilities. If .mdb capability is missing, Manifold will import a legacy mfd/mdb file, but only object geometry will appear and data fields, that is, attributes, for each object will not be imported from the .mdb file. Please see the Microsoft Office Formats - MDB, XLS and Friends topic for a solution.

To import from MWS format:

Choose File-Import from the main menu.
In the Import dialog browse to the folder containing data of interest.
Double-click the file ending in .mws for the data of interest.
All components from the .mws file will be imported.

We can double-click on drawings that are created to view them. We double-click on the WorldTZ Map to open it.

The sample map shows countries arranged and colored by time zone, together with an overlay of points for cities, with attribute data in each city giving that city's time zone.

Notes

Use Folders - Importing .mws workspaces can create many components. To keep those from being mixed into existing components in a project, first create a folder and then, with the focus on the folder (click the folder in the Project pane to highlight it), do the import. That will place all imported components into the folder.

MWS, Manifold

Notes

See Also