Copyright: ©1995 MapInfo Corp., Troy, NY, all rights reserved


Add data to a map

To insert a cell range from Microsoft Excel, click Data on the Insert menu.

Tip   To insert data from another application, click External Data on the Insert menu. For example, if you want to insert data from a Microsoft Access database, click External Data.


Add pie or column charts to a map

1.	If the Data Map Control dialog box is not displayed, click  [image].

2.	Drag  [image]  or  [image]  to the "Format" area at the bottom of the dialog box.

3.	Drag a column heading button from the top of the dialog box onto the chart button.

4.	Drag additional column heading buttons onto the chart button until your map includes all the columns you want. You can use up to eight column names.

Tip   A map can contain pie charts or column charts, but not both.


Add symbols to a map
Add a custom pin map to the map

1.	On the Map menu, click Open Custom Pin Map.

2.	To create a new pin map, click the upper button, and then type a name for the pin map.

To open a pin map that you created in an earlier session, click the lower button, and then select a pin map name in the list.

3.	Click OK.

4.	Click  [image].

5.	Click the map.

6.	Type a description.

7.	When you are finished typing, press ENTER.

Tips

To change the symbol style, click the symbol with the right mouse button, and then click Format on the shortcut menu.

To change the style of the text, click the text with the right mouse button, and then click Format Font on the shortcut menu.

If you do not want the text to be located to the right of the symbol, drag the text where you want it. After you move the text, it remains linked to the symbol. If you move the symbol, the text moves with it.


Add text to a map

1.	Click  [image].

2.	Click the map where you want to add the text.

3.	Type the text.

4.	When you are finished typing, press ENTER.

Tips

To change the style of the text, click the text with the right mouse button, and then click Format Font on the shortcut menu.

If you plan to zoom in on part of the map, zoom in before you add text. Otherwise, the text will be enlarged when you zoom in.


Change the default colors of map features

1.	On the Map menu, click Features.

2.	Click a feature in the list.

3.	Click Custom.

4.	If you selected road or boundary features, select a color in the color box (under Custom).

If you selected symbol features, click the symbol button (under Custom) to change the symbol style.

Note   The Custom button is not available when the map feature contains more than one type of drawing object (for example, if a feature contains both highway lines and city markers).


Change the map's colors or formatting

1.	If the Data Map Control dialog box is not displayed, click  [image].

2.	In the work area at the bottom of the Data Map Control dialog box, double-click a format button.

3.	Select the display options you want to change.


Change the data displayed in a map

You can change your map so that it uses a different set of data. If you have several columns of data, you can switch which column of data appears in the map.

1.	If the Data Map Control dialog box is not displayed, click  [image].

2.	Drag a column heading button down onto the format button you want to change at the bottom of the Data Map Control dialog box.

If you want to use data that was not part of your original selection, you can add a new data selection.

How?

Tips

Most map formats require numeric data. If a column contains text instead of numbers, you can drop that column heading button only onto a category shading format button.

At the top of the Data Map Control dialog box, you can double-click a column heading button to see its data source (such as the worksheet name and cell range).

Sometimes the column heading buttons are too narrow to show the entire column heading. You can resize the Data Map Control dialog box to change the button size.


Change the map's format

1.	If the Data Map Control dialog box is not displayed, click  [image].

2.	Drag a format button from the left side of the dialog box into the work area at the right.

Tips

Be careful where you drag the button. Dragging the button onto an empty space in the work area adds new formatting. Dragging the button on top of an existing button replaces the existing formatting.

There are some restrictions on converting one map format to another. For example, you can convert pie charts to column charts, but you cannot convert pie charts to graduated symbols. This is because a pie chart format uses multiple columns of data, while a graduated symbols format uses only one column.


Change the style of a custom label

You can assign a different style to each custom label in your pin map. For example, if you want to show store locations, you could use green squares to represent your stores and blue circles to represent your competitors' stores.

1.	Click  [image].

2.	Double-click a symbol.

3.	Select a new symbol in the Symbol dialog box.

4.	To change the color, size, or font of the symbol, click Font.


Change the style of titles and text

1.	Click the text with the right mouse button.

2.	On the shortcut menu, click Format Font.

3.	Select the options you want.


Change the map's title

1.	Double-click the title.

2. 	Type your changes.

3.	When you are finished typing, press ENTER.


Copy a map to another application

1. 	Click outside of the map.

2. 	Click the map once to select it.

3.	On the Edit menu, click Copy.

4.	Switch to the other application.

5.	On the Edit menu, click Paste.

Note   If the application has a Paste Special command, click Paste Special to create a link with the original document, so that changes made to the original map will appear in the pasted copy.


Create a map

1. 	Select a cell range. One column in the cell range must contain geographic data (such as country names).

2.	On the Insert menu, click Map.

3.	Drag to specify where the map will go.

4.	If the data you selected is ambiguous, or if there are misspellings in your data, a dialog box will ask you how to proceed.


Customize a map legend

What do you want to do?

 	Change the size of text in the legend

 	Edit the legend

 	Hide the legend

 	Shrink the legend to one line of text


Change the size of text in the legend

1.	Click the legend to select it.

2.	Drag a corner of the legend box to resize it. The text resizes to fit the legend box.


Change the size of titles and text

1.	Click  [image].

2.	Click the text to select it.

3.	Drag a corner of the text box to resize it. The text resizes to fit the box.


Edit the map legend

You can replace the legend's numeric range descriptions with other text, such as "High, Medium, Low."

1.	Double-click the legend.

2.	In the Edit Legend dialog box, type a new title or subtitle.

3.	Click Edit Legend Entries.

4.	Type new range descriptions.


Shrink the legend to one line of text

1. 	Double-click the legend.

2. 	Select the Use Compact Format check box.


Hide the map legend
Hide the map legend or title

1.	Click the legend or title with the right mouse button.

2.	On the shortcut menu, click Hide.

Tip   To restore all hidden map legends, click All Legends on the View menu. To restore a hidden title, click Title on the View menu.


Delete a map

1. 	Click outside of the map.

2. 	Click the map to select it. Do not double-click.

3.	Press DELETE.


Hide map features

1.	On the Map menu, click Features.

2.	Clear the check boxes for the features you want to hide.

Tip   When you hide map features, you can still see the color-coding for those features. This allows you to create maps that show only color-coding, without showing unshaded areas.


Delete formatting from a map

 To delete pie charts, color-coding, or other formatting from the map, drag the format button off the Data Map Control dialog box.


Changing your view of a map

To magnify an area of the map, click  [image]  and then click the map; or drag to draw a rectangle.

To zoom out again, click  [image]  and then click the map.

Holding down SHIFT reverses the effect of either button. To alternate between zooming in and zooming out, alternately hold down the SHIFT key while clicking  [image]  or  [image].

To move the map within its frame, click  [image]  and then drag the map.

To move the entire map to a different place in your worksheet, point to the outer edge of the map and drag. Do not drag the handles at the corners of the map [image] that resizes the map instead of moving it.

To view the entire map, click Entire Map on the View menu.

To cancel your last view change, click Previous on the View menu.


Open a MapInfo map

If you have used the MapInfo mapping software to create maps, you can use those maps with Microsoft Excel. You must set up each MapInfo map you want to use.

To set up a map, run the Data Installer (Datainst.exe).


Selecting the data to map

Before you create a map, select an appropriate cell range. The text within your cell range determines which type of map is displayed.

Your cell range should include geographic data, such as country names or postal codes.

Tip  If you are not sure how to spell the names of map features, see the sample workbook Mapstats.xls, which shows the proper spelling for features in the sample maps.

If your data contains numeric postal codes, such as US ZIP Codes, make sure the postal codes are formatted as text, not as numbers. Formatting postal codes as text prevents zeros from being removed.

You can use abbreviations instead of standard spellings of geographic names. To see what abbreviations are allowed, see Mapstats.xls.

If your worksheet contains additional data for each map feature (such as sales figures for each country), include that data in the cell range. This lets you create a map that is color-coded based on the data.

Make sure the map feature names are arranged in a column.

If there are headings at the top of your columns, include those headings in the selection.

If you do not select any data when you create a map, initially the map will not be color-coded. However, you can use the Insert menu to add data to the map.


Column chart format

A map format that displays a small column chart over each area of the map. Each column chart shows data for that area.


Customize a map

You can change the appearance of your map by dragging and double-clicking the buttons on the Data Map Control dialog box.

What do you want to do?

 	Add pie or column charts, or other formatting, to the map

 	Change the colors or other aspects of the formatting

 	Change the type of formatting

 	Change the data displayed in the map

 	Display the Data Map Control dialog box


Dot density format

A map format that shows data as small dots. Each dot represents some quantity; for example, each dot might represent one thousand people.


legend

A box that describes how colors and styles in the map represent data values.

The numbers in parentheses tell you how many map regions are assigned to each range. The legend entry "17 to 34 (3)" indicates that there are 3 map regions assigned to the white range. A map region is assigned to the white range if it has a value greater than or equal to 17, but less than 34.

To remove the legend, select it and press DELETE. To display the legend, click All Legends on the View menu.


Pie chart format

A map format that displays a small pie chart over each area of the map. Each pie chart shows data for that area.


Graduated symbols format

A map format that shows data as symbols drawn at various sizes. Larger symbols represent larger data values.


Category shading format

A map format that uses various colors to show how map regions belong to different categories. For example, in a map of sales territories, map regions that belong to the "Northeast" territory could appear in red, while regions that belong to the "Southwest" territory appear in green.


Value shading format

A map format that shows map features in different shades of a color to show numeric values. For example, map regions with large data values could appear in deep red, while regions with smaller values appear in pale red.


custom label

A marker that represents a point of interest on the map. You create custom labels by clicking  [image]. You can add optional descriptive text to a custom label.


Map formats

The following map formats are available:

Value shading:

Category shading:

Pie chart:

Column chart:

Dot density:

Graduated symbols:


Why use computer mapping?

Computer mapping helps you to visualize and analyze your data.

When you view large amounts of data in row-and-column form, you may find it difficult to understand the full meaning of your data. But when you view your data as a color-coded map, you can easily see the trends and relationships in your data.

Once you have displayed your data on a map, the map helps you analyze your data. For example, you can use maps together with demographic data to analyze market potential or to plan sales and marketing efforts.

To view an electronic brochure, click  [image].

Log on to the Microsoft Network and browse the MapInfo Forum (Go word: MapInfo).

To order additional maps and data, click  [image].


Map and data library

Microsoft Excel comes with an assortment of sample maps, plus demographic data for each map. Demographic data, such as population statistics, is provided in the workbook Mapstats.xls.

For information about purchasing additional maps and demographic data, click  [image].


Purchasing additional maps

Many additional maps and demographic data files are available. For information:

To view an electronic brochure, click  [image].

Log on to the Microsoft Network and browse the MapInfo Forum (Go word: MapInfo).

Contact MapInfo Corporation:

MapInfo Corporation
One Global View
Troy, NY  12180-8399  USA

Telephone:	800.488.3552 (USA only)
518.285.7110 (International)
Facsimile:	518.285.6070

Internet: sales@mapinfo.com


Troubleshoot mapping problems

What do you need help with?

 	My map doesn't show enough detail.

 	I don't want a box around the map title.

 	Parts of my map are not color-coded correctly.

 	When I zoom in on my map, the text size changes.

 	This map doesn't show the right geographic features.

 	There is an empty space where my map used to be.

 	I'm having trouble querying Microsoft Access data.

 	My pin map labels don't look correct.


Parts of my map are not color-coded.
Parts of my map are not color-coded correctly.

If some areas of your color-coded map appear in the wrong color, it may mean that there is no data for those map areas.

For example, if one area appears in green, the green area has no data. Green is the map feature's default color.

Make sure that the cell range you selected contains all the data you want to show. You will only see color-coding for a map region if your cell range contains at least one row of data for that region.

If you do not have any data for a map region, that region will not be color-coded. However, you can change the map's default color.

How?


My map doesn't show enough detail.

On the Map menu, click Add Feature to add more features to the map.

To get a closer look at a particular map area, click  [image].

To place markers at points of interest, click  [image].

Expand your map library by installing additional maps. For example: if you want to see county boundaries, you need to purchase additional maps. For more information, click  [image].


When I zoom in, the text size changes.
When I zoom in on my map, the text size changes.

Zoom in on your map first, and then create text.

Use the map title and subtitle if you need to create text that stays the same size, even when you zoom in. On the View menu, click Title or Subtitle.


This map doesn't show the right geographic features.

On the Map menu, click Add Feature to add more features to the map.

Select different data when you create the map.

Tip   Your map automatically shows features that match the names in your data. If you select a column of country names, the map will show countries. To see a more detailed map, select data that includes the names of smaller areas, such as postal codes.

Expand your map library by purchasing additional maps. For more information, click  [image].


I don't want a box around the map title.

The map title and subtitle always appear within a box, so that they are always visible, even if you move the title over a dark section of the map.

If you don't want a box around the map title, you can use text as a title.

1. 	Click the title with the right mouse button.

2. 	On the shortcut menu, click Hide.

3. 	Click  [image].

4.	Click the map.

5.	Type text to use as a map title.


I'm having trouble querying Microsoft Access data.

Your map can include data from any Access table or query. To add Microsoft Access data to your map, click External Data on the Insert menu.

Some Microsoft Access queries have parameters. When you run a parameter query, dialog boxes prompt you to type values.

If a parameter query dialog box appears, you must type appropriate values. Typing inappropriate characters can cause the query to fail. For example, if a dialog box prompts you for numeric values, do not type letters.

Tip   You can set up the query so that it will warn you if you type in invalid characters. To change how the query is set up, run Microsoft Access. For more information about customizing the query parameters, see the Microsoft Access documentation.


There is an empty space where my map used to be.

If you see an empty space, it may mean that you accidentally zoomed in on a blank part of the map. To zoom out:

On the View menu, click Entire Map.


My pin map labels don't look correct.

If the custom labels in your pin map appear to have incorrect sizes or positions, the pin map was probably created for use with a different map.

For example, suppose you create a pin map that contains custom labels across North America. If you add that pin map to a map of the world, the pin map labels may appear to have moved slightly (because the labels were designed for a North American map, not a world map).

To move a custom label, drag its symbol where you want it.

To adjust the size of a custom label, click the label's text with the right mouse button, and then click Format Font on the shortcut menu.


Count Of... button
Count Of button

For each set of data you use, a Count Of button appears at the top of the Data Map Control dialog box. The Count Of button represents the number of rows of data associated with each map region.

For example, suppose you selected a list of customers and the country where each customer lives. The Count Of button represents the number of customers per country. If you drag the Count Of button into the work area at the lower right part of the Data Map Control, the map will show the number of customers per country.


custom pin map

A set of custom labels (markers), showing points of interest on a map. A pin map is like a set of "push-pins" that you use to mark special locations, such as regional sales offices.


Data Map Control dialog box

A dialog box that you use to create or customize the color-coding, pie charts, or other types of formatting in your map. For more information, click  [image].


Add labels to a map

1.	Click  [image].

2.	In the Map Feature To Label box, select a feature name.

3.	To use the names of map features as labels, click Map Feature Names.

To use the numeric values calculated for each area as labels, click Values From.

4.	Click OK.

5.	Move the mouse pointer over the map. When you point to a map feature that can be labeled, a label preview is displayed.

6.	To add the label to the map, click.

Tip   To change the label's font style, click the label with the right mouse button, and then click Format Font from the shortcut menu.


Calculate sums and averages

1.	In the work area at the bottom of the Data Map Control dialog box, double-click a format button.

2.	Click SUM or AVERAGE.

Note   This option is not available for Category Shading formatting.


Remove a pin map

On the Map menu, click Close Custom Pin Map.


Select Objects button
Select Objects button (Data Map toolbar)

Selects legends, titles, labels, or text for moving, sizing, or deleting.


Label button
Label button (Data Map toolbar)

Labeler command (Tools menu)

Adds labels (names of map features) to the map.


Grabber button
Grabber button (Data Map toolbar)

Moves your view of the map within the window.


Zoom In button
Zoom In button (Data Map toolbar)

Magnifies an area of the map. To select a map region, click the button and drag across the map. To zoom to 200 percent magnification, click the button and then click the map.


Zoom Out button
Zoom Out button (Data Map toolbar)

Zooms out to show twice as large an area of the map. The map is centered at the location where you clicked.


Text button
Text button (Data Map toolbar)

Adds text to the map.


Custom Pin Map button
Custom Pin Map button (Data Map toolbar)

Adds custom labels to the map.


Show/Hide Data Map Control button
Show/Hide Data Map Control button (Data Map toolbar)

Data Map Control command (View menu)

Shows or hides the Data Map Control dialog box. This button is only available if you selected data to map.


Redraw Map button
Redraw Map button (Data Map toolbar)

Redraw Map command (View menu)

Redraws the map.

Every flat map shows a stretched view of the earth, whether the map is on paper or on a computer. If you have used  [image]  to move the map, click Redraw to minimize the stretching.


Display Entire button
Display Entire button (Data Map toolbar)

Entire Map command (View menu)

Centers the map and zooms out so that all features in the map are visible.


Edit Legend Entry dialog box

Select Legend Entry To Edit

To specify the legend entry to edit, select an entry in the Select Legend Entry To Edit box.

Type New Legend Entry

To edit the selected legend entry, type your changes in the Type New Legend Entry box. This does not affect any calculations; it only changes the appearance of the legend.

Font

To change the font of the legend, click Font.


Edit Legend dialog box

Use Compact Format

To display the legend in a compact style, select the Use Compact Format check box. To display the full legend, clear the check box.

Title

To specify a title for the legend, type the text in the Title box.

Subtitle

To specify a subtitle for the legend, type the text in the Subtitle box.

Compact Title

To specify a title for the compact form of the legend, type the text in the Compact Title box.

Font

To change the font of the legend title or subtitle, click Font.

Use Currency Format

To apply currency formatting to the numbers in the map legend, select the Use Currency Format check box.

Edit Legend Entries

To customize the legend entries, click Edit Legend Entries.

Show Legend

To display the legend, select the Show Legend check box. To hide the legend, clear the check box.


Add Map Feature dialog box

To add more features to the map, use the Add Map Feature dialog box.

Feature box

To specify the feature to add, select a feature in the list.


Map Features dialog box

To show, hide, add, or remove map features, use the Map Features dialog box.

Feature list, Visible

To display a map feature, select the Visible check box for that feature. To hide a map feature, clear the check box.

Automatic

To display the selected map feature in its default style, click Automatic. The Automatic button is not available if the selected feature's Visible check box is cleared.

Custom

To change the color and style of the selected map feature, click Custom, and then select a new style. The Custom button is not available if the feature's Visible check box is cleared, nor if the feature contains different types of drawing objects, such as lines and symbols.

Add

To add more features to the map, click Add.

Remove

To remove the selected feature from the map, click Remove.


Column Chart Options dialog box

Columns, Color

To change the color of columns, click the data column in the Columns box, and then click a color in the Color box.

Independent Scale

To apply different height scales to the columns in each column chart, select the Independent Scale check box. For example, if the first bar in each chart represents a large number (such as population), and the second bar in each chart represents a small number (such as average age), select the Independent Scale check box.

SUM, AVERAGE

To base the column charts on the sum of values for each map region, click SUM. To base the column charts on the average value for each map region, click AVERAGE. For more information, click  [image].

Visible

To show the column charts, select the Visible check box. To hide the column charts, clear the check box.

Remove

To delete the column charts, click Remove.

Height, At Value

To change the height of the column charts, type a number in the Height box, and then type a data value in the At Value box. The At Value box is not available if the Independent Scale check box is selected.

Width

To change the width of the column charts, type a number in the Width box.


Dot Density Options dialog box

Each Dot Represents

To increase the number of dots in the map, type a smaller number. To decrease the number of dots, type a larger number.

Small, Large

To specify the size of the dots on the map, click Small or Large.

Visible

To show the dot density formatting, select the Visible check box. To hide the formatting, clear the check box.

SUM, AVERAGE

To base the formatting on the sum of values for each map region, click SUM. To base the formatting on the average value for each map region, click AVERAGE. For more information, click  [image].

Remove

To delete the dots, click Remove.


Graduated Symbol Options dialog box

Character grid

Click the character you want to use for your map symbols.

Graduated

To set up the map so that symbols appear in various sizes, select the Graduated check box. To set up the  map so that all symbols are the same size, clear the Graduated check box.

Visible

To show the graduated symbols, select the Visible check box. To hide the graduated symbols, clear the check box.

SUM, AVERAGE

To calculate symbol sizes based on the sum of values for each map region, click SUM. To calculate symbol sizes based on the average value for each map region, click AVERAGE. For more information, click  [image].

At Value

To specify the symbol sizes, type a number in the At Value box. Larger data values appear as larger symbols. When a row of data has the same value as the At Value number, that row's symbol will be as large as the symbol you selected.

Font

To change the color, size, or font used, click Font. The Wingdings, Symbol, and Map Symbols fonts contain many symbols that are ideal for mapping.

Remove

To delete the graduated symbols, click Remove.


Category Shading Options dialog box

Categories, Color

To change the color associated with a data value, click a value in the Categories box, and then click a color in the Color box.

Visible

To show the color coding, select the Visible check box. To hide the color coding, clear the check box.

Remove

To delete the color coding, click Remove.


Pie Chart Options dialog box

Columns, Color

To change the color of slices in the pie charts, click a column in the Columns box, and then click a color in the Color box.

Graduated

To make the pie charts' sizes proportional to their values, select the Graduated check box. Larger values will produce larger pie charts.

To make all pie charts the same size, clear the Graduated check box.

SUM, AVERAGE

To base the pie charts on the sum of values for each map region, click SUM. To base the pie charts on the average value for each map region, click AVERAGE. For more information, click  [image].

Visible

To show the pie charts, select the Visible check box. To hide the pie charts, clear the check box.

Remove

To delete the pie charts, click Remove.

Diameter, At Value

To specify the size of the pie charts, type a number in the Diameter box, and then type a data value in the At Value box. When the sum of a pie chart's values equals the number you type in the At Value box, that pie chart has the diameter you specify. Pie charts representing larger sums have larger diameters.

The At Value box is not available if the Graduated check box is cleared.


Value Shading Options dialog box

Number Of Value Ranges

To change the number of value ranges, type a number in the box. For example, if you want to see a map that shows high, medium, and low rankings, set the number of value ranges to 3.

Color

To change the color scheme of your map, click a color in the Color box. Your map will appear in various shades of the selected color. Darker shades represent larger data values.

Define Value Ranges By

To specify how data values are split into segments, enter a number in the Define Value Ranges By box. For example, if your map shows Low, Medium, and High value ranges, this option determines how large a data value must be to be assigned to the High value range.

Equal Number Of Items In Each Range

To create formatting that shows the same number of map areas in each value range, click Equal Number Of Items In Each Range. (In other words, there will be as many map areas in the High value range as in the Low value range.)

Equal Spread Of Values In Each Range

To create formatting that shows value ranges of equal size (such as 0-9, 10-19, 20-29), click Equal Spread Of Values In Each Range. The value ranges are based solely on the minimum and maximum values in your data.

Visible

To show the color coding, select the Visible check box. To hide the color coding, clear the check box.

SUM, AVERAGE

To base the color coding on the sum of values for each map region, click SUM. To base the color-coding on the average value for each map region, click AVERAGE. For more information, click  [image].

Remove

To delete the color coding, click Remove.


Custom Pin Map dialog box

Create Or Open Custom Pin Map

To create a new pin map, click the upper button, and then type a description in the upper box. For example, if each pin will represent a store location, you could type "Store Locations."

To open an existing pin map, click the lower button, and then click a pin map name in the lower box.


Resolve Unknown Geographic Data dialog box

This dialog box appears when your data contains misspellings or ambiguities.

Change To box

To correct the misspelled data, type the correction in the Change To box.

If you selected geographic names that are not unique, you will see two Change To boxes. For example, if you selected US County names, you can type state names in the second Change To box.

Suggestions

To replace the misspelled data with a suggested spelling, click the suggested spelling in the Suggestions box and then click Change.

The Suggestions box is not available when there are two Change To boxes.

Change button

To accept the correction in the Change To box, click Change.

If your spelling is correct, the misspelled text from your worksheet or database is replaced with the text in the Change To box. If the spelling is still not correct, you will get a message and this dialog box is redisplayed.

Discard

To exclude this row of data from the map, click Discard.

Discard All

To exclude every row of data that contains a misspelling, click Discard All.


Unable To Create Map dialog box

This dialog box appears if no map was found to match the data you selected.

List of maps

To specify the map you want, click a name in the list.


Specify Geographic Data dialog box

This dialog box appears when you need to specify which column of data contains geographic data (such as country names or postal codes).

List of columns

To specify which column will link your data to the map, click a column name. After you select a column, the cells within that column are matched to the names of features in the map.


Specify Geographic Data dialog box

Allows you to specify which column of data contains geographic data (such as country names or postal codes).

List of columns

To specify which column will link your data to the map, click a column name. Once you have selected a column, the cells within that column will be matched to the names of features in the map.

More

To select a column that does not appear in the list (although it was part of your original selection), click More. The Data Map then checks each column you selected to see whether that column contains geographic data.


Need Refining Value dialog box

This dialog box appears if you need to resolve an ambiguous geographic name in your data.

Refining Value

To resolve ambiguous names in your data, type a name in the Refining Value box. (For example, "Paris" could mean Paris, France or Paris, Texas.) Type a name that makes your ambiguous data more specific.

Continue

To apply your refining value, click Continue.

Ignore

To ignore all rows of ambiguous data, click Ignore. If you click Ignore, some of your data will be left out of the calculations that control the map's color coding.


Need Refining Column dialog box

This dialog box appears if  you need to resolve ambiguous geographic names in your data.

Refining column

To resolve ambiguous names in your data, click a column name. The column that you specify should contain additional information that resolves the ambiguity. (For example, "Paris" could mean Paris, France or Paris, Texas.)

Continue

To apply your refining column, click Continue.

Ignore

To ignore all rows of ambiguous data, click Ignore. If you click Ignore, some of your data will be left out of the calculations that control the map's color coding.


Select Map dialog box

Select the Map You Want To Use

To specify the map you want to create, click the map name in the list.

Select Data

To create a map that includes data, click Select Data.


Multiple Maps Available dialog box

List of maps

To specify the map you want to create, click the map name in the list. The list shows all of the maps that match your data.


Select External Data dialog box

Table Or Query

To select the Microsoft Access table or query that contains the data you want to use, click a table or query name.

Fields In Table Or Query, > button

To select a field for mapping, click the field name in the Fields In Table Or Query box, and then click >.

>> button

To include all available fields, click >>.

Fields To Display In Map, < button

To remove a field that you have selected, click its name in the Fields To Display In Map box, and then click <.

<< button

To remove all field names from the Fields To Display In Map box, click <<.


Save Map Template dialog box

To save the current map settings so that maps you create in later sessions can use the same settings, use the Save Map Template dialog box.

Map Features

To save information about the current list of map features, select the Map Features check box.

View

To save information about the current view of the map, select the View check box.

Enter A Name For The Map Template

To create a new map template, type a description in the box.

To replace an existing template with the current settings, select the template name in the list.

Save

To save the map template, click Save. The map settings you specify are saved in a template which you can reuse the next time you create a map. Map formats, such as pie charts and color coding, are not saved in a template, because formats depend on the data you select when you create a map.


Data Map Options dialog box

To change the units of measure and the matching method used by Data Map, use the Data Map Options dialog box.

Map Matching

To specify whether you want Data Map to perform a quick analysis or a thorough analysis of your data, click the option you want.

Quick

To perform quick matching, click Quick. If your data is fixed-width, Data Map will only try to match your data to geographic names that are also fixed-width, such as postal codes.

Thorough

To perform thorough matching, click Thorough. Data Map will test your data against every map in your map library, even those maps with geographic names that are not fixed-width.

Thorough matching takes longer. However, you may want to select Thorough if the Unable To Create Map dialog box appears when you create a map.

Time Limit

To set the maximum amount of time that Data Map will spend analyzing your data, select a number from the list.

Set a larger time limit if Data Map fails to recognize the geographic names in your data when you create a map. If you set a larger time limit, Data Map will spend more time searching for geographic names the next time you create a map.

Feature Sizing Units

To change the units of measure displayed in dialog boxes, click the option you want.

Compact Legends By Default

To set up Data Map so that new legends use the compact (one-line) format, select the Compact Legends By Default check box. To set up Data Map so that new legends show full details, clear the check box.


Map Labels dialog box

Map Feature To Label

To select the map feature to label, click a feature name in the list.

Map Feature Names

To create labels that show the names of map features, click Map Feature Names.

Values From

To create labels that show numeric data for each map region, click Values From. This option is only available if you have selected data to map, and if the data you selected corresponds to the Map Feature To Label.


Specify External Data Source dialog box

Select the Data Source You Want To Use

To specify the application that contains the data you want to insert, click the application name.


Multiple Features Available dialog box

List of features

To specify the map feature to be linked to your data, click the feature name.


Locate Data Map Folder dialog box

To specify the name of the folder where your map library is located, type the folder name in the box.


Toolbar command (View menu)

Shows or hides the Data Map toolbar.


Title command (View menu)

Shows or hides the map title.


Subtitle command (View menu)

Shows or hides the map subtitle.


All Legends command (View menu)

Shows all of the map legends. This command is only available if the map contains at least one format.


Previous command (View menu)

Restores the map to its previous magnification and center position. This command is only available after you change your view of the map (for example, by using the Zoom In or Grabber buttons).


Data command (Insert menu)

Links the map to another set of data. After you select the additional data, column heading buttons appear at the top of the Data Map Control dialog box.


External Data command (Insert menu)

Links the map to data from another application. After you select the additional data, column heading buttons appear at the top of the Data Map Control dialog box.


Options command (Tools menu)

Changes the units of measure and the matching method used by the Data Map.


Features command (Map menu)

Shows, hides, and controls the display styles of map features.


Add Feature command (Map menu)

Adds map features (such as roads, cities, or boundaries) to the map.


Open Custom Pin Map command (Map menu)

Adds a pin map to the map. To add custom labels to a pin map, use the Custom Pin Map button.


Close Custom Pin Map command (Map menu)

Removes the pin map from the map. This command is only available after you have added a pin map to the map.


Save Map Template command (Map menu)

Creates a map template based on the current map.


Refresh command (Map menu)

Updates the map to reflect the current data from your worksheet.

If you change the data used in your map, an exclamation point button appears in the corner of the map, indicating that the map may need to be updated. To update the map, click Refresh, or click the exclamation point button.


Column Chart Options command (Map menu)

Allows you to customize the appearance of a column chart format.


Pie Chart Options command (Map menu)

Allows you to customize the appearance of a pie chart format.


Graduated Symbol Options command (Map menu)

Allows you to customize the appearance of a graduated symbol format.


Category Shading Options command (Map menu)

Allows you to customize the appearance of a category shading format.


Value Shading Options command (Map menu)

Allows you to customize the appearance of a value shading format.


Dot Density Options command (Map menu)

Allows you to customize the appearance of a dot density format.


Delete Custom Pin Map command (Map menu)

Allows you to delete a custom pin map that you created. This command is only available if you have created at least one custom pin map.


Delete Map Template command (Map menu)

Allows you to delete a map template.


Delete Custom Pin Map dialog box

Use this dialog box to delete a custom pin map that you no longer want.

List of pin maps

To specify the pin map you want to delete, click a name in the list.


Delete Map Template dialog box

Use this dialog box to delete a map template that you no longer want.

List of map templates

To specify the map template you want to delete, click a name in the list.


Cut command (Edit menu)

Removes the selected custom label or text from the map and places it on the Clipboard.


Delete command (Edit menu)

Deletes the selected custom label or text from the map, without affecting the Clipboard.


Copy command (Edit menu)

Copies the selected text or custom label to the Clipboard. Copies the entire map to the Clipboard if no map elements are selected.


Paste command (Edit menu)

Copies text or a custom label from the Clipboard to the map.


Data Map Help Topics command (Help menu)

Displays the contents for the Data Map online Help.


About Data Map command (Help menu)

Displays the Data Map version number.