Web Mapping Illustrated

Name

MapInfo Files (TAB/MID/MIF)

Synopsis

MapInfo files are also known as TAB or MID/MIF files.

File listing

The .DAT, .ID, .MAP files are also associated with .TAB files. Here's an example:

    border.DAT border.ID border.MAP border.TAB

The term MID/MIF refers to files with .MID and .MIF extension.

Data access/connection method

• TAB and MID/MIF access is available in MapServer through OGR.

• The CONNECTIONTYPE OGR parameter must be used.

• The path to the (*.tab or *.mif) file is required, and the file extension is needed.

• The path may be relative to the SHAPEPATH

MapInfo files already contain styling information. This styling information can be used optionally by specifying the STYLEITEM "AUTO" parameter in the LAYER object of the map file.

If you use STYLEITEM "AUTO", you must have an empty class in the layer.

ogrinfo examples

Here's an example that uses ogrinfo on a single TAB file:

                  > ogrinfo elev5_poly.TAB
    Had to open data source read-only.
    INFO: Open of 'elev5_poly.TAB'
    using driver 'MapInfo File' successful.
    1: elev5_poly (Polygon)

Here's an example that uses ogrinfo to examine the structure of the file/layer:

                  > ogrinfo elev5_poly.TAB elev5_poly Had to open data source read-only. INFO: Open of 'elev5_poly.TAB' using driver 'MapInfo File' successful.   Layer name: elev5_poly Geometry: Polygon Feature Count: 2236 Extent: (-141.000000, 60.000000) - (-124.403310, 69.300251) Layer SRS WKT: GEOGCS["unnamed", DATUM["MIF 0", SPHEROID["WGS 84 (MAPINFO Datum 0)",6378137.01,298.257223563], TOWGS84[0,0,0,0,0,0,0]], ...