Using a MapInfo Map Catalog with a SQLite Database - MapInfo_Pro - 2023

MapInfo Pro opens SQLite database tables as mappable without requiring a MapInfo Map Catalog. With other types of databases, such as Oracle or SQL Server, MapInfo Pro stores information about spatial tables and views in the database in a special table. The table file is called MAPINFO_MAPCATALOG (the Map Catalog). MapInfo Pro does not need to do this with a SQLite database.

The only reason to create a Map Catalog with SQLite tables would be to store default information, such as view, style, and per row style. If you choose to create a Map Catalog, then it must be named MAPINFO_MAPCATALOG (all uppercase).

For instructions on how to create a Map Catalog, see Manually Creating a MapInfo_MapCatalog.

Opening a Map Catalog Stored in a SQLite Database

MapInfo Pro treats the Map Catalog as a system table. To open a Map Catalog in MapInfo Pro, you must select to view system tables when opening a SQLite database.

To open a Map Catalog in a SQLite database:

1. On the HOME tab, in the File group, on the Open list, click Table to open the Open dialog box.
2. From the Files of type list, select SQLite Database (*.sqlite).
3. From the Look in list, select the folder location of the SQLite database that you want to access.
4. From the files list, select the SQLite database to open.
5. Click Open to display the Select One or More Tables to Open dialog box.
6. Click Filter Tables to open the Filter Tables dialog box.
7. Select the System Tables check box and then click OK.
8. In the Database Tables list, select one or more tables to open.
9. From the View list, select how you want to open the tables.

   Select New Mapper or Current Mapper to open them in a Map window, or to open them in a Browser window to see the table contents.

10. Click OK.

How to Process Map Bounds for SQLite Database Tables Faster

MapInfo Pro calculates the map boundary for spatial data tables before displaying table data on a map. This calculation can be slow for large tables. Advanced users may want to improve table processing times by having MapInfo Pro use the FDO coordinate system information for map bounds instead of MapInfo Pro performing the calculation.

MapInfo Pro saves a .TAB file the first time it opens a SQLite database table and stores default display settings and database connection settings to the .TAB file. MapInfo Pro then reads the TAB file every time it opens the SQLite table. The TAB file can be modified to specify whether to read map bounds from the FDO coordinate system information or from a Map Catalog that you create for your SQLite database. By default, these TAB files are saved to the %userprofile%\My Documents folder. The default location is:

C:\Users\<username>\My Documents

To have MapInfo Pro use the FDO coordinate system information for the map bounds for a SQLite table, open the corresponding TAB file in a text editor. Add UseCoordSysBounds=TRUE to the end of the following connection string using a semicolon ( ; ) as a separator:

"\DATALINK\ConnectionString" = "File=C:\Program 
Files\MapInfo\Data\SQLite\databasename.sqlite;PROVIDER=OSGeo.SQLite;UseFd
oMetadata=TRUE;UseCoordSysBounds=TRUE"

How to Override Using the Map Catalog

By default, MapInfo Pro uses a Map Catalog for the map bounds for a SQLite table if it is present in the database. To override this default, add UseMapCatalog=FALSE to the end of the following connection string using a semicolon ( ; ) as a separator:

"\DATALINK\ConnectionString" = "File=C:\Program 
Files\MapInfo\Data\SQLite\databasename.sqlite;PROVIDER=OSGeo.SQLite;UseFd
oMetadata=TRUE;UseMapCatalog=FALSE"

For information on how to create a Map Catalog for your SQLite database, see Manually Creating a MapInfo_MapCatalog.