After establishing a data source connection to your DBMS and adding a geometry reference to the tables you wish to work with, you can begin working with the data in MapInfo Pro in tabular form (in a Browser window). To view the data on a map in MapInfo Pro, you must correctly name the spatial data geometry or X,Y columns and then make the table mappable.
Before making a table mappable, review the instructions under Creating a Map Catalog in the DBMS and Adding a Spatial Primary Key to a DBMS Table.
MapInfo Pro's Make Table Mappable command makes a database table (DBMS table) viewable on a Map window in MapInfo Pro. Any table may display in a Browser window, but only mappable tables can display in a Map window.
Making a table mappable provides MapInfo Pro with information about the table:
- The column containing the spatial data (not applicable to relational Oracle SDO)
- The projection system of the table
- The symbol to use for all objects without a per row style
- The column in the table to use for per row styles
- The object type
- The table bounds, which informs MapInfo Pro of the entire extent of the data (used by View and Entire Layer for example)
MapInfo Pro takes this information and stores it in a table called the MapInfo_MapCatalog. Every time you use a DBMS table MapInfo Pro checks the catalog to see if the table is mappable. As a result, you only have to make a DBMS table mappable once. It will always remain mappable.