Web Mapping Applications

Software Downloads	Collins Software Houston Texas, 713-682-1556 Providing GIS Web Publishing solutions and GIS Database Migration software utilities Web Software Development

GIS Web Mapping
Using HTML and MS-Access Forms
as your Geographical Information System (GIS)

How to use the output of ICMap with your current applications. This page describes how to add HTML maps to MSAccess Forms and how to use the Access Tables to add point, line, text and polygon features to add interactive mapping to your current applications and investment.

The process described here can be used by most windows application (HTML, .NET, C++, VBA, EXCEL, Word, Delphi,...). This approach does not require a web server, the base map (GIF Files) created by ICMap can be viewed in Access directly from disk, this means that a lap-top in the field can run your mapping applications. Note: The base map used in these examples take @ 10 minutes to create using ICMap.

Example 1

To place points of interest with hyperlinks and hover-hints on a US map on an MS-Access Form.

Step 1: place a "Microsoft Web Browser" activeX component on your MS-Access form. (see: Tool Box, More Controls...)

Step 2: add reference - Tools | References | "Microsoft HTML Object Library"

Step 3: add a "Form Open" event and a "Button Click" event

Show Source Code

Private Sub Command1_Click()

Dim win As MSHTML.IHTMLWindow2
Dim link As String

Set win = Me.ActiveXCtl1.Document.parentWindow

link = """Href='http://www.CollinsSoftware.com' Title='Collins Software'"""

win.execScript ("icClear();")
win.execScript ("icSymbol([1," & link & ",-95.58,29.84,0,'blue','star',16])")
win.execScript ("icScale(6);")
win.execScript ("icPosition(-95.58,29.84);")
win.execScript ("icRefresh();")

End Sub

Private Sub Form_Open(Cancel As Integer)

Me.ActiveXCtl1.Navigate ("http://www.CollinsSoftware.com/icmap/ic_usmap/usmap.htm")

End Sub

Show Example 1 as an HTML Document Download Access-2000 Example 1

Example 2

This Example is a list of U.S. Capital Cites and a Map of the U.S., Clicking on a Capital will center the map on the city

Click HERE to enlarge

Example 2

Adding a loop through the source Document will generate a graphic for every row, in this case one for every US capital city.

Show Source Code

'=================================================================================
' Navigate to U.S. Map (On Form Open)
'=================================================================================
Private Sub Form_Open(Cancel As Integer)
Me.ActiveXCtl0.Navigate ("http://www.CollinsSoftware.com/icmap/ic_usmap/usmapIndex.htm")

End Sub

'=================================================================================
' Place a Star at all Capital Cities
'=================================================================================
Private Sub Map_Click()
Dim win As MSHTML.IHTMLWindow2
Dim doc As MSHTML.IHTMLDocument2

Dim rs As Recordset
Dim X, Y, name
Dim link As String
Dim ID As Long
Dim text
Dim Sel

Me.subformIndex.Form.Visible = True
Me.subformIndex.SetFocus

Me.Map.Visible = False

Set doc = Me.ActiveXCtl0.Document
Set win = doc.parentWindow

link = ""
isMapped = True

win.execScript ("icClear();")

Set rs = Me.RecordsetClone

rs.MoveFirst
Do While (Not rs.EOF)
X = rs("x").Value
Y = rs("y").Value
ID = rs("ID").Value
link = """NoHref Title='" & Trim(rs("City").Value) & ", " & Trim(rs("State").Value) & "'"""

win.execScript ("icSymbol([" & ID & "," & link & "," & X & "," & Y & ",0,'green','star',20])")
rs.MoveNext
Loop

win.execScript ("icScale(8);")
win.execScript ("icRefresh();")

Me.subformIndex.Form.goSelected

End Sub

'=================================================================================
' Center on Selected Capital (subform function)
'=================================================================================
Public Sub goSelected()
Dim Ident As Long
Dim win As MSHTML.IHTMLWindow2
Dim RX, RY

If (Not isMapped) Then Exit Sub
Ident = Me.ID.Value

RX = Me.X.Value
RY = Me.Y.Value

On Error GoTo done
Set win = Me.Parent.Form.ActiveXCtl0.Document.parentWindow

win.execScript ("icScale(6);")
win.execScript ("icPosition(" & X & "," & Y & ")")
win.execScript ("icRefresh()")

done:
End Sub

Show Example 2 as an HTML Document Download Access-2000 Example 2

Example 3
Utilizing the web browser technology to enhance the form handling capabilities of MS-Access.

Click HERE to enlarge

Adding feedback from the HTML mapping document to the Access Form allows coordinates and information from the Web map to be used in the editing and/or creation of rows in the MS-Access tables.

This example returns the location (X/Y) and property information (first 10 fields) from an On-Line parcel level mapping application back to the Access Application which stores this information in a Property for Rent Table. The web map contains a link on 1.2 million parcels, when the user clicks a lot, it will notify the Access application of the event and supplies it with the x/y, HCAD Account Number, and the Site Address of the lot selected.

Parcel Level editing using MS-Access to locate and populate basic information from a general purpose Web based mapping system. Once the Access table is created you can then web publish your point, line, and polygon features as an overlay to the original web map.

Again these examples can be accomplished using HTML or MS-Access, the choice of system will depend on your application requirements.

Show Example 3 as an HTML Document Download Access-2000 Example 3