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Attach a map with an Excel table

I want to attach an Excel table to a map in shp format. The table is being modified, so I don’t want to convert it to dbf format, or put it in the geodatabase. It is a good exercise to kill the leisure of this holiday and, by the fly, take a look at ArcGIS 9.3 from the Acer Aspire One.

For example I will use the data provided by xyzmap, leveraging advertise them free as they have an excellent tool that can connect ArcGIS to Google Maps loading the view as a layer.

The Data

  • 1. xyzmap provides a world map in shape file format, with a dbf file that contains two columns: one with the country code and the other with the name.
  • 2. Also includes an Excel file that has statistics from countries, and a column with the country code.

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The dream

The aim is to link the Excel table to the map externally in order to continue operating while we can make the deployment and theming operations from the map.

The solution in three steps

I will use Manifold GIS, and then will try it with ArcGIS 9.3

1. Load the map

File > import > drawing

2. Call table

File > link > table

3. Associate tables

Now for this, unfold the table associated with the map, and:

Table > relations

After choosing a new relations, select the fields you want to associate

Select Ok

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Afterwards the system allows you to choose the columns that you want to be visible. And it’s ready, now the tables are associated and the ones which are from the outer table are colored in gray. Making changes in Excel and want to see the consequent updates demands a right click button on the table and select Refresh data.

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With ArcGIS.

It should not be more complex, but now using the Add Join tool, it doesn’t do it at the first step. The message that sends the console is that the Excel table needs an ID Object.

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Xyzmap friends recommend moving the xls to dbf, but that is not the intention of the exercise. If someone helps us, we will do something good for the community.

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