I've been watching this thread and couldn't hold my tongue any longer! I have developed applications for MapInfo using MapBasic, and ArcView using Avenue in 3.2 and the COM model in version 8.x and in my opinion ESRI has done exactly the right thing in ditching Avenue.
OK some people will have to re-learn a language or re-write some applications, but one of the benefits of COM and .NET is that you do not need to use development environments such as the MapBasic editor, you can use what you're used to - VB or VBA, C++, C#, Delphi, etc, etc. As for re-writing applications, I think that in this case the pros of this extra effort would far outweigh the cons. This is especially true in the case of MapBasic. Avenue at least is somewhat object orientated and I could therefore see how fairly large complex applications could be developed with it. MapBasic on the other hand is purely procedural and as a consequence, anything other than a simple application would quickly become horrendous to manage. In the right hands, converting most MapBasic applications to COM should therefore not be too much of a nightmare. MapBasic is alright if you are not trying to do very much, but you will soon run into a brick wall if you try to do anything slightly more advanced. Say, for example, I wished to associate geometries with a word document so that double clicking the point would open the appropriate document in a new window within MapInfo - difficult enough to start with. Now suppose I want my MapBasic application to be notified by the document when it changes. This is fairly straightforward using COM, but using MapBasic...! In fact, I suspect most people trying to do this would actually write a new application using integrated mapping, but this the becomes a new application rather than a simple add-on. MIPro is one of the better GIS systems around, but if MI wants it to remain in that position then they can't rest on their laurels. IMHO they shouldn't simply add a few COM or .NET wrappers to what they have, they should take a leaf out of ESRIs book and open up the whole system. Don't get me wrong I'm not suggesting an "open source" approach. What I mean is that the developer should have enough access to do anything they might want to. For example, if developers could implement their own custom layers, problems such as how to protect proprietary data (a subject that has cropped up on this user group before) could be solved. A well thought out object model at this stage would also prevent backwards compatibility problems later on. Continue to support MapBasic applications for the time being - but ONLY if doing so will not prevent a proper implementation of a COM or .NET based object model. That's my two pence worth anyway! Gavin (BTW for Neil's benefit: .NET and COM are different, but the concepts are similar. More importantly .NET components can be used from COM components and visa versa) -----Original Message----- From: Lars Nielsen [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: 14 October 2002 20:44 To: Bo Heegaard; CRISP, Paul -Syntegra UK Cc: MAPINFO-L Mailinglist Subject: Re: MI-L MI Pro and COM Hi Paul, Bo et.al., Basing a .Net - or any COM - version of MIPro on MapX will be a disaster, nothing less !!! The unique approach that elevates MIPro over most other GIS packages is it's table centric view. MapX is at best a GIS-enabled CAD component in my view, and all programs based on MapX will be more-or-less CAD-centric. And MapBasic as a development environment inherits this table centric view from MIPro. Which also says, that porting MapBasic to a MapX based MIPro will be - if not an impossible task, then at least - a very problematic task. I really foresee the end of MapBasic if that happens, regardless of all issued statements from MapInfo to the contrary. I'm not very knowledgable of ArcView, but if I should venture a guess, that same problem may have been at the core of it's Avenue dilemma, resulting in the incompatability upgrade to VBA. To kepp the support for MapBasic in a COM based MIPro would mean building a completely new object model from scratch. Which I agree with Bo is unlikely to happen in a short term period. So I think Paul may be right to assume that MIPro.Net will "just" be MIPro as we know it + a few wrapper classes, which utilizes the current basic Do/Eval interface. And by the way, that the current COM model is exactly as it was in 4.1 when ProServer was around, Paul, no improvements there I'm afraid. All the above is off course my humble opinion on this subject. Best regards / Med venlig hilsen Lars V. Nielsen Odense, Denmark ----- Original Message ----- From: "CRISP, Paul -Syntegra UK" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 11:10 AM Subject: RE: MI-L MI Pro and COM > Bo > > I know there have been moves to merge the MapX and MIPro codebase over some > time so it may be that MapInfo are following the ESRI model - ie installing > everything regardless of which product you buy and using a licence manager > to control which bits are switched on. > > Theres still an awful lot on MI Pro thats not in MapX though - perhaps we'll > get the MapX model (a cutdown MI Pro through COM) and use do/eval MapBasic > statements for the bits that are missing? Or will we get the bits of Pro > that are relevant to internet apps like ProServer was? > > So far as COM/.NET compatibility goes, Microsoft are quite clear that they > WILL be compatible. If they weren't the problem with legacy AVENUE scripts > when ESRI moved to VBA would seem like a minor blip. The compatibility seems > to be through the use of wrappers which would imply a performance hit but > its got to be quicker than sending in uncompiled strings as at present. > > All of which is the long way of saying I DON'T KNOW I suppose. > > Paul Crisp > > Syntegra > Innovation Place Delta Bank Road Newcastle NE11 9DJ > Tel 0191 461 4522 Fax 0191 460 1987 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: 13 October 2002 08:41 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: MI-L MI Pro and COM > > > To Poul - > > The short version - Don't hold your breath.... > > The longer version - I first heard about the total "com"-ification of > MapInfo before the release of the MI 5.0 beta (I think) from a sales manager > from MI Europe. So I was happily awaiting the beta release for MI at that > time. At the release of ver. 6.5 I've stopped waiting (happily or > otherwise). I find it difficult to believe, that MI can develop a full .Net > version (with the necessary rewrite of the MI object model) in the short > timeframe from the release of MI 7.0 to now. Otherwise they must have had a > large bummer of a job running a parallel "skunk works" development of the > .Net version and keeping it in sync with the original MI-Pro. > > If MapInfo Corp. intends to release a Mi-Pro.Net in the spring of 2003 they > must have a late alfa or early beta release ready now. So please MapInfo : > Why not release some technical details regarding the object model (ex. > objects, events, methods, properties...) for the .Net version ? . It must be > the largest program-change in the history of MI-Pro, so it would certainly > have the interest of a large group of developers for MapInfo - including > me.... > > Regards > > Bo Thomsen > GeoConsult I/S > Denmark > > -----Oprindelig meddelelse----- > Fra: CRISP, Paul -Syntegra UK [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sendt: 11. oktober 2002 12:04 > Til: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Emne: MI-L MI Pro and COM > > > Any thoughts on this from anyone ?(from GIS Monitor but seen elsewhere incl > on MI site) > > "MapInfo also stated its commitment to Microsoft's .NET framework this week. > According to the release, MapInfo Professional, MapInfo MapX, MapInfo MapX > Mobile, and MapInfo MapXtreme will fully support the Microsoft .NET > Framework by early 2003. The press release explains the benefits this way: > developers who can currently build desktop applications using MapInfo, will, > with .NET be able to build Web applications at the same time." > > .NET and COM are supposed to interoperable. End of integrated mapping?? > Whens the next Pro release? > > Paul Crisp > > Syntegra > Innovation Place Delta Bank Road Newcastle NE11 9DJ > Tel 0191 461 4522 Fax 0191 460 1987 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Larry Nolan [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: 09 October 2002 00:35 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: MI-L connecting to OGC image map service > > > Does the latest version of Mapinfo have the ability to directly connect to > an OGC compliant web map service? > I have a ton of data in a ESRI ArcIms and SDE/Oracle setup and I would like > make the data available to Mapinfo users. The Arcview users connect > directly to image map services from ArcIMS and I could make the same map > services available to Mapinfo users using ESRI's OGC web mapping service > tools if Mapinfo can connect to it. > > Thanks > > Larry Nolan > > Data Solutions > St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada > http://solutionsgroup.tripod.com > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > List hosting provided by Directions Magazine | www.directionsmag.com | > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Message number: 3477 > > > ******************************************************************** > > This email may contain information which is privileged or confidential. 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