You can use the Analysis | Query |
Query command 
to view the boundary data that
meets specified criteria. Queries can be performed on multiple objects
across multiple layers. Queries require object data and/or object attribute(s), an operator, and an operand (condition).
In the Add to query string group,
you can select the object data, object attribute, operator, and an optional
function. See the Advanced
Tutorial - Lesson 3 for querying examples.
This query [Life Expectancy 1997] > 75, shows life expectancy greater than age 75
in 1997. The query action was to show only those countries that met the query
criteria. The outlines of the other countries are shown as a base map on a separate layer.
The Query dialog allows you to build a string to query boundaries. The boundaries can be queried by data and/or attributes. Queries can be used to select, show, or apply properties to objects. A query can also be used to create worksheets, reports, layers, or points.
Build query strings, choose what action to perform with queried objects, and select regions or areas to query with the Query dialog
Add to Query String
In the Add to query string group, you can select the object data, object attribute, operator, and an optional function.
All of the data file columns associated with the current map layer are listed in the Object Data list. The current map layer is selected in the Show data and attributes on drop down box. You can double-click a variable in the Object Data list to search for object data in the map window. Alternatively, you can enter the object data name into the Where box. Enclose all object data names in square brackets if you choose to enter the name. For example, if you have object data named POP 2000, enter it into the Where box as [POP 2000].
Click the Object Data Column Lookup button to select an item from the selected data column. Double-click on the item or click on the item and then click the OK button to add it to the query.
If you would like to search on object attributes, use the Object Attribute list. This column includes all the items listed in the Property Manager Info tab including the PID, SID, Attrib1, Attrib2, Length, Area, Vertices, Polygons, and Hyperlink. You can create a query string to query for object data and object attributes, or you can query for each one individually. Double-click on an object attribute to add it to the Where field. Alternatively, you can enter the object attribute name into the Where box.
Click the Object Attribute Lookup button to select a from a list of the selected attribute. For example, if PID is the selected object attribute, clicking the Object Attribute Lookup button allows you to select from a list of primary IDs in the current layer. Double-click on the item or click on the item and then click the OK button to add it to the query.
Double-click an operator in the Operator list to add it to the Where field. Alternatively, you can type the operator into the Where box.
Click a function in the Function list to add it to the query string. Alternatively, you can type the function name into the Where box. A description of the function appears in the Function description group next to the Function list. The trigonometric functions require angles in radians.
Query
The Query group contains options for displaying the query results.
You can choose to Select, Show, Apply properties to, Create worksheet with, Create report with, Create layer with, or Create point on the queried boundaries.
Visible boundaries that meet the criteria are selected if Select is chosen.
If you select Show, only boundaries that meet the criteria are displayed on the map.
Apply properties to changes the line properties, fill properties, and symbol properties of the boundaries that meet the criteria. If you have a hatch or territory map, the fill properties do not change the map since the hatch or territory properties take precedence over fill properties. Density, pie, bar, symbol, flow, and line graph maps all show with the specified color in the boundaries. The symbol property change only applies to pin maps. You can specify the queried object properties with the Line, Fill, and Symbol buttons in the Properties group.
Create worksheet with displays the query results in a worksheet window. The worksheet contains all of the available data for the boundary objects that meet the query criteria.
Create report with creates a report on queried objects similar to a Map Document Report.
To create a new map layer of the query results, choose Create layer with.
Select Create point on to create a point on the boundaries meeting the criteria.
Select the type of object you wish to query with the Points, Polygons, Polylines, Rectangles, Rounded Rectangles, Squares, Ellipses, and Circles list. For example, if you want to show all counties with a POP 2010 of greater than 500,000, make sure Polygons box is selected. If you have a pin map, make sure Points is selected. Also, you can use this list to select objects of the specified type without building a query. For example, if your map contains polygons, points, and polylines, and you want to select all the points on the map, select Points, leave the Where field blank, and click the OK button to select all the points on the map. The Arrange | Select by Object command can be used for this purpose as well.
You can select which layers to query in the on list. Click on layers to select or deselect them.
You can further define the scope of your selection by choosing an option from the In list.
Select the in buffered areas option if you would like to apply the query to objects within the defined buffer area only. Check the Include boundaries that partially touch the specified limits option to include boundaries that are not fully included in the defined buffer area.
Select the in buffer zones option if you would like to apply the query to objects within the defined buffer zone only. Check the Include boundaries that partially touch the specified limits option to include boundaries that are not fully included in the defined buffer zone.
Select the in regions option if you would like to apply the query to objects within the defined region only. Check the Include boundaries that partially touch the specified limits option to include boundaries that are not fully included in the defined region.
If in map is selected, all boundaries or pins on the map meeting the criteria are selected, displayed, or emphasized with property changes (see above).
Select in selected polygons to apply the query to objects within the selected polygons only. Check the Include boundaries that partially touch the specified limits option to include boundaries that are not fully included in the selected polygons.
Select touched by selected polylines to query objects that touch selected polylines.
Select the in polygons option to query objects contained within polygons. Check the Include boundaries that partially touch the specified limits option to include boundaries that are not fully included in the polygons.
Select touched by polylines to query objects intersected by polylines on the map.
Where Box
The Where box contains the query. The conditions of the query are typed directly into the Where box. For example, if you want to show all counties with a POP 2000 of greater than 500,000 you can build the [POP 2000] > portion of the query in the Add to query string group, then you need to type 500000 into the Where box. You can use the * and ? wild card characters in the query.
* substitutes for any number of characters in the specified position. For example, [COUNTY] = " A*" returns all counties beginning with the letter A. All characters after the * are ignored. For example, " A*" and " A*C*" return the same results.
? substitutes for a single character in the specified position. For example, [COUNTY] = "C???" returns all four letter county names beginning with the letter C.
Match Case
Check the Match case in string values box to make the query case-sensitive.
Query History
Queries are stored in the Query History dialog so that you may reuse queries. To access a previously written query, click the Query History button and select it from the Query History dialog. The last 15 queries are saved in the query history.
Saving and Loading Queries
If you plan to perform a query more than once, it may be useful to save the query for future use. To do this, create the query in the Query dialog and then click the Save Query button. This opens the Save As dialog. Saved queries are stored as Map Query [.MQE] files. To use a saved map query, click the Load Query button and select a Map Query [.MQE] file.
Clear Query
The contents of the Where box are retained in the dialog between MapViewer sessions. If you would like to delete the contents of this box, click the Clear Where Edit Box button, or highlight the contents of the Where box and press the DELETE button on your keyboard. Use the Save Query button to save a query you have created, and click the Load Query button to load a query a Map Query File [. MQE].
Click the OK button to perform the query and close the Query dialog. Click the Close button to close the Query dialog without performing a query. Click the Apply button to perform the query without closing the Query dialog. The Apply button is useful when you need to perform multiple queries and do not need to return to the plot window. If you use Apply to perform all desired queries, you should click Close to close the Query dialog. Clicking OK will duplicate the most recent query.
Data
If you would like to see the data associated with selected objects, use Analysis | Make Report | Records Report | Boundary . Alternatively, you can use Create worksheet with.
Example
Open a new plot window and import ny2000.gsb. Load county data with the Home | Data | Load command, and select ny2000.dat in the Open Data File dialog.
To show all counties with a population greater than 500,000:
1. If there are any queries in the Where box, click the Clear Where Edit Box button.
2. Double-click on POP 2000 in the Variable list in the upper left corner of the dialog. [POP 2000] is added to the Where box.
3. Double-click on the greater than sign (>) in the Operator list. > is added to the Where box after [POP 2000].
4. Type 500000 into the Where box after the greater than sign. Note that you cannot include thousands separators (commas) in the number.
5. Choose the type of action, Select, in the Query group.
6. In the next box, highlight Polygons.
7. Select in map from the In field.
8. Click the OK button and the areas with population values greater than 500,000 are selected. The number of selected areas appears in the status bar.
The counties with a population greater than 500,000
are selected using the query described in the example.
See Also