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This help topic is designed to give a broad picture of ways that Think GIS can interface with other applications or other databases to help users decide how to best integrate it into the overall system.
•Command File: Applications can instruct Think GIS to do specific things by dynamically providing Think GIS with a UDP or a TCP packet or text file listing one or more commands to carry out. This same command file interface is how most 911 interfaces are implemented.
•Command Line: Applications can pass specific commands to Think GIS by executing the TM4.exe file with command line parameters. This interface even works while Think GIS is already running.
•Feature Links: Deep links between a layer and third party applications or data file can be setup so that when user's double click a feature on the map display, rich third party data can be displayed in addition to or in place of the Think GIS resident data.
•Database Links: Virtual fields can be setup within a Think GIS layer so that live data from external databases can be viewed in the Index, on Feature forms, or anywhere else where normal Think GIS resident data is viewed.
•TM4DLL: A dynamic link library is available for third party developers to interface more directly with Think GIS while its running to provide functionality like querying and editing Think GIS resident data and dynamically manipulating the map display.
•Shapefiles: Because SHP files are so popular in the GIS industry, Think GIS has the ability to read these files directly into a map (read only). Shp files can be added to a map in the same way users add Think GIS layer files.
•Import/Export: On the less dynamic end of the interface spectrum is Think GIS's ability to import and export data from and to a variety of GIS and database formats including .shp, .tml, .grp, .mif, .dbf, .dxf, GPS, Tiger, .txt, .tif, .bmp, .jpg, .jp2, ecw, and .sid files. WTH Technology's Universal Data Exchange (UDX) network makes it even easier to share files between user's of different applications.
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