Knowledge Base

HOW TO: Automate the MapPoint 2002 Control and Save the Map as HTML in Visual Basic .NET

Article ID: 302897

Article Last Modified on 6/29/2007

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Visual Basic .NET 2002 Standard Edition
Microsoft MapPoint 2002 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q302897

For a Microsoft C# version of this article, see 302898.

For a Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 version of this article, see 302885.

IN THIS TASK

SUMMARY

Discussion of the MapPoint Control
Create the Project
Test the Code

REFERENCES

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article describes how to automate the MapPoint 2002 control and save the map as HTML in Visual Basic .NET.

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Discussion of the MapPoint Control

The Microsoft MapPoint Control 9.0 is an ActiveX control that is included with Microsoft MapPoint 2002. This control provides a convenient way to implement MapPoint 2002 functionality on a form in a Visual Basic .NET project. By using this control, you can access most, but not all, MapPoint 2002 functionality. For example, you cannot programmatically save a map in the HTML format with the ActiveX control, but you can save the map as a MapPoint .ptm file by using the control, and then programmatically open the .ptm file in MapPoint and save it as HTML. This article contains sample code that demonstrates this solution.

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Create the Project

Start Microsoft Visual Studio .NET. On the File menu, click New and then click Project. Under Project types click Visual Basic Projects, then click Windows Application under Templates.
In the New Project dialog box, type MappointControl for the project name and then click OK. Form1 is created by default.
On the Visual Basic menu, click View, and then click Toolbox.
On the Tools menu, click Customize Toolbox. In the Customize Toolbox dialog box, select Microsoft MapPoint Control 9.0 from the list of COM Components and click OK. The control will be added to the Toolbox towards the end of the list of Windows Form controls; you can identify the control by the MapPoint pushpin icon.
Add the following controls to Form1:
- Add three Button controls to the right of Form1. Change the Text properties for Button1, Button2 and Button3 to Make Route Map, Save Map as HTML, and Close the Project, respectively.
- Add a MapPoint control to Form1 and size the control so that it fills most of the form.

Double-click Form1 to display the code for the Load event handler of the form. Replace the following code

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

End Sub

with:

    Public oApp As MapPoint.Application
    Public oMap As MapPoint.Map
    Public oRoute As MapPoint.Route
    Public oWaypoints As MapPoint.Waypoints
    Public oResults As MapPoint.FindResults
    Public StartPoint As MapPoint.Waypoint
    Public MidPoint1 As MapPoint.Waypoint
    Public MidPoint2 As MapPoint.Waypoint
    Public EndPoint As MapPoint.Waypoint

    Public objTemplate As String ' Object to hold the name of the map to load.

    Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        objTemplate = "C:\New North American Map.ptt"
        AxMappointControl1.NewMap(objTemplate)
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        oMap = AxMappointControl1.ActiveMap
        oRoute = oMap.ActiveRoute
        oWaypoints = oRoute.Waypoints

        oResults = oMap.FindAddressResults("16011 N.E. 36th Way", "Redmond", "", "WA", "98052", 244)
        If oResults.Count >= 1 Then
            StartPoint = oWaypoints.Add(oResults.Item(1), "Loc1")
        End If

        oResults = oMap.FindAddressResults("11235 SE 6th Street", "Bellevue", "", "WA", "98004", 244)
        If oResults.Count >= 1 Then
            MidPoint1 = oWaypoints.Add(oResults.Item(1), "Loc2")
        End If

        oRoute.Calculate() ' This is leg 1 (that is, the route to Midpoint1).

        Dim dLeg1 As Double
        dLeg1 = oRoute.DrivingTime
        ' End Leg 1.

        oResults = oMap.FindAddressResults("22011 SE 51st Street", "Issaquah", "", "WA", "98027", 244)
        If oResults.Count >= 1 Then
            MidPoint2 = oWaypoints.Add(oResults.Item(1), "Loc3")
        End If

        oRoute.Calculate() ' Refigure the complete route to Midpoint2.

        Dim dElapsedTime1 As Double
        dElapsedTime1 = oRoute.DrivingTime ' This is the total trip time so far.
        Dim dLeg2 As Double  ' This is the time for this leg only.
        dLeg2 = dElapsedTime1 - dLeg1
        ' This is the end trip time to this waypoint, and leg 2 drive time.

        oResults = oMap.FindAddressResults("16011 N.E. 36th Way", "Redmond", "", "WA", "98052", 244)
        If oResults.Count >= 1 Then
            EndPoint = oWaypoints.Add(oResults.Item(1), "Loc1")
        End If

        oRoute.Calculate() ' Refigure the complete route to the endpoint.

        Dim dElapsedTime2 As Double
        Dim dLeg3 As Double ' This is the time for third leg only.
        dElapsedTime2 = oRoute.DrivingTime
        dLeg3 = dElapsedTime2 - dElapsedTime1
        ' This is the end trip to third waypoint and leg 3.

        Dim StartDate As Double
        Dim Mid1Date As Double
        Dim Mid2Date As Double
        Dim EndDate As Double

        Dim StopTime As Double ' Calculate StopTime as 18 - 19 minutes.
        StopTime = 0.3 * MapPoint.GeoTimeConstants.geoOneHour

        Dim oDateTime As DateTime
        oDateTime = "8:00:00 AM"

        StartDate = oDateTime.ToOADate()

        StartPoint.PreferredDeparture = oDateTime.FromOADate(StartDate)
        Mid1Date = StartDate + dLeg1 + StopTime

        MidPoint1.PreferredDeparture = oDateTime.FromOADate(Mid1Date)
        Mid2Date = Mid1Date + dLeg2 + StopTime
        MidPoint2.PreferredDeparture = oDateTime.FromOADate(Mid2Date)

        AxMappointControl1.SaveMapAs(FileName:="C:\Atestmap.ptm")
        AxMappointControl1.ActiveMap.Saved = True
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
        oApp = CreateObject("MapPoint.Application") 'Legacy approach.
        If System.IO.File.Exists("C:\Atestmap.ptm") Then
            oMap = oApp.OpenMap("C:\Atestmap.ptm")
            oApp.ActiveMap.SaveAs("C:\Atestmap.htm", MapPoint.GeoSaveFormat.geoFormatHTMLMapAndDirections)
        End If
    End Sub

    Private Sub Button3_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button3.Click
        If Not oMap Is Nothing Then
            oMap.Saved = True
        End If
        If Not oApp Is Nothing Then
            oApp.Quit()
        End If
        Me.Dispose(True) ' Unload the (Form1) application.
    End Sub

NOTE: Modify the path to the C:\New North American Map.ptt template file in Form1_Load to reflect the location of that file on your system. The default location for this file is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Mappoint\Templates.

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Test the Code

Press F5 to build and run the program. Form1 loads with a map of North America.
Click Make Route Map. MapPoint draws a route map from a starting point, through a midpoint, through another midpoint, and back to the endpoint (which is the same as the starting point). The timed itinerary appears in a list box above the map. A copy of the displayed map is saved as C:\Atestmap.ptm.
Click Save Map as HTML. The Atestmap.ptm map file is opened in MapPoint and saved as C:\Atestmap.htm.
Start your Web browser and browse to C:\Atestmap.htm to view the map.
Click Close the Project to close Form1 and end the program.

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REFERENCES

For more information, see the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site:

Microsoft Office Development with Visual Studio
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa188489(office.10).aspx

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

302885 HOWTO: Use the MapPoint 2002 Control and Automation With Visual Basic to Save a Map as HTML

Additional query words: map point

Keywords: kbautomation kbhowtomaster KB302897

Microsoft KB Archive/302897

Contents

HOW TO: Automate the MapPoint 2002 Control and Save the Map as HTML in Visual Basic .NET

IN THIS TASK

SUMMARY

Discussion of the MapPoint Control

Create the Project

Test the Code

REFERENCES