Use database data

What do you want to do?

MindManager lets you create connections to databases so you can include their data in MindManager maps. This is a "live" connection that features two-way update capability - that is, the data can be edited in its native application or from within MindManager. Using database content in your map involves three steps:

Step 1: create a connection to a database.

You can connect to a variety of database types and save the connection information in a special file for re-use on a different computer.

Step 2 (optional): configure the database connection

Using a special connection configuration map, you can specify visible data, which data is used for topic text, and relationships between different tables.

Step 3: run a query and add the results to the map

To add information to your map, you run a query on the database to find matching data. Using the Databases task pane, you specify the database, and which table to search, and whether to filter the results. The results appear in the pane, and you can add the results to the map (either all results or only selected results).

In your map, the results appear as a special database topic. The query results are dynamic; you can refresh the database topic to see the latest information available in the database.

Database functions are available on the Advanced tab, and from the Databases task pane. Neither of these are visible by default.

Read Note

  • To see the Databases task pane tab, use the MindManager Databases options.

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Add or import a database connection

A database connection links MindManager to a data source (database or folder of CSV files). This allows you to browse the data source and add content to your maps.

You can connect to the following database types:

You can create connections to multiple databases.

Add a database connection

  1. Do one of the following:

    On the Advanced tab, click the Databases arrow, and then click Add Database Connection. OR From the Databases task pane, click Add Connection.
  1. Enter the name for the connection, and choose the Type of database you are connecting to.

  2. Click Select to browse to the database location (Folder, File, or Server name).

  3. For Microsoft SQL or MySQL databases, you must also enter your Username and Password, and a Database name.

  4. Click Test to verify that MindManager can connect to the database.

If you are notified that MindManager could not connect to the database, consult connection troubleshooting.

Connections can be further configured to specify visibility of, and relations among, the data source tables and fields.

The connection information is saved on your computer, and can be exported and imported for re-use. You can manage your connections by editing, duplicating, or deleting them.

Import connections

You can import the information for database connections from a file that has been exported by MindManager:

To import connections from a file:

  1. On the Advanced tab, click Databases, and then click Manage Database Connections

  2. Click Import Database Connection.

  3. Select the file you want to import connections from, and then click Open.

  4. The imported connections will appear in your list.

  5. To verify a connection, select it in the list, click Edit, and then click Test . See Troubleshoot a connection if the connection is not successful.

Read Note

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Configure a database connection

Configuring a MindManager database connection is an optional step that lets you set the visibility of database fields and tables, and create relations between database tables for the connection. If you do not configure the connection, you will be prompted for the necessary information when you add a database topic to your map that uses this connection.

When you choose a connection to configure, you'll see the database Configuration View, with the database structure of the selected connection shown in map form, and a document bar with commands for setting field and table visibility, and for creating relations between data. You'll also see any configuration information for this connection that you have already saved.

Database configuration view

To see the configuration view:

The configuration view shows the database structure as a map:

The central topic is the connection name.

Main topics represent tables in the database.

Subtopics represent fields within each table.

Configuration commands

The document bar at the top of this view lets you specify the visibility of, and relations among, tables and fields within the database.

Visibility options

The visibility options determine which tables you can select when you run a query, and which fields will be visible in the database topics you add to your map from the query results. On the configuration map, topics display markers to indicate their visibility.

Option

Marker

Applies to

Result when enabled

Hide table

table
(main topic)

Hides the table so it doesn't appear in the in the Databases task pane list of tables for this connection.

Show field in topic text

field
(subtopic)

The field appears within the default topic text in the database topics on the map

Show field in topic properties

field
(subtopic)

The field is visible as a basic property in database topics.

Creating relations

You can create relations within this view that point from data in one table to related data in a second table. When you add a database topic to your map from a query of the first table, you can chose to display its related data from the second table as subtopics by selecting the relation .

For example, you could set up a relation from the Customers table CustomerID field to the Orders table CustomerID field.
Then, when you add data for a customer from the Customers table to your map, you can choose to display the related data, in this case the Orders for that customer. MindManager finds all the records in the Orders table with a matching CustomerID, and displays these as subtopics.

You create a relation between two fields in different tables on the configuration map. You can set up multiple relations within the connection.

  1. Select two topics (CTRL+click to select the second topic), and then click Create Relation on the Configuration View document bar.

  1. The relation is assigned a default name. To change the name, click the callout and enter the new name.

Read Note

Save the configuration options

Once you have set the configuration options, click Apply in the document bar to save the settings to the connection. You can now use these settings when you run a query.

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Run a database query

The Databases task pane lets you browse or search a database (run a query), select a set of records from the results, and then add the selected data to your map as database topics.

  1. On the Advanced tab, click Databases, and then click Browse Connected Databases.

  2. In the Databases task pane, choose a connection in the Select a database connection list.

  1. Choose a table to browse or search in the Select a database table list. You can hide tables in this list in the configuration.

  2. All the records in the table now appear in the Results pane.

Add data to your map

You can choose to add all of the data in the Results pane to your map, or only selected records.

  1. If you only want to add selected records, select them in the Results. (CTRL+click to select additional records).

  2. Then, do one of the following:

    Drag the records from the task pane onto the map.

    OR Click Add to Map at the bottom of the pane, and choose which records to add, and where to add them.

If you have configured the connection to specify which fields to include in the topic text, and which fields to show as basic properties, these settings are used to display the topic data. Otherwise, the topics show the fields you have chosen as visible in the Databases pane.

You can change which fields are used for the topic text and basic properties.

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View and edit  database topics

You create a database topic on your map by running a query, and then choosing data to add to the map from the records listed as Results in the Databases task pane .

A database topic displays some topic text and beneath it, the data in the record as a list of topic properties.

If you have configured the connection to specify which fields to include in the topic text, and which fields to show as properties, these settings are used to display the topic data. Otherwise, the topics show the fields you have chosen to show in the Database task pane.

Read Hint

The topic contains all the data in the record as its properties. By default only the properties you choose to display are shown, but you can choose to show all the properties.

Default topic text and visible properties

You can change which data fields in this table are displayed as topic text and basic properties: for the current topic only, for the entire map, or for every map created using this connection.

  1. Right click the topic's database topic icon .

  2. Click Configure Visible Fields.

  3. Specify the visible fields:

  1. Then:

  1. Click OK.

To show all the data fields for the current topic:

  1. Right click the topic's database topic icon .

  2. Click Show All Properties.

Read Hint

Show, hide, and refresh data

Add related data

Relations between fields in tables are created in configuration view. If a topic has related data it will display a relation icon at bottom-right.

To add the related data to the map:

  1. Click the icon and then choose the table you want to use.

  2. The related data displays as a subtopic of the current topic. The first topic represents the Relation Query, and its subtopics represent the query results.

  3. To modify the number of results shown in the relation, right-click the Relation Query topic's database topic icon and click Edit Relation Query. You can specify the start record and the number of results to return. (The default number of results is set in the Databases Options.)

Edit data

Each database topic has a dynamic two-way link to the database. If you edit the topic data, changes are sent back to the database.

Read Note

Read Hint

Disconnect a topic from the database

If you have a database topic whose data you want to retain, you can disconnect it from the database to prevent the data from being updated on refresh, and display it as a static data topic. Or, you can convert it to a normal topic, with the data displayed as subtopics. In either case, the topic is no longer connected to the database.

To create a static data topic:

  1. Right click the topic's database topic icon .

  2. Click Disconnect from Data Source.

  3. The data is retained, and the topic becomes a static topic.

If you prefer, you can display the topic's data as subtopics:

  1. Right click the topic's database topic icon .

  2. Click Convert to Normal Topic.

  3. Each data field becomes a subtopic of the current topic.

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Manage database connections

You manage database connections from the Databases Options dialog.

You can edit an existing connection to change or correct its information, duplicate a connection to re-use its information for a new connection, or delete a connection that is no longer needed.

You can also export connection information to an .xml file for re-use, and import connection information from a file exported by you or by another user .

Edit a connection

  1. On the Advanced tab, click Databases, and then click Manage Database Connections

  2. Select the connection to modify in the list, and then click Edit.

  3. Modify the connection information, and then click Test to verify it. See Troubleshoot a connection if the connection is not successful.

  4. Click OK.

Duplicate a connection

  1. On the Advanced tab, click Databases, and then click Manage Database Connections

  2. Select the connection to duplicate in the list, and then click Duplicate.

A duplicate connection is created in the list. You can edit it to change its name and information.

Delete a connection

  1. On the Advanced tab, click Databases, and then click Manage Database Connections

  2. Select the connection to remove from the list, and then click Delete.

Export connections

You can export the information for database connections you have created to a file for re-use in order to make the connections available:

To export connections:

  1. On the Advanced tab, click Databases, and then click Manage Database Connections

  2. Click Export Database Connection

  3. Select the connections you want to export from the lists (press CTRL and click to select multiple connections).

The information for all the connections you select is saved in a single file.

  1. Click Select and choose the location to save the file, or browse to an existing file to overwrite it.

  2. Click OK.

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Troubleshoot a connection

If you receive a message that MindManager could not connect to the database you need to verify the connection information.

When adding a new database connection:

Check that you have specified the correct information as follows:

Type
For Access and Excel databases, make sure you choose the version of Access or Excel that was used to create the database.

Location
For Access, Excel and CSV databases you should be able to browse to the location by clicking the Select button.
For SQL databases, MindManager will attempt to verify that the URL you entered is correct.

Username, Password (for SQL databases)
Be sure that your username and password are spelled correctly and don't contain extra spaces within the text or as trailing spaces. Use proper capitalization if your system is case-sensitive.

Database (for SQL databases)
MindManager shows the list of databases it finds on the server. You should choose from the list of databases shown.

When using an imported connection:

If you import a connection file but cannot connect to the database, you need to correct the connection information.

Read Note

  1. On the Advanced tab, click the Databases arrow, and then click Manage Database Connections.

  2. Select the problem connection in the list, and then click Edit.

  3. Change the information as needed (see the hints above for new connections).

  4. Click Test to verify the connection.

If you still cannot connect to the database, consult the Knowledge Base in the Support area at Mindjet.com for more information.

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