In this example we create a new data source from an existing .map Manifold project file. The existing project is an import into Manifold of the "Northwind Traders" example database used with Microsoft Access and JET databases.
To fit into this documentation, illustrations show a small Manifold desktop, with only a few panes, docked to the right side. In real life we use a much larger Manifold desktop, and more panes would be turned on, with panes docked to the left or to the right, or undocked, as we prefer. Right-click a pane's tab to change where it is docked. Manifold will remember that new arrangement for our next session.
We launch Manifold and choose File - Create - New Data Source. The dropdown menu provides a list of favorites to choose from as well as a More... option.
We choose More... to launch the New Data Source dialog.
In the New Data Source dialog we change the name from the default Data Source to a more descriptive name, Nwind example. We choose File: manifold as the Type and then we click on the [...] browse button to browse for the .map file we wish to use.
We navigate to where the .map file is located, click on it to highlight it and then press the Open button.
This adds into the Source box the path to the .map file we would like to use. We press Create Data Source to create the new data source.
A new data source is created in the project.
If we hover the mouse cursor over the new data source a tooltip will report the connection string used to connect to that data source, in this case the simple path to the .map file used.
If we expand the data source by clicking on the + box icon next to Nwind example we see that it does, indeed, consist of Microsoft's Northwind Traders example database imported into Manifold. This data source is fully read/write. We can work with it just as if all the tables and other components had been imported into the top level of our project, for example, opening the Employees table and editing it.
File - Create - New Data Source
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