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Is there an easy way to convert MapInfo TAB files into GeoJSON?

I am working on a web-based mapping system which will use GeoJSON to transfer data. I also use MapInfo and would like to be able to convert files from MapInfo into GeoJSON.

I have tried the Universal Translator that comes with MapInfo but it doesn't support GeoJSON.

If there isn't a way to do it I will make a MapInfo plug-in myself (and probably post it online). I just don't want to waste my time making this if there is already one out there.

Update 2012-03-19: You can now export to GeoJSON through QGIS.

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3 Answers 3

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What about just using the command line ogr2ogr, or installing FWTools to access it's pre-configured ogr2ogr command line? The core ogr2ogr appears to support bi-directional conversion from MapInfo to GeoJSON.

Here are a couple of cheat sheets that might help:

ogr_cheatsheet; data loading

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  • Unless I'm missing a trick, you can't export to GeoJSON from FWTools. ogr2ogr works perfectly. Ideally I would be able to export directly from MapInfo. I might make a MapInfo programme that calls ogr2ogr but until then the command line will do. Thanks!
    – Mr_Chimp
    Jan 21, 2011 at 10:39
  • Correction: Using ogr2ogr via the FWTools command line works perfectly. What doesn't work is doing it via OpenEV_FW (the FWTools GUI).
    – Mr_Chimp
    Jan 21, 2011 at 15:36
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Here is another tool that runs natively within MapInfo Professional that can also produce GeoJSON files:

http://communitydownloads.pbinsight.com/code-exchange/download/mapinfo2leaflet

It also comes with the source code.

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The OGR layer converter plugin in QGIS does this. But if you don't want to install QGIS, you could try ogr2gui.

http://www.ogr2gui.ca/en/index.php

It converts MapInfo files to GeoJSON (as well as lots of other formats).

Edit 20/01/2011: Apparently ogr2gui will not convert from MapInfo to GeoJSON. It will convert the other way round though.

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  • As far as I can see it converts GeoJSON to TAB but not the other way around.
    – Mr_Chimp
    Jan 20, 2011 at 16:35
  • Sorry about that, I thought it would seeing as OGR can. The OGR layer converter does work within QGIS though. I just tried it.
    – James S
    Jan 20, 2011 at 16:47
  • It's strange. OGR supports it but none of the OGR GUIs (FWTools, ) do. I think it might be because GeoJSON is a relatively new format - OGR has implemented it but the GUIs have yet to catch up. You're right that QGIS exports GeoJSON, but loading up a whole other GIS programme is a bit...excessive for my needs. Thanks anyway!
    – Mr_Chimp
    Jan 21, 2011 at 10:43

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