Map locations, matching and pins

Every row on a Map visual has to find a place on the map. This page explains how the map reads the values in Location, what happens when a value fits more than one place, and how to pin the values it could not place.

What the map reads in the Location well

The role of a field tells the map how to read its values. Set the roles as described in Map visual; the table shows what each role expects.

Role	What values it accepts
Country	Place names or codes, such as Germany, DE, DEU or 276.
Region (state, province)	Region, state or province names, such as Bavaria or Bayern. A short code works when the rest of the field makes the country clear.
District (county, municipality)	District, county or municipality names.
City	City names, in any language or script the map matches.
Location (text)	Free text such as "Atlanta, GA" or "USA, Texas, Dallas". The map reads the parts and places the value.
Latitude, Longitude	Coordinate numbers. The map places the point straight from the numbers.
Geometry (WKT, GeoJSON)	Shapes in WKT or GeoJSON text. The map draws the shape itself.

How the map reads a place value

Languages and scripts. A value does not have to be in English: Deutschland finds Germany, and city names match in Cyrillic or Arabic script as well as in Latin.
Spelling variants. Accents, punctuation and name parts such as Saint or St. do not stop a match: U.S.A., İstanbul and Straße all find their places, and Saint-Petersburg and St. Petersburg are read as one name.
Free text is read in parts. "Atlanta, GA" is read with both parts, so the code after the comma is understood as a region. Small words such as and or of are ignored.
Numbers do not break a value. A postcode or house number does not count against the match, so "Atlanta 30303" still finds Atlanta.

When a value fits more than one place

When several places fit a value equally well, the map does not leave it unmatched: it places the value by its best guess and lists it for review. The tile chip then reads {n} to review, and the entry shows Placed as with the guessed name. If the guess is wrong, pin the value to the right place.

Short codes can land here. A code such as GA alone fits regions in several countries; when the rest of the field makes the country clear, the map settles it itself.

Pin a value the map could not place

Click the chip on the map, which reads {n} rows not matched or {n} to review.
The list opens one entry per value and shows how many rows hold it.
Click a value to open its pin view, headed Pin "<value>" to a place.
Pick one of the suggested places, or type into Search a place. The map offers its best guess, where it has one, and up to five alternative places; a search that finds nothing shows No place found.
Choose the place. The pin is saved with this visual, and every row with that value follows it.

An editor of the report reads "Pin a value to the place it means; the pin is saved with this visual." A viewer reads "These values could not be placed. An editor of this report can pin them."

Who can pin

Pinning is offered to editors of the report. It needs edit access, as described in Who can do what in DataPrism.
Viewers see the list but cannot change it, and in an export the list is read-only.
A pin is saved with the visual, so everyone who opens the report sees the pinned places.

Questions, answered

The chip says 12 rows, but the list shows 3 entries. Why?

The chip counts rows. The list opens one entry per value, and each entry shows how many rows hold it, so several rows can share one entry.

Why is a value "to review" instead of "not matched"?

The map found more than one place that fits and placed the value by its best guess. The entry shows Placed as and the guessed name. Check it, and pin the right place if the guess is wrong.

Does one pin fix every row with that value?

Yes. A pin is made for the value, not for a single row, so every row that holds it follows the pin. Each entry shows the row count before you pin.

Which languages and spellings does a place value match in?

A value does not have to be in English. Names match in several languages and scripts, including Cyrillic and Arabic script, and spelling variants do not stop a match: U.S.A., İstanbul and Straße all find their places. For countries you can also use codes such as DE or 276.

Why does a short code such as GA resolve in one field and not another?

A short code fits places in several countries. The map reads it when the other values in the same field make the country clear; when it cannot settle the value, it lists it for review so you can pin the right place.

Why did a name that also fits a region match a city?

When a name fits both a city and the larger region around it, the map places the city. To read a field as regions instead, give it the Region (state, province) role.

Can other people see my pins, and can they change them?

Everyone who opens the report sees the same pinned places, because the pin is saved with the visual. Only editors of the report can add or change pins.

Does the map download place data for the whole world?

No. The map fetches only the place data its values need.

How do I pin a value to a place the suggestions do not show?

Type into Search a place. Suggestions start with the map's best guess and up to five alternative places; the search covers the places the map matches against. If nothing is found, you see No place found and can try another spelling.