Search

 The 'Search' field can be used to zoom to a particular location.  Enter an address, a city, a zip code, or a prominent landmark into the 'Search' field and press 'Enter' or click the magnifying glass.  The map will zoom to that location, and businesses that match the current filter criteria will be displayed.

 Business Type Filter Panel

The 'Business Type' filter panel allows the user to select the business types that they are interested in mapping.  A checkmark in a box next to a business type will cause that business type to be displayed.  The default is to display all business types.  Note the 'Select All' and 'Deselect All' shortcuts that appear at the bottom of this panel.  These shortcuts are useful for selecting all business types, and deselecting all business types respectively.  For instance, to select only Retailers, one could click 'Deselect All' and then click 'Retailers'.

Once business types have been chosen, these choices become effective immediately and remain in effect until the map is reset, or new selections are made.

 

 Business Filter Panel

The business filter panel allows the user to specify additional criteria for businesses to display.  In the 'Business Name' field, users can enter partial or full business names.  In the 'Business Type' field, users can enter the business type, such as 'Caterers', or 'Restaurants' (without the quotes).  In the Sales min and max fields, users may enter minimum and/or maximum sales values as filter criteria.  To view only organizations estimated to have over $1,000,000 in annual sales, enter the value '1000000' in the 'Sales min' field (without the quotes).  For the 'Employees' minimum and maximum values, users may enter the minimum and maximum number of employees.  To see businesses with more than 50 employees but less than 500 employees, enter '50' in the Employees minimum field and '500' in the employees maximum field (without the quotes).   Changes made in this panel take effect when the user hits 'Enter', or presses the 'Filter' button.  These changes remain in effect until the form is reset, or the criteria are manually changed.  This entire form can be reset by pressing the 'Reset' button.

 # Results Slider

The '# Results' slider allows the user to select the maximum number of businesses that will be queried at one time.  Depending on the current mode, more businesses may be visible on the map (A given query will fetch '# Results' additional businesses in 'dynamic - 1' modes).  Valid values for the '# Results' slider range from 1 to 50 in increments of one.  Each tick mark represents five businesses, so the current value of the slider at left is 35 businesses. 

 Sort By Selector

The 'Sort By' Selector allows the user to determine the sort criteria for queries made for businesses.  The default selection of 'largest-sales' indicates that when a query is made, Prospella will select the top '# Results' (or the maximum number available if it is fewer than '# Results') businesses that meet all other criteria, according to sales.  For the following list, all businesses to display must meet all other filtering criteria.

  • largest - sales:  Select largest businesses by sales
  • largest  - employees: Select largest businesses by estimated employee headcount
  • smallest - sales:  Select smallest businesses by sales (Businesses with unknown estimated sales will be presumed to have $0 in sales
  • smallest - employees - Select smallest businesses by estimated employee headcount.  (Businesses with an unknown number of employees are presumed to have 0 employees).
  • random - Select a random sample of businesses - do not order by any particular criteria, other than spatial proximity.

 Display Mode Selector

The 'Display Mode' Selector controls the way in which Prospella gathers data to display, and the way it is displayed on the map.  The default selection, 'classic - dynamic 1' means that by default businesses are not ranked when they are displayed, and that map 'panning' causes new businesses to be displayed without erasing existing businesses.

  • classic - ondemand:  Display businesses without rankings.  Only query for new businesses when the 'Update' button is clicked, or the '# Results' value changes.
  • classic - dynamic 1:  Display businesses without rankings.  As the map pans, query for new businesses but do not erase existing businesses.  This is the default mode.
  • classic - dynamic 2:  Display businesses without rankings.  As the map pans, query for new businesses, and remove existing businesses.  In this mode, only '# Businesses' Selector businesses will actually be displayed at one time.
  • ranking - ondemand: Like 'classic - ondemand' but rank businesses (by numbering them) according to 'Sort By' criteria.
  • ranking - dynamic 1:  Like 'classic - dynamic 1' but rank businesses (by numbering them) according to 'Sort By' criteria.
  • ranking - dynamic 2:  Like 'classic - dynamic 2' but rank businesses (by numbering them) according to 'Sort By' criteria.

 Icon Size Selector 

The 'Icon Size' Selector determines the size of icons used for businesses on the map.  The numbers are dimensions, in pixels of the image sizes.  

 


 Map Update & Refresh

The 'Update' button causes the map to be cleared, and a new query made according to the current filter criteria.  The 'Reset' button will change all settings to defaults (except the map location which is left unchanged).  All form values are cleared, all selections, choices, filter selections, icon size changes, and other changes are cleared to defaults, the map is cleared of overlays, and redrawn according to defaults.  The Reset Button provides a convenient way to restore the interface to a known state.