a mapserver framework for flexibility

[Eduardo Patto Kanegae]

Hi Neil,

Sorry for the late answer ( I also saw the other message you sent through my
website).

Well, in fact I think all the replies I've seen down this topic is really
saying a lot. But , let me point what I had here.

I tested ka-map, Chameleon, and also run a demo of CartoWeb and these are
all nice interfaces for you MapServer application. But , in that time I
choose Chameleon. Why? I found it very simple to learn: it's all about
MapFiles + Chameleon Template files. The last one is similar to MapServer
template files but the new thing is that you declare some XML tags which
defines application and user components( such as zoom command buttons).

The bad thing was that I wasn't able to insert my chameleon application
inside a MamboServer component because Mambo generate outputs (headers)
before load any component. Then, when Chameleon try to create its own
session,
it fails because Mambo already started a session and already sent headers.

So, the workaround I did was to create a Mambo component that embeds an
IFRAME html and put chameleon withing this IFRAME.

But for now, I think you should also consider the "interoperability" item
for webmapping applications. The "web Google-lization" is coming more and
more visible but there's also a bit of "vapoware" around Google maps and
earth. So, maybe to use Google Maps API could not be the best option if in
some near future Google starts to popup a lot of Ads inside your
applications. Using this point of view, I think OpenLayers is a better
option because it can load Google Maps, but it can also load WMS maps and
other proprietary services(Yahoo, MS Virtual Earth,etc).

I'm seeing some customers putting a lot of preasure with things like "I want
my maps over Google Maps! I want AJAX!" . But, in some cases a lot are
forgetting the main thing: before trying that "very nice application
interface" why not to try the simplest one but containing the data the
customers need?

best regards


Eduardo Patto Kanegae
http://www.webmapit.com.br


On 12/7/06, Neil Best <nbest at forestone.com> wrote:
>
> [ I encountered some of kind of glitch while trying to submit this
> through the web interface, that's why the empty item from me.  I wanted
> to include an old item that aligned  well with my agenda and that seemed
> like the obvious way, but I ended up doing it with good old cut and
> paste after all. ]
>
> Eduardo, I found your note to mapserver-users while searching the
> archive for any sign that others have been down this path before.  That
> was some time ago and I'm not sure I can do a good job of finding other
> related threads since then, but what you describe sounds very similar to
> the task that I have recently taken on, to find a web mapping framework
> based on open source tools that maximizes leverage of existing code
> while providing extensibility, maintainability, and scalability.  This
> application will provide access to specific data subsets and analysis
> tools under a subscription model to a diverse group of users so by
> definition user profiles will drive the content and client-side tools
> presented by the application.  This entails far more than just slapping
> together some layers and putting a map on the web, plus it needs to
> happen *fast* so building a web site from scratch is not an option.  To
> these ends I will be evaluating a small set of packages after conducting
> a brief survey of Mapserver-based projects in general, including but not
> limited to:
>
> Cartoweb     http://www.cartoweb.org/
> Mapbender    http://www.mapbender.org/
> PrimaGIS     http://www.primagis.fi/
>
> I have been studying these projects in web space and have started
> evaluating them in user/admin space and have already begun to form my
> own opinions and impressions.  It would be great to hear from members of
> the community who have insight into these issues and learn from their
> experiences.  Maintainers and contributors to whichever framework(s)
> meet my basic needs while demonstrating that additional features can be
> developed rapidly and efficiently can expect to hear from me in the near
> future soliciting proposals for a range of services from client-side
> functionality to back-end integration and management of data services,
> development efforts that could and should make their way back to the
> code base of their respective projects.  If you are still reading then
> you must be interested, so drop me a line!  Whether on- or off-list is
> up to you, but any comments at all are welcome.  My employer is very
> serious about this so I earnestly hope that this will generate some
> traffic and enthusiasm.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Neil Best <nbest at forestone.com>
> Forest One, Inc.
> http://www.forestone.com/
>
>
> On Sun, 21 Aug 2005 21:45:11 -0300, Eduardo Patto Kanegae
> <lists at WEBMAPIT.COM.BR> wrote:
>
> >Hi folks,
> >
> >I'm currently looking for a MapServer *framework* to build MapScript
> >applications inside another application : MamboServer.
> >
> >Just to clarify, MamboServer ( www.mamboserver.com ) is a free CMS
> >software written in PHP and have a lot of great features.
> >
> >Now, we want to integrate MapServer inside Mambo as a mambo component.
> >
> >I was thinking to use Chameleon as preffered mapping framework, but is
> >my suggestion right?
> >
> >Can I  do it? Or chameleon can just work alone? I mean, can I use
> >Chameleon widgets to load MapFiles,
> >draw maps but inside another PHP application? ( because, we need to
> >validate user rights, etc...)
> >
> >another idea I was thinking about is to develop OGC maps, to be used
> >with desktop applications (JUMP,uDig,ArcGIS OGC,...)
> >and also a set of "mirror" maps  using NON-ogc access , to be used by
> >PHP/MapScript applications. I was thinking in doing
> >things this way to get some "speed" on web applications. But, is this
> >really necessary? Or OGC maps should be enough
> >to feed web MapServer clients and desktop clients?
> >
> >thanks in advance.
> >
> >best regards.
> >
> >--
> >Eduardo Patto Kanegae
>



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