New MapServer Demo (feedback requested)

[Stephen Woodbridge]

Steve Lime wrote:
> Hi all: I've got some time to put together a new demo for MapServer
> and would to get feedback from the community on what it should look
> like. Currently there are a number of options out there but none of
> them are very comprehensive. Demos that I know about include:
> 
> - the Itasca demo application (came out of the MUM1 meeting):
> http://maps.dnr.state.mn.us/mapserver_demos/workshop-5.0/ - Perry
> Nacionales' MapServer tutorial: http://biometry.gis.umn.edu/tutorial/
>  - Mobile Geographics' MapServer Recipies:
> http://www.mobilegeographics.com/mapserver/ - MN DNR MapServer Test
> Suite: http://maps.dnr.state.mn.us/mapserver_demos/tests46/ - Various
> MS4W packages: http://www.maptools.org/ms4w/index.phtml
> 
> There are of course lots of questions:
> 
> - should a demo be installable, hosted or both - what data should it
> use - should it cover just MapServer configuration (e.g. mapfiles) -
> should it cover installation as well or should that be left to
> how-to's - what relationship to other packages (e.g. OpenLayers,
> TileCache, Ka-map) should be demo'd
> 
> Any feedback would be much appreciated.
> 
> Steve
> 

Steve,

I kind of like what OpenLayers has done with Examples but I think these 
are too minimalistic and may not convey adequately some of the more 
complex ideas that mapserver supports. That said, I think I would still 
start with a similar concept and make a list of major functionality the 
mapserver supports then setup a simple demo for each of these. This list 
might start out like:

CGI interface
OGC capabilities
  - WMS
  - WFS
  - SLD
  - ...
Vector Data
  - shapefile
  - postgres
  - oracle
  - OGR
    - MYSQL
    - ...
  - thematic mapping and joins on rendering
  - ...
Raster Data
Mapfile cartographic techniques
  - GD
  - AGG
  - Layering
  - Charts
  - ...
Mapscript
  - PHP
  - Perl
  - Python
  - .Net
  - ...
Client Demos
  - Navigation tools
  - use with OpenLayers
  - use with other generic clients
Debugging/Errors
  - How to turn it on
  - How to get more information
  - How to report bugs

OK, some of these are more documentation that demo material, but I only 
want to get across the idea. Make a list, then vet the list. There is 
also some issues that need to be resolved as to How much to put in each 
demo? To little means that you have too many demos/examples and it is 
hard to find the one with the concept you need, and too much means it is 
hard for the user to abstract the concept out of the demo and apply it 
to their own tasks. You might want to consider creates a bunch of 
learning Examples that are simple and then a few complex Demos the 
combine a bunch of ideas and show the full power of mapserver in a 
production like application.

I'm glad you are thinking about this. I think making a potential list is 
a good starting point as it makes the task a little more concrete and 
would allow others to comment and extent the list. Later you can narrow 
the list into a list of priority examples or demos that you want to 
build now and other can be handed out for others to build or done later.

Each of the one-liners above would need to be expanded into a detailed 
description of what would be shown because some of them are large areas 
to cover all the relevant material in them.

-Steve W.