[mapserver-users] Re: php mapscript objects in session?

[Pietro Giannini]

Dear List,
I would like to open a little debate about the objects persistence in a
session.

I found objects persistence very useful and, in my little experience, I
get no problems like sharing objects across different sessions or data
loss.
In fact I entrust the thread safety systems of the environment, and I
don't lock threads at application level.

Methods to make persistent mapscripts objects in sessions vary according
to the web engine used. I know only php and ASP.NET environments: php can
only store primitives as strings, floats, integers; ASP.NET can instead
store instanciated objects, like mapscript objects.
In fact, php don't store the variables in memory but write a session file
to re-read on the next postback, so the app must to re-istanciate the
object according to a saved set of parameters, like extent-coordinates,
layers status ...

So I'm a bit amazed (read: worried) reading recent posts like:

> And even if it was possible it is NOT recommended to reuse mapscript
> objects across requests...

> Ah, MapScript object persistence... the restless leg syndrome of
> MapServer. Though neither convenient nor pretty, the One True Way
> (TM) to persist MapScript objects is the mapfile format.  Every other
> approach will just cause hair loss, unexplained rashes, nausea, and
> memory leakage.

Why you don't recommend this methods? can you pls share your experience,
before my hairs fall :) ?

regards ...................... pg

-- 
Pietro Giannini
Bytewise srl - Area GIS
41°50'38.58"N 12°29'13.39"E