[mapserver-users] Newbie feedback

[Lars Westerlind]

Newbie feedback

 

Hello all,

we newly installed Mapserver as ms4w installation on windows; and we are
very satisfied. 

We got up and running very fast, even though we are not fluent in the
techniques

used (in Partiucar, Apache webserver). However, I want to share a few
small points that caused 

unnecessary problems.

 

1. A suggestion where in the directory structure to put the mapfiles
would be appreciated. If there are

different meanings, give two or three scenarios. Also include the looks
of the URL reference to the mapfile.

2. Why not enclose a small working example with one simplest possible
mapfile and one shapefile set? And

perhaps another more advanced mapfile with some common techniques
exposed?

3. Font handling caused me much problems. As it is a windows
installation, it could be at least a insall note / readme describing

where to search for the .ttf files. The Mapserver documentation doesn't
say anything about Windows, and in Windows you need not be very

aware of where to find the font files, so it took some time to find out.
It appears that the documentation is not very clear either;

I hade to create a fontset file and refer to it to get it work; the
documentation hints that font references could be written in the fontset

clause, but I didn't manage. 

4. The default font handling (bitmap) was confusing as it appears to be
ascii based, where the 

 true type font appears to be Unicode/UTF-8 based. When doing the
correct 'encoding', the output was silly until I managed to handel the

true type fonts correctly. 

5. I would suggest more examples in the documentation, especially around
mapfile editing. In examles you 

would also get punctuation issues and such

 

I think that was my most important points I think.

 

Kind regards

Lars Westerlind

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