[mapserver-users] Mapserver.org sample ...

Bob Basques bob.b at gritechnologies.com
Wed Jan 14 10:21:38 EST 2009


All,

The only reason I brought it up at all, was that I was playing around 
with Openlayers myself this week.

I pretty much copied the "Demo" from the MapServer website.  Sounds like 
that was the wrong to go  :c)

The Certificate thing is an issue here.  I really need to start putting 
something together for GeoMoose on an external server because of it, 
it's painful for me as well.  Hear you load and clear on this one.

Benefits of GeoMoose (Main ones) for the normal user.

    * Fast (because of MapServer tuning.).  Smaller footprint
    * Handles many layers with ease.  The limit is the client hardware,
      and the control is given to the user as to how many to display.
    * The publishing of the data can be distributed, down to the layer
      level, including the contents of the popups.  Each layer can be
      managed separately without consequence to the rest of the
      interface, if it breaks, only that layer is not available.
    * More interface user Control, layer fading, on/off, stacking order,
      popup on/off.
    * And it's all a client lib as well, just like Openlayers.  Closer
      than you think.
    * If I had to teach MapServer request strategies, I would use
      MapServer + GeoMoose + Firebug to do it.  GeoMoose uses the CGI
      functionality for images, imagemaps, and querying.

Not that I'm trying to defend GeoMoose.  Just wanted to know how to join 
in on popularizing MapServer.

Also, I think our definitions of RESTful are slightly different.  I 
would say that GeoMoose is very (VERY)  ReSTfully designed.

bobb



Christopher Schmidt wrote:
> On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 09:23:40PM -0600, Bob Basques wrote:
>   
>> All,
>>
>> Ok, since there seems to be a push to use OpenLayers as a Client for
>> Mapserver, where do I add in a GeoMoose demo?
>>
>> (simply stirring the pot. :c)
>>     
>
> There are a number of ways that integrating GeoMoose into the MapServer
> documentation makes sense.
>
>  1. Extend the MapServer documentation with a section for 'client
>     development applications' or something similar. This section would
>     be ideal for describing a number of suppoting applications to
>     MapServer, such as TileCache, OpenLayers, GeoMose, and a small demo
>     for each of those wouldn't be inappropriate if it can be done within
>     a dozen or so lines of HTML in an ReST doc.
>
>  2. Add a general section with descriptions + pointers to other tools. 
>     This would be a less complete solutin than above, pointing to the
>     GeoMoose site rather than documenting strongly its use within
>     MapServer.
>  
>  3. Work towards getting a MapServer gallery, similar to the existing
>     OpenLayers Gallery, set up for MapServer/OSGeo. This i a task that
>     Howard and I have discussed, but no serious work has been done on
>     yet. This would allow you to share the GeoMoose demonstrations with
>     more people. (Though I will note that every GeoMoose demo I've gone
>     to in the past 6 months has been a pain for me, because I have to
>     accept an expired security certificate... that might be worth
>     fixing.)
>
> You seem to think that the curent demo on the MapServer homepage is a
> demonstration of OpenLayers, which I would disagree with strongly. It's
> entirely designed to be a demonstration of MapServer -- there is
> practically no UI or features of OpenLayers used, just a set of pretty
> Map tiles. If GeoMoose really creates a more compelling demonstration of
> *MapServer* functionality -- as opposed to GeoMoose functionality --
> that a 'normal' user -- one without GIS experience, for example -- can
> appreciate, it might make more sense to have that be the case. Does
> GeoMoose use advanced features of MapServer that non-GIS users would be
> interested in? I haven't seen that thus far, personally, but would be
> glad to be wrong.
>
> Regards,
>   
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