[OpenLayers-Users] Is OpenLayers client-side only?

[Christopher Schmidt]

On Fri, Dec 15, 2006 at 02:28:18PM -0700, Okeefe, Charlie (Mission Systems) wrote:
> I'm hoping to have a couple architectural questions cleared up. Mainly,
> is OpenLayers purely a client-side ajax package? Or does it include
> components that run on the server as well?

The former.

> As I currently understand it, setting up a web-based map (using my own
> map rather than Google or Yahoo etc) will involve:
> 
> o installing UMN MapServer on a server to handle the actual map data

Or GeoServer, or mapnik, or other WMS or other servers.

> o installing ka-map on a server to handle tiling functionality

I'd use TileCache :) But yes.

> o including OpenLayers in the script of a web page

Yep.

> This way, OpenLayers runs in the browser and accesses ka-map tiling code
> running on the server, which in turn calls MapServer.
> 
> Is this correct? Is ka-map currently a useful and/or desirable piece of
> this puzzle? Are there any diagrams or descripts you that could help
> clear this up?

I'd use TileCache, again, but the idea of having that server-side piece
is important in my experience for pretty maps. Sometimes, it doesn't
matter. Aerial imagery doesn't need metatiles, and it only might need
caching. The default OpenLayers maps are mapserver-based, and aren't 
cached. In general, though, I'd say you're right on the money.

Regards,
-- 
Christopher Schmidt
MetaCarta