[Fwd: Re: a mapserver framework for flexibility]

[Neil Best]

I am forwarding this item that I posted on mapserver-users today in 
hopes of reaching a broader audience, albeit marginally broader in all 
likliehood, but I know I can't possibly follow all of my subscribed 
lists at once so I hope this is a reasonable move on my part.  Thanks, 
everyone.


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: a mapserver framework for flexibility
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2006 14:37:05 -0600
From: Neil Best <nbest at FORESTONE.COM>
Reply-To: Neil Best <nbest at FORESTONE.COM>
To: MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU
References: <LISTSERV%200612071215175546.80C1 at LISTS.UMN.EDU>

[ I encountered some of kind of glitch while trying to submit this
through the web interface, that's why the empty item from me.  I wanted
to include an old item that aligned  well with my agenda and that seemed
like the obvious way, but I ended up doing it with good old cut and
paste after all. ]

Eduardo, I found your note to mapserver-users while searching the
archive for any sign that others have been down this path before.  That
was some time ago and I'm not sure I can do a good job of finding other
related threads since then, but what you describe sounds very similar to
the task that I have recently taken on, to find a web mapping framework
based on open source tools that maximizes leverage of existing code
while providing extensibility, maintainability, and scalability.  This
application will provide access to specific data subsets and analysis
tools under a subscription model to a diverse group of users so by
definition user profiles will drive the content and client-side tools
presented by the application.  This entails far more than just slapping
together some layers and putting a map on the web, plus it needs to
happen *fast* so building a web site from scratch is not an option.  To
these ends I will be evaluating a small set of packages after conducting
a brief survey of Mapserver-based projects in general, including but not
limited to:

Cartoweb     http://www.cartoweb.org/
Mapbender    http://www.mapbender.org/
PrimaGIS     http://www.primagis.fi/

I have been studying these projects in web space and have started
evaluating them in user/admin space and have already begun to form my
own opinions and impressions.  It would be great to hear from members of
the community who have insight into these issues and learn from their
experiences.  Maintainers and contributors to whichever framework(s)
meet my basic needs while demonstrating that additional features can be
developed rapidly and efficiently can expect to hear from me in the near
future soliciting proposals for a range of services from client-side
functionality to back-end integration and management of data services,
development efforts that could and should make their way back to the
code base of their respective projects.  If you are still reading then
you must be interested, so drop me a line!  Whether on- or off-list is
up to you, but any comments at all are welcome.  My employer is very
serious about this so I earnestly hope that this will generate some
traffic and enthusiasm.

Sincerely,

Neil Best <nbest at forestone.com>
Forest One, Inc.
http://www.forestone.com/


On Sun, 21 Aug 2005 21:45:11 -0300, Eduardo Patto Kanegae
<lists at WEBMAPIT.COM.BR> wrote:

>Hi folks,
>
>I'm currently looking for a MapServer *framework* to build MapScript
>applications inside another application : MamboServer.
>
>Just to clarify, MamboServer ( www.mamboserver.com ) is a free CMS
>software written in PHP and have a lot of great features.
>
>Now, we want to integrate MapServer inside Mambo as a mambo component.
>
>I was thinking to use Chameleon as preffered mapping framework, but is
>my suggestion right?
>
>Can I  do it? Or chameleon can just work alone? I mean, can I use
>Chameleon widgets to load MapFiles,
>draw maps but inside another PHP application? ( because, we need to
>validate user rights, etc...)
>
>another idea I was thinking about is to develop OGC maps, to be used
>with desktop applications (JUMP,uDig,ArcGIS OGC,...)
>and also a set of "mirror" maps  using NON-ogc access , to be used by
>PHP/MapScript applications. I was thinking in doing
>things this way to get some "speed" on web applications. But, is this
>really necessary? Or OGC maps should be enough
>to feed web MapServer clients and desktop clients?
>
>thanks in advance.
>
>best regards.
>
>--
>Eduardo Patto Kanegae