SWIG MapScript and WxS Service Access

[Frank Warmerdam]

Folks,

I have made the following proposal (well this is part of a larger
proposal) to RSI UK and they have agreed to proceed.  This is just
a heads up.  My intention is that Howard and I would prepare an RFC
addressing the planned work.  But I wanted to give folks a heads-up
and a chance to provide comment before we write up alot of material.

MapServer MapScript
-------------------

The general intention is that a WMS or WCS service should be able to
be setup via mapscript.  The web request would be turned over to a
mapscript script (Python, Perl, Java, etc) which can then manipulate
the request and a map as needed. Then it can invoke the low level mapserver
request function (ie. GetMap, GetCapabilities), and if desired manipulate
the returned information before returning to the client.  This will provide
a means to do customizations such as:
  o Implement security policy.
  o Use dynamically created maps from a database, etc.
  o Flesh out capabilities documents with auxilary information not settable
    via the .map METADATA tags.
  o Adjust error behaviors.


To this end we will make:

  o GetCapabilities, GetFeatureInfo and GetMap calls for WMS callable from
    MapScript, and results capturable for processing.

  o GetCapabilities, DescribeCoverage and GetCoverage calls for WMS callable
    from MapScript and results capturable for processing.

  o GetCapabilities, DescribeFeatureType and GetFeature calls for WFS callable
    from MapScript and results capturable for processing.

  o IO hooking to capture various output from mapserver services will be
    accomplished via mapio.c services, the same as is used to capture output
    for FastCGI services.

  o All SWIG based MapScript languages will be supported (Perl, Python, Ruby,
    C#, Java).  PHP (non SWIG) may be supported if the PHP MapScript
    maintainers do a similar implementation.

  o A MapScript WxS HOWTO will be written, including simple examples of
    customized services.

NOTE: Details of MapServer changes are subject to the authority of the
       MapServer PSC.  The consultant is responsible for preparing appropriate
       RFC documents through the MapServer PSC.

-- 
---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | President OSGF, http://osgeo.org