MapServer 5.0 WMS, requiring styles...

[Havard Tveite]

Frank Warmerdam wrote:
> Håvard Tveite wrote:
>> In my opinion, being permissive should not be the default
>> behaviour.  A standard is a standard!
> 
> Håvard,
> 
> Well, clearly there is room for well intentioned smart people
> to hold different opinions on this matter.  I think we are going
> to need a vote on this issue.
> 
>> If this is a problem, I suggest that it could be "solved"
>> by letting the users explicitly specify "sloppy" behaviour
>> (in METADATA?).
>> In that case, I think we should use "pedantic" (or
>> preferably the more positive word "compliant" :-) ) as the
>> default mode of WMS server operation.
> 
> If the objective (as Steve has suggested) is to remove one roadblock
> for people trying to get going with MapServer and popular client
> applications I can't see the benefit of compliant being the default.

Frank,

I think we should do our best to promote standards, and I still
think that being compliant is the best way to do so.

I can see situations where an organisation and/or its "clients"
are using "legacy" software as WMS consumers, and in such cases
I think it would be reasonable to provide a "sloppy" option (for
advanced users).

I think UMN Mapserver now has become a player to consider among
WMS mapserver software, so if Mapserver is WMS compliant, makers
of WMS client software will be "encouraged" to conform to the
standards.

-- 
Håvard Tveite
Department of Mathematical Sciences and Technology, UMB
Drøbakveien 31, POBox 5003, N-1432 Ås, NORWAY
Phone: +47 64965483 Fax: +47 64965401 http://www.umb.no/imt/