[mapserver-dev] non spatial tables and WFS

[Daniel Morissette]

I'm not sure what to think... part of me thinks this is an abuse of WFS 
(WFS without an 'F'), but then if others (e.g. GeoServer) have done it 
and set a precedent then we may have to do it as well now. At least if 
we do it let's make sure we behave the same way as others with respect 
to things not defined in the WFS spec like what to do with filters vs 
data with no georef.

Daniel


Kralidis,Tom [Burlington] wrote:
> Bart: agreed.  I think this would be a good addition to MapServer.  What do others think of this concept?
> 
> ..Tom
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mapserver-dev-bounces at lists.osgeo.org on behalf of Bart van den Eijnden (OSGIS)
> Sent: Fri 25-Jul-08 13:28
> To: Steve Lime
> Cc: Kralidis,Tom [Burlington]; mapserver-dev at lists.osgeo.org
> Subject: Re: [mapserver-dev] non spatial tables and WFS
>  
> Hey Tom,
> 
> if a spatial filter is used then we would just return the full 
> dataset/table (so ignore the spatial filter), at least that seems the 
> most logical to me.
> 
> Best regards,
> Bart
> 
> Steve Lime wrote:
>> I was thinking about this last night and I remembered that is was the query piece that gave
>> me pause earlier. Since JOINs are not applied when rendering or querying one couldn't use
>> those attributes in queries. Maybe that's not a huge deal.
>>
>> For non-spatial tables we'd almost need a new layer type, "TYPE TABLE" and then would need
>> to behave accordingly.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>>   
>>>>> On 7/22/2008 at 5:19 PM, in message
>>>>>         
>> <2DC5CCA14756424BBBEE8B4B2E4A682F036CF454 at ecburexch1.ontario.int.ec.gc.ca>,
>> "Kralidis,Tom [Burlington]" <Tom.Kralidis at ec.gc.ca> wrote:
>>
>>   
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: mapserver-dev-bounces at lists.osgeo.org 
>>>> [mailto:mapserver-dev-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Steve Lime
>>>> Sent: 22 July, 2008 5:28 PM
>>>> To: mapserver-dev at lists.osgeo.org; Bart van den Eijnden (OSGIS)
>>>> Subject: Re: [mapserver-dev] non spatial tables and WFS
>>>>
>>>> Do you mean attribute tables JOINed to spatial data? If so 
>>>> then that would be a relatively easy addition I think. I 
>>>> remember looking into it when much of the gml work was done 
>>>> but I don't recall what stopped me. I believe Tom K. was 
>>>> interested in something similar.
>>>>
>>>>       
>>> I agree this would be valuable (esp JOINed).  Having said this, what
>>> would happen if spatial queries are passed against the non-spatial
>>> dataset?  How would this affect advertising the dataset as a FeatureType
>>> in a WFS, which advertises Filter Capabilities, or which MapServer
>>> provides many spatial functions.
>>>
>>>
>>>     
>>>> Steve
>>>>
>>>>       
>>>>>>> On 7/22/2008 at 2:19 PM, in message 
>>>>>>>             
>>>> <488632DA.706 at osgis.nl>, "Bart 
>>>>       
>>>>>>> van den
>>>>>>>             
>>>> Eijnden (OSGIS)" <bartvde at osgis.nl> wrote:
>>>>       
>>>>> Hi list,
>>>>>
>>>>> one of the features I've been missing in Mapserver WFS is 
>>>>>         
>>>> the ability 
>>>>       
>>>>> to serve out non spatial / administrative tables using WFS, 
>>>>>         
>>>> something 
>>>>       
>>>>> that Geoserver does support.
>>>>>
>>>>> Would this be easy to add in Mapserver or not? Are there any known 
>>>>> workarounds that might work out of the box already?
>>>>>
>>>>> Best regards,
>>>>> Bart
>>>>>         
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> mapserver-dev mailing list
>>>> mapserver-dev at lists.osgeo.org 
>>>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-dev 
>>>>
>>>>       
>>
>>
>>   
> 
> 


-- 
Daniel Morissette
http://www.mapgears.com/