[mapserver-dev] MS RFC 37: AUTO Projection Support

[Jeff McKenna]

Howard Butler wrote:
> All,
> 
> I would like to put forward MS RFC 37 to provide a mechanism for layer drivers to be able to provide their projection information automatically.  This feature would be opt-in, and it would require users to set the following in their mapfile:
> 
> PROJECTION
>     AUTO
> END
> 
> <http://mapserver.org/development/rfc/ms-rfc-37.html>
> 
> The other items that were once in this RFC, like allowing users to set projection information using data types other than proj.4 have been removed.  It is now simply an implementation for AUTO support and the virtual table methods required to allow drivers to optionally implement support for it.  
> 

Howard,

I have some general comments:

- I have never used this existing 'auto' ability of OGR/raster, mostly 
because I usually see a blank SRS section from ogrinfo or gdalinfo.

- for that reason I worry that users will assume that MapServer will 
magically read the projection info from any source file, when using the 
PROJECTION AUTO parameter.

- I'm not sure if this is the same question as Frank's, but, what 
happens when no projection info can be read from the source file, when 
using PROJECTION AUTO?

- I think this should be documented with examples (I know, I'm looking 
in the mirror here)...to make sure users don't expect wonders to happen 
from PROJECTION AUTO

thanks.

I'm a +1 on this RFC.

-jeff