finding nearest businesses [was Re: mysql]

[mocha]

At 05:11 PM 4/20/00 -0400, imap at chesapeake.net wrote:

>Hello,
>
>That interface between mapscript and database is called PERL DBI/DBD
>and it works great, and... works with most databases on the market.
>I use MySQL to plot markers/symbols on-the-fly to a user-defined layer,
>that is point data that have been geocoded.

what do you store in your mysql tables to enable you to do this? lat and 
long? i'm very new to GIS but i learn fast, so my newbee questions won't 
continue for long. when you say geocoded point data, what are you referring to?

the reason i ask are:
1. given an address, i would like to locate X number of businesses closest 
to it by address matching (or zipcode?) then plot those on the map with markers
2. given 2 addresses, find the shortest path or route

i can develop the shortest path algorithm. what i'm asking you gis expert 
is what relevant data should i populate a NON ORDMS (mysql) table to 
accomplish these goals. the data set i'm using is Tiger/Line 98 translated 
to shape format by the Grass GIS package. I would like to skip the shape 
file format and go straight to pulling the data from the mysql db.

any suggestions are welcome. i will publish some articles regarding this 
project after i've accomplished it.

p.s. i'm in Minneapolis MN. I've seen from some of your addresses and tel# 
that you are also in MN. if you want to have coffee and talk about GIS or 
what ever, that would be fun.

>Regards,
>
>Chris
>
>
>Chris Fuhrman wrote:
> >
> > On Wed, 19 Apr 2000, mocha wrote:
> >
> > > anyone working on interfacing mapserver to an sql db (mysql?). i 
> think this
> > > would speed it up a little.
> > >
> >
> > Can't say I've gotten mapserver to talk to a SQL server, but i am using
> > PostgreSQL/Perl/MapScript to develop a Geocoding/Address-matching type
> > application.  PostgreSQL has the ability to store points, lines, polygons,
> > paths, and such and can even do some operations on them.   Not the fastest
> > ORDBMS on the planet, but certainly one of the more featureful for it's
> > price *g*
> >
> > What would be nice is some kind of abstract layer between mapscript and a
> > data base which would make it easy for a programmer to extract layers and
> > display them without having to use shapefiles.
> >
> > Really wish I had more time to write something like that...
> >
> > --
> > Chris Fuhrman           | Twenty First Century Communications
> > cfuhrman at tfcci.com      | Software Engineer
> > (W) 614-442-1215 x271   |
> > (F) 614-442-5662        | PGP/GPG Public Key Available on Request
>
>--
>
>Chris Stuber (mapsurfer)
>Silicon Mapping Solutions, Inc.
>410-257-3187