Query Question...

[Jason Maestri]

Okay, here goes...
    I am sending this message back out to the mapserver-users list for all to see.  It has been a thread between Steve and I the past couple of days...  You all can read down the page to see the details, but mostly we were talking about writing a perl/Tk or ARC/View front end to edit the map files.  I have been toying with the idea here, and my boss likes it, he just has yet to approve the resources to do it.  Is anybody already doing something like this?  I saw that Erich
Schroeder wrote a neat little AML script to do something like this.  I was thinking of writing an aveneue  or perl/Tk script  which would prompt you for things like filenames and directories (and extents in the case of the perl scripts, unless I got really fancy), and then go ahead and build the mapfiles.  They would have graphical front ends so as to be easy to use.  Anyway feel free to send input.

--Jason

Stephen Lime wrote:

> Did you see the AML tool today. Hot topic. Yes, a save method would write the whole thing. Again you might post to the list to get a sense for interest. I think it'd be pretty high.
>
> Steve
>
> <<< Jason Maestri <sl57k at cc.usu.edu>  2/17  3:34p >>>
> Steve,
>     That sounds good.  I'll talk to my boss about whether or not we can
> get the time to do it.  I'll also see about the arcView extension.
> That'd be really handy. As for the mapObj save method, will that write
> out an entire map file?
>
> --Jason
>
> Stephen Lime wrote:
>
> > Sure I'd be interested in any productivity tools. There are a couple of other users interested in something similar only they're working from with in ArcView. There are a number of similarities however. Perhaps a message to the group about this would be worthwhile? No sense in having 10 versions of this if a single app will work. I like the perl/tk method cause is doesn't need arcview.
> >
> > Also, I am writing a mapObj save method/function for MapScript. You could use tk/tcl and a tk/tcl version of MapScript (post to the list, I know this is being done) to build the mapObj from scratch then call the save method to write a valid script. You'd also want to be able to load a existing file and modify it. That MapScript function alrady exists. The writer would be nice for you NOT to have to implement because then you wouldn't have to worry about changes or anything
> > in the file syntax.
> >
> > Steve
> >
> > <<< Jason Maestri <sl57k at cc.usu.edu>  2/15 11:53p >>>
> > Thanks Steve!  I sure appreciate your help...
> >
> > By the way,
> >     We have been toying with the idea of setting up a perl/Tk front end to
> > building the map files.  If we actually do get approval to spend the time to build
> > it, would you be interested in adding it to the distribution?
> >
> > --Jason
> >
> > Stephen Lime wrote:
> >
> > > Hi Jason: Nope, not currently. Makes sense to me
> > > though so i'll add it to the to do list from 3.3.008 which should be out soon.
> > >
> > > Steve
> > >
> > > <<< Jason Maestri <sl57k at cc.usu.edu>  2/15  7:42p >>>
> > > Hey All,
> > >     Is there a way mapserver query can return the number of the shape(s)
> > > that has been selected (i.e.: it's position in the shapefile)?  I'd like
> > > to dynamically edit records in the .dbf file based on a query.  Most of
> > > the shapefile databases we have don't have a field that can be used as a
> > > primary key, so I need to know the index (record number) of the shape
> > > that I am working with.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >     Jason
> >
> >
> >