[mapserver-users] XML interface for query templates

[Cameron Shorter]

Comments inline.

Stephen Lime wrote:
> 
> Hi Cameron: We're also working on XML output, initially as part of WMS compliance
> but then in a more general sense.

Ah yes, we are creating a WMS (web map server) by putting a perl wrapper
on top of mapserv.  (We have it working with a couple of minor bugs).

It would be great to see it done properly within the mapserv baseline. 
How long to you expect it to take to develop the WMS interface?


> I do see the need to allow XML (and even just HTML)
> output as part of general template usage. I assume that's where you're running into
> trouble.

Yes.

> If you're accessing the features directly in perl and producing the XML from
> within the scripts (eg. not using templates) then it's easy enough to do the substitution
> in perl. Here's what I propose:
> 
> 3.5 already allows you to change DBF item filtering in templates so you can request
> an item called NAME using [NAME] or [NAME_esc]. The first gets you the straight
> string, the second gets you the string escaped for inclusion in a GET request. It would
> be easy to add a third option [NAME_xml] or similar that would XML escaped equivilalent.

Yes, that would do the job.

> 
> If you could come up with the function to do the XML escaping, it's got to already
> exist someplace, then I could add this to 3.5 (which is really pretty stable) in a few minutes.


I will search around today (overnight for you people in the USA).


-- 
Cameron Shorter          Web Mapping Manager
Social Change Online
248 Johnson St           Tel: +61 (0) 2 9692 5115
Annandale NSW 2038       Fax: +61 (0) 2 9692 5192
Sydney, Australia        http://webmap.socialchange.net.au