[mapserver-users] Feature Suggestions?

[Doyon, Jean-Francois]

I'll second dave on this one.

Sometimes changes coming to an upcoming release of MapServer can involve a
fair amount of work, since things aren't allways completely backwards
compatible (i.e. MapFiles).  For people using MapServer actively in
production environments (such as myself) knowing what changes are abound
would help a great deal in planning future development/migrations.

This is even more applicable to MapScript/PHP, where certain versions are
bound to certain PHP versions and so on ... (I'm stuck with this now, I want
to upgrade my PHP environment, which means I have to upgrade my
php_mapscript.so, which means I HAVE to review the mapfile and recreate a
lot of line symbology without the STYLED key word, which is a fair amount of
work).

As for the wish list, that'd be good too ... I have a couple of wishes in my
back pocket ...
Along those lines, but on a slightly different topic, it would be nice if
people we more open about the things they do with MapServer.  For instance,
we are doing all this work to integrate OGC support into it, but I recall
having seen people mentionning they'd done it allready in their shops.  It's
too bad these changes weren't returned to MapServer.  Sometimes I get the
impression we all go through a lot of duplicated efforts.  ( iknow myself
and others have worked on putting the Mapfile stuff into a DB for instance,
which is part of my wishlist) ... A central repository of who's doing what
with/around MapServer would be most helpful in coordinating and not
duplicating efforts.

My 2 cents ...
J.F.

> ----------
> From: 	Dave McIlhagga[SMTP:mcilhagga at dmsolutions.ca]
> Sent: 	Monday, June 18, 2001 11:52 AM
> To: 	mapserver-users at lists.gis.umn.edu
> Subject: 	[mapserver-users] Feature Suggestions?
> 
> I was just reading through Thorsten's last message regarding additions
> of new capabilities to MapServer and it got me thinking that there is no
> information readily available online regarding:
> 
> 1. Current developments for the next release of MapServer.
> 2. Wishlist or suggestions of new functionality.
> 
> I think the first item would go a long way to help users prepare for
> "what to expect" in upcoming releases.  A lot of this information is
> available if you follow the email messages etc.. but I think it would be
> really helpful to have all this information available in a single web
> page.  I figured if I'm having trouble keeping tabs on exactly what is
> being added for new versions, and we're heavily involved in the ongoing
> development of MapServer, then it must be really tough for organizations
> and users more removed from the core development activities.
> 
> The second item would give users some real input into the future
> directions and development of MapServer.  It would also give software
> development organizations like ours an opportunity to guage some of the
> needs and interest that exist in the user community.  This would also
> provide a great starting point for the UMN to determine future
> development priorities for the product.  Sometimes I think a lot of
> great ideas that are talked about on the mailing list end up falling
> through the cracks three months later simply because there is no easily
> accessible collection of suggestions and ideas.
> 
> I'd be interested to hear of the list's thoughts on these ideas and on
> how something like this might be implemented and not just make for good
> theory. :)
> 
> Dave
> -- 
> Dave McIlhagga
> President, DM Solutions Group
> 
> http://www.dmsolutions.ca
> ----------------------------
> Innovative Spatial Solutions
> ----------------------------
> 
> EMail : McIlhagga at DMSolutions.ca
> Phone : 613-565-5056
> Cell : 613-261-3913
> Fax : 707-222-1943
> Address : 116 Lisgar St.,
>           Suite 400,
>           Ottawa, Ontario
>           K2P 0C2
>