[mapserver-users] PNG vs. GIF

[Daniel Morissette]

"Hankley, Chip" wrote:
> 
> I'm trying to come to grips with PNG vs. GIF support with MapServer.
> 
> If I understand the information on the website and from the archives
> correctly, the next (pending?) release will not support GIF. I would assume
> then, that as a new user I should start working with the PNG version.
> 

Mapserver 3.5 won't be able to support freetype fonts if you use GD 1.2,
but it should still work if you are happy without freetype.  For sure if
you use freetype fonts then you'll need a more recent GD and those
versions do not include GIF support any more.

However, if you live in some place where Unisys LZW patents don't apply
(or if for any other reason the patent is not a problem for you) then
you can get a 'patched' GD 1.8.4 that supports GIF and works with
MapServer 3.5.  See http://www.rime.com.au/gd/


> OTH, I found that the Mapplet script apparently doesn't work with PNG files.
> Are there other unforeseen "pitfalls" of using PNG?
> 

Mapplet is a Java applet, and my understanding is that Java applets
support only GIF or JPEG.  In order to support PNG you would have to
compile your applet with JDK 1.3 and this is a bad idea because it's not
widely supported in browsers.

So your 2 options are: use the patched GD, or use JPEG with the mapplet.

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------
 Daniel Morissette               morissette at dmsolutions.ca
 DM Solutions Group              http://www.dmsolutions.ca/
------------------------------------------------------------
  Don't put for tomorrow what you can do today, because if 
      you enjoy it today you can do it again tomorrow.