[mapserver-users] Newbie questions.

[Paul Peterson]

I am completely new to GIS and mapping, but I've got a web application I am
building that dynamically generated maps would really help sell.

I've been playing with the win32 version of Mapserver for two days.  I got
the Itasca demo working with the Java mapplet.

I'm ready to move on and need some basic questions answered.

1) I downloaded some free shapefiles from GIS Data Depot. I created a new
map file using the itasca map file as a template, however, the image file
created was empty. I beleive the problem is with the extents I am using.
Question, how do I determine the extents of these download files? I do have
ArcExplorer 3.1 but this doesn't give me this information when I load the
layers.

2) I'd like to place a small circle on the map where various businesses are
located.  Question:  What data do I need for each client
(longitude/latitude, something else?) and how do I get it positioned on the
map correctly?  Is it a matter of dynamically creating a new layer and
generating a new map?  If so, how is this generally done?

3) Is MapServer's API exposed to JavaScript?  Could it be by using Netscapes
LiveConnect?  Maybe make a javascript port of mapscript...  Create a java
SWIG module for mapscript then create an java applet to interact.  Mapplet
does some of this already.

4) How are extents related to longitude and latitude.

5) What basic tools/utilities do you recommend I get to work with the map
formats MapServer can use?  I'm creating a web application using
ColdFusion/JavaScript (and Java if necessary. I already have ArcExplorer 3.1
for viewing.  Will I need something else to get more details from the data
files, or make changes?

Thanks in advance.


Paul Peterson
pwpeterson at iesc.net