[Mapserver-users] MySQL

[Jan Hartmann]

IMO MySQL capabilities would be a very welcome addition to MapServer,
but full PostGIS-like functionality would be extremely difficult to
realize. PostGIS depends on advanced native PostgreSQL facilities, like
geometric datatypes and GIST indexing (IMO GIST indexes really make
PostGIS tick). Building all this into MySQL would be a much harder job
than implementing PostGIS in PostgreSQL (and even that wasn't exactly
trivial I believe). There was a posting a few days ago on planned
OpenGIS facilities for MySQL (
http://lists.dmsolutions.ca/pipermail/mapserver-users/2003-January/083044.html 

), but this looked very long-term, certainly not for the upcoming 4.1
release.

Yet even a non-GIS connection between MapServer and MySQL would offer
many advantages. Think about JOINS. These are being reintroduced into
3.7, but only for DBF files. If this mechanism could be expanded to
MySQL (or PostgreSQL without PostGIS), a non-GIS enabled database could
be used alongside MapServer, although the maps would have to be regular
GIS files of course. Something like using TABLE and TO in the JOIN
object the same way as CONNECTION and DATA in the LAYER object. This
would make even the current version of MySQL very usable with MapServer. 
Not sure how difficult this would be (not for 3.7 I'd imagine), but 
certainly something to think of for the longer term.

How about it Steve, Attila?

Jan


PS: For those interested: a PostgreSQL beta for native (non-cygwin) 
Windows is available at 
http://techdocs.postgresql.org/guides/InstallingOnWindows


Steve Lime wrote:
> Lukewarm is the wrong word. My only concern was that there was other
> MySQL
> work going on, but that was never confirmed. Given the hectic state of
> development
> Attila's MySQL code still sits in my mailbox awaiting review. I was
> under the impression
> it was spatial in nature or use of a connection as oposed to a join
> wouldn't make
> much sense.
> 
> Steve
> 
> Stephen Lime
> Data & Applications Manager
> 
> Minnesota DNR
> 500 Lafayette Road
> St. Paul, MN 55155
> 651-297-2937
> 
> 
>>>>Attila Csipa <attila at prometheus.org.yu> 01/27/03 05:10AM >>>
> 
> On Monday 27 January 2003 09:34, Mladen Kotarac wrote:
> 
>>Any comments on MySQL implementation of opengis standards?
>>Any thoughts of Mapserver / Mapscript support for MySQL?
> 
> 
> When the postgis implementation on mysql will be available (not sure if
> that 
> will be in 4.1) it will most probably be supported with mysql, so I was
> told. 
> I personally have already written a non-spatial mysql connectiontype 
> interface, but that got a lukewarm reception from the developers.
> 
> Regards,
> Attila
> _______________________________________________
> Mapserver-users mailing list
> Mapserver-users at lists.gis.umn.edu 
> http://lists.gis.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-users
> _______________________________________________
> Mapserver-users mailing list
> Mapserver-users at lists.gis.umn.edu
> http://lists.gis.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-users
> 

Jan Hartmann
Department of Geography
University of Amsterdam
jhart at frw.uva.nl