[Mapserver-users] ArcIMS vs MapServer Functionality

[Paul Ramsey]

Brock,
   This is more a matter of what languages the clients speak than the 
languages the server speaks. ArcMap only understands ArcXML, and 
therefor is designed to *only* talk with ArcIMS. That was a design 
decision by ESRI. Similar things pertain to support for live database 
connections (ArcSDE protocol only).
   On the bright side, ArcXML is (relatively) easy to emulate. I have 
written an emulator (http://postgis.refractions.net/download.php) called 
IMSEmu which puts an ArcIMS interface around mapserver, allowing ArcMap 
to connect to it directly, as if it were an ArcIMS server. Ed McNierney 
and Steve Greenwood will shortly be releasing a PHP script which has the 
same functionality and some enhancements they have added.
   For less than the cost of an ArcIMS licence, the emulation could be 
enhanced to support more of the ArcXML functionality than is currently 
supported (queries from ArcMap are currently problematic, due to an 
undocumented proprietary format used by ESRI for such queries, but I 
have had partial success in reverse engineering it).
   So there are alternatives.

   BTW, if anyone is interested in funding the addition of support for 
ArcExplorer 2.x as a mapserver client (by emulating the AE server 
protocol) please drop me a line. I have done the wire sniffing part of 
the job, the protocol is not too hard, and it could provide some nifty 
capabilities in terms of data download. (ArcExplorer supports a 
"download the data" mode, which snaps out a portion of data and zips it 
up for local consumption. Given all the format support mapserver has, it 
would be a nifty way of exposing obscure data sources to standard 
proprietary desktops.)

Paul

Brock Murch wrote:
> List Members:
> 
> I am curious whether or not MapServer can supply data directly to a client 
> software (not browser) so that the MapServer served data can be applied 
> directly to a clients own data.
> 
> For example, with ArcMAP I can query a ArcIMS server and pull down the data to 
> my ArcMAP software running locally on my computer. Can this be done with 
> MapServer? If not to ArcMAP is it availible for other types of local clients? 
> Can MapServer use HDF files? I know that ESRI does not support them.
> 
> Our intended audience uses ESRI products extensively. They will most likely 
> want this functionality. We have to make a choice with this in mind. I for 
> one advocate the use of open software where ever possbible. This is one 
> instance where I may no be able to depending on the response to this query.
> 
> Thanks for any thoughts on the matter.
> 

-- 
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      | Paul Ramsey
      | Refractions Research
      | Email: pramsey at refractions.net
      | Phone: (250) 885-0632
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