[Mapserver-users] please help about dynamic layers

[Eric Bridger]

On Mon, 2003-10-20 at 11:53, Murat Isik wrote:
> Hello,
> I am relatively new to map server. Last week I could not even get the mapserver to display my map files, thankfully some folks on this list adviced on some software and tips, and I got the server to work properly.
> Now I am to create a new layer, a dynamic one. I am total newbei son I am sorry if my questions look silly:)
> -I have ArcView 3.3 (got it after being adviced to do so on this mail list) Is it a good tool to create new layers. So far I can only use it to view mine. If not with which software can I create layers?
> -the mapserver runs on redhat 9.0. on the same machine runs mysql in which has lat/longitude columns in one of its tables. on this table there is also 6 more columns of month, year, day, hour, minute, second. this is for a car tracking project. somehow car's gps data will be written into this database. every time this layer is refreshed from the web browser, this layer should go and find the latest lat/longitude using the time elements and use this lat/longitude to print a dot on the map at the appropriate spot. i have searched the web about this issue but did not understand much :(.  do i need php for this kind of work? i am running mapserver 3.6.0, installed through rpm, since it does not include php. my apache server also doesnot support php. so i guess, if needed, i will have to deal with php alot at first.
> -how do i create a layer like this? what's the starting point? what do I need?
 
You probably will need some version of mapscript. PHP is one option. But
there are also Perl and Python mapscript.  I am familiar with the Perl
mapscript option and have created many dynamic layers using lat/longs
from various databases.  There are perl examples in the Wiki:
http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?PerlMapScriptExamples35