[Mapserver-users] Beginner question: Street data

[Udo Giacomozzi]

Hello,

I'm new to this list and I am very interested in MapServer.

I would like to use MapServer to generate dynamic web cartography
using Macromedia Flash and the SWF output capability of MapServer. I
haven't tested MapServer yet because I have no map data available yet.

While I think this should be doable I have another problem: I would
need to keep track of various informations about streets in the map
(how many times a GPS-tracked car passed the street, how much salt it
left there, etc...). However I do not know anything about the map data
format(s) - how are streets specified? Are they simply lines? Are
those lines generally on a single layer (so they don't interference
with other visible objects that aren't streets). Where can I find
information about map data file formats? Unfortunately I don't know
yet which data format I will receive for my map.

Maybe I should describe the project I'm working on: There are several
"salt trucks" that in winter are driving over the roads to scatter
salt. Those trucks are being tracked in realtime via GPS by a Server
connected to the Internet (no problem so far). Now I need to tell the
user via it's web browser where truck X is currently and tell him how
much salt it left on road Y. MapServer would be used to draw the
street map. 

I'm grateful for any hint,

Udo