[Mapserver-users] RE: Mapserver-users digest, Vol 1 #401 - 39 msgs

[Puneet Kishor]

> 
> 1) Can you zoom to a specific layer? If so can you further zoom to
> selected records of a layer?

Yes, yes.

> 2) I assume that clicking on the map, or moving mouse over, and
> returning a xy map coordinate is possible generically and not 
> just with
> java?

Yes.

> 3) Are you able to buffer features?

Yes for point features;
Perhaps for some geometric features (for example, easy for circles,
squares, rects, etc.);
No (or, at least, not easily), for irregular features such as lines and
polys.

> 4) When you are doing an identify, is it just a drill-down 
> identify that
> returns information on all layers, or can you specify a 
> specific layer?

Yes, and yes.


> 5) I seen a couple examples of selecting multiple features by 
> dragging a
> box over an area, in all cases it was with a java enhanced 
> site. Is this
> only possible using java, if so why? What is the java doing? Does WMS
> natively support this type of feature request?

Possible to do it via JavaScript as well, or any client side technology
that will return mouse coords (possibly with SVG or VML, though I
haven't tried it).

> 6) One of the big parts of the project is to query a database, return
> coords and put it on a map. From what I have seen this seems feasible,
> however can you also project these points on the fly? My points are in
> Lat/Long coords, my maps in UTM, I 'could' run each point through a
> javascript routine I have that will convert each point one at a time,
> but I would rather project the whole thing at once as a 'layer'.


My sense is yes, although I haven't done much with projections.

> 7) Any other general comments on differences between ArcIMS and
> Mapserver? 



Seriously, one costs major bucks, the other is free to use, but welcomes
users helping other users.
One generates anger, the other generates passion.
One requires very heavy duty hardware to run decently, the other runs
fine on modest hardware.
One is very fickle and susceptible to crashes, the other is very stable.
One is limited to a few software platforms, the other runs in many more
configs.
One is terrible, the other is discussed here. ;-)

Hth.