some issues about the mapserver map files & HTTP POST

[Frank Warmerdam]

Nuno GIL wrote:
> Dear listers,
>
> Sorry for this long post, but I was trying to gather
> some thoughts/doubts...
> After reading again the mapserver documentation, I
> still have some doubts concerning the setup of a wms
> server.
>
> OUTPUTFORMAT
> I'm only providing two OUTPUTFORMATs in my map file,
> however, the capabilities file specifies much more
> outputs (I think all the formats supported by my
> mapserver). If it understands the supported
> OUTPUTFORMATs why do we need to include them in the
> map file? Is there any way of limiting the
> OUTPUTFORMATs to the ones I want instead of the ones
> supported by mapserver?

Nuno,

I do not believe there is a way of limiting the available formats,
though Assefa has added logic for the 4.4b3 release so that non
raster formats (like html, swf) are not listed in WMS capabilities.
There is discussion of providing an explicit way of controlling the
exposed formats but it would not be done by 4.4 release.

BTW, it can still be useful to define custom outputformats
even for formats that have a define output format definition.
The custom versions can use different options for transparency,
render mode (ie. RGB vs. RGBA), interlacing and so forth.

> PROJECTION
> I am still a bit confused with the PROJECTION object.
> I suppose that by declaring a PROJECTION object on the
> map file I am defining the supported output
> projections of the server and by declaring the
> projection inside each layer I am defining the
> original current projection of the data. Is that
> correct?

I believe the "map" projection is not used in WMS, unless it is
a default when no SRS parameter is given.


> TRANSPARENCY
> At the moment, the transparency of each layer of my
> wms is on and defined with OFFSITE. I would like to
> turn TRANSPARENCY on or off accordingly to the html
> wms user request. How can I do this?

I don't really follow this. Note that the TRANSPARENCY flag
for layer affects how it is overlayed on previous layers and
is, I believe, a blending value from 0 to 100, not an off/on
flag like the transparency flag passed in the WMS request.

Best regards,
--
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I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
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and watch the world go round - Rush    | Geospatial Programmer for Rent