3.6 to 4.2 relative versus absolute data path issue

[Frank Warmerdam]

Adam Simcock wrote:
> We are in the process of moving to mapserver 4.2 from 3.6.   The mapfiles we
> have generally use relative paths to data.   Updating to 4.2 causes two
> relative pathname issues to occur:
>
> 1) When I switch over to the 4.2 executables, raster data in AI grid format
> does not display.  If I change those data paths to absolute, it displays.
> This is only happening with AI grid files – a tif raster is displaying with
> relative paths without a problem.  The relative paths are correct and work
> fine in 3.6.

Adam,

Do you refer to the grid files by the directory containing the grid coverage?
I think the new code that "tries" to apply SHPPATH will not apply it unless
the resulting name ends up referring to a real file in the file system.
I suspect directories don't count.

It was done this way because there are some "dataset names" that GDAL
accepts that don't refer to file system objects at all and these can obviously
not be made relative to the SHPPATH.

> 2) Vector files display fine with relative paths, but opening shapefiles in
> PHP mapscript only works if I switch them over to absolute paths in the
> mapfile.  The relative paths are correct and work fine in 3.6.

I've no idea why this is.

Best regards,
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I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
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