Foundation and Mapserver MAP file manage tool

[Steve Lime]

INCLUDES only gets you part way. I've played around with the psuedo includes using
awk and the C preprocessor but end up frustrated. Not because the don't work but 
because there are so many little exceptions to the configuration from application.

Steve

>>> Norman Vine <nhv at CAPE.COM> 12/14/05 10:14 AM >>>
Jeff McKenna writes:
> 
> I hear ya Bart, it's so needed.  I for one think such a tool is very
> useful (whenever we travel internationally it's MapLab that we're known
> for it seems), and a few of us continue to help support MapLab users for
> that reason.  But something is definitely needed.

Which is exactly why some of us have been begging for the

INCLUDE  directive  in mapfiles  :-)

Cheers

Norman
 
> Steve Lime wrote:
... 
> > I too think it necessary, but I'm not envisioning a web-based tool.
> > I'd love to see a map portfolio management tool developed. Something
> > to manage common sets of configuration elements. At the DNR we have
> > 20+ applications of various levels of complexity and in each one of
> > them we have a lakes layer, always drawn the same. It would be cool
> > if you could define a lakes layer "template" that would contain base
> > info like color, datasource and such and then could develop
> > "instances" of that template for specific applications. Each instance
> > might have be a bit different but would draw upon the same template.
> > Change the template and all the instances change, change an instance
> > and the template (and other apps) are untouched. The management
> > application would allow you to drag instances of a template into a
> > new configuration (or create new ones). Perhaps this could be done
> > via the web. I was also thinking about the possibilty of using
> > Eclipse to build a MapServer IDE. Just some thoughts...
> > 
> > Steve
> > 
> > 
> >>>> Frank Warmerdam <warmerdam at POBOX.COM> 12/14/05 8:43 AM >>>
> > 
> > On 12/14/05, Eijnden, B. van den (Bart)
> > <b.vdeijnden at agi.rws.minvenw.nl> wrote:
> > 
> >> Hi list,
> >> 
> >> still one of the things really missing around Mapserver is a good
> >> universal web-based visual management tool for MAP files, which can
> >> export/deploy MAP files as well as import existing MAP files.
> >> 
> >> Are there plans within the Foundation to address this?
> > 
> > 
> > Bart,
> > 
> > There aren't any specific plans for the foundation to pursue 
> > technical developments like this.  In fact, there is some question to
> > what extent the foundation itself out to be driving or sponsoring 
> > software development.  So in that realm things are "to be
> > determined".
> > 
> > In any event, there are several web based interfaces to mapfiles 
> > already in existance, such as the MapLab from maptools.org. I'm not
> > convinced that any of them are "universal" or even all that great but
> > then I haven't done any in depth investigation.
> > 
> > I'm not really sure how practical and useful such a tool would be.
> > And to some extent building such a thing would be stepping on the
> > toes of a number of existing projects - something that should not be
> > done lightly by the foundation.
> > 
> > Best regards,
> 
> 
> -- 
> Jeff McKenna
> DM Solutions Group Inc.
> http://www.dmsolutions.ca 
>