Python vs PHP vs Perl mapscript

[Sean Gillies]

On Jan 18, 2005, at 10:38 AM, Jon Saints wrote:

> Hi
>
> Are then advantages/disavantages in terms of features
> of using mapscript in python, perl, or php?
>
> Does one mapscript have more functionality than
> another? Is one developed more heavily?
>
> Thanks
> Jon
>

Jon,

The Python and Perl modules are generated from the same templates with
a few extra useful methods that are implemented only for Python:
enhanced imageObj constructor and image output, for example.  Other
than that, they are equivalent.  Python benefits from having many usage
examples within the mapscript unit tests, but any Perl hacker can
translate the unit tests to their own scripts.  Python hooks up to
other open source GIS software like GDAL/OGR, GEOS, and OpenEV better
than Perl or PHP, and this is a big plus.

All the mapscript modules share a great deal of core code: layer and
map drawing, querying, etc.  The PHP interface is, however, developed
separately from Python and Perl's, does not benefit from the other
mapscript unit tests, and in the past year is a bit behind the
Python/Perl mapscript in features and rate of development.  The main
difference is that the PHP module lacks a number of methods for cloning
layers, classes, and styles, and for inserting and deleting these from
their "parent" objects.  Correct me if I am wrong (Daniel?), but I
think that the original PHP mapscript developers' resources are
currently spent on a higher-level software product instead of on the
lower level mapscript.  The Python (and related) mapscript module has
undergone more rapid development because of the needs of my ZMapServer
and Cartographic Objects for Zope software, but most users will not
need these extra features.

As I have said before, PHP is unrivaled for web pages that have a
relatively small amount of logic behind them.  It is fast and the
platform is mature and well supported.  The PHP mapscript has proven
itself to be very useful.  For larger applications that just so happen
to have a web interface, you'll want to consider a less web-oriented
language that is OO and easy to profile, test, and refactor.  IMO, this
means Python rather than Perl.

cheers,
Sean

--
Sean Gillies
sgillies at frii dot com
http://users.frii.com/sgillies