time queries with mapserver 4.4.1

[Trond Michelsen]

Hi.

I'm still unsuccessful in trying to understand how to make a time
query in mapserver 4.4.1, and I'd appreciate any help on the subject.

I have several layers that I access with WMS through mapserver, and
some of these layers can show data for different dates and times.
Here's an example of a layer definition in my map file.

--8<--
LAYER
    NAME "wind"
    STATUS ON
    TYPE RASTER
    OFFSITE 255 255 255

    CONNECTION "http://wmsserver/cgi-bin/wms.cgi?"
    CONNECTIONTYPE WMS

    PROJECTION
      "proj=stere"
      "a=6371000"
      "b=6371000"
      "lat_0=90"
      "lat_ts=60"
      "lon_0=0"
    END

    METADATA
      "wms_name"            "wind"
      "wms_server_version"  "1.1.1"
      "wms_formatlist"      "image/png"
      "wms_format"          "image/png"
    END

END
--8<--

I've seen suggestions that it's possible to use %var% for every
parameter in the query string, so I tried to add "wms_time %time%" to
the metadata, and then add a select-box with appropriate dates to the
web-page, but that passed "time=%25time%25" to the WMS-server.

Being able to make queries at all is of course the most important
issue I'd like to have solved, but I'm also a bit curious about how I
define which times that are appropriate. How do I configure the
mapfile, so that mapserv.cgi adds the proper <dimension>-tag to a
GetCapabilities response? Also, is it possible to get mapserv.cgi to
automatically fill inn available dates in the web template, or will I
have to change it every time the available dates changes?

--
Trond Michelsen