ESRI Geodatabase Connection for MapServer

[Tyler Mitchell]

Hi Ken,
I'm interested in seeing this happen, but not sure about re$ources at this moment.

Tyler

----- Original Message -----
From: Ken Lord <kenlord at GMAIL.COM>
Date: Tuesday, July 26, 2005 10:19 am
Subject: [UMN_MAPSERVER-USERS] ESRI Geodatabase Connection for MapServer

> Hi List,
> I'm back from my holidays ... with many bottles of BC Okanagen 
> wine, and a 
> wicked farmer's tan.
> I would like to know if interest has increased or waned for the 
> idea of 
> developing a way for MapServer to read from ESRI personal 
> geodatabases.From what I understand, the ESRI personal geodatabase 
> will not die with 
> version 9.2, but will in fact be enhanced. 
> More information about ESRI's plans is available here:
> 
> http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/summer05articles/managing-spatial-
> data.html The new format they are creating, the 'file-based 
> geodatabase' is 
> advertised as being very similar in function to the old 
> geodatabase, but it 
> is something quite different in structure. The rumours I've heard 
> are that 
> it is not just a departure from an MS Access backbone, but 
> involves semantic 
> networks for storing and linking data instead of an RDBMS. 
> Basic information about semantic networks can be found here:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_network
> In fact the file size limit ESRI mentions of MS Access may soon 
> be moot as 
> MS is changing to a SQL Server engine for Access which won't have 
> the limit. 
> Any limit remaining will be on ESRI's side.
> My very very small knowledge (and great ignorance) of semantic 
> networks 
> tells me that the new format may require a lot of effort to setup 
> from 
> scratch for a new dataset, and that at the least the old 
> geodatabases will 
> still be used as an easier pathway to get data into the new 
> format. Besides, 
> didnt they say coverages were dead when geodatabases came out? 
> One of our employees is currently at an ESRI conference in San 
> Diego, and 
> is trying to find out more for us about which way the 800 pound 
> gorilla will 
> jump.
> Please respond if you are still interested in seeing development 
> of a 
> MapServer personal geodatabase connection go ahead. If enough 
> parties are 
> willing to contribute to the funding it will be cheap enough that 
> we won't 
> need to be concerned about the new format.
> Cheers,
> Ken Lord
> BGC Engineering Inc
> Vancouver BC
>