MapScript with C#

[Sean Gillies]

Comments below ...

On May 17, 2005, at 9:16 AM, Mike Saunt wrote:

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> Hi All
>
> I thought I'd send out an exploratory email with regards to MapScript
> in C#=
> .=20
> I'm a developer in the UK and having come from a commercial mapping=20
> background mainly MapInfo with a bit of ESRI, Oracle etc thrown in. It
> is m=
> y=20
> first exploration into Open Source Mapping and once having a version=20
> compiled and running (with help from others on this list) I have found
> it=
> =20
> quite simple to set up and pass around from machine to machine i.e.
> No=20
> massive sets of overheads with COM registration etc just a few dll's.
>
> I have taken this step as I wanted to learn MapScript in an
> environment tha=
> t=20
> I am familiar with i.e. .NET. The only 'issue' comes down to the
> compilatio=
> n=20
> process and the building of SWIG interface. I have recieved some
> binaries=
> =20
> and source from different members of the group and this has been
> excellent=
> =20
> and has got me up and running.=20
>
> I was wondering if anyone has plans to compile windows binaries and
> SWIG=20
> Interfaces etc on a regular basis. If not then would anyone find it=20
> beneficial if these were done for them?
>

For C#?  Other than the dot net gis project, no, and I'm not sure of
the status there.  I haven't heard from them in a while.  Both Frank
Warmerdam and Howard Butler are distributing Python mapscript for
win32.  Frank's FWTools also includes GDAL/OGR, and OpenEV.  I believe
there are PHP binaries at maptools.org.

> My longer term plans are to develop on Linux with one of the flavours
> i.e.=
> =20
> Python, Perl or PHP but at present am not sure which will be best
> suited.
>
> Regarding the three environments PHP, Perl or Python I was wondering
> about=
> =20
> the following:
>
> Which environment is best supported with MapScript or are they all as
> good=
> =20
> as each other?=20
>
> Am I correct in assuming that PHP MapScript is different to that of
> Perl /=
> =20
> Python and therefore the SWIG C# version?
>
> Which environment best supports the creation of standard Web services
> (not=
> =20
> WMS / WMF but vanilla web services) ?
>

Unless you have an existing mod_perl powered web site into which you
must integrate mapping there is, frankly, no reason to go with the Perl
mapscript.  I apologize to all my Perl using friends and colleagues out
there, but that's just the way it is.  The Python mapscript is the most
robust, fully featured, and best supported of the SWIG mapscript
flavors.

Choosing between PHP and Python mapscript is mostly a matter of the
framework of your existing site, and a choice of which higher-level
frameworks you would like to use in the future.  If you go the PHP
route, you will be able to try out DM Solutions' Chameleon software (at
maptools.org) which has a lot of users, good support, lots of features.
  If you go with Python, you will be able to use the ZCO/PrimaGIS
solution for Zope and Plone (http://primagis.technocore.fi/).  Python
is also a much richer environment for GIS programming (GDAL/OGR,
Numeric, etc).

Vanilla web services?  Python has great XML tools, but the SOAP stuff
isn't very advanced -- mainly because SOAP (IMO) just isn't very
useful.  Here's a link:
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/webservices/library/ws-pyth5/.
Python's SOAP might be better now.  I don't know anything about PHP web
services, but I'm sure they have something.

> Are there many developers using MapServer and / or MapScript in the
> C#=20
> environment? What have the experiences been like?
>
> Are there many developers in the UK using MapServer and / or MapScript
> ?=20
> What have the experiences been like with large datasets such as
> Mastermap=
> =20
> etc?
>
> Apologies for the long email with so many questions but after having
> dipped=
> =20
> my toe in with MapServer I feel like jumping right in!
>
> Many Thanks in advance
> Mike

Hope this helps,
Sean

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