getfeatureinfo and feature_count order

[Howard Mark]

I have a project where I need to limit the number of features returned by getfeatureinfo. I want the set of features returned to be selected by attribute precedence - e.g. most recent, highest score..... The data is in shapefile format with a shptree index. The data is in no particular order. I assume that the getfeatureinfo routine just traverses the index file and stops at record n where n=feature_count. I also assume that the index file is in the same order as the source shapefile; and that one way to get what I want is to build the shapefile in the correct order. So I have four questions:
1. Are my assumptions correct?
2. Is there a way to specify the order of retrieval in the map file- or another simple way with the configuration or URL string?
3. Failing that - is there a way to build an index ordered by feature attribute(s)?
4. Failing that is there a way to re-order a shapefile by feature attributes(s)?
Unfortunately the shapefile is dynamic - we get a new one daily.
TIA for any help!!!!
Mark


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