a mapserver framework for flexibility

[Neil Best]

[ I encountered some of kind of glitch while trying to submit this 
through the web interface, that's why the empty item from me.  I wanted 
to include an old item that aligned  well with my agenda and that seemed 
like the obvious way, but I ended up doing it with good old cut and 
paste after all. ]

Eduardo, I found your note to mapserver-users while searching the 
archive for any sign that others have been down this path before.  That 
was some time ago and I'm not sure I can do a good job of finding other 
related threads since then, but what you describe sounds very similar to 
the task that I have recently taken on, to find a web mapping framework 
based on open source tools that maximizes leverage of existing code 
while providing extensibility, maintainability, and scalability.  This 
application will provide access to specific data subsets and analysis 
tools under a subscription model to a diverse group of users so by 
definition user profiles will drive the content and client-side tools 
presented by the application.  This entails far more than just slapping 
together some layers and putting a map on the web, plus it needs to 
happen *fast* so building a web site from scratch is not an option.  To 
these ends I will be evaluating a small set of packages after conducting 
a brief survey of Mapserver-based projects in general, including but not 
limited to:

Cartoweb     http://www.cartoweb.org/
Mapbender    http://www.mapbender.org/
PrimaGIS     http://www.primagis.fi/

I have been studying these projects in web space and have started 
evaluating them in user/admin space and have already begun to form my 
own opinions and impressions.  It would be great to hear from members of 
the community who have insight into these issues and learn from their 
experiences.  Maintainers and contributors to whichever framework(s) 
meet my basic needs while demonstrating that additional features can be 
developed rapidly and efficiently can expect to hear from me in the near 
future soliciting proposals for a range of services from client-side 
functionality to back-end integration and management of data services, 
development efforts that could and should make their way back to the 
code base of their respective projects.  If you are still reading then 
you must be interested, so drop me a line!  Whether on- or off-list is 
up to you, but any comments at all are welcome.  My employer is very 
serious about this so I earnestly hope that this will generate some 
traffic and enthusiasm.

Sincerely,

Neil Best <nbest at forestone.com>
Forest One, Inc.
http://www.forestone.com/


On Sun, 21 Aug 2005 21:45:11 -0300, Eduardo Patto Kanegae 
<lists at WEBMAPIT.COM.BR> wrote:

 >Hi folks,
 >
 >I'm currently looking for a MapServer *framework* to build MapScript
 >applications inside another application : MamboServer.
 >
 >Just to clarify, MamboServer ( www.mamboserver.com ) is a free CMS
 >software written in PHP and have a lot of great features.
 >
 >Now, we want to integrate MapServer inside Mambo as a mambo component.
 >
 >I was thinking to use Chameleon as preffered mapping framework, but is
 >my suggestion right?
 >
 >Can I  do it? Or chameleon can just work alone? I mean, can I use
 >Chameleon widgets to load MapFiles,
 >draw maps but inside another PHP application? ( because, we need to
 >validate user rights, etc...)
 >
 >another idea I was thinking about is to develop OGC maps, to be used
 >with desktop applications (JUMP,uDig,ArcGIS OGC,...)
 >and also a set of "mirror" maps  using NON-ogc access , to be used by
 >PHP/MapScript applications. I was thinking in doing
 >things this way to get some "speed" on web applications. But, is this
 >really necessary? Or OGC maps should be enough
 >to feed web MapServer clients and desktop clients?
 >
 >thanks in advance.
 >
 >best regards.
 >
 >--
 >Eduardo Patto Kanegae