no. of layers in A map file

[Gregor Mosheh]

> Is the numbers of layers in ONE map file affected to the SPEED of showing
> the map on the template?

Oh, you betcha. The more layers Mapserver has to render, the longer it'll
take, especially if a few of the layers are slow, e.g. large rasters or
remote WMS. I find it useful to have the opening map view use fairly
barren: just a raster map and the state outlines, or just a few large
cities, then let the user turn on layers as needed.

If you're asking about the layers in the mapfile, even if they're turned
off, then the answer is still yes, once you get past "reasonable" limits.
Mapserver does have to parse the mapfile, so if you're pushing that
128-layer limit, you may find it taking an extra second or three before it
can even start on the data.

Hope that helps!