Implementing Mapserver and AJAX (Need info and advice)

[Gregor Mosheh]

> AJAX style functionality (like Google Maps, with smooth panning and zoom
> etc).
> I was looking for advice on what it the best way of going about this, the
> two products I have come across are ka-map and msCross.

I've been disappointed with ka-Map, but have been very excited and pleased
with OpenLayers (www.openlayers.org) It involves setting up your mapfile
to act as a WMS server, then using OpenLayers to read from that WMS. Once
you get it working, check out TileCache for an extra bit of complexity and
performance.


> The final step in the process that I want to achieve is to either:
> 1) Import Google Maps layers into mapserver to use as a base then overlay
> my custom maps
> or
> 2) Use Google Maps to import mapserver as a custom overlay.

#2 is definitely easy to achieve. Set up your mapfile for WMS, then do a
Google for "using wms in google maps" and you'll see how to overlay youor
WMS into it.

#1, I've heard (grain of salt, anyone?) that that's a violation of
Google's terms of use and that they keep sabotaging efforts to do that.
Perhaps somebody's heard otherwise or something has changed.


At any rate, going with OpenLayers instead of Google Maps would get around
some concerns you may have about your content, e.g. Google's terms of use,
the map not being 100% freely public, the content of the map, or plain old
caprice on Google's part.