Mapfile WMS connection string parsing problem for layer names with dots/periods (".")

[Havard Tveite]

I am experiencing problems with a WMS connections where
layer names contain dots/periods (".").
Whenever a layer name with a "." appears in the "LAYERS"
parameter of the WMS connection string, mapserver has
trouble parsing the connection string.

 From the Mapserver log (connect string is: "http://wms.server.org/wms_test?VERSION=1.1.1&SERVICE=WMS&REQUEST=GetMap&TEST.TEST&STYLES=&FORMAT=image/png"):
msOWSParseVersionString(): WMS server error. Invalid version (1.1.1&SERVICE=WMS&REQUEST=GetMap&TEST.TEST&STYLES=&FORMAT=image/png). OWS version must be in the format 'x.y' or 'x.y.z' <br>

If I remove the "." no parsing errors occur.

Are periods/dots (".") allowed in WMS Layer Name?
If so, is this a bug?

-- 
Håvard Tveite
Department of Mathematical Sciences and Technology, UMB
Drøbakveien 14, POBox 5003, N-1432 Ås, NORWAY
Phone: +47 64965483 Fax: +47 64965401 http://www.umb.no/imt