[MAPSERVER-USERS] MapFile2XML conversion - WAS: mapObject serialization in C# (variant)

[Bob Basques]

All,
 
We've been pondering some sort of alternative to the Mapfiles for a few years now.  A preferable approach would be something that could be stored in a DB in some fashion for querying/assembly processes.  It seems on the surface like a DB schema could be developed to handle the MapFile storage aspects.
 
A first step would be in how to best approach moving into an XML way of life for the MapFiles.  Would it make any sense in the beginning to just build a MapFile2XML convertor (I would imagine this would be needed before anyone would sign up for XML) and once something like this is a state close to production, the innards of MapServer would then be made to parse the XML directly?  
 
Another approach might be to do something like MapFile2SQL first, and then the MapFile2XML.  This might save some time and seem like it would make standardization easier, since it would need to be inside of the DB fist.
 
Has anyone tried putting together any requirements list along these lines at all?  Is it going to be something where we just need to jump in and build something even if it might be a wrong approach to begin with?
 
This thread just got me thinking is all . . .you know how dangerous that can be . . . :c)
 
bobb
 


>>> "Tamas Szekeres" <szekerest at gmail.com> wrote:
Hi,

MapServer currently doesn`t support any other persitence
representation than the mapfiles. There have been some initial plans
related to an XML format in this list, but no one had any motivation
to implement that.
So I think the best what you can do at the moment is to use reflection
to access the properties along with some other members of the objects
and serialize the values manually.

Best regards,

Tamas


2008/6/9 BrainDrain <paulborodaev at gmail.com>:
>
> Is there any 'standart' fast(!) way/method to serialize (xml/json/other
> markup) mapObj in C#? I need it for using server mapObj as JSON on rich
> client app running on browser. Look at my method (using reflection):
>
> public static ListDictionary PartialSerialize(object instance, Stack
> callerTypes, Type[] excludeTypes)
>        {
>            ListDictionary result = new ListDictionary();
>            object val;
>
>            callerTypes.Push(instance.GetType());
>            PropertyInfo[] pis = instance.GetType().GetProperties();
>            foreach (PropertyInfo pi in pis)
>            {
>                if (pi.PropertyType.IsSerializable &&
> !pi.PropertyType.IsArray)
>                    result[pi.Name] = pi.GetValue(instance, new object[0]);
>                else
>                {
>                    //preventing useless nesting
>                    if (!callerTypes.Contains(pi.PropertyType) &&
> !((IList)excludeTypes).Contains(pi.PropertyType))
>                    {
>                        val = pi.GetValue(instance, new object[0]);
>                        if (val != null)
>                            result[pi.Name] = PartialSerialize(val,
> callerTypes, excludeTypes);
>                    }
>                }
>            }
>            callerTypes.Pop();
>            return result;
>        }
> ...
> So I can convert mapObj on serever to hashtable automatically an then
> populate JSON object
> (still need to call explicitly getLayer, getClass etc., but this is not a
> problem):
> ...
> layers[i].Properties = Tools.PartialSerialize(layer, new Stack(), new
> Type[3] { typeof(mapObj), typeof(hashTableObj), typeof(colorObj)});
> ...
> classes[j].Properties = Tools.PartialSerialize(layerClass, new Stack(), new
> Type[4] { typeof(layerObj), typeof(labelObj), typeof(hashTableObj),
> typeof(colorObj)});
> ...
> styles[k].Properties = Tools.PartialSerialize(classStyle, new Stack(), new
> Type[2]{typeof(hashTableObj), typeof(colorObj)});
> ...
> mapStub.Properties = Tools.PartialSerialize(map, new Stack(), new Type[11] {
> typeof(labelObj), typeof(hashTableObj), typeof(fontSetObj),
> typeof(labelCacheObj), typeof(outputFormatObj[]), typeof(queryMapObj),
> typeof(referenceMapObj), typeof(scalebarObj), typeof(symbolSetObj),
> typeof(colorObj), typeof(legendObj)});
> ...
> JavaScriptSerializer class object allows to perform convertion to client
> More often I use script method in my web service that can do it behind the
> scenes.
>
> How do you do such kind of operation?
> --
> View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/mapObject-serialization-in-C--%28variant%29-tp17739919p17739919.html 
> Sent from the Mapserver - User mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
>
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