[mapserver-users] MapServer 6.0.0-beta1 release - Please test!

[Daniel Morissette]

The MapServer Team is pleased to announce the release of MapServer 
6.0.0-beta1. This is the first beta on our way to a final 6.0 release.

This new release introduces important changes in key components of the 
MapServer core (rendering, query and expressions), and for this reason 
we count on you, MapServer power users, to help test the release in your 
respective environments and provide feedback (through the users list or 
Trac tickets).

The timing and feedback for this first beta is very important since it 
comes one week before the Montreal Code Sprint where about a dozen 
participants will be working specifically on MapServer and will have a 
chance to tackle important 6.0 issues that may be found and reported.

Here is a quick list of RFCs documenting some of the new features or 
important changes in 6.0. This list is not complete, we will update it 
as we polish the release documentation:

Core Changes in MapServer 6.0 which could affect existing applications:

* MS RFC 54: Rendering Interface API
* MS RFC 64: MapServer Expression Parser Overhaul
* MS RFC 65: Single-pass Query Changes for 6.0

New Features and Enhancements in MapServer 6.0:

* MS RFC 58: Kml Output
* MS RFC 60: Labeling enhancement: ability to skip ANGLE FOLLOW labels 
with too much character overlap
* MS RFC 61: Enhance MapServer Feature Style Support
* MS RFC 62: Support Additional WFS GetFeature Output Formats
* MS RFC 63: Built-in OpenLayers map viewer
* MS RFC 66: Better handling of temporary files
* MS RFC 67: Enable/Disable Layers in OGC Web Services
* MS RFC 68: Support for combining features from multiple layers
* MS RFC 69: Support for clustering of features in point layers

(RFCs are available online at http://mapserver.org/development/rfc/)

As usual there an a large number of additional small enhancements and 
bug fixes. For a complete list see the HISTORY.TXT file at:

   http://svn.osgeo.org/mapserver/tags/rel-6-0-0-beta1/mapserver/HISTORY.TXT

We have started working on a 5.6 -> 6.0 migration guide. This document 
contains important notes on backwards incompatibilities or other changes 
required when upgrading to 6.0. It is not complete yet but we strongly 
recommend that you review the latest version online at:

http://trac.osgeo.org/mapserver/browser/trunk/mapserver/MIGRATION_GUIDE.TXT

The source for this release can be downloaded at:

     http://mapserver.org/download.html
or
     http://download.osgeo.org/mapserver/mapserver-6.0.0-beta1.tar.gz

The binary distributions listed in the download page should be updated
with binaries for the new 6.0.0-beta1 release in the next day or so.


This is the first of four planned beta releases and if all goes well a 
final release should occur around the end of April. The full release 
plan can be viewed at:

   http://trac.osgeo.org/mapserver/wiki/60ReleasePlan

Once again we need your help to ensure a high quality product, 
especially for this beta due to its timing with next week's Code Sprint, 
so please help out by testing your applications with this new code base.

Thanks! - The MapServer Team