[mapserver-users] Another dynamic WMS server and WMC question - dynamic Name anyone?

[myOpenLayersUName]

Just looking for ideas regarding another dynamic WMS and WMC question ...

As described in other posts about this project I am working on, we have a
process that dynamically generates Shapefiles and then, using a "blank" Map
file acting as a WMS server, we do GetMap requests that include the DATA
path to the new file to add the individual vector layers to a single image. 

We have another "blank" Map file that we use to print these layers. For this
we pass a WMC context that defines all the layers that should be included. 

While I hope that background explanation is good enough for the purposes of
this post, if it is not, a more detailed description of this process
(including examples) can be found
at:http://osgeo-org.1803224.n2.nabble.com/mode-map-with-WMC-of-dynamic-lt-Layer-gt-failing-with-getString-error-td5824774.html#a5831237

Now, my problem...
The "blank" WMS server Map file has 3 layers in it: a point, a line and a
polygon. Each have their own unique name: "Point", "Line", "Polygon". When
we add a dynamic vector/WMS layer individually, the WMS GetMap request uses
that name to indicate which layer provides the basic configuration. When
that layer is added to the WMC for printing, that name is used as the value
of the Layer's Name entity in the LayerList to indicate which Map file layer
to use. All this is fine unless there are more than one of the same type of
layer added to the WMC. At that time, there are multiple LayerList Layers
with the same Name value (say, "Line") in the WMC. 

So, my question is this...
Is there any way of dynamically assigning a name to a layer in the mapfile.
I really can't imagine that there is but am wondering if there's some way of
using something like the DATAPATTERN for a layer where, say, as long as the
format of characters match it will use that layer. Something like:

  LAYER
    NAME "line"
    
    NAMEFORMAT "Line*"
    
    STATUS ON
    TYPE line
    PROJECTION
      "init=epsg:42304"
    END
    CLASS
      COLOR 0 0 0
      NAME "Some Line Layer"
    END
    METADATA
      "wms_title" "Some Line Layer"
    END
  END 


So that if I made a request as below it would resolve to figuring out what
the correct layer to use is but still allow that unique name to be used to
reference it:

http://localhost/cgi-bin/mapserv.exe?map=/ms4w/apps/testing/dynamic.map&request=getMap&service=wms&version=1.1.1&map.layer[LineOfRoads]=DATA
‘id3/vector’
END&layers=LineOfRoads&srs=EPSG:42304&bbox=-2338951,-800000,3008692,3900000&format=image/png&height=300&width=300 



I don't really expect that it would actually work like this...the amount of
time necessary for processing and resolving requests would be prohibitive.
I'm just trying to suggest something that might convey what we're trying to
accomplish in the hopes of causing some creative juices to spill out there
and asking if anyone knows of any way (even an obscure one) that will allow
us to get unique Name values into the printing WMC. 

Cheers,
jtm

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