[OpenLayers-Dev] WMSManager closer to beta version

[John R. Frank]

Hi Lorenzo,

> > an extensive list you could test against is available at
> > http://www.microimages.com/wmscatalog/request.cgi?
>
> an important issue I did not answered before to Ludwig: " I suggest that
> people can also type in their own WMS layer URL" This would be cool but
> there's a a major problem: I'm using the default OL proxy.cgi where you
> need to subscribe by hand all "allowed" servers. There's no clean way,
> actually, to add a user server on the fly to CGI internal list without
> creating a security hole. suggestions are welcome

Right now, a hardcoded list in the script is a simple way to restrict
fetches only to servers with OGC services, so miscreants cannot use the
server running the proxy to hide.

In principle, the proxy could be extended to parse every URL that gets
requested, construct a GetCapabilities request for the requested service,
and do that request first.  If it gets a valid GetCapabilities response,
then it would do the requested request.  Doing two requests every time
would be slow, so to speed it up, it could store state about which servers
have sent a valid GetCapabilities response in the past.

Perhaps some of the simpler backends in FeatureServer provide some
cut&paste material for making such a stateful proxy.


Another question for you:  now that Browser History support is on its way
(thanks Erik!), what do you think of making the WMS Manager allow a site
builder to click around constructing a set of layers, and then export it
as a string like what the Browser History support uses?

That string could then be pasted into a page or .js file for configuring a
(static) nicely configured LayerSelector.  Instead of manually
constructing the JavaScript for a complex list of Layers, the WMS Manager
would generate it.  This would make the WMS Manager the power user's tool
and also the creator of polished LayerSelectors.  Perhaps you have already
thought of this.


Yours,
John