INCLUDES only gets you part way. I've played around with the psuedo includes using awk and the C preprocessor but end up frustrated. Not because the don't work but because there are so many little exceptions to the configuration from application.
Steve >>> Norman Vine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 12/14/05 10:14 AM >>> Jeff McKenna writes: > > I hear ya Bart, it's so needed. I for one think such a tool is very > useful (whenever we travel internationally it's MapLab that we're known > for it seems), and a few of us continue to help support MapLab users for > that reason. But something is definitely needed. Which is exactly why some of us have been begging for the INCLUDE directive in mapfiles :-) Cheers Norman > Steve Lime wrote: ... > > I too think it necessary, but I'm not envisioning a web-based tool. > > I'd love to see a map portfolio management tool developed. Something > > to manage common sets of configuration elements. At the DNR we have > > 20+ applications of various levels of complexity and in each one of > > them we have a lakes layer, always drawn the same. It would be cool > > if you could define a lakes layer "template" that would contain base > > info like color, datasource and such and then could develop > > "instances" of that template for specific applications. Each instance > > might have be a bit different but would draw upon the same template. > > Change the template and all the instances change, change an instance > > and the template (and other apps) are untouched. The management > > application would allow you to drag instances of a template into a > > new configuration (or create new ones). Perhaps this could be done > > via the web. I was also thinking about the possibilty of using > > Eclipse to build a MapServer IDE. Just some thoughts... > > > > Steve > > > > > >>>> Frank Warmerdam <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 12/14/05 8:43 AM >>> > > > > On 12/14/05, Eijnden, B. van den (Bart) > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > >> Hi list, > >> > >> still one of the things really missing around Mapserver is a good > >> universal web-based visual management tool for MAP files, which can > >> export/deploy MAP files as well as import existing MAP files. > >> > >> Are there plans within the Foundation to address this? > > > > > > Bart, > > > > There aren't any specific plans for the foundation to pursue > > technical developments like this. In fact, there is some question to > > what extent the foundation itself out to be driving or sponsoring > > software development. So in that realm things are "to be > > determined". > > > > In any event, there are several web based interfaces to mapfiles > > already in existance, such as the MapLab from maptools.org. I'm not > > convinced that any of them are "universal" or even all that great but > > then I haven't done any in depth investigation. > > > > I'm not really sure how practical and useful such a tool would be. > > And to some extent building such a thing would be stepping on the > > toes of a number of existing projects - something that should not be > > done lightly by the foundation. > > > > Best regards, > > > -- > Jeff McKenna > DM Solutions Group Inc. > http://www.dmsolutions.ca >
