The trouble with databases is that they could be more difficult to edit by hand than a xml file. Withoud a db involved the user would not have to learn sql to be able to modifiy a map definition directly.
[OT] In my app I use and XML to Java objects mapping tool called digester and then use Velocity templates to generate the map file: Velocity templates are also very intuitive and would enable users to mantain many different versions depending on mapserver version for instance. [/OT] Regards, Umberto On 12/15/05, Norman Barker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > -----Original Message----- > From: UMN MapServer Users List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Behalf Of Jeroen Ticheler > Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2005 11:19 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [UMN_MAPSERVER-USERS] Foundation and Mapserver MAP file > manag e tool > > > Fully support this! I'm also looking for a DTD/schema that can > produce valid Map files. > > MapServer may have to be modified in some parts to make sure it is > consistent throughout when running map services based on files > created by the schema. > > Also OGC specific parts have to be included in such schema to make > sure we can quickly generate valid map files with OGC WMS/WCS and WFS > support. > > I would like to use such such schema to create XSL transformations of > metadata (ISO19115) stored in GeoNetwork opensource to generate map > files for data producing OGC services (even on the fly). > > I would also use it to do XSL transformations of AXL documents I > export from ArcMap using the MXD2AXL I developed to create map files > straight out of ArcMap. > > Ciao, > Jeroen > > On 15 Dec 2005, at 00:01, Bob Basques wrote: > > > Steve, > > > > Ok, now we're talking, XML!! Yeah, I even have a body here I can > > put to work on something like this with some direction from the > > rest of the community. > > > ><snip> > > Hi, > > I have been using XML / XSL for a while to create map files for our services. > From my experience it is easier to use a database (hypersonic is very light) > or MySQL and then use the SQL extensions for stylesheets > (http://xml.apache.org/xalan-j/extensionslib.html) this broadens the > applications of this technology, e.g. you could have web app updating the > database, eclipse reading either the database or xml file or 'data objects'. > Whilst a schema enforces the correctness of an XML file, it doesn't support > the transactional features of a database, allowing you to rollback etc. > > XSL is definitely the way to go though (IMHO), it is easy to use and learn. > > Norman >
