How-tos

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Step-by-step instructions.

How-tos may also include attached files and images.

CGI

FastCGI and MapServer: Beginning with MapServer 4.4, FastCGI support is available. This document describes how to take advantage of it.
HTML Legends: This document describes the procedures for implementing an HTML legend in MapServer applications.
A Simple CGI Wrapper Script: This document presents a simple shell script that can be used to "wrap" the MapServer CGI, in order to avoid having to specify the 'map' parameter (or any other chosen parameters) in your MapServer URLs.

Compiling

Build notes for RedHat 9 and MapServer: Build notes for installing MapServer 4 on a new installation of RedHat 9.
Debian woody/sarge Installation: This is a step-to-step manual written while installing mapserver on debian woody (and later on Deb. sarge) explaining how-to get this running.
FreeBSD 5.4. Installation: This is a step-to-step install-howto for MapServer on a freeBSD system.
IIS Setup for MapServer/Chameleon/PhpPgAdmin: Some help on how to set up MapServer/Chameleon/PhpPgAdmin on Microsoft IIS (v5.0). Contains note on changes to the php.ini file and necessary changes to the MapServer mapfiles. Please contribute or make changes as required.
PHP/Mapscript Installation: Describes the procedures for obtaining, compiling and installing the PHP/Mapscript Module for MapServer.
Suse Linux 9.1/9.2 Installation: This is a step-to-step manual written while installing MapServer on Suse 9.1/9.2 explaining how-to get this running. Also applies to v9.3.
Unix Compilation and Installation: Compiling MapServer on Unix is relatively straight-forward and this is the document you should follow to do so.
Verbose Linux Installation: This document describes the installation of MapServer on a Linux distribution with installation and configuration instructions for all related software. It assumes only a rudimentary understanding of Linux.
Win32 Compilation and Installation: This document provides a simple set of compilation procedures for MapServer on Win32 platforms.
Building and using Java Mapscript: Many people ask questions about Java Mapscript on mapserver-users. This is an attempt to record my answers to them, my impressions on mapserver and Java Mapscript. Most of this is LINUX specific, but some is general.
Mapserver webgis compilation and installation on SuSE 10: This short note explain step-by-step how to configure, build and install mapserver 4.6 on SuSE 10 Linux distribution
HowTo build UMN on Ubuntu DapperDrake within a few minutes: Installation of "GIS-system" UbuntuGIS Benjamin Thelen & Lars-Hendrik Schneider
Oracle (Spatial7locator) and UMN configuration for oraclespatial-connect: This HowTo explains the whole configuraion needed to get the connect between mapserver-cgi and an oracle database server on a linux (Ubuntu) box. The aim of this document is just toput a lot of googled knowledge in ONE place. Hopefully it will preserve many of people spending analog amount of time than I did!
Building mapserver its main dependencies from scratches under Linux: This is just a small script to download, configure and build mapserver and its main dependencies from sources under Linux. This HowTo assumes a basic knowledge of bash commands and the ability to edit the scripts itself and change a few configuration prameters.
Installing MapServer 4.10 on FreeBSD 6.2: This steps through installing Mapserver 4.10.1 on a new installation of FreeBSD 6.2. It requires some understanding of FreeBSD and UNIX, but not much. It also includes support for PostGIS 1.2.1 and php_mapscript. I was doing this after about 2 days of fiddling with FreeBSD, so believe me, I didn't know much about what I was doing, so this explanation might be tediously verbose! Mostly, the ports system is used, but I found that problems with the ports system building dependencies can be overcome by going in and building the dependency yourself first. It is likely to become out-of-date quite quickly, so please let me know if something has changed. (or better, fix it)

Data Access

Debian sarge ODBC Connect to MySQL database: Step by step instructions on getting x/y data out of a MySQL database on a Debian sarge system.
OGR in MapServer: This document describes the procedures for using OGR vector data sources within MapServer applications.
OGR Direct Connection to MySQL: Step by step instructions on getting x/y data out of a MySQL database
Raster Data Access: This document describes the procedures for using raster data within MapServer applications.
Using Oracle Spatial Data with MapServer: The powers of Mapserver and Oracle Spatial can be combined in two ways, using native Mapserver Oracle Spatial support through OCI (Oracle Call Interface), or using OGR to connect to Oracle Spatial data.
vi/Vim Mapfile Syntax File Instructions: A brief guide to implement the vi/Vim syntax file for mapfiles on Suse 9.0. Other Linux distributions should work in a similar way.
Vim Folding Rules for MapServer Mapfiles: Make mapfiles easier to work with in Vim, by folding LAYER, CLASS, STYLE, etc. sections out of the way when you're not editing them.
Oracle (Spatial7locator) and UMN configuration for oraclespatial-connect: This HowTo explains the whole configuraion needed to get the connect between mapserver-cgi and an oracle database server on a linux (Ubuntu) box. The aim of this document is just toput a lot of googled knowledge in ONE place. Hopefully it will preserve many of people spending analog amount of time than I did!
Using PHP-Mapscript and msCross interface: Step by step explanation to get msCross javascript interface working in conjunction with PHP-Mapscript
Optimizing vector data sources: Some tips and ideas for optimizing the performance of vector data sources.
Optimizing raster data sources: Some tips and tricks for getting raster data layers to display more quickly.
Tileindexes: On the fly mosaics for ease and performance: An introduction to tileindexes, Mapserver's method for doing on-the-fly mosaicing.

General

Bug Submission: Information about how to submit a bug for review.
Construction of Cartographic Symbols: Learn how to develop advanced symbology in MapServer.
Expressions in MapServer: This document outlines how MapServer expressions can be used for class and layer filters. The syntax is explained and also what's going on in the background to help you find the most performant expression for your purpose.
jBox: This document describes the procedures for obtaining, installing, and incorporating the jBox Java applet into MapServer web pages. (jBox was formerly called "Mapplet".) jBox is compatible with Mapserver versions 3.x and 4.x.
PDF Output: Details on making MapServer output to PDF format.
Run-time Substitution: This HOWTO details run-time substitutions for CGI-based MapServer.
Imagemap Creation with MapServer: Examples of how to utilize shpxy and queries to output imagemaps from both point and polygon layers.
Map File Tuning: Considerations and steps that you can take to tweak your map file to improve performance.
Create Anti-Aliased Vector Layers: MapServer versions 4.10 and later provides antialias support for vector lines and polygons. This how-to provides a few examples.
Dynamic Charting: This document presents the dynamic charting capabilities, namely pie and bar graphs, that were added in mapserver 5.0
AGG Rendering Specifics: Mapserver 5.0 will be released with a new rendering backend. This howto details the changes and new functionality that this adds to map creation.

MapScript

MapScript and Imagery: Writing and reading map and symbol imagery with mapscript
JavaMapscript on Tomcat 5.5: This how-to explains how to setup JavaMapscript on Apache Tomcat 5.5.x
Map Configuration with MapScript: Manipulating the arbitrarily numbered map configuration elements with MapScript.
Perl Examples: How to utilize MapScript in Perl.
PHP/Mapscript By Example: Step by step explanations of basic working examples of PHP/Mapscript.
PHP/Mapscript Installation: Describes the procedures for obtaining, compiling and installing the PHP/Mapscript Module for MapServer.
Python Examples: Examples of how to use Python MapScript
Querying in MapScript: How to query with MapScript
Building and using Java Mapscript: Many people ask questions about Java Mapscript on mapserver-users. This is an attempt to record my answers to them, my impressions on mapserver and Java Mapscript. Most of this is LINUX specific, but some is general.
MapScript C# compilation: The C# MapScript interface provides a feasible way to utilize the features of MapServer in your application targeting the .NET framework. This interface provides the proper .NET classes for your application so as to invoke the interface functions of mapscript.dll. This documentation applies to the develompent on the Win32 platform using the Microsoft .NET framework 1.1, 2.0 and MONO, and to Linux/OSX using MONO. The following description contains the most important instructions for the compilation using Visual Studio .NET 2003 2005 C/C# compilers and for the gcc/mcs combination on LINUX/OSX respectively.
MapScript wrappers for WxS Services: Describes how mapscript can be used to wrap MapServer WxS services such as WMS, WFS and WCS.
Coldfusion API and How-to: Coldfusion users are able to access the Mapscript API via the SWIG / Java API and the mapscript.cfc component. The CFC makes it easier than programming to the Java API directly by taking some of the API common functions and building them into an easier Coldfusion API New version 1.47. Now with an example.
Installing MapServer 4.10 on FreeBSD 6.2: This steps through installing Mapserver 4.10.1 on a new installation of FreeBSD 6.2. It requires some understanding of FreeBSD and UNIX, but not much. It also includes support for PostGIS 1.2.1 and php_mapscript. I was doing this after about 2 days of fiddling with FreeBSD, so believe me, I didn't know much about what I was doing, so this explanation might be tediously verbose! Mostly, the ports system is used, but I found that problems with the ports system building dependencies can be overcome by going in and building the dependency yourself first. It is likely to become out-of-date quite quickly, so please let me know if something has changed. (or better, fix it)
Using PHP-Mapscript and msCross interface: Step by step explanation to get msCross javascript interface working in conjunction with PHP-Mapscript

OGC

Filter Encoding (FE): This document describes the procedures for taking advantage of the Filter Encoding (FE) support in WFS GetFeature requests.
Map Context: This document describes the procedures for the creation of a map context document with MapServer.
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG): This document describes the procedures for implementing W3C compliant Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) through the use of MapServer v4.5 (and later).
Sensor Observation Service (SOS): This document describes the procedures for the use of SOS support in MapServer.
Styled Layer Descriptors (SLD): This document describes the procedures for taking advantage of the Styled Layer Descriptor (SLD) support in MapServer.
WCS Servers with MapServer: This document explains how to configure MapServer to serve data through the OGC WCS interface.
WCS Server Use Cases: Explains how to use MapServer WCS with Modis, Landsat, DEM and NetCDF data.
WFS Clients with MapServer: This document explains how to configure MapServer to retrieve data from a WFS server.
WFS Servers with MapServer: This document explains how to configure MapServer to serve data through the OGC WFS interface.
WMS Clients with MapServer: This document describes the procedures for using MapServer's WMS connection type to include layers from remote WMS servers in MapServer applications.
WMS Servers with MapServer: This document describes the procedures for setting up an OGC compliant Web Map Server (WMS) through the use of MapServer v3.5 (and later).
WMS Time Support: This document describes the procedures for enabling WMS time support in MapServer v4.4 (and later).

Symbology Exchange

The Symbology Exchange: Share and enjoy symbolsets and URLs to cartographic icons. Would you like Google-esque streets, or to find an airplane logo that doesn't have white crud around it? Do you have a better railroad track than anyone else?
The Symbology Exchange: Vector Symbols: Welcome to The Symbology Exchange. This section is for vector symbols. Post your cool symbols here. We hope you find something useful.
The Symbology Exchange: Pixmap (Image) Symbols: Welcome to The Symbology Exchange. This section is for pixmap (image) symbols. Post your cool image symbols, or links to sets of them, here. We hope you find something useful.
The Symbology Exchange: TrueType Font (TTF) Symbols: Welcome to The Symbology Exchange. This section is for TrueType Font (TTF) symbols. Post your font files, or links thereto, here. We hope you find something useful.

by Howard Butler — last modified 2007-08-09 13:17

UMN MapServer

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