Re: [pmapper-users] Categories and groups

[Armin B. <arm...@gm...>]

> Thanks for claryfying, I was aware of some group support in pmapper, but > I tried several times to make it work without success, perhaps I don't 
> understand the logic behind it:
> 
> if I set useCategories = 0 and set appropriates groups, the name of the
> first 
> layer is used as the group name instead of the group name itself, 
> additionally, I loose the ability to switch on-off the individual layers
> (but 
> maybe this is how it is supposed to work).

yes, this is how it is supposed to work. It is similar to the behaviour in Mapserver CGI. Groups allow transparent (ie. invisible for the user) to logically group layers. Examples: switch from one layer to another at a certain scale, combine elements of different geometry types to be displayed together. They e.g. appear together in the legend or the query as 1 layer.  

> 
> What I would like to have is the useCategories behaviour without the need
> to 
> (manually) configure them but taking the configuration from the groups 
> defined in the mapfile (i.e. read categories from groups in the mapfile).
> 
> I know it can be done (and I know how to do it), the question is as usual:
> do 
> you think this feature could be added to pmapper as a third possibility to
> create the thematic groups in the toc (think about useCategories = [yes,
> no, 
> auto]), as usual I'm not asking you to write this, I could do that, but
> only 
> after having heard your opinion and suggestions.
> 

The reason why categories ere introduced in p.mapper a while ago was to support this kind of thematical grouping. If you do not need to use the Mapserver type groups then just use the pm categories. The definition in an external file makes it in  my opinion even easier to manage which layers belong together because you can better keep the overview. You also would have to manually define the groups in the map file.

I have for sure no intentions to change this behaviour. The whole mechanisms of groups/layers is built deep inside the source, also following Mapserver logic. Treating groups as categories when categories are not defined makes things just more confusing without any additional gain. And I would not like to mix Mapserver logic with p.mapper display.


> A problem I see is that I (we?) often need full i18n support in the toc,
> this 
> could be "easily" done with categories, but could be more tricky for
> groups 
> taken from mapfile.
> 

I don't see very much differences if you specify that in the map file or an external config. You anyway need to define all translations in the language files (or language DB).

Best regards

Armin

-- 
"Feel free" - 10 GB Mailbox, 100 FreeSMS/Monat ...
Jetzt GMX TopMail testen: http://www.gmx.net/de/go/topmail