[Geotools-gt2-users] GeoServer and Features (WFS)

[malesch <ma...@gm...>]

Unfortunately, I am beginner with GIS, WMS and WFS...

So far I realized that what I want to do is to get a map from
a WMS and put my features on it. For this normally the
functionality of a WFS would be appropriate. However, I am
not sure if a WFS (such as the geoserver can be), as I understand
it,  fits my needs... The reason is that he features I want to display
are dynamic and very "specific" (meaning for example, feature
selected out of a specified time range and from objects with certain,
user defined, properties).

Can a WFS provide this flexibility for selecting feature data?

What I would find convenient would be to use e.g. geotools to get
my map from a performant WMS (geoserver), and use the geotools libraries
to read features from PostGIS (where I have stored e.g. my location
points in a geometry column) and overlay them (like I have seen it
done in the geotools Spearfish demo) "by hand"...

Is this the wrong way to this? Can I create a MapContext in geotools by
accessing another WMS?

This approach would give me good control of how features are selected
from the database (filters) and also a flexible way bringing into the map
(e.g. color encoded display of features).

Thanks for any help!
malesch