[Mapserver-west] Crytozoology non-profit seeking advise

[Paul Ramsey]

I tend to lean with Mark, particularly if the number of observations  
is relatively sparse at this point: use a mapping API like google  
maps to start with, and do something  more custom only if you need  
to... the architecture would be something like:

- Data form for collection which feeds into a
- PostGIS database which has a
- PHP/Whatever script to pull out points and return an XML document
- GoogleMaps API / javascript / dom to parse the XML and turn it into  
placemarks

See: <http://www.refractions.net/white_papers/mashups/> for an  
example of simple code for doing some of these things.

P

On 11-Oct-06, at 7:36 AM, Tyler Mitchell wrote:

>
> On 10-Oct-06, at 9:06 PM, Fred wrote:
>> BACKGROUND: We have a bunch of volunteer investigators who input  
>> sighting information into our web based database, we get about 50  
>> reports/month. The info includes gps coordinates and date/time of  
>> each sighting. We want to plot that data colorcoded based on the  
>> date/time onto a map of the pacific northwest in order to reveal  
>> migration patterns (if they exist at all). Of course we have  
>> already done the analysis on existing data, but would like to  
>> automate the process for all of the forthcoming data. We would  
>> like to present the results via the web in the form of a map.
>> ...
>> QUESTIONS:
>>
>> Is it possible to implement this using all open source software?
>
> Hi Fred, sounds interesting for sure.
> This is definitely possible.
>
>> What software would you use?
>
> I would base the system on MapServer and the PostGIS extension to  
> PostgreSQL database.  To keep it as simple as possible (maybe too  
> simple) - you can create a web-based form for capturing the  
> coordinate and date and save it into PostGIS....
>
>> Is an expert required to generate the data maps or can they be  
>> generated on the fly by the server?
>
> ... then MapServer can re-request data on-the-fly from the table in  
> PostGIS.  Once you have a basic install of MapServer up and  
> running, you can create a simple web map using some background map  
> layers accessible over the web (or do you have your own map data  
> you want to use?).
>
> To simplify this approach further you can use almost any database  
> you are comfortable with, even something that is non-spatial, like  
> SQLite (easy to maintain) or a text file.  As long as you have a  
> web interface to add data to the format, you can likely get  
> MapServer (or any other web map server, including MapGuide) to read  
> from it without a lot of work.
>
> Hope this helps, fire off more questions as you have them.  I'm  
> still wondering if Sasquatch makes his home in Lillooet BC :)
>
> Tyler
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