New proposal draft: Service_Geo

I've prepared an intital draft of a web service package providing standards-based mapping functionality and invite comments. Service_Geo is built on the existing PEAR package Image_GIS, which provides parsing of geographic data files and rendering of the results. Service_Geo (partially!) implements the Web Map Service standard for online map serving as defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). As the package develops, I plan to add support for the OGC Web Feature Service standard as well, which is for serving of geographic datasets (in an XML encoding called Geography Markup Language). Service_Geo Features include: - Generates XML Capabilities document specifying available data layers. - Handles requests for: - specific layers (e.g., 'roads,parks'), - given map extents (i.e., minimum and maximum x and y coordinates). - Evaluates requests, generating XML exception documents (error messages) if requests are invalid or misformed. - Handles negotiation with clients to find a mutually- supported version. I have communicated with Image_GIS authors and they suggested that Web Map Service support be structured as a separate package rather than as part of Image_GIS. Prior to starting the formal PEAR proposal process, I'd appreciate any critiques, suggestions, requests, or tips! I would also welcome any developers interested in contributing to this project. Thanks to Jan Jonas and Justin Patrin who helped me get class and subclass references working through this list! Background information on Service_Geo: http://gworks.ca/site/?q=taxonomy/page/or/39 User documentation: http://gworks.ca/site/?q=node/view/292 and developer documentation: http://gworks.ca/site/Service_Geo_Doc Package download: http://gworks.ca/site/downloads/Service_Geo.tgz A draft site running Service_Geo as a map server: http://www.gworks.ca/greenmap/ (Click on the "Launch Map!" button to open the mapping application.) Note that this demo uses a modified version of Image_GIS that features proposed enhancements: support for point and polygon rendering and additional data formats(other web map services, database sources with OGC "well-known text" geometries). Thanks, Nedjo Rogers Lerning Technologies Developer GroundWorks Learning Centre Victoria, BC, Canada nedjo@gworks.ca