Create new query type to return point/box lat/longs from map

[Trevor.Tracey-Patte@…]

We have modified the source code of MapServer to use a new query type (which we 
have called querygeom) that does not query the layers but returns the map data 
(ie maplat/lon, minlat/lon, maxlat/lon) to the WEB EMPTY template in the map 
file (regardless of whether any layers are selected or not). The point/box 
selected on the map is then passed to our database for processing via the EMPTY 
template.
We would like to have this functionality included in the source code for 
MapServer so that we do not have to add it each time we do an upgrade. This new 
query type provides added functionality and does not prevent the use of the 
standard query types (nquery, nquerybox).

[sdlime]

I'd need more information on what exactly this does and how you're using it to 
decide if it should be included. My initial thought is that this functionality 
already exists. For example, the EMPTY template now functions as a normal URL 
template and you can have normal tempate tags in it. Perhaps posting a patch 
and links to examples are a next step.

Steve

[Trevor.Tracey-Patte@…]

Steve

Hopefully this will clarify what we need. Our web pages consist of two frames - 
a query frame (text inputs) and the map frame. What we want is to select a 
point or box on the map and, regardless of whether or not any layers have been 
displayed, to return only the lat/long of the point (or the min/max lat/long 
for a box) selected on the map. We then use this positional information to 
query our database combined with search parameters from our query frame. If we 
use the standard query types of MapServer (nquery or nquerybox), the EMPTY 
template is only used if no data is found for the layers displayed. We want to 
use the map only as a display for layers and to use the 'query position' on the 
map to query our database using any user inputs from the text query frame.

I will contact you directly with some further information (eg screen dumps, 
code, etc).

Trevor

[Trevor.Tracey-Patte@…]

Steve

We found a way around this using the default MapServer querymodes and a dummy 
layer. Sorry about that and thanks for your time.

Trevor

[sdlime]

No problem, thanks for closing this out. I was just thinking I owed you an 
email...

Steve