ability to use symbols stored on the web and accessed through http

[assefa]

Right now only local symbols can be accessed. But in some cases it is desirable to be able to access symbols stored else where. Immediate case uses:

• ogr auto styling with kml files (symbol icons are defined using a url in the kml)
• ability to do the same with sld files where external symbols are defined using a url)

[assefa]

Change is strait forward through the msAddImageSymbol function. Performance and caching might be an issue. What I have done for now is to use the url as a file name and only download the file if not found locally. I have tested it with kml file that has a iconstyle and MapServer layer setup with autostyling.

[assefa]

committed in r10903.

[assefa]

If is is worth mentioning in the docs:

• a symbol can now refer to a symbol file stored on the web using ​http://.../my_symbol.png. This symbol will be downloaded and stored into the temporary directory and be used by MapServer. The file name used to save the file locally is the url. MapServer will always check the temporary directory for a copy of the file before downloading a symbol.

[havatv]

I can try to document it, but where can it be used?

Only for STYLE-> SYMBOL (and CLASS-> SYMBOL)? Or also for SYMBOL-> IMAGE?

[havatv]

Documentation of the use of URL for symbols was added to the style document in 6.0 and trunk in r12729. I close the ticket. Please reopen if it needs to be documented elsewhere too (and specify where!).