Build your First GIS Application Step:-1 ( Cont...)

To build your MapServer appication you need to download it
Mapserver is available in different flavors for different platforms
you cam download source code or pre-compiled binaries for your operating system
this is avialble form
OSGEO
MapTools
FGS

maptools.org provides a stand-alone environment that includes Apache http server, MapServer, and PHP MapScript.


Compilation instructions are available for Unix/Linux and Windows, with additional Build Notes for RedHat. Refractions Research Inc also maintains a set of Linux RPMs. If you are on the Windows platform, compilation can be quite challenging, for your first application, it is recommended that you utilize pre-compiled Windows binaries.

Once MapServer is installed, there are two ways that you can test it. First, at the command line, type 'mapserv -v', you should see a message describing your MapServer install, something like:

MapServer version 4.8.0-beta2 OUTPUT=GIF OUTPUT=PNG
OUTPUT=JPEG OUTPUT=WBMP SUPPORTS=PROJ SUPPORTS=FREETYPE
SUPPORTS=WMS_SERVER INPUT=SHAPEFILE DEBUG=MSDEBUG

You can also send a HTTP request directly to the MapServer CGI program without passing any configuration variables (e.g. http://your.domain.name/cgi-bin/ms4/mapserv.exe). If you receive the message, 'No query information to decode. QUERY_STRING not set.', your installation is working.

Start your GIS Application

I discussed about different GIS application available in the market.
We can build our own application depending up on our own choice of interest.
If you start an application from scratch in C#, it will be a basic GIS application and advanced GDI+ programming…
Considering a proverb “Don’t reinvent the Wheel” I will start with how to build the application using Java, C# and Mapserver
Before Going How to build The application i will start with Map server. considering the readers have basic idea about Java, or C# ( One can use the language of their own choice if they are using Visual Studio( Should be suppoeted by CLR).
MapServer
Details already posted in the blog.. but i want to go in depth.. like how to configure .. how to install al all stuff

I will start with Software Requirements
You need a working and properly configured HTTP (Web) server, such as Apache or Microsoft Internet Information Server, on the machine on which you are installing MapServer. If you are on a Windows machine, and you don't have a HTTP server installed, you may want to check out MS4W, which will install a preconfigured HTTP server, MapServer, and more. The FGS Linux Installer provides similar functionality for several Linux distributions.

You will also need a Web browser, and a text editor (vi, emacs, notepad, homesite) to modify your html and Map files.

Build your First MapServer Application
I will start with a demo application which is to be download and need to test later we will see how to build our own custom application
For Building the 1st Application you have to do two steps
Step:- 1
Download Mapserver and make sure it is working Properly
Step:-2
Download demo and run it