[OpenLayers-Users] Gratulation and a lot of questions

[Arnd Wippermann]

Hello,

I'm astonished of OpenLayers. When I two weeks ago saw this the first time,
i thought this is what I'm looking for. Opensource and not Google.

Since Mapserver Version 3.6 i have played with this great program. But I
have to build my own map clients, because the open source clients were to
complicated and / or had not the functionality I searched for. Now with the
functionality of OpenLayers and the easy way to get access to this
functionality, one is able to build fine map applications in a short time.

OpenLayers is a great job and I am curious, what still is coming.

And Now For Something Completely Different. 

I have looked into OpenLayers and not all I have understand.

I have build an own map client application for the event "Pinguinale 2006"
in Wuppertal before i saw OpenLayers (http://gis.ibbeck.de/pinguinale/). It
works, but something is missing. Now I have rebuild the application with
OpenLayers (http://gis.ibbeck.de/pinguinale/mywuppertal.html). That's great.


After looking into the docs and examples it was very easy to get the
functionality, which I had have in the other application. My OpenLayers
application is only a test version to show my problems. I have taken the
scripts from my own application and put together with OpenLayers code. Many
functions in the scripts have no meaning in my OpenLayers version.

It's 90% all right, but the last 10% ...

I have put together a lot of questions, hoping someone is able to help me. I
think, the answers are not so complicated for someone who knows the inside.
Also I hope i'm not too unverschämt.

This are my problems:

1. How can I position the PanZoomBar?
2. Why have my PanZoomBar at the top the picture for PanZoom?
3. How can I change the number of zoomlevels 4. How can I calculate the
scale for each level?

I change the layer (visible/hidden) via an own dialog. It works.

5. How can i involve this into the PanZoom, because when I change in my
dialog the visibility of layers and then click on the PanZoomBar, it's
clear, that the change took no effect?

With Doubleclick it is possible to zoom. One Click is query

6. How can I prevent the click-event, when I doubleclick for zooming?

When I resize the window to a larger extent, then the tiles often will not
drawn. I have to shift the map until the tiles to draw are larger.

7. How can I solve this whithout shifting?

8. How can I get the tiles from Mapserver, so that nothing at the edges are
cut? See the annotation on each tile.

That's it. 
(Our server have sometimes time-problems, so one must repeat the request to
get an answer (Karte neuzeichnen). Click on map sends a feature query, but
one must set the Queryflag for the layer. And use Firefox, because with IE I
have problems).

When I have solved the named problems, i will set the OpenLayers application
"Pinguinale 2006" as default on our homepage.
 
And Now a second time For Something Completely Different.

I have my own application build in javascript and have written a class
objMapserver. Besides it's easyer to maintain the code, it's possible with a
loop to get all values for the properties and methods. With OpenLayers I get
a surprise, when I applied a loop on the OpenLayers object. I have read the
article "Why I Don't Use The prototype.js Javascript Library"
(http://blog.metawrap.com/blog/WhyIDontUseThePrototypejsJavaScriptLibrary.as
px) and I have understand, prototype.js take a special approach. I'm
interested, how I can explore the objects, I create with OpenLayers to see
whether there is something wrong in my code. Also I have read in this
mailing list something about debuging. Some clues?

Mit freundlichen Grüssen

Arnd Wippermann
http://gis.ibbeck.de/pinguinale/
http://home.wtal.de/aw/