Shape/VPF in Applet - Binary File caching?

Greetings!

   I recently began using OpenMap for a project I am working on. I am very
impressed with the product overall, and commend the developers.

   There are always a few 'buts' there, aren't there? :) My primary
deployment platform is applet-based, and I need some way to pull data in
that area. Version 4.2.1 solves the problem, and works, but does not seem
to do it well.

   Even on a local, very-fast system, the Shape layer included (the basic
political map) takes several seconds to redraw each time the map is moved.
I am guessing that it is reloading the data from the network as part of the
redraw. Unfortunately, once deployed the network will be much slower, and a
minute-long delay every time the user moves a map isn't acceptable.

   Based on the performance, I'm guessing that there is no data caching done
at any level. The question I have is basically two-part, then - first, am I
wrong, and is there any caching done? Second, how hard would it be to
implement a cached version of the BinaryFile? I've looked at the shape
package a bit, and honestly was a bit lost in there :) The BinaryFile seems
like it would be an easier place to implement the caching, but I'm not sure
what impact it might have in the consumers... Does the ShapeLayer open a
new BinaryFile each time it tries to redraw? If it does, it would make any
caching at that level useless...

   Alternately, any other suggestions for ways to get around this are
welcome. We aren't locked into either Shape or VPF - all I basically need
is a minimal political boundary layer, and I picked those two basically
because those are the data sets we had easiest access too. If anyone has an
alternate - and hopefully smaller :) - selection, I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks,

- Kevin Allen, SSgt, USAF
  Air Force Information Warfare Center, IOASI
  Database Applications Developer

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