buffer

[goetz freytag]

hi everybody,

three quick questions concerning the buffer function in Alexey Botchkov's mod of the spatial functions in mysql-5.1-wl1326 (thanks a lot by the way, this helps me a lot and i cannot wait to see the day his work is implemented in the release version!):

so here goes: does this function also do line-buffering? and if so, does the buffer polygon have a curved, circle segment shape near the line's vertices?

and secondly: are holes in polygons considered, in the way that as much as the outline contour of the polygon is moved outwards by the amount of the buffer's size, the holes' contours are moved inwards by the same value? are holes that eventually will disappear considered?

and lastly: are negative buffer sizes supported?

best regards

goetz