We normally use the web browser for this.
To test Map files the best thing to do is point directly to the MAP file (where it resides on the server not from your local machine) through a web browser as follows:
http://localhost/mapserver/cgi-bin/mapserv.exe?map=d:\maps\astun\sample\_mapserverconfig\sample.map
This should provide out put similar to the following:
Now add &mode=map to the end of the URL and you should get something similar to the following:
This has streamed a map directly back to the browser.
Now add &Layers=counties to the URL (be careful as MapServer is case sensitive)
Now try with Layers=all – all layers that can be seen should be shown.
If you add &mapext=426957+557404+445961+569855 you can now try changing the extent.
