Spot, you need to generate your own API key for your own domain, its free and instantaneous. The link to google's api key generator is on the readme file that comes with the extension.
Also, GMonkey, I've now fixed the data integrity using base64 encoding. I've got a few more tweaks to add then i'll get a new version up. Hopefully I'll get some time over the weekend.
Cool I look forward to the new one. Seems to break also if you add more than 5 location options and or use 2 or more words to describe the locations. Example: Organic Grocer, Fine Dinning, so on, breaks the map once you post 2 locations.
OK version 0.3 now. I've added address and telephone numbers, with a little formatting to the popups on the map. Also location creators can now delete their own markers - though the last person to edit becomes the creator - I'll change this, its an interim solution, as I'm not sure of the best place for deletes and at what level they should be. It's a little unclear as should someone be able to delete what someone else has edited? Perhaps just have admin only delete's? Or is that something admins can't be bothered with? Any thoughts on this, anyone?
I've also added Dinoboff's ammendment and tidied up the table and some naming stuff.
Most importantly of all i've encoded all input fields with base64 now which should address the problems above. Probably shouldn't have released this without that but I didn't have much knowledge of it before I started looking into these problems. Obviously I'm not foolish enough to declare this issue fixed just yet!
GMonkey, yes i've played with putting different icons onto maps but think it'd be too awkward in this instance, its not just a case of letting users pin a gif/png to a category type, as they need to declare the pin point of an image etc, it gets messy quickly and you'd end up with markers not correctly place on a map if not done correctly. We could perhaps have a standard, say a marker as now with topical images overlayed, not affecting the dimensions and pinpoint of the marker, possibly something for the future but I think it'd muddy things right now.
i had some problems with uploading this over the previous version, I ended up manually deleting the old table in the database first. Perhaps someone out there could look at that side of housekeeping for me..?
Works great for me, been up a few days and 20 locations added already with no problems although nobody's tried putting much in the text balloon as its not needed yet. Different icons might be nice even just different coloured markers could be quite handy but no point giving yourself too much work just yet!
Yep, I'll add a settings variable for width of balloon in next revision, though I would say that's kind of why a had a Discussion Thread url, so you could write a short sharp description then link out to a vanilla thread for more info and chat.
Hmm the thread idea is good, but I don't think that is clear. Maybe there there should be a text box above the links, so we can have some text explaining how to use the map..
Also, when you click on the "Add Location" the map goes to your default location, instead of where you are....so if you've already found somewhere to place a location you have to find it again. if that can be a variable as well, it would be great.
I tried to implement this on my site but it doesn't play well with SEO urls; ie:
http://www.fngeeks.net/vanilla/extension.php?PostBackAction=GoogleMapDirectory
instead of:
http://www.fngeeks.net/vanilla/extension/?PostBackAction=GoogleMapDirectory
Ok, when I look at it in IE and zoom out it takes the locations with them as in my house could be on the isle of man with 2 clicks. It works fine in FF but it does this in IE, does anyone else have the same problem or know of a fix?
very nice, i just added it to www.cinemaworkshop.com/vanilla, which is our university filmmaking club
my only qualm is that there's no search box, which would be much better than having to drag around the map
Ok this does seem to be generating some interest now. I've been busy knocking walls down in my house and not very web2 at all! I'll try and aggregate the above as some kind of action list, which won't happen til late next week at the best.
1) ThaRiddla - I'll try and capture the current location and pass it to the AddLocation page. 2) alecglen - Yep, can see that glitch, i'll endeavour to fix 3) GMonkey - I'll add an explanation and perhaps prefix that field with the discussion thread url so you just enter a discussion id number? 4) radioboy - search has already been requested, not sure how that fits with the layout and stuff. I think we focus on getting the fundamentals working properly before extending. 5) skube - no, the address is manual, further info for your marker 6) onetwentyeight - the google nav comes straight out of google's code, its nothing to do with the extension, check on a few browsers. I have added a delete function but its a bit half-arsed. Next version will have 'created by' and 'last edited by' for each marker. Then admin can set whether anyone, creator or just admin can delete - at least that's the plan. I thought I'd caught the parsing issues, which field isn't working for you?
Phew. Looks like I have my work cut out. Still no volunteers out there to help me further this?
Hmm... I like 128's idea of restricting where pins can be placed.
I might add a boxed area to the extension so that only points that fall within specific longitudes and latitudes get added. If I do this, would you like a copy of my modifications to consider adding as an option to the extension?
It will be a boxed area, a simple "lat between a and b" and "long between x and y" thing. Test in JavaScript refuse to add if outside the boxed area, the value for a, b, x and y would be hard-coded along with a boolean switch to activate the logic within the hacks default.php file.
Comments
Also, GMonkey, I've now fixed the data integrity using base64 encoding. I've got a few more tweaks to add then i'll get a new version up. Hopefully I'll get some time over the weekend.
Cool I look forward to the new one. Seems to break also if you add more than 5 location options and or use 2 or more words to describe the locations. Example: Organic Grocer, Fine Dinning, so on, breaks the map once you post 2 locations.
Have you seen the maps with special icons for each location type?
http://www.giveittomeraw.com/la/
I've also added Dinoboff's ammendment and tidied up the table and some naming stuff.
Most importantly of all i've encoded all input fields with base64 now which should address the problems above. Probably shouldn't have released this without that but I didn't have much knowledge of it before I started looking into these problems. Obviously I'm not foolish enough to declare this issue fixed just yet!
GMonkey, yes i've played with putting different icons onto maps but think it'd be too awkward in this instance, its not just a case of letting users pin a gif/png to a category type, as they need to declare the pin point of an image etc, it gets messy quickly and you'd end up with markers not correctly place on a map if not done correctly. We could perhaps have a standard, say a marker as now with topical images overlayed, not affecting the dimensions and pinpoint of the marker, possibly something for the future but I think it'd muddy things right now.
i had some problems with uploading this over the previous version, I ended up manually deleting the old table in the database first. Perhaps someone out there could look at that side of housekeeping for me..?
Okay we have the map up and it is working great. People have started adding new locations. The only issue maybe how long of an entry they add. Maybe the text ballon could expand sideways a little? You can check it out here: http://gliving.tv/community/extension.php?PostBackAction=GoogleMapDirectory
Hmm the thread idea is good, but I don't think that is clear. Maybe there there should be a text box above the links, so we can have some text explaining how to use the map..
also seems to have trouble parsing punctuation like ' or "
Ok this does seem to be generating some interest now. I've been busy knocking walls down in my house and not very web2 at all! I'll try and aggregate the above as some kind of action list, which won't happen til late next week at the best.
1) ThaRiddla - I'll try and capture the current location and pass it to the AddLocation page.
2) alecglen - Yep, can see that glitch, i'll endeavour to fix
3) GMonkey - I'll add an explanation and perhaps prefix that field with the discussion thread url so you just enter a discussion id number?
4) radioboy - search has already been requested, not sure how that fits with the layout and stuff. I think we focus on getting the fundamentals working properly before extending.
5) skube - no, the address is manual, further info for your marker
6) onetwentyeight - the google nav comes straight out of google's code, its nothing to do with the extension, check on a few browsers. I have added a delete function but its a bit half-arsed. Next version will have 'created by' and 'last edited by' for each marker. Then admin can set whether anyone, creator or just admin can delete - at least that's the plan. I thought I'd caught the parsing issues, which field isn't working for you?
Phew. Looks like I have my work cut out. Still no volunteers out there to help me further this?
ive been having a lot of bugs since i upgraded to 1.1.2, im looking into it.
I might add a boxed area to the extension so that only points that fall within specific longitudes and latitudes get added. If I do this, would you like a copy of my modifications to consider adding as an option to the extension?
It will be a boxed area, a simple "lat between a and b" and "long between x and y" thing. Test in JavaScript refuse to add if outside the boxed area, the value for a, b, x and y would be hard-coded along with a boolean switch to activate the logic within the hacks default.php file.
V. nice hack