The Google Map Odyssey

Today the first version of QUT Google Maps was released at http://www.qut.edu.au/about/location/index.jsp

It features

• Markers identifying building locations with links to relevant web sites
• Map, Satellite and Hybrid views
• Drag, zoom and scroll functionality
• Wireless access overlay at Gardens Point
• Images of Buildings at Gardens Point (later to be added for Kelvin Grove and Caboolture)
• Food and Vending machines overlay functionality
• A secure route overlay

Not excessive,  but definitely an improvement on the static versions.  But back to the Odyssey…

Approximately 18 months ago excitable Jodie pronounced “Peter can do Google Maps”!  I thought it was a great idea, Jodie was inspired, but devilsome-dec intervened.  Not in a big way, more in a prioritising type me first type of way.

A drag and drop Google Map was created -dec intervened.  A few icons were placed on the map – dec intervened.  A video link was embedded, a few styles added, dec-again.

Finally some progress was made with assistance from the excellent tutorials of Mike at http://econym.org.uk/gmap/ , Google Mapki and the Google Map’s API at http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/index.html.  A selection dropdown was added, and some location point functionality.

Some wireless access points were added, food location overlays and a secure route.  Things were coming together nicely.  A map overlay was added, later to be removed as it was decided that the google satellite view would be the default.  Chill out areas were added(because as a student I need to get away from it all) later to be removed and used in a future edition.

Finally this year, with an acceptable beta version available to integrate into a .jsp page.

Several techniques were used in the final integration

• All of the styles for the map were in a CSS file
• The map was included in a .jsp page stylishly created by Rebecca Watson
• All of the marker points were inserted via an xml file
• Javascript is used for most of the Google Map API functionality ( and must be turned on) and is referenced in external files
• An internet connection is required(especially in the corporate network where firewalls and Internet Access logins exist) to access the Google Map key
• Small errors in the javascript and xml can cause the whole map to break
• IE6 still causes all sorts of layout problems due to the lack of following of W3C standards

In a future blog I will touch on some of the technical issues encountered upon the way, and some simple code to assist in map development.  For those of you not acquainted with QUT IT Service the term dec ( Daily Event Coordinator) is a used for the person responsible for handling enquiries and support for a particular area.