Google Maps JavaScript API Cookbook

Over 50 recipes to help you create web maps and GIS web applications using the Google Maps JavaScript API

Overview

• Add to your website’s functionality by utilizing Google Maps’ power
• Full of code examples and screenshots for practical and efficient learning
• Empowers you to build your own mapping application from the ground up

In Detail

Day by day, the use of location data is becoming more and more popular, and Google is one of the main game changers in this area. The Google Maps JavaScript API is one of the most functional and robust mapping APIs used among Geo developers. With Google Maps, you can build location-based apps, maps for mobile apps, visualize geospatial data, and customize your own maps.

Google Maps API Cookbook is a practical, hands-on guide that provides you with a number of clear, step-by-step recipes that will help you to unleash the capabilities of the Google Maps JavaScript API in conjunction with open source or commercial GIS servers and services through a number of practical examples of real world scenarios.

This book begins by covering the essentials of including simple maps for Web and mobile, adding vector and raster layers, styling your own base maps, creating your own controls and responding to events, and including your own events.

You will learn how to integrate open source or commercial GIS servers and services including ArcGIS Server, GeoServer, CartoDB, Fusion Tables, and Google Maps Engine with the Google Maps JavaScript API. You will also extend the Google Maps JavaScript API to push its capabilities to the limit with additional libraries and services including geometry, AdSense, geocoding, directions, and StreetView.

This book covers everything you need to know about creating a web map or GIS applications using the Google Maps JavaScript API on multiple platforms.

What you will learn from this book

• Create simple maps and display them on mobile devices
• Style your own base maps
• Add your own tile maps as base maps or overlays
• Show vector layers on base maps in various types such as points, polylines or polygons
• Parse various vector formats such as KML, GeoRSS, GeoJSON, WKT, and so on
• Create a custom UI and customize your own ways to control it
• Respond to various events including mobile gestures
• Add additional libraries to extend the capabilities of the API
• Work with Google Services for geocoding, directions, StreetView, and so on
• Integrate open source or commercial GIS servers or services

Approach

Google Maps API Cookbook follows a fast-paced, high-level, structured cookbook approach, with minimal theory and an abundance of practical, real-world examples explained in a thorough yet concise manner to help you learn quickly and efficiently.

Who this book is written for

Google Maps API Cookbook is for developers who wish to learn how to do anything from adding a simple embedded map to a website to developing complex GIS applications with the Google Maps JavaScript API. It is targeted at JavaScript developers who know how to get by but who are also seeking the immediacy of recipe-based advice.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Google Maps JavaScript API Basics
Chapter 2: Adding Raster Layers
Chapter 3: Adding Vector Layers
Chapter 4: Working with Controls
Chapter 5: Understanding Google Maps JavaScript API Events
Chapter 6: Google Maps JavaScript Libraries
Chapter 7: Working with Services
Chapter 8: Mastering the Google Maps JavaScript API through Advanced Recipes