Programming

Learn the Google Maps API in a hurry

    Kevin Yank
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    (Via Flash Insider, Google Maps Mania) SFSurvey.com, a restaurant review site, has produced a sample script and accompanying video tutorial that lets you integrate Google Maps into your website using the Google Maps API. The sample script lets you build a database of locations that you can click on to display dynamic Google Maps on your site.

    The good news: the video tutorial is ideal for those of you who have been “meaning to learn Google Maps” and just don’t have time to work through a detailed article on the subject.

    The bad news: the script presented by the tutorial is written in ASP and uses Access for the database, rather than more current choices like PHP/MySQL or ASP.NET/MSDE. The code, which is presented in Dreamweaver, is downright scary from a best practices point of view, too… but I guess if you’re using ASP that’s not your biggest concern.

    Still, it’s a good way to get a bird’s eye view (if you’ll pardon the expression) of the Google Maps API.

    Visit the tutorial page to get started. Remember, there is a video for each of the two steps of the tutorial–I was a little confused at the end of the first video, which made it sound like the end of the whole tutorial.