New Posting Features - Phoogle! An interactive Google Maps mapping system.

Keywords: Phoogle, Google, Maps, BBCode

Description:
Allows for the insertion of interactive Google Maps within posts via a new BBCode. Supports point labeling as well as multiple points per map.

Details:
I became increasingly annoyed after seeing more and more links to maps being butchered when posted on forums. I had remembered seeing the nifty Phoogle Maps and figured, "why not?"

A few headaches later.. here we are.

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Usage:
[map]value[/map]
[map=Option]value[/map]

Example:
[map]1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500[/map]
[map=The White House]1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500[/map]

Multiple Locations Example:
[map]1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500;E Capitol St NE & 1st St NE, Washington, DC 20001[/map]
[map=The White House;Capitol Building]1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500;E Capitol St NE & 1st St NE, Washington, DC 20001[/map]

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Installation:

1. Download and import product-phoogle2.0Beta1.xml via the Product Manager.
2. If you do not already have one, obtain a free Google Maps API key.
3. Configure Phoogle! via the AdminCP (vBulletin Options > Phoogle Settings).
4. ???
5. Profit!

Notes:
When adding/editing a map via AJAX Quick Reply or Quick Edit, you must refresh the page to see changes.

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Comments:
As with all my hacks, this modification is provided free of charge. However, if you find this product useful and have money burning a hole in your pocket, feel free to make a small donation, I won't mind.. really.

Version History:

• 1.0.0 - Initial release, here's to hoping..
• 1.0.1 - Added check for post preview, [map] code will NOT be parsed when previewing (because it can't).
• 1.1.0
  • Eliminated need for functions_phoogle.php
  • Modified way [map] tags are parsed
  • Moved previously static html to templates
  • Changed way multiple locations per posts is defined (separated by ;)
  • Added check for cURL() if not, uses file_get_contents()
• 2.0 Beta 1
  • Proper error handling. Will now verify address (and make reccomended changes) before submitting.
  • Javascript will not be loaded on pages that do not have maps (woops!)
  • Few internal tweaks to (hopefully) speed things up.
• 2.0 Beta 2 - Plays nice with the [noparse][/noparse] tags. (thanks Tralala)

* Please note that this modification was developed on a forum with a userbase of 1 (myself). I've tested it for basic functionality but I cannot guarantee functionality or behavior on your forum. So, please -- make backups before installing this product!

[Slave]

Originally Posted by Darat

No I haven't got it working with UK street addresses - that will require magnus to make the changes he's made in his development version publicly available or him doing something very clever like switching the yahoo look-up depending on the country.

Ahh .. ok .. thanks for the reply, that makes it much clearer.

[Doctor Death]

With a custom skin, when displaying a post with map tags in it, it shows a white box with map controls and a very small bit of map in top left corner of map.

Interestingly enough, when you click on the QUICK REPLY button, the map suddenly appears but there is not the spot marker which you would expect in normal google mapping.

Any ideas on how this conflict is occurring?

Thanks

P.S. I sincerely appologize for my inaccurate comments earlier this spring. I hope that the coders accept this.

Regards.

[magnus]

Originally Posted by Doctor Death

With a custom skin, when displaying a post with map tags in it, it shows a white box with map controls and a very small bit of map in top left corner of map.

Interestingly enough, when you click on the QUICK REPLY button, the map suddenly appears but there is not the spot marker which you would expect in normal google mapping.

Any ideas on how this conflict is occurring?

Thanks

P.S. I sincerely appologize for my inaccurate comments earlier this spring. I hope that the coders accept this.

Regards.

Sounds like there may be an open HTML tag somewhere. Try running the custom skin through the W3C XHTML Validator to search for possible issues.

[Doctor Death]

I had someone check and sure enough there was an open <table> tag in the header.

Once it was closed properly, it worked like a charm.

Thanks for the clue.

[apfparadise]

I love the hack but it has somewhat limited functionality. For using it to list the address of an event, it would be VERY useful to have a way to link it to "directions" information, so that people can go from seeing the map to actually mapping directions from their locations to the event. Is that possible for future versions ?

[bugriders]

Installed and working!! Thanks. Great hack.

The only thing.... I want to use the map for countries: Belgium and Holland.
If I try I receive: Invallid adress.

I supose I have to change the Geocode API URL

I've been looking for that code on http://www.google.com/apis/maps/docu...oding_Examples

but no results

[ManniC]

Also works fine for me, thx magnus :up:

@bugriders:

Some posts above was mentioned that the street-data is verified by yahoo.com, neither uk- or ge-adresses are covered with this solution. magnus wrote that the googlemap-API doesnt give back an error code.

Question: Does anybody have a yahoo-call for verifying german adresses?

http://api.local.yahoo.com/MapsService/V1/geocode?appid=YahooDemo&location=rhaland+5+bottrop

responses "The street could not be found. Here is the center of the city."

When i directly call googlemap-API with the same street-adress, i get back code 200:

−
	<kml>
−
	<Response>
<name>Rhaland 5 Bottrop</name>
−
	<Status>
<code>200</code>
<request>geocode</request>
</Status>
−
	<Placemark id="p1">
<address>Rhaland 5, 46242 Bottrop, Germany</address>
−
	<AddressDetails Accuracy="8">
−
	<Country>
<CountryNameCode>DE</CountryNameCode>
−
	<AdministrativeArea>
<AdministrativeAreaName>Nordrhein-Westfalen</AdministrativeAreaName>
−
	<SubAdministrativeArea>
<SubAdministrativeAreaName>Bottrop</SubAdministrativeAreaName>
−
	<Locality>
<LocalityName>Bottrop</LocalityName>
−
	<Thoroughfare>
<ThoroughfareName>Rhaland 5</ThoroughfareName>
</Thoroughfare>
−
	<PostalCode>
<PostalCodeNumber>46242</PostalCodeNumber>
</PostalCode>
</Locality>
</SubAdministrativeArea>
</AdministrativeArea>
</Country>
</AddressDetails>
−
	<Point>
<coordinates>6.913915,51.502829,0</coordinates>
</Point>
</Placemark>
</Response>
</kml>

By mistyping the street (Rxaland instead of Rhaland) i get back code 602 which seems to be an error code:

−
	<kml>
−
	<Response>
<name>Rhxaland 5 Bottrop</name>
−
	<Status>
<code>602</code>
<request>geocode</request>
</Status>
</Response>
</kml>

Anybody an idea ???

Thx in advance

[Blittz]

Installed and working as advertised with no bugs! Congrats on a great product Magnus.

I can think of 3 things I'd love to see added someday.

1. Ability to pick Map/Satellite/Hybrid in the [map] tag
2. Add a location that Google doesn't have an address for. Here is an example of what I'm talking about:
   Our RC Flying club uses this park:
   • http://www.google.com/maps?q=&ie=UTF...7,0.014784&t=h
   But to use this hack, I have to use an address that google knows:
   • [map]600 S Columbia Center Blvd, Kennewick, WA 99336[/map]
   While its close, it would be cool to maybe have:
   • [map=url]google_link_goes_here[/map] or something *shrug*
3. Add a default link below the map to open it up in a new full normal google map window. That way people can now use google's tools to get driving directions, etc...

Great hack even as it stands now, thanks for all your hard work Magus!

[truCido]

Great hack, like the others I am from the UK so having a few problems however I can pin point the road which is good enough for now

[map]Bletcham Way,Milton Keynes,Buckshire,MK78HP[/map] worked for me!

One other thing I noticed is that if I goto http://api.local.yahoo.com/MapsService/V1/geocode?appid=YahooDemo&location=<texthere> and enter a UK postcode in place of <texthere> it actually returns a result is it possible to have it work from just entering a postcode?

[krela]

Is there any way this would work by putting in lat/long yourself and not relying on a geocoder at all?

i.e.

[map=name]lat, long[/map]

I know this bypasses some functionality, but it would make this module workable for people who either a) don't want to use it specifically for postal addresses or b) have international geocoding issues.

Preferably the option for both would be cool, some kind of check to see if the code given is already in lat/long format, if not parse it through a geocoder.

It must be possible reasonably easily because the geocoder simply converts the address to long/lat anyway.

This would make it the perfect mod for me!