BETA VERSION: Map Locator Hack

Welcome to my first BETA Release of

Map Locator Hack or How-to-Find members in a nutshell

This is my first try to get help from you guys. I tried to develop this on my own but i failed. I need help from all of you.

Before i start to describe what this hack does please take a look at the live demo. It makes my life much easier. Live demo can be viewed here.

Please move your mouse over the marks. You will see userinformations.

So this hack provides a map for VBulletin to show where your members are living. But i do not have the data for the US. I just have the data for germany and due to this i can only provide the german map. I have added the US map and a map of india but without the data i will not be able to finish this hack for other countries.

Please read my installation instructions completly BEFORE you start installing this hack. This hack is not easy to install and it will take you at least 30 min to get it running with the german map.

I would like to add: This is not an official release. This is a BETA version which is currently in production. I would not post this in this BETA section when i would not need your help. So what i need from you ? Please read my install instructions and read the part about the US data. If someone can provide this kind of data, i will be able to publish this hack.

If no one can provide this data, i will not continue with this hack because it works for me and due to the help of an indian VB member i will finalize this hack for him for india. So it is up to you.

UPDATE BETA 1.01:
After having done the base work, i focused now on the performance. If you have many members in your domain and many people open this map, your server will struggle. The heavy SQL part of this hack will bring down your server. Due to this i implemented a performance improvement.

I created the following logic around the hack:
- check if the number of ZIP code entries of the members has changed.
- if yes, then redraw the map with all queries ( a lot of queries which are required )
- if no, then take the already drawn map and take the userinfo which has been saved into a file rather then redo all queries again

Improvement:
- Up to 800% because people do not change their ZIP code so often
- if new ZIP codes are added only 1 person will issue the heavy SQL load to your server and this just ONCE
- every other person will get the cached version of the map with a really nice performance ( 5 queries in total )

And on top of that i added the Locator template to the cached templates. So this hack should be performing very well now. You can check it on my live demo site.

I have updated the ZIP file with the new locator.php file. For upgraders, just replace the locator.php file in your forum root folder. Then please do a "chmod 777 data" in your forum root folder. All set all done.

Cheers,

[Pseudomizer]

Originally Posted by Intex

I'd be very interested when you get this operational for the UK .

The last script i created for the US ( with the wrong data i had ) took about 4 hours on a 2Ghz machine doing nothing else then sorting out and recombining the data into a sql format. Let's see how long it will take for the UK data assuming i can remod my old script quick enough.

Give me some time. I will get this running for you. Please be patient.

Cheers,

[Pseudomizer]

Ok guys,

i need some guidance here.

I can sort out the data to be in one file to be exported into a sql file ... BUT now i have a problem.

In germany we have one big city name like Berlin which has multiple suburbs and multiple ZIP codes. This hack does the following:

PHP Code:

INSERT INTO geodb_locations VALUES (14356,6,'Berlin','Berlin','11000000','DE','BE',NULL,'Kreisfreie Stadt Berlin',NULL,'Berlin',NULL,NULL,52.5167,13.4,'B','10115,10117,10119,10178,10179,10243,10245,10247,10249,10315,10317,10318,10319,10365,10367,10369,10405,10407,10409,10435,10437,10439,10551,10553,10555,10557,10559,10585,10587,10589,10623,10625,10627,10629,10707,10709,10711,10713,10715,10717,10719,10777,10779,10781,10783,10785,10787,10789,10823,10825,10827,10829,10961,10963,10965,10967,10969,10997,10999,12043,12045,12047,12049,12051,12053,12055,12057,12059,12099,12101,12103,12105,12107,12109,12157,12159,12161,12163,12165,12167,12169,12203,12205,12207,12209,12247,12249,12277,12279,12305,12307,12309,12347,12349,12351,12353,12355,12357,12359,12435,12437,12439,12459,12487,12489,12524,12526,12527,12529,12555,12557,12559,12587,12589,12619,12621,12623,12627,12629,12679,12681,12683,12685,12687,12689,13051,13053,13055,13057,13059,13086,13088,13089,13125,13127,13129,13156,13158,13159,13187,13189,13347,13349,13351,13353,13355,13357,13359,13403,13405,13407,13409,13435,13437,13439,13465,13467,13469,13503,13505,13507,13509,13581,13583,13585,13587,13589,13591,13593,13595,13597,13599,13627,13629,14050,14052,14053,14055,14057,14059,14089,14109,14129,14163,14165,14167,14169,14193,14195,14197,14199'); 


Before starting to confuse you ... i need the following information:

If i take e.g. post code AB23 then i have 15 city names. So i have one geographical location, one ZIP code and 15 city names. The german map has in comparison to that 1 geo location, 20 zip codes but one city name.

What should i take then as a city name ? Please advise.

Cheers,

[DaveLogic]

Originally Posted by Pseudomizer

Ok guys,

i need some guidance here.

I can sort out the data to be in one file to be exported into a sql file ... BUT now i have a problem.

In germany we have one big city name like Berlin which has multiple suburbs and multiple ZIP codes. This hack does the following:

PHP Code:

INSERT INTO geodb_locations VALUES (14356,6,'Berlin','Berlin','11000000','DE','BE',NULL,'Kreisfreie Stadt Berlin',NULL,'Berlin',NULL,NULL,52.5167,13.4,'B','10115,10117,10119,10178,10179,10243,10245,10247,10249,10315,10317,10318,10319,10365,10367,10369,10405,10407,10409,10435,10437,10439,10551,10553,10555,10557,10559,10585,10587,10589,10623,10625,10627,10629,10707,10709,10711,10713,10715,10717,10719,10777,10779,10781,10783,10785,10787,10789,10823,10825,10827,10829,10961,10963,10965,10967,10969,10997,10999,12043,12045,12047,12049,12051,12053,12055,12057,12059,12099,12101,12103,12105,12107,12109,12157,12159,12161,12163,12165,12167,12169,12203,12205,12207,12209,12247,12249,12277,12279,12305,12307,12309,12347,12349,12351,12353,12355,12357,12359,12435,12437,12439,12459,12487,12489,12524,12526,12527,12529,12555,12557,12559,12587,12589,12619,12621,12623,12627,12629,12679,12681,12683,12685,12687,12689,13051,13053,13055,13057,13059,13086,13088,13089,13125,13127,13129,13156,13158,13159,13187,13189,13347,13349,13351,13353,13355,13357,13359,13403,13405,13407,13409,13435,13437,13439,13465,13467,13469,13503,13505,13507,13509,13581,13583,13585,13587,13589,13591,13593,13595,13597,13599,13627,13629,14050,14052,14053,14055,14057,14059,14089,14109,14129,14163,14165,14167,14169,14193,14195,14197,14199'); 


Before starting to confuse you ... i need the following information:

If i take e.g. post code AB23 then i have 15 city names. So i have one geographical location, one ZIP code and 15 city names. The german map has in comparison to that 1 geo location, 20 zip codes but one city name.

What should i take then as a city name ? Please advise.

Cheers,

If you have a UK map it couldn't be that precise / detailed really so for example codes:

"Altens",Aberdeen City,AB1
"Auchlunies",Aberdeenshire,AB1
"Banchory-Devenick",Aberdeenshire,AB1
"Benthoul",Aberdeen City,AB1
"Bieldside",Aberdeen City,AB1
"Blacktop",Aberdeen City,AB1
"Charlestown",Aberdeen City,AB1
"Contlaw",Aberdeen City,AB1
"Cove Bay",Aberdeen City,AB1
"Craigton",Aberdeen City,AB1
"Cults",Aberdeen City,AB1
"Downies",Aberdeenshire,AB1
"Fairley",Aberdeen City,AB1
"Findon",Aberdeenshire,AB1
"Hazelhead",Aberdeen City,AB1
"Heathcot",Aberdeenshire,AB1
"Hillside",Aberdeenshire,AB1
"Kincorth",Aberdeen City,AB1
"Kingsford",Aberdeen City,AB1
"Kingswells",Aberdeen City,AB1

would simply be AB1 = Aberdeenshire. The first part of the list is just a very small area within Aberdeenshire...One post code would equal an entire area therefore you wouldn't need dupicate postcodes...The postcodes begining with A would then filter down to:

Aberdeen City AB1
Aberdeen City AB2
Aberdeen City AB22
Aberdeenshire AB23
Aberdeenshire AB3
Aberdeenshire AB30
Aberdeenshire AB31
Aberdeenshire AB32
Aberdeenshire AB33
Aberdeenshire AB34
Aberdeenshire AB35
Aberdeenshire AB36
Moray AB37
Moray AB38
Aberdeenshire AB41
Aberdeenshire AB42
Aberdeenshire AB45
Aberdeenshire AB51
Aberdeenshire AB53
Moray AB55
Moray AB56
Hertfordshire AL1
Hertfordshire AL10
Hertfordshire AL2
Hertfordshire AL3
Hertfordshire AL4
Hertfordshire AL5
Hertfordshire AL6
Hertfordshire AL7
Hertfordshire AL8
Hertfordshire AL9

Please let me know if I am on the right track....

[Pseudomizer]

Hi UK guys,

i have done my best now and i think i have taken the most out of it.

First of all the data you provided does not match each other... e.g. the one data set start with post code A10 and the other one starts with A1,A2,A3,etc. So i am missing this data completly because i have no GEO data for these post codes.

In addition i am missing an area called channel islands completly. I have just the name and no information at all about this area.

Regardless of these problems i took me some time to make the data unique and to bring them into the right format. I took the area names and the post codes. I disregard the city names completly. And if i had double names for areas i took the first ones as the actual name for the post codes. Please keep in mind that i am not living in UK and as a foreigner it is hard to find the best way.

The easiest way for you would be to crosscheck the source data from me and if you want to correct them, then feel free to proceed BUT please share your changes with us. This will improve this hack for all of us.

Unfortunately i had to redraw the complete map and i found out that your UK map is totally incompatible with the german map. As a result out of this i have to create a new zip file for the UK version of this hack. I have to point this out to every person that the files for each map are not compatible. But this is still a BETA version. This is something for the future.

Now let's show you what i got so far. Please have a look at the following test site and provide some feedback. What kind of feedback ? Are the locations correct ? I just took 3 examples. Let's see what you think of this ... it was a long night for me :-) .

Testlink

Cheers,

[Pseudomizer]

Hello US guys,

what are you doing ? Germany is finished, UK is 90% finished, India, Austria and Switzerland are 50% finished.

US is still 0%. Come on guys. Please help me to create a US version of this hack. It can't be so difficult. If every other country can find this data ... you should be able as well.

Cheers,

[DaveLogic]

Originally Posted by Pseudomizer

Hi UK guys,

i have done my best now and i think i have taken the most out of it.

First of all the data you provided does not match each other... e.g. the one data set start with post code A10 and the other one starts with A1,A2,A3,etc. So i am missing this data completly because i have no GEO data for these post codes.

In addition i am missing an area called channel islands completly. I have just the name and no information at all about this area.

Regardless of these problems i took me some time to make the data unique and to bring them into the right format. I took the area names and the post codes. I disregard the city names completly. And if i had double names for areas i took the first ones as the actual name for the post codes. Please keep in mind that i am not living in UK and as a foreigner it is hard to find the best way.

The easiest way for you would be to crosscheck the source data from me and if you want to correct them, then feel free to proceed BUT please share your changes with us. This will improve this hack for all of us.

Unfortunately i had to redraw the complete map and i found out that your UK map is totally incompatible with the german map. As a result out of this i have to create a new zip file for the UK version of this hack. I have to point this out to every person that the files for each map are not compatible. But this is still a BETA version. This is something for the future.

Now let's show you what i got so far. Please have a look at the following test site and provide some feedback. What kind of feedback ? Are the locations correct ? I just took 3 examples. Let's see what you think of this ... it was a long night for me :-) .

Testlink

Cheers,

The UK map appears to be working correctly...You work very fast!!

[Pseudomizer]

Originally Posted by DaveLogic

The UK map appears to be working correctly...You work very fast!!

Hi Dave,

i do my best and if i start something i want to get it done.

Question: Did you make the appropriate installations already on your server for this hack ? In detail: Image_GIS, etc ? If yes, i would like to post the UK data you need to get this up and running. What do you think ?

Cheers,

[DaveLogic]

Originally Posted by Pseudomizer

Hi Dave,

i do my best and if i start something i want to get it done.

Question: Did you make the appropriate installations already on your server for this hack ? In detail: Image_GIS, etc ? If yes, i would like to post the UK data you need to get this up and running. What do you think ?

Cheers,

No but I can do it right now........I have checked and I have Pear etc.....

[Pseudomizer]

Originally Posted by DaveLogic

No but I can do it right now........I have checked and I have Pear etc.....

Ok Dave. Here we go. Take this ZIP file and check it out.

Cheers,

[Pseudomizer]

Any feedback so far about the UK map ? Does it work ?

Cheers,