doteduguru

BEST OF TRACK
APS9 / 9:00 am / Wednesday
Chad Killingsworth @chadhikes, Missouri State University

Maps are really fun … wait … WELL DESIGNED maps are really fun

For developers - maps are often overwhelming, very time consuming and under-appreciated. It doesn’t have to be that way — you can have a centralized map that is easily created and maintained.

When Maps Go Bad

• Out of Date
• PDFS or images
• Not enough or too much information
• unfamiliar interface
• Information overload — you don’t have to include EVERYTHING

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

• Use familiar interfaces
• remember - maps aren’t fun if they require a manual

Print Meets Web … you’re still going to have printed maps.  They should coordinate without the online maps.

Customize with markers - and use the same on print and web versions

• buildings
• bus stops
• bike racks
• artwork

Google Maps API Versions

• Version 2 - Everything but the kitchen sink
  • synchronous API - tiles can’t be downloaded until the very end of the loading process
  • not designed for mobile devices
  • 17-19 seconds for tiles to load on iphone 3G
  • now deprecated (you have 3 years to switch to version 3)
• Version 3 - specifically designed for Android and iPhone
  • released as the official API at Google I/O May
  • progressive loading (get you on tiles as soon as possible)
  • version 3 doesn’t contain all the features of version 2 (v2 contained a lot of nonmap related features- and those aren’t in v3)

The Basics

• KML Layers (KML is just XML … you can edit it in notepad!)
• Use Google Earth to build out your campus map buildings -
  • using the polygon tool you can just draw around each building — and it will create the appropriate KML for you
  • Copy the placemark data into your master KML file

Maps on the Go

• iPhone Apps Usage — google maps is the #3 app used by all iphone users
• Android — maps is #2
• Can’t we all just get along?
  • each platform/device has their own SDK for maps
  • Maps API v3 can now run the same code on “all” (all = iphone, android phones);  don’t use the native SDK
  • should only be thought of as an Application.  It just happens to be one that you use web technologies to build.

You can do a lot with student labor. Take advantage of them!

When you get your awesome map up and running … one of your first questions will be:

IS THERE AN APP FOR THAT?

Even though they can just put a bookmark to the webpage on their phones … it’s a stumbling block.

You probe need to think about creating an app … for pure discoverability in the app store.

“If you build it … they will come … “  LOL

The Solution:  Hybrid Application

• Write a very basic wrapper application
• Embed a web view
• Point the web view at your map
• You’re done

Resources

• Chad’s blog post about his presentation
• Mobile Map Template
• Google Maps API v3 Documentation
• Google Maps API v3 Articles (includes iOS and Android application development how-to)
• Related Blog Posts