Google Places API – practice
Do you use google maps? I am sure that yes. Have you ever tried ‘Search nearby’ function here? I like this feature and today I will show you how you can develop similar script. We will use ordinary google maps plus extra library – Places (in order to use Google Places API). Our script will be able to search for address, objects, and also you can refine your search with extra params like: keyword, type and radius.
Here you can try live demonstration, and download the sources.
Live Demo
[sociallocker]
download in package
[/sociallocker]
Ok, download the example files and lets start coding togetger!
Step 1. HTML Markup
Please create new empty html file, put basic headers and then put next code in the header section:
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.google.com/jsapi"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?libraries=places&sensor=false"></script> <script src="js/script.js"></script>
We have linked necessary libraries (main google library with extra library – Places) and our main script.js file (where we will put all necessary custom javascript code). Now, please put next code into body section:
index.html
<div id="gmap_canvas"></div>
<div class="actions">
<div class="button">
<label for="gmap_where">Where:</label>
<input id="gmap_where" type="text" name="gmap_where" /></div>
<div id="button2" class="button" onclick="findAddress(); return false;">Search for address</div>
<div class="button">
<label for="gmap_keyword">Keyword (optional):</label>
<input id="gmap_keyword" type="text" name="gmap_keyword" /></div>
<div class="button">
<label for="gmap_type">Type:</label>
<select id="gmap_type">
<option value="art_gallery">art_gallery</option>
<option value="atm">atm</option>
<option value="bank">bank</option>
<option value="bar">bar</option>
<option value="cafe">cafe</option>
<option value="food">food</option>
<option value="hospital">hospital</option>
<option value="police">police</option>
<option value="store">store</option>
</select>
</div>
<div class="button">
<label for="gmap_radius">Radius:</label>
<select id="gmap_radius">
<option value="500">500</option>
<option value="1000">1000</option>
<option value="1500">1500</option>
<option value="5000">5000</option>
</select>
</div>
<input type="hidden" id="lat" name="lat" value="40.7143528" />
<input type="hidden" id="lng" name="lng" value="-74.0059731" />
<div id="button1" class="button" onclick="findPlaces(); return false;">Search for objects</div>
</div>
First element (gmap_canvas) is main google map canavas object. And then – simple HTML form (of our custom filter).
Step 2. CSS
I think that now we can prepare nice styles for our demonstration page:
#gmap_canvas {
height: 700px;
position: relative;
width: 900px;
}
.actions {
background-color: #FFFFFF;
bottom: 30px;
padding: 10px;
position: absolute;
right: 30px;
z-index: 2;
border-top: 1px solid #abbbcc;
border-left: 1px solid #a7b6c7;
border-bottom: 1px solid #a1afbf;
border-right: 1px solid #a7b6c7;
-webkit-border-radius: 12px;
-moz-border-radius: 12px;
border-radius: 12px;
}
.actions label {
display: block;
margin: 2px 0 5px 10px;
text-align: left;
}
.actions input, .actions select {
width: 85%;
}
.button {
background-color: #d7e5f5;
background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0%, #d7e5f5), color-stop(100%, #cbe0f5));
background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #d7e5f5, #cbe0f5);
background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #d7e5f5, #cbe0f5);
background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #d7e5f5, #cbe0f5);
background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #d7e5f5, #cbe0f5);
background-image: linear-gradient(top, #d7e5f5, #cbe0f5);
border-top: 1px solid #abbbcc;
border-left: 1px solid #a7b6c7;
border-bottom: 1px solid #a1afbf;
border-right: 1px solid #a7b6c7;
-webkit-border-radius: 12px;
-moz-border-radius: 12px;
border-radius: 12px;
-webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 0 white;
-moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 0 white;
box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 0 white;
color: #1a3e66;
font: normal 11px "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
line-height: 1;
margin-bottom: 5px;
padding: 6px 0 7px 0;
text-align: center;
text-shadow: 0 1px 1px #fff;
width: 150px;
}
.button:hover {
background-color: #ccd9e8;
background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0%, #ccd9e8), color-stop(100%, #c1d4e8));
background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #ccd9e8, #c1d4e8);
background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #ccd9e8, #c1d4e8);
background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #ccd9e8, #c1d4e8);
background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #ccd9e8, #c1d4e8);
background-image: linear-gradient(top, #ccd9e8, #c1d4e8);
border-top: 1px solid #a1afbf;
border-left: 1px solid #9caaba;
border-bottom: 1px solid #96a3b3;
border-right: 1px solid #9caaba;
-webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 0 #f2f2f2;
-moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 0 #f2f2f2;
box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 0 #f2f2f2;
color: #163659;
cursor: pointer;
}
.button:active {
border: 1px solid #8c98a7;
-webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 0 4px 2px #abbccf, 0 0 1px 0 #eeeeee;
-moz-box-shadow: inset 0 0 4px 2px #abbccf, 0 0 1px 0 #eeeeee;
box-shadow: inset 0 0 4px 2px #abbccf, 0 0 1px 0 #eeeeee;
}
Step 3. JS
Now, it’s time to create an empty file ‘js/script.js’ and put the next code inside:
var geocoder;
var map;
var markers = Array();
var infos = Array();
function initialize() {
// prepare Geocoder
geocoder = new google.maps.Geocoder();
// set initial position (New York)
var myLatlng = new google.maps.LatLng(40.7143528,-74.0059731);
var myOptions = { // default map options
zoom: 14,
center: myLatlng,
mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP
};
map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('gmap_canvas'), myOptions);
}
// clear overlays function
function clearOverlays() {
if (markers) {
for (i in markers) {
markers[i].setMap(null);
}
markers = [];
infos = [];
}
}
// clear infos function
function clearInfos() {
if (infos) {
for (i in infos) {
if (infos[i].getMap()) {
infos[i].close();
}
}
}
}
// find address function
function findAddress() {
var address = document.getElementById("gmap_where").value;
// script uses our 'geocoder' in order to find location by address name
geocoder.geocode( { 'address': address}, function(results, status) {
if (status == google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK) { // and, if everything is ok
// we will center map
var addrLocation = results[0].geometry.location;
map.setCenter(addrLocation);
// store current coordinates into hidden variables
document.getElementById('lat').value = results[0].geometry.location.lat();
document.getElementById('lng').value = results[0].geometry.location.lng();
// and then - add new custom marker
var addrMarker = new google.maps.Marker({
position: addrLocation,
map: map,
title: results[0].formatted_address,
icon: 'marker.png'
});
} else {
alert('Geocode was not successful for the following reason: ' + status);
}
});
}
// find custom places function
function findPlaces() {
// prepare variables (filter)
var type = document.getElementById('gmap_type').value;
var radius = document.getElementById('gmap_radius').value;
var keyword = document.getElementById('gmap_keyword').value;
var lat = document.getElementById('lat').value;
var lng = document.getElementById('lng').value;
var cur_location = new google.maps.LatLng(lat, lng);
// prepare request to Places
var request = {
location: cur_location,
radius: radius,
types: [type]
};
if (keyword) {
request.keyword = [keyword];
}
// send request
service = new google.maps.places.PlacesService(map);
service.search(request, createMarkers);
}
// create markers (from 'findPlaces' function)
function createMarkers(results, status) {
if (status == google.maps.places.PlacesServiceStatus.OK) {
// if we have found something - clear map (overlays)
clearOverlays();
// and create new markers by search result
for (var i = 0; i < results.length; i++) {
createMarker(results[i]);
}
} else if (status == google.maps.places.PlacesServiceStatus.ZERO_RESULTS) {
alert('Sorry, nothing is found');
}
}
// creare single marker function
function createMarker(obj) {
// prepare new Marker object
var mark = new google.maps.Marker({
position: obj.geometry.location,
map: map,
title: obj.name
});
markers.push(mark);
// prepare info window
var infowindow = new google.maps.InfoWindow({
content: '<img src="' + obj.icon + '" /><font style="color:#000;">' + obj.name +
'<br />Rating: ' + obj.rating + '<br />Vicinity: ' + obj.vicinity + '</font>'
});
// add event handler to current marker
google.maps.event.addListener(mark, 'click', function() {
clearInfos();
infowindow.open(map,mark);
});
infos.push(infowindow);
}
// initialization
google.maps.event.addDomListener(window, 'load', initialize);
Let me comment this code a bit. During initialization, we prepare empty Geocoder object, then we set initial position to NewYork city, and finally we initialize Map object with our params. In the moment when we click ‘Search for address’ button, our script uses our geocoder to locate necessary address at the map. If we get some results – we take first result and put it as Marker at the map. Now, we can start searching for local objects with using of Places API. Please pay attention to ‘findPlaces’ function. As first, the script collects all selected params (type, radius, optional keyword), then it prepares request object, and sends it to PlacesService. As callback, I set ‘createMarkers’ function, this function will draw search result objects as Markers at our map. Everything is easy and logical, isn’t it?
Live Demo
Conclusion
I beleive that the ‘google maps’ have a very great future. I hope that you like our tutorials. Welcome back!