Google Maps Mashup (Full Version)

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markhawker -> Google Maps Mashup (4/2/2007 10:32:33)

Hey all, what do you think:

http://beta.thebubblejungle.com/choosr/

It's a site that allows you to locate PCTs across the UK and get directions quickly and easily through Google Maps. There are still a few features that I can't implement until Google decide to release their Local UK Business Search API.

I have yet to add a BETA star but there's still time... lol

Mark



jaybee -> RE: Google Maps Mashup (4/2/2007 11:00:26)

Clever but methinks not clever enough. It lists the nearest PCT to me as 43 miles away on the edge of London when it's actually just up the road.

I should be getting Berkshire West
quote:

Berkshire West PCT was formed on 1 October 2006 as a result of the merging of Reading, Wokingham, and Newbury and Community PCTs.
but I get
quote:

43 miles from Hillington PCT
52 miles from Kingston PCT
68 miles from Greenwich Teaching PCT
68 miles from South Gloucestershire PCT
73 miles from Bromley PCT
80 miles from Havering PCT
81 miles from Barnet PCT
197 miles from North East Lincolnshire PCT



markhawker -> RE: Google Maps Mashup (4/2/2007 11:05:42)

quote:

Clever but methinks not clever enough. It lists the nearest PCT to me as 43 miles away on the edge of London when it's actually just up the road.

Nice try! I've only actually got 8 PCTs in my XML file, I'm working on a script that I'll run as a crontab which extracts PCT information from the official NHS NACS data and saves it in XML format so it will be self updating.

I really should've put a BETA icon on there [;)]



jaybee -> RE: Google Maps Mashup (4/2/2007 12:49:27)

Sheesh!



markhawker -> RE: Google Maps Mashup (4/2/2007 14:01:09)

I've updated the site to reflect the changes you suggested!

On a further note, can you run any type of script as a crontab? I may use Python instead of PHP to create the file and wondered if this is possible?



jaybee -> RE: Google Maps Mashup (4/2/2007 14:33:18)

No idea, I've only ever run PHP crons. Don't see why not though, all the cron is doing is kicking the script off at a specified time. If you can execute it normally then it should cron.



markhawker -> RE: Google Maps Mashup (4/2/2007 19:04:35)

There we go, a nice shiny new crontab! You'll notice there is now every single PCT in the UK apart from two which I need to find a geocode for. Hopefully it works now?



jaybee -> RE: Google Maps Mashup (4/2/2007 20:13:20)

Yes that's better. The only thing I would say is you type in your postcode and then......? There's no button to press or anything. That's going to confuse a few people.



Tailslide -> RE: Google Maps Mashup (4/3/2007 3:23:30)

I agree with Jaybee on that one - it would be better to have a "go" button as the instruction disappears once people start to type and since the list of PCTs is below the fold they might not realise that the page has changed. I'd think about putting the list above the map maybe?



markhawker -> RE: Google Maps Mashup (4/3/2007 6:23:57)

quote:

I'd think about putting the list above the map maybe?

Good thinking, that's been changed now. Think I may need some kind of warning that there's a map below the text so might have a think about that today.

Thanks for the advice.



peterW -> RE: Google Maps Mashup (4/23/2007 6:21:51)

The Google maps and UK post codes - this is an interesting one. I am not sure that it is a Google problem. We found similar problems trying to use Google maps API within our site. We can search for stuff in Ireland, France, Germany, but not the UK. Begin to wonder if this is more a UK Data Protection gone mad issue meaning that Google has access to the data within their own business, but can't make it available to 3rd parties using the API.



jaybee -> RE: Google Maps Mashup (4/23/2007 8:55:31)

Have you asked Google?



markhawker -> RE: Google Maps Mashup (4/24/2007 19:02:15)

quote:

ORIGINAL: peterW

The Google maps and UK post codes - this is an interesting one. I am not sure that it is a Google problem.

Geocoding a marker from a UK post code is possible, and I did have it working but it was process-hungry generating longitude/latitude pair from a postcode. There's an excellent site developed by Tom Anthony but it uses a callback fucntion that wasn't workable with my code.

The Google Local API isn't available for the UK yet. Apparently changing all the google.com to google.co.uk references worked for a while but doesn't appear to now. It's either that or fear that a people might start developing web applications to contest with their own. There are some amazing scripts for use in the US. Chicago Crime has been around for ages but is excellently done.

If you do need a hand with any Google code just drop me a PM.



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