Google maps is a free web mapping service application provided by Google. It offers lots of cool features (showing various map types, plotting points, showing routes, geocoding addresses). You can also add all these features to your website using the Google Maps APIs provided by Google. In this tutorial I will show you how to add some of these features to your site.
Download Script
Creating the web form for getting the two addresses
<script type="text/javascript">
var location1;
var location2;
var address1;
var address2;
var latlng;
var geocoder;
var map;
var distance;
// finds the coordinates for the two locations and calls the showMap() function
function initialize()
{
geocoder = new google.maps.Geocoder(); // creating a new geocode object
// getting the two address values
address1 = document.getElementById("address1").value;
address2 = document.getElementById("address2").value;
// finding out the coordinates
if (geocoder)
{
geocoder.geocode( { 'address': address1}, function(results, status)
{
if (status == google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK)
{
//location of first address (latitude + longitude)
location1 = results[0].geometry.location;
} else
{
alert("Geocode was not successful for the following reason: " + status);
}
});
geocoder.geocode( { 'address': address2}, function(results, status)
{
if (status == google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK)
{
//location of second address (latitude + longitude)
location2 = results[0].geometry.location;
// calling the showMap() function to create and show the map
showMap();
} else
{
alert("Geocode was not successful for the following reason: " + status);
}
});
}
}
// creates and shows the map
function showMap()
{
// center of the map (compute the mean value between the two locations)
latlng = new google.maps.LatLng((location1.lat()+location2.lat())/2,(location1.lng()+location2.lng())/2);
// set map options
// set zoom level
// set center
// map type
var mapOptions =
{
zoom: 1,
center: latlng,
mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.HYBRID
};
// create a new map object
// set the div id where it will be shown
// set the map options
map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById("map_canvas"), mapOptions);
// show route between the points
directionsService = new google.maps.DirectionsService();
directionsDisplay = new google.maps.DirectionsRenderer(
{
suppressMarkers: true,
suppressInfoWindows: true
});
directionsDisplay.setMap(map);
var request = {
origin:location1,
destination:location2,
travelMode: google.maps.DirectionsTravelMode.DRIVING
};
directionsService.route(request, function(response, status)
{
if (status == google.maps.DirectionsStatus.OK)
{
directionsDisplay.setDirections(response);
distance = "The distance between the two points on the chosen route is: "+response.routes[0].legs[0].distance.text;
distance += "<br/>The aproximative driving time is: "+response.routes[0].legs[0].duration.text;
document.getElementById("distance_road").innerHTML = distance;
}
});
// show a line between the two points
var line = new google.maps.Polyline({
map: map,
path: [location1, location2],
strokeWeight: 7,
strokeOpacity: 0.8,
strokeColor: "#FFAA00"
});
// create the markers for the two locations
var marker1 = new google.maps.Marker({
map: map,
position: location1,
title: "First location"
});
var marker2 = new google.maps.Marker({
map: map,
position: location2,
title: "Second location"
});
// create the text to be shown in the infowindows
var text1 = '<div id="content">'+
'<h1 id="firstHeading">First location</h1>'+
'<div id="bodyContent">'+
'<p>Coordinates: '+location1+'</p>'+
'<p>Address: '+address1+'</p>'+
'</div>'+
'</div>';
var text2 = '<div id="content">'+
'<h1 id="firstHeading">Second location</h1>'+
'<div id="bodyContent">'+
'<p>Coordinates: '+location2+'</p>'+
'<p>Address: '+address2+'</p>'+
'</div>'+
'</div>';
// create info boxes for the two markers
var infowindow1 = new google.maps.InfoWindow({
content: text1
});
var infowindow2 = new google.maps.InfoWindow({
content: text2
});
// add action events so the info windows will be shown when the marker is clicked
google.maps.event.addListener(marker1, 'click', function() {
infowindow1.open(map,marker1);
});
google.maps.event.addListener(marker2, 'click', function() {
infowindow2.open(map,marker1);
});
// compute distance between the two points
var R = 6371;
var dLat = toRad(location2.lat()-location1.lat());
var dLon = toRad(location2.lng()-location1.lng());
var dLat1 = toRad(location1.lat());
var dLat2 = toRad(location2.lat());
var a = Math.sin(dLat/2) * Math.sin(dLat/2) +
Math.cos(dLat1) * Math.cos(dLat1) *
Math.sin(dLon/2) * Math.sin(dLon/2);
var c = 2 * Math.atan2(Math.sqrt(a), Math.sqrt(1-a));
var d = R * c;
document.getElementById("distance_direct").innerHTML = "<br/>The distance between the two points (in a straight line) is: "+d;
}
function toRad(deg)
{
return deg * Math.PI/180;
}
</script>
Download Script
Creating the web form for getting the two addresses
<body bgcolor="#fff">
<div id="form" style="width:100%; height:20%">
<table align="center" valign="center">
<tr>
<td colspan="7" align="center"><b>Find the distance between two locations</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="7"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>First address:</td>
<td> </td>
<td><input type="text" name="address1" id="address1" size="50"/></td>
<td> </td>
<td>Second address:</td>
<td> </td>
<td><input type="text" name="address2" id="address2" size="50"/></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="7"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="7" align="center"><input type="button" value="Show" onClick="initialize();"/></td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<center><div style="width:100%; height:10%" id="distance_direct"></div></center>
<center><div style="width:100%; height:10%" id="distance_road"></div></center>
<center><div id="map_canvas" style="width:70%; height:54%"></div></center>
</body>
Showing the map
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/api/js?sensor=true"></script><script type="text/javascript">
var location1;
var location2;
var address1;
var address2;
var latlng;
var geocoder;
var map;
var distance;
// finds the coordinates for the two locations and calls the showMap() function
function initialize()
{
geocoder = new google.maps.Geocoder(); // creating a new geocode object
// getting the two address values
address1 = document.getElementById("address1").value;
address2 = document.getElementById("address2").value;
// finding out the coordinates
if (geocoder)
{
geocoder.geocode( { 'address': address1}, function(results, status)
{
if (status == google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK)
{
//location of first address (latitude + longitude)
location1 = results[0].geometry.location;
} else
{
alert("Geocode was not successful for the following reason: " + status);
}
});
geocoder.geocode( { 'address': address2}, function(results, status)
{
if (status == google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK)
{
//location of second address (latitude + longitude)
location2 = results[0].geometry.location;
// calling the showMap() function to create and show the map
showMap();
} else
{
alert("Geocode was not successful for the following reason: " + status);
}
});
}
}
// creates and shows the map
function showMap()
{
// center of the map (compute the mean value between the two locations)
latlng = new google.maps.LatLng((location1.lat()+location2.lat())/2,(location1.lng()+location2.lng())/2);
// set map options
// set zoom level
// set center
// map type
var mapOptions =
{
zoom: 1,
center: latlng,
mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.HYBRID
};
// create a new map object
// set the div id where it will be shown
// set the map options
map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById("map_canvas"), mapOptions);
// show route between the points
directionsService = new google.maps.DirectionsService();
directionsDisplay = new google.maps.DirectionsRenderer(
{
suppressMarkers: true,
suppressInfoWindows: true
});
directionsDisplay.setMap(map);
var request = {
origin:location1,
destination:location2,
travelMode: google.maps.DirectionsTravelMode.DRIVING
};
directionsService.route(request, function(response, status)
{
if (status == google.maps.DirectionsStatus.OK)
{
directionsDisplay.setDirections(response);
distance = "The distance between the two points on the chosen route is: "+response.routes[0].legs[0].distance.text;
distance += "<br/>The aproximative driving time is: "+response.routes[0].legs[0].duration.text;
document.getElementById("distance_road").innerHTML = distance;
}
});
// show a line between the two points
var line = new google.maps.Polyline({
map: map,
path: [location1, location2],
strokeWeight: 7,
strokeOpacity: 0.8,
strokeColor: "#FFAA00"
});
// create the markers for the two locations
var marker1 = new google.maps.Marker({
map: map,
position: location1,
title: "First location"
});
var marker2 = new google.maps.Marker({
map: map,
position: location2,
title: "Second location"
});
// create the text to be shown in the infowindows
var text1 = '<div id="content">'+
'<h1 id="firstHeading">First location</h1>'+
'<div id="bodyContent">'+
'<p>Coordinates: '+location1+'</p>'+
'<p>Address: '+address1+'</p>'+
'</div>'+
'</div>';
var text2 = '<div id="content">'+
'<h1 id="firstHeading">Second location</h1>'+
'<div id="bodyContent">'+
'<p>Coordinates: '+location2+'</p>'+
'<p>Address: '+address2+'</p>'+
'</div>'+
'</div>';
// create info boxes for the two markers
var infowindow1 = new google.maps.InfoWindow({
content: text1
});
var infowindow2 = new google.maps.InfoWindow({
content: text2
});
// add action events so the info windows will be shown when the marker is clicked
google.maps.event.addListener(marker1, 'click', function() {
infowindow1.open(map,marker1);
});
google.maps.event.addListener(marker2, 'click', function() {
infowindow2.open(map,marker1);
});
// compute distance between the two points
var R = 6371;
var dLat = toRad(location2.lat()-location1.lat());
var dLon = toRad(location2.lng()-location1.lng());
var dLat1 = toRad(location1.lat());
var dLat2 = toRad(location2.lat());
var a = Math.sin(dLat/2) * Math.sin(dLat/2) +
Math.cos(dLat1) * Math.cos(dLat1) *
Math.sin(dLon/2) * Math.sin(dLon/2);
var c = 2 * Math.atan2(Math.sqrt(a), Math.sqrt(1-a));
var d = R * c;
document.getElementById("distance_direct").innerHTML = "<br/>The distance between the two points (in a straight line) is: "+d;
}
function toRad(deg)
{
return deg * Math.PI/180;
}
</script>