Quikmaps in your web application
It’s been in development for a while, and I’ve hinted it’s existence to a number of folks, but now it’s finally reality. What is it? It’s QMaps: Quikmaps technology for 3rd party applications.
I’ve set up a website on Spatial North which provides documentation, examples, a class reference, and download links. In a nutshell, QMaps is a JavaScript library structured as a series of extensions to the Google Maps API. You can use this library to invoke the familiar Quikmaps editor, to display non-editable maps created by the editor, or to build your own custom map editor.
QMaps is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. This means you can use it in non-commercial applications as long as you make attribution to Quikmaps / Spatial North. For commercial endeavours, customizations, or integration assistance, contact me at Spatial North.
twobob said,
February 23, 2007 @ 3:12 pm
Hi Ken
Thanks for the Qmaps App you’ve put together. I’m really a newbie, but am having fun with it already!
Quick question regarding the “My Hometown” search box within the editor. When I type in a name where there is more than one city, I get the message “Sorry, unable to geocode that address”. On the qmaps.com site, a menu appears asking the user which city they were looking for. Is there a way to get this on your Qmaps App to? (Try Brisbane or London and you’ll see what I mean).
Also, is there anywhere specific you’d like users of your app to post feedback, or are you happy for us to ask support questions here?
Cheers, twobob
ken said,
February 26, 2007 @ 1:17 pm
twobob,
It’s because the QMaps editor is using the google geocoder instead of geonames.org, to avoid lag-time and so that you can actually geocode addresses. Try entering “Brisbane, Australia”.
–Ken
darren said,
March 8, 2007 @ 12:49 am
Hi Ken,
QMaps seems to have the “erase” functionality that I’ve been craving in quikmaps for ages !
Is it likely that you can backport the eraser to be used in existing quikmaps ?
Excellent tool BTW - thanks very much.
ken said,
March 16, 2007 @ 8:09 am
Darren,
Quikmaps.com is currently running an older version of the qmaps library. An upgrade is in the plans, at which point you’ll see the eraser on quikmaps.com, but I can’t yet guarantee a date for the switch-over.
–Ken
Harry said,
May 2, 2007 @ 4:01 pm
Just a big hello from Paris where the page with the quikmpaps is the most visited page (appart from home page of course).
Thanks very much.
If one day I ever make money with my site, I sure will send you a nice check because it is also because of quikmaps.
Harry from Paris (cafes-wifi.com)
Arnoldo said,
May 23, 2007 @ 7:18 am
Hi, thanks for this excellent tool, i need some help, to see how i can implement the editor so the user can get the iframe code and reuse the map
gixx said,
May 30, 2007 @ 2:31 pm
Do you plan also an API for Ruby on Rails?
ken said,
May 30, 2007 @ 8:44 pm
Arnoldo - you’ll need to build a back-end for the editor; Store the XML output in a database or file and on the url for your iframe, pull it back up onto a map.
gixx - It’s not in the plans at the moment. You can build one if you like. It would seem to me the API would consist of some JavaScript helpers, and perhaps some helpers for loading / storing the map data.
andrehaero said,
October 6, 2007 @ 4:19 pm
Hi Ken, thanks for this beautiful tool. i use it extensively on my website. I don’t know if anybody pointed it out, but on my Mac and the Safari browser, it just doesn’t wanna work fine. The scribbling and the path overlays in general don’t display properly, or not at all. With Opera, even worse. Both version of the browsers are latest.