"Can you use PHP to control what you show on a Google Map?" An innocent question that lead me off on an interesting exploration when I should (!) have been doing other things - but a very worthwhile couple of hours, and great fun!

How do you do it?

1. Apply for your Google Maps key (you'll need to set up a Google account first if you don't have one)

2. Load their sample Javascript into the head of your web page, and modify it to relect your scale and location.

3. Add in a <div id="map" ... element to your web page

Probably a good idea to test at this point!

4. Add in a form for the controls you want, a handler for form inputs, and modify the Javascript to drop in the contents of PHP variables where necessary.


And Bob's your uncle!

I have an example in use here.
And the source code is here.

Is there much else I could do? Absolutely! I've just pushed the door open a crack and I see a blinding light shining out.
(written 2007-10-13 00:23:56)

 H115 - Designing PHP-Based Solutions: Best Practice
  [2430] Not just a PHP program - a good web application - (2009-09-29)
  [2221] Adding a newsfeed for your users to a multipage PHP application - (2009-06-06)
  [2199] Improving the structure of your early PHP programs - (2009-05-25)
  [1794] Refactoring - a PHP demo becomes a production page - (2008-09-12)
  [1694] Defensive coding techniques in PHP? - (2008-07-02)
  [1623] PHP Techniques - a workshop - (2008-04-26)
  [1533] Short and sweet and sticky - PHP form input - (2008-02-06)
  [1490] Software to record day to day events and keep an action list - (2007-12-31)
  [1487] Efficient PHP applications - framework and example - (2007-12-28)
  [1482] A story about benchmarking PHP - (2007-12-23)
  [1391] Ordnance Survey Grid Reference to Latitude / Longitude - (2007-10-14)
  [1390] Converting from postal address to latitude / longitude - (2007-10-13)
  [1381] Using a MySQL database to control mod_rewrite via PHP - (2007-10-06)
  [1323] Easy handling of errors in PHP - (2007-08-27)
  [1321] Resetting session based tests in PHP - (2007-08-26)
  [1194] Drawing hands on a clock face - PHP - (2007-05-19)
  [1182] Painting a masterpiece in PHP - (2007-05-10)
  [1181] Good Programming practise - where to initialise variables - (2007-05-09)
  [1166] Back button - ensuring order are not submitted twice (PHP) - (2007-04-28)
  [1052] Learning to write secure, maintainable PHP - (2007-01-25)
  [1047] Maintainable code - some positive advice - (2007-01-21)
  [945] Code quality counts - (2006-11-26)
  [936] Global, Superglobal, Session variables - scope and persistance in PHP - (2006-11-21)
  [896] PHP - good coding practise and sticky radio buttons - (2006-10-17)
  [839] Reporting on the 10 largest files or 10 top scores - (2006-08-20)
  [572] Giving the researcher power over database analysis - (2006-01-22)
  [563] Merging pictures using PHP and GD - (2006-01-13)
  [426] Robust checking of data entered by users - (2005-08-27)
  [394] A year on - should we offer certified PHP courses - (2005-07-28)
  [340] Code and code maintainance efficiency - (2005-06-08)
  [261] Putting a form online - (2005-03-29)
  [237] Crossfertilisation, PHP to Python - (2005-03-06)
  [123] Short underground journeys and a PHP book - (2004-11-19)

H309 - PHP - Maps, Graphics and Geographics
  [2583] Reducing image size on digital photos - PHP - (2010-01-17)
  [2390] Dynamic / changing images on your web page - (2009-09-01)
  [2361] Geocoding - converting address to latitude / Longitude with PHP via Google - (2009-08-14)
  [2343] World Flags in your PHP pages - (2009-08-10)
  [1956] Images for Christmas - (2008-12-21)
  [1923] Making it all worthwhile - (2008-12-04)
  [1756] Ever had One of THOSE mornings? - (2008-08-16)
  [1752] Dynamic maps / geographics in PHP - (2008-08-13)
  [1734] All around the world? - (2008-08-03)
  [1724] addslashes v mysql_real_escape_string in PHP - (2008-07-27)
  [1628] Gant charts - drawing them with a PHP script - (2008-05-03)
  [1104] Drawing dynamic graphs in PHP - (2007-03-09)
  [937] Display an image from a MySQL database in a web page via PHP - (2006-11-22)
  [665] PHP Image viewing application - (2006-04-01)
  [320] Ordnance Survey - using a 'Get a map' - (2005-05-22)

H999 - Additional PHP Material
  [2215] If nothing, make it nothing. - (2009-06-02)
  [2073] Extra PHP Examples - (2009-03-09)
  [1519] Flipping images on your web page - (2008-01-26)
  [1505] Script to present commonly used images - PHP - (2008-01-13)
  [1485] Copyright and theft of images, bandwidth and members. - (2007-12-26)
  [1451] More PHP sample and demonstration programs - (2007-12-01)
  [1270] PHP Standalone - keyboard to screen - (2007-07-18)
  [1053] Sorting people by name in PHP - (2007-01-26)
  [1020] Parallel processing in PHP - (2007-01-03)
  [1010] Dates, times, clickable diarys in PHP - (2006-12-28)
  [917] Syntax checking in PHP - (2006-11-07)
  [822] PHP - a team member leaves - (2006-08-04)
  [806] Check your user is human. Have him retype a word in a graphic - (2006-07-17)
  [789] Hot answers in PHP - (2006-07-02)
  [687] Presentation, Business and Persistence layers in Perl and PHP - (2006-04-17)
  [603] PHP - setting sort order with an associative array - (2006-02-13)
  [493] Running a Perl script within a PHP page - (2005-11-12)
  [483] Double Dollars in PHP - (2005-11-02)
  [468] Stand alone PHP programs - (2005-10-18)
  [372] Time calculation in PHP - (2005-07-08)
  [337] the array returned by preg_match_all - (2005-06-06)
  [322] More maps - (2005-05-23)
  [239] What and why for the epoch - (2005-03-08)
  [54] PHP and natural sorting - (2004-09-19)

Back to Well House Manor - a year on

Previous and next or Horse's mouth home

Forward to Converting from postal address to latitude / longitude

First Alternative / what has happened there?
Autumnal lighting on a London trip
Controlling and labelling Google maps via PHP
Well House Manor - a year on
Error logging to file not browser in PHP
New software product for warmblooded programmers
Delegates of all shapes and sizes
An email update for past guests and delegates