Web services like Mapquest and Google Maps have transformed the way we think about and use maps. But these services do more than just driving directions-they provide APIs that web developers can use to build customized map applications. In Map Scripting 101, author Adam DuVander uses a project-based approach to teach you how to create useful and fun online map mashups like weather maps and local concert trackers. DuVander shows you how to use Mapstraction, an open source JavaScript library, to create and manipulate basic maps by setting zoom levels, showing and hiding markers, geocoding addresses, customizing maps for visitors based on their locales, and so on. You'll also learn to handle complex GIS (geographic information system) data and formats like KML and GeoRSS, and to create graphical overlays to make sense of data and trends. This is a perfect book for any web developer, whether their goal is to build a map to track earthquakes around the world, or to simply mark the best coffee shops in town.
