Google maps content type

[Brian Jones]

Greetings.

Luther College has recently been enhancing its Google maps presence using the latest v3 API. A generic Google maps content type has been created, which can be placed on any designated page type, such as default and events.

The content type allows the user to set:

• map center
• zoom level
• primary pushpin
• destination point for directions

It is also possible to show a campus template, and import more sophisticated "My Places" maps created in a Google account, which can be be combined into a single Reason Google map.

See following examples:

reasondev.luther.edu/publication_brian/googlemap/
reasondev.luther.edu/publication_brian/events/?event_id=345322

Additional defaults such as map center, zoom level, MSID of campus template, designated Google accounts, would be needed in reason_settings.php.

Some possible uses for the Google maps interface include:

• More detailed maps with parking for campus events.
• Study away programs.
• Alumni.
• Regions for admissions counselors.
  

I've sent the username and password to access map interface in Reason in a separate email.

Please provide feedback.

Thanks,
Brian

[Nathan White]

Hi Brian - though I've only scratched the surface, as in looking at the pages you link, this looks really cool. I've had a crazy week and am soon to head off on vacation to Belize but I will look at this more substantively and get back to you when I can. Sounds like something we should likely include in Reason 4.4. Thanks for all you do.

Nate

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[Brian Jones]

Luther College is wanting to move ahead on the Google Maps project. If there are concerns about the structure of the content manager and minisite module please let me know in the next few weeks so we can make any changes before Maps project is released to the campus community.

Will be adding default defines to reason_settings, or should a new settings file be created for Google Maps?

Thanks,
Brian

[Nathan White]

Hi Brian -

If we add the type as a core feature, I think having the defaults in reason_settings.php would probably be fine. Is it possible to have the feature be functional (without a campus overlay) with no configuration? As I remember google maps API 3 does not require an API key. My thinking on settings has been that optional features that require configuration are in separate settings files (akismet, recaptcha, kaltura, google analytics api), while core functionality with sensible defaults are in reason_settings.php.

Here are some other questions:

1. Can I pull the content manager and module files from github so I can see the code? I made a branch called FEATURE-googlemaps based on master to which you could submit a pull request if you are ready.
2. We show a super basic google map on events if REASON_EVENT_GEOLOCATION_ENABLED in reason_settings.php is true - does this change that, or remove it when you attach a campus map type to an event?
3. Have you written an upgrade script that creates the google map content type?

Thanks!

Nate

[Matt Ryan]

Sorry to tune in so late on this, but we at Carleton have had a map type (and location type) that works similarly, with the additional ability to set up a set of locations directly in Reason, to map a set of LDAP entries, or to map a set of form submissions. It would probably be a good idea to harmonize these two efforts, so we have one canonical Google map solution.

Brian, if you'd like we can talk about how we might merge these projects.

Matt

[Nathan White]

I would suggest we get a group together at summer hack/doc to hash this out.

I suspect that harmonizing these efforts is not likely to happen in a short time frame, probably not quickly enough to meet what is sounds like is a specific roll out goal timeline at Luther (and a roll out for which most of the development work is already done.).

We should certainly move basic maps functionality into the core, and I think it makes sense to get together a small group to look at what has been developed at both schools and figure out what makes sense for the core (pick one, pick the other, combine them into something new).

Sorry we didn't get back to you in February regarding our google maps work, which I haven't been very involved with and didn't jump to my mind prior to my vacation.

Nate

[Brian Jones]

Nate,

Finally had a chance this week to write the scripts for Google maps integration. All Google maps code is in a pull request to the FEATURES-googlemaps branch.

• The prefs are still hard-coded, so when you create a default map it will show Luther College preferences.
• There is no custom css.
• There are two relations, a page_to_google_map and event_to_google_map. Since events.php was not modified use the google_maps page type to view.
• This version does not deal with large data sets, rather offloads the task to Google maps APIs instead of using Reason.

Browse to scripts/upgrade/update_google_map.php to run or test the database migration script.

Brian