barbeau
commented
11 years ago Some clarification on how this affects OBA:
The end of support for Javascript Google Maps API V2 should only affect the main OBA desktop website (e.g., http://onebusaway.forest.usf.edu/onebusaway-webapp/where/standard/ for our Tampa instance). This is the only UI that uses the main Javascript Google Maps API. The iPhone and Android apps should not be affected, since they use the Google Maps API for the iOS and Android platforms, respectively, which are completely different APIs. The smartphone and feature phone browser UIs aren’t affected because they don’t show a map. This issue will affect all unmodified clones of the main OBA repo on Github (https://github.com/OneBusAway/onebusaway-application-modules), including our Tampa instance. I don’t believe MTA will be affected, since they ditched GWT when modifying their website UI.
The main problem going forward is that there is no official production release of the GWT APIs project that includes support for using GMaps API V3 with the Google Web Toolkit. Here’s the main issue I’ve been following on the official Google GWT Google APIs project (which included support for production support for the V2 Maps API) that outlines the problem: http://code.google.com/p/gwt-google-apis/issues/detail?id=381
Our options to resolve the issue: 1) Use the pre-release of the official GWT Google APIs project that includes support for GMaps API V3 – see http://code.google.com/p/gwt-google-apis/issues/detail?id=381#c53 2) Use a third-party wrapper to access GMaps API V3 via GWT, such as https://github.com/branflake2267/GWT-Maps-V3-Api. More are listed at the Google code issue page above. 3) Remove GWT completely from the OBA website, and use simple Javascript/AJAX for the website UI to directly access the GMaps API V3. From my current understanding of the MTA OBA UI, this is similar to their implementation, so it may just make sense to migrate completely to their website UI. 4) Switch from using Google Maps to using another map provider like OpenLayers and OpenStreetMap tiles. Seems that there is support for using GWT and OpenLayers together: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2493171/gwt-openlayers-with-openstreetmap-example.
Seems like Option#3 might be the most attractive option with the least amount of risk, especially since we would gain other features that they’ve implemented. There has been some work towards this in terms of using GTFS-realtime feed with MTA UIs, see https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/onebusaway-developers/xm3o47M63kg
GWT is a good idea in theory, but in our experience development with it has been like trying to hit a moving target when integrated with the GMaps API and other libraries, especially with the high learning curve and turnover involved from student to student working on projects. GWT development seems to be a house of cards, and if one of the tools in the chain doesn’t work the whole thing comes crashing down.
On a related note, Google is grandfathering in all existing Google Apps domain accounts. I have two of these on my own for business purposes outside of USF, and received an email saying that existing accounts would remain free, although new accounts would be subject to fees. So, OneBusAway.org should be ok.
fruminator
kurtraschke
jeffmaki
bdferris
nalbion
kariwatkins
maxgano
philtapia
jwhitesell
aaronbrethorst
https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/v2/basics "Note: The Google Maps JavaScript API Version 2 has been officially deprecated as of May 19, 2010. The V2 API will continue to work until May 19, 2013. We encourage you to migrate your code to version 3 of the Maps JavaScript API."
http://code.google.com/p/gwt-google-maps-v3/ "This project will soon be merged into gwt-google-apis and hence is depricated"
http://code.google.com/p/gwt-google-apis/wiki/MapsFAQ#How_can_I_use_GWT_with_Maps_API_3.0? "As of the gwt-maps-1.1 release, the current bindings are only compatible with the Maps v2 APIs. You can use JSNI methods to interface with the Maps v3 API"