Which Maps API to use?

[daitj]

I am not talking about the Maps API for each platform but JavaScript Maps APIs Google Maps API is too slow, even for PC's it is not smooth. Bing Maps I haven't checked it how good it is for mobile phones. One thing I remember is that it was on Facebook app under "Check In". But it seems that it has been removed now. Leaflet seems to be really smooth at least. But I haven't checked its extendability or API availability.

So what should we use for now?

[sarukuku]

Did you read this? http://flippinawesome.org/2013/12/09/mobile-friendly-mapping-for-phonegap-apps/

This guy has actually tried all of them and done a light research. I'd say that we trust him, find a contradicting research or do our own research. I'm open to anything else but a "I have a hunch" kind of decisions. :)

[daitj]

Yeah I checked it yesterday. I will check Custom Cordova Mapping Plugin later today and see its functions. If it is easy to implement it. I mean why not?

On Tue, May 20, 2014 at 8:25 AM, Joonas Salovaara notifications@github.comwrote:

Did you read this?

http://flippinawesome.org/2013/12/09/mobile-friendly-mapping-for-phonegap-apps/

This guy has actually tried all of them and done a light research. I'd say that we trust him, find a contradicting research or do our own research. I'm open to anything else but a "I have a hunch" kind of decisions. :)

— Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHubhttps://github.com/SkeneApp/PhoneGap/issues/3#issuecomment-43587520 .

Binay Devkota Bangkok, Thailand

[sarukuku]

Are you talking about some ready plugin (link)? Or about writing our own custom mapping plugin?

[daitj]

I am talking about including internal MapKit for iOS and Google Maps for Android using Cordova as mentioned in the link above. But I am meaning to do some tests on my own with these. I am really open for suggestions.

[timojaask]

I am talking about including internal MapKit for iOS and Google Maps for Android using Cordova as mentioned in the link above.

The article is talking about Cordova MapKit plugin: https://github.com/imhotep/MapKit

At the moment it's lacking two things that we need:

• Overlay rendering support (drawing circles)
• Windows Phone support

Theoretically you could fork it and add these features. I checked most of the existing forks, but they didn't seem to have them. I don't know how difficult it would be to implement them, I just suspect that if it was easy, someone would have done it by now, but who knows.

If extending Crodova MapKit plugin seems like a big task to you too, we could evaluate the solutions that already contain the features that we need:

Google maps Drawing circles in Google Maps: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/examples/circle-simple

Bing maps Drawing circles in Bing Maps: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14740559/how-to-draw-a-circle-with-bing-maps-ajax-control-6-3

Leaflet Drawing circles in Leaflet: http://leafletjs.com/reference.html#circle

If you do make tests with these maps, if would be nice if you could put all of them up here, so we can test them on our phones/browsers as well. I have iPhone, Android and Windows Phone devices.

[daitj]

Yeah in practical it seems that with Bing maps is best as it will support all three platforms. I will give a test. Also when I think of items in the map, it will be best to use either Google Maps or Bing Maps as they have lots of local data, shop names, commercial centers, coffee shop, bars and etc.

I will give other maps a shot and have my own small research as well, since true that the article is based on intensive research done by one person

@timojaask is totally boasting about how many phone he has :wink: :grinning:

[are2]

I found this: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd807493.aspx

Some performance optimization tips for Bing maps.

[timojaask]

@are2 Note that that documentation is for older version of maps API.

You are not viewing the latest version of the AJAX control. Bing Maps AJAX V7 is the recommended JavaScript control for Bing Maps.

[sarukuku]

Just slightly related but this is good news for PhoneGap performance in general: http://9to5mac.com/2014/06/03/ios-8-webkit-changes-finally-allow-all-apps-to-have-the-same-performance-as-safari/

[daitj]

So guys after doing some test. For better or worse I am going to use Bing maps. It is really pain in the ass to develop with native maps API in all platform. Since I am using ripple emulator it will really stupid and time consuming to make such thing. just using simple Bing maps and their API would give me great deal of time to refurbish it more.

So all aboard?