Geoencoder plugin: Upgrade to Google Maps API v3 or Open Street Maps

[ginatrapani]

Google has deprecated v2 of the Maps API, though it's not clear when they will turn it off completely.

The Geoencoder plugin should upgrade to v3. Alternately, b/c Google requires billing information (since it's charging for usage over 25k map views), we could evaluate the possibility of using OpenStreetMap.

Also worth evaluating: http://mapstraction.com/ service-agnostic JavaScript libraries which make it easy to switch or choose different map services.

[ajturner]

I would be interested to help with this but am unfamiliar with ThinkUp's code. It looks like the mapping functionality is contained within the 'geoencoder' plugin? Can plugins have their own configurations (e.g. user set to OpenStreetMap, MapQuest, etc.)?

[ginatrapani]

Hi Andy-- You're right, all the mapping code is in the geoencoder plugin folder. We can also easily add a user setting to the geoencoder plugin where the user can choose between map provider, too. Right now the only options are the Google Maps key and miles/kilometers, but we'd add a dropdown for provider as well.

Maybe the first step is to assume the user is using Google Maps and building mapstraction in with that initial provider. Second step will be adding the choice of others. Sound good?

[HLFH]

This issue is still present in ThinkUp 2.0-beta.10

[ginatrapani]

Yes, it is. Pull requests welcome.

[stevenwang999]

now Google Maps has many APIs, which one or multiple ones should be enabled? Google Maps Coordinate API Google Maps Embed API Google Maps Engine API Google Maps Geolocation API Google Maps JavaScript API v3 Google Maps Tracks API