Additional documentation on customizing maps on PublicLab.org

[emilyashley]

Making a quick issue sharing that @jywarren and I talked today about adding additional documentation on tiers of customizability of maps available using LEL and Public Lab. Thanks to the users of Unearthing Providence for asking questions that got us thinking about this.

Here's a draftt for review if you have thoughts. We'll be adding it as is for now to Inline Maps Customization PL wiki page

Please comment any thoughts thanks!!!

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Customizing maps on PublicLab.org

We've made a simple way to embed interactive maps that feature Public Lab content as well as externally hosted environmental data. We've balanced simplicity of use (for non-programmers) with customizability. From the simplest to most customized options for making maps:

1. Simplest way: use inline maps - https://publiclab.org/wiki/inline-maps - several customization options
   • No coding needed
2. If this won't meet your needs, consider if what you need would be useful to others; if so, request the feature on LEL: https://github.com/publiclab/leaflet-environmental-layers (PL staff input too, re: broader community utility)
   • Consider if the inline maps syntax will accommodate this new feature?
   • OR would it be OK as a default for all maps on PL?
   • This path takes some community process and necessarily slower integration work, but comes with more future support and sustainability
3. If it wouldn't be useful for other LEL users, consider making a static instance of LEL, hosted on GH Pages, and embedding it using an <iframe\>
   • Here's an example of this: https://github.com/publiclab/leaflet-environmental-layers/blob/master/example/unearthing-pvd.html (viewable at http://publiclab.github.io/leaflet-environmental-layers/example/unearthing-pvd)
   • This allows ANY plug-and-play leaflet code as per http://leafletjs.com/

4. Hybrid approach: use inline JS to add leaflet settings directly as properties to a native inline map object

   • A bit brittle, a bit obscure
   • here is an example of how to do this on a wiki page: https://publiclab.org/wiki/inline-maps-examples
   • Hotfix --- while development on inline syntax is built and then we can unbrittle your map. Could introduce bugs and lives outside of tested development.
     • It's a nice bridge to either B or C

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[emilyashley]

💡 If we have an issue template for requesting inline-maps syntax options that might be a cool thing to make or link to in this documentation. If not, no worries.

[tmarlow]

@emilyashley should the static link to http://publiclab.github.io/leaflet-environmental-layers/example/unearthing display a page? I'm getting an error at the moment.

[emilyashley]

@tmarlow ahh good call. Updating it to unearthing-pvd I think that's it.

[sagarpreet-chadha]

@emilyashley awesome draft 🎉 , i think @jywarren perspective is always from UX point of view due to which we have given many ways to use maps and inline maps to users. Thanks 😄 !