Questions about the Google Maps modules and more

Question

what are the main differences are between the Gmaps and Google Maps for ExpressionEngine modules? Anyone know? My preference is now going towards Gmaps because of the price, but I don't have a good idea of what the difference really are currently, in terms of futures etc.

In relation to the abilities of those modules:

What I want to do is have entries with a location marker field type. Those entries will then show that marker (and that marker only) in Google Maps on the front end. I'm sure that's possible, but what I'm not sure about are the other things I want to do, which are...

1) When I add a new entry with a location marker I want that location marker to be part of a "master map" also where ALL the different location markers from all the different entries are shown. Is this possible?

2) There will be different kind of location markers, for example, restaurants, hotels etc. Can I make it so that those different categories automatically use their own custom makrker type when I add them in an entry?

3) When looking at the master map, can I also filter the markers shown by showing only hotels for example (excluding the restaurants)?

I hope someone can clear those things up for me.

Answer 1

I am Justin from Objective HTML. Google Maps for EE is my add-on.

Gmaps can't do entry based proximity searches. Gmaps doesn't have a fieldtype, and I don't think geocode entries via the CP or Safecracker. Where as Google Maps for EE has a fieldtype, a configurable data import utility, loads of caching, all the front-end template tags you need, and very robust API which I have been used to release new add-ons like Geocoder (https://objectivehtml.com/geocoder).

Those are the biggest differences that I can think of off hand. Gmaps can do a few things out of the box Google Maps for EE can't do, but those are all JS related (which could be ported to Google Maps for EE). I focus on delivering robust features that integrate within EE, Safecracker, and Matrix, and any other module you need.

1. Yes.
2. Yes. It's best to have 1 location per entry and have all the entry data appear on the same map on the front-end.
3. Yes. You just need to use jQuery and follow my example. Don't take my example 100% literally though, which some people do and run into problems. My example is a working implementation of what you could do. 9/10 people want slightly different functionality and the code is different for each implementation. https://objectivehtml.com/google-maps/examples/jquery

Email [email protected] if you have any questions.

Answer 2

The main difference between both modules is that Gmaps is only a Module and Google Maps for EE is a module and a fieldtype. Gmaps cannot geocode addresses in the CP, like Google Maps for EE does. Both modules gives you the ability to use front-end tags to show your maps with EE tags and use a solid cache technique.

Gmaps target on easy to use Maps, with a nice set of tags (mostly used one tag with params). With those tags you can create 'almost' all kind of maps. Beside that it comes by default with a Geocoder API (http://reinos.nl/add-ons/gmaps/docs#Geocoder_API) and a JS API (http://reinos.nl/add-ons/gmaps/docs#Javascript_events) and use some nice geocode technique that will geocode data from multiple services like; Google Maps, Bing Maps, Yahoo, Cloudmade, Openstreetmap, Mapquest, Yandex and Geocoder_ca. All the address will be cached, so you don`t have to worry about quota's and limits.

See the 50+ different examples in action (http://reinos.nl/add-ons/gmaps/examples/)

Back to your questions;

1) Yes, but you must define an address or latlng by the entry manually. You cannot select the address in the CP from the map because Gmaps has no fieldtype. (http://reinos.nl/add-ons/gmaps/examples/339)

2) Yes (Different Markers http://reinos.nl/add-ons/gmaps/examples/175 and here Complex Markers http://reinos.nl/add-ons/gmaps/examples/353)

3) Yes, (http://reinos.nl/add-ons/gmaps/examples/357).

Hope this will clear the sky.

Answer 3

I believe both addons will do everything you specify.

Personally I went for Google Maps for EE, based on the fact that it allows you to plot markers via a front end safecracker form. Don't think Gmaps let's you do that.