Google Maps - How Do You Display a Map with Multiple Points ?

Hi,

I have seen a few people on here do this before.

I need to create a map, doesn't have to be google but that's the one a I prefer, I need to highlight several points on the maps, maybe upto a few hundred.

I have searched around a bit and it seems I can either loose myself in code or pay a site to do it for me.

Is there an easier way ???

Cheers

Cris.

Sign into Google maps using your gmail account details. Then click on the "My Maps" tab on the left-hand side.

On the left hand side of Google Maps, there should be a "My Maps" tab. Select that, create a map, and add your locations to it.

Hmmmm that simple!

I wonder why that won't work from my work laptop ??? The buttons don't appear to drop a marker.

Is there anyway to automate this, ie from a list of postcodes etc...

Cheers

Cris.

You used to be able to use Google's API to look up postcodes accurately. But then RoyalMail spotted what they were upto and decided their licence didn't cover it.

So now you can't

It seems bizarre that the postcode databases are maintained by two tax payer/customer funded organisations, but that you have to pay £15,000* a year to get decent access to the data.

* thats what my brother has been quoted

There is (was?) a way around that using the Google Local API, I used it to automatically collect the coordinates for a large database over a period of time. I then implemented a Google Maps based front-end to the site using those coordinates and found the postcode lookup worked accurately. The client later complained that it stopped working accurately, so it must have been working ok for a short period. I'm not sure if the Local API workaround still works though.

Are UK postal codes a secret or something?

No, but they are covered by copyright, so the Royal Mail says how you can use them or not.

Cheers

Cris.

FWIW, here's one I did using My Maps:
http://tinyurl.com/yvmuc3
You can also highlight areas (eg parking n this case) and add hyperlinks to the popups.
Click on 'Canoe Club Parking' and then click on the click here to zoom in...