Andre Lewis, Cameron Turner, Jeffrey Sambells, Michael Purvis Beginning Google Maps Applications with Rails and Ajax

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In this chapter, we speculated about what might be coming up in the Google API. Along with the new services, we can expect better tools. As with any web application, Google will be c- tinually improving on the existing components of the Maps API. Tools like the geocoder will eventually expand to cover more countries and improve accuracy as more detailed infor- tion becomes available. Satellite imagery will increase in detail and will be updated continually with more and more recent images. Now we are ready to move on to some more advanced mapping techniques. In the next part of the book, we'll cover a wide variety of complementary concepts for your mapping projects. Chapter 9 demonstrates how to make your own info windows and tool tips, as well as other overlay-related tricks. In Chapter 10, we cover some mathematics you may need in a professional map. Finally, in Chapter 11, we show you how to build your own geocoder from scratch, using a raw data set. PART 3 ? ? ? Advanced Map Features and Methods CHAPTER 9 ? ? ? Advanced Tips and Tricks Beyond what you've seen so far, the Google Maps API has a number of features that are often overlooked. Here, you'll go through a variety of examples to learn how to use some of the more advanced features of the API, such as the ability to change map tiles and the possibility of c- ating your own overlay objects.