Houston and US Library Mashup in GMap

August 19, 2006

This project uses GMap API to depict maps for libraries in Houston and United States. Here is an example of GMap on UHCL.

Google's GMap API allows developers to programmatically embed Google's Map in Web pages using Javascript and Ajax. The project will first build in GMap for all libraries in Houston. The team will then use it as the basis to build another GMap to cover all libraries in the United States. Library information will be stored in MySQL and PHP will be used to access the data and serve up AJAX HTTP XML requests.

Technologies include GMap API, Ajax, PHP, MySQL, Geocoding, GIS and XML. If the team selects to use Google Web Toolkit, it may use Java instead of PHP.

Houston library maps

The team needs to perform the following tasks:

(1) Design the functionality of the map which should include the followings as a minimum:

• Display basic information of the library: address, location, open hours (if possible), geocode, phone number, number of books (if possible), URL, etc.
• Search functions:
  • Search according to location: users input an address to find nearby libraries.
  • Search according to other criteria: such as open hours, numbers of books, etc.

(2) Collect the necessary data: team members need to collect the necessary data through the Web or some other means. This data probably does not include the Geocode of the libraries.

(3) Find the Geocode of the libraries from the addresses.

(4) Design the MySQL database relational schema to store the data. It is necessary to use GIS functionality to facilitate searching the map.

(5) Implement the map using a combination of GMAP API/PHP/MYSQL.

Here is an example of Chicago libraries. (Note that this is an example only. Your design may not be the same.)

The quality of the final product should be good enough to be used as a production map for the Houston library system.

U.S. Libraries

Instead of Houston libraries, this part will be used for all libraries in the United States. It differs from the Houston map in several manner.

(1) You will need to get the basic data from different source. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has information about all public and academic libraries. The team needs to spend much effort to extract as much information as possible from the site. The mentor will assist.

(2) The data information of each library may not be as rich as that of Houston's libraries since the team may find much local help for the latter.

(3) The scale of the map may mean a somewhat different design of the look and search capabilities.

Again, the final product should be of production quality which UHCL will launch at the end of the semester.

Resources:

This is by all means not complete. The team will need to perform an exhaustive research itself.

• GMap:
  • http://www.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/#Introduction: Google Introduction.
  • http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Maps-API: Official Google MAP API discussion forum.
  • http://www.mapki.com/index.php?title=Main_Page: Mapki, a Wiki Forum for Google MAP Api.
  • GoogleMapMania: hundreds of GMap applications.
• Ajax:
  • K. Yue, A brief introduction to AJAX.
• Geocode:
  • http://www.ontok.com/: probably the best free Geocoder.
  • address & IP: Getting the location from an IP address. Useful if the application depicts the initial map around the user's ip address location.
  • Geocool: Using Yahoo Maps and GeoCode APIs in conjunction with PHP/MySQL.
  • using Google Earth from address.
• GIS functions in MySQL:
  • Emad Fanous, Buliding spatial GIS in MySQL.