Rolling Your Own Google Maps

The release of Google Maps was a “Wizard of Oz / Technicolor” moment for web developers everywhere. It didn't just change the way we look at mapping sites; it forever changed the way we look at all web sites. It put AJAX on the map, both figuratively and literally.

Based on the book Pragmatic GIS, we deconstruct the mechanics behind Google Maps, showing you the magical combination of JavaScript and CSS that allows it to work. In 12 easy-to-follow steps, we take you from static HTML all the way to your own “slippy map”, complete with zooming and different map types.

Even if you don't have immediate plans to add maps to your website, come look at “the man behind the curtain”. The hands-on, practical approach to learning AJAX in this talk will pay you dividends. The pretty map you get at the end is just the icing on the cake.

About Scott Davis

Scott Davis is the founder of ThirstyHead.com, a training company that specializes in Groovy and Grails training.

Scott published one of the first public websites implemented in Grails in 2006 and has been actively working with the technology ever since. Author of the book Groovy Recipes: Greasing the Wheels of Java and two ongoing IBM developerWorks article series (Mastering Grails and in 2009, Practically Groovy), Scott writes extensively about how Groovy and Grails are the future of Java development.

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