Jeroens blog

Yesterday I released version 0.4.2 of both Maps and Semantic Maps. Apart from the version number, this release includes some interesting changes.

As resided in my previous post, Maps now supports Google Maps overlays. Another change in it’s usage is that Maps now holds into account the coordinate and address naming of the main parameter. Although both these and the default (nameless) parameter are basically the same, and all indicate the locations that should be indicated (or shown) on the map, they get handled differently with respect to the new (since 0.4) smart geocoding feature. Here you have an overview of the different behaviours:

• Default (nameless) parameter: Maps will check every item in the list, and determine whether it’s a coordinate or not. In case it’s a coordinate, it’ll be parsed as a coordinate, and in case it’s not, Maps will attempt to geocode it. When this geocoding fails, you will get an error saying the item could not be geocoded.
• Coordinates parameter. As you probably expect, this parameter expects and only accepts coordinates. It works pretty much the same way as it did before 0.4 in display_point. When an item is not recognized as a coordinate, you’ll get an error saying it’s not a valid coordinate and has been omitted.
• Address(es) parameter. Similar to the coordinates parameter, this one expects and only accepts addresses. It works pretty much the same way as it did before 0.4 in display_address(es). Maps will attempt to geocode every item, and show an error listing all items that could not be geocoded. Important to note here is that Maps does not checks for coordinates, and will attempt to geocode any provided ones, valid notation or not, resulting in an error message.

Version 0.4.2 includes a lot of important bug fixes, and is more a release aimed at stability, then at adding new features. Depending on the amount of issues to be discovered in the coming weeks, a version 0.4.3 might be released before 0.5.

Downloads:

• Maps 0.4.2 (zip, 7z)
• Semantic Maps 0.4.2 (zip, 7z)
• Maps and Semantic Maps 0.4.2 (zip, 7z)
• Maps 0.4.2 SVN tag
• Semantic Maps 0.4.2 SVN tag

1. don undeen says:

   November 18, 2009 at 9:27 pm

   Hey,
   Great work on all this Map stuff, really incredible!
   Now on to my problems :
   I’m using the yahoo maps stuff, because our wiki is currently behind a firewall, sadly.

   But I’m having trouble getting display_points to work correctly.
   Here’s my wiki code:
   Coords : {{#geocode:Moscow, Russia}}

   {{
   #display_points: Moscow, Russia~Russia~Russia is Nice;Paris, France~Paris~Gay Pairee|yahoo
   }}

   {{
   #display_points: Berlin, Germany; New York, NY~NY~The Big Apple|yahoo
   }}

   {{
   #display_points: Berlin, Germany; New York, NY~NY~The Big Apple
   }}

   {{#display_points: 55.756870, 37.615101~coordinates~I used coordinates here}}

   {{
   #display_points:
   Moscow, Russia~Moscow~A city in Russia
   }}

   {{
   #display_points:
   service=yahoomaps
   |address=Moscow, Russia; New York City
   |zoom=7
   |width=800
   |height=500
   }}

   When I save that, I see:
   - Coordinates correctly determined
   Map 1 – Map is centered in australia somewhere, there’s a label baloon in the middle with no text
   Map2 – the same
   Map3 – No map, no zoom tool. I have direction arrows, map/sat/hybrid buttons, and a label baloon in upper left corner. So even though I’ve set yahoo as my default, something strange happens when I don’t specify the map api in the function call
   maps 4 and 5 display fine, though at different zoom levels
   map 6 , looks the same as map 3 (blank), but just a bit larger.

   Any idea what I may be doing wrong here?

   thanks again for all your hard work.
2. Jeroen De Dauw says:

   November 19, 2009 at 12:54 am

   Hey,

   You are messing up the #geocode and #display_point syntax.

   Using the yahoo geocoding service for #geocode is done like this:
   {{#geocode:Moscow, Russia|yahoo}}

   If you want to set the geocoding service for display_map or display_point(s), use the geoservice parameter.

   If you want to use yahoo maps instead of google maps, just use service=yahoomaps. This will also cause Maps to use the yahoo geocoding service, so you don’t have to specify it explicitly.

   For a complete overview, refer to http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Maps#Usage

   If you continue to have problems, please start a discussion here: http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension_talk:Maps

   Cheers!
3. don undeen says:

   November 19, 2009 at 3:49 pm

   thanks, I see I messed up a few of those calls, but the last one is lifted right from the documentation.
   taking it over to the talk page now…