[klytus]

Hi, I'm building an online map service for a small community (ca 3 km²).
The map should only contain this specific area and will have drawn graphics (not satellite pictures). The houses should have ok resemblence but don't have to be identical. Each household will get a login so that they can build a mini-site of their own which will be displayed in a box (iframe or whatever) when you click on their house.

The map needs to have a 2-3 level zoom and panning and I want to be able to easily modify the shapes of houses, roads, park areas, or add more houses as there are some construction jobs taking place which will produce new til houses next year. A very important issue for the map service and the site is that it has high cross-browser compability.

I hope the above description is enough to help guide my choice of technique.
In an optimal situation I would be very used to Flex and Ajax and thus I could make that choice myself but as it is I am not (though I am an experienced programmer). Since I have little time I only have time to learn one of the techniques and thus I cannot do small-scale tests to see which technique is better suited.

What attracts me with Ajax is the speed of i.e. Google Maps, but can I build my stand-alone map from their API or will I have to integrate it within the Google World Map? Also, do they support the above described user-generated content or will I have to build my own mini-version of Google Maps using Ajax and if so, isn't that a world of pain considering cross-browser compability?

What attracts me with Flex is that it only demands that the user has Flash installed and then it's rock n' roll (no browser or OS issues). A downside of Flex is that I have never done any database handling in it (I work with PHP,MySQL and MS SQL on a daily basis) and I don't know how good support is for such dynamics.

[freelancr]

All google maps requires is a javascript enabled browser, whilst most flash sites require javascript and flash plugin because if you don't embed with javascript, IE does all this click to activate bollocks.

I would say more people have javascript enabled browsers, than the latest flash plugin. Just use google maps. Google maps, yahoo maps and multimap all use javascript over flash.

I wouldn't advise trying to make your own, christ all mighty talk about reinventing the wheel.

[weldo]

hmm ... yeah ...

"i want to build a complicated thing that already exists, but i don't know which technology to use, or why ..."

good luck.

[klytus]

freelancr: Thanks for taking the time to write a straight forward reply. I haven't worked much with Flash so I didn't know that Flash RIAs use Javascript, that means the list of reasons to do it in Flex is shrinking.

[combat sheep]

Originally Posted by freelancr

All google maps requires is a javascript enabled browser, whilst most flash sites require javascript and flash plugin because if you don't embed with javascript, IE does all this click to activate bollocks.

I would say more people have javascript enabled browsers, than the latest flash plugin. Just use google maps. Google maps, yahoo maps and multimap all use javascript over flash.

I wouldn't advise trying to make your own, christ all mighty talk about reinventing the wheel.

Yahoo maps is built in flex and 99% of users are (ment to have) flash installed
Adobe - Flash Player Version Penetration

I've been developing in flex recently and its not bad, the mxml side of things is not complicated at all, but the actionscript3 talking to PHP is where the work begins, its not hard just a learning curve but if your used to javascript then actionscript will come easy as I found.

I'd say it would be better in flex but would probably take longer than javascript/php/mysql

[smoseley]

In order to rebuild Google Maps you'll need more than just maps. You'll also need the USPS database integrated with the maps.

Honestly, you're better off just using the GMaps API. I'm sure it can do everything you need it to do.

[herkalees]

I was thinking of making another internet.

[combat sheep]

maybe a shave ?

[klytus]

combat sheep: Thanks for the great reply, you've reached the same conclusions as I have. Also since reading this we actually had a Flex guy who came by at work and demoed some stuff he'd done for some major companies and it looks pretty unbeatable for large-scale RIAs, especially with rich interfaces (then of course there's also the debate about less is more and the usability of Flex apps but that's not a Flex issue, that's just bad practice). Still, I think maybe for this app which is not very large-scale and with the project time-frame I'm going for Ajax and Google Maps.

Also about building a new Google Maps as many have made fun of, I was very vague in my explanation so I guess I deserve all those jokes. What I meant was that instead of using the existing Google Maps version of my geographical area I want to, using Google Maps API, built my own map from scratch with my own buildings and roads. Is that a better explanation perhaps and is that possible?

Maybe the last question is quite elementary but if so, then post some links to tutorials or other doc explaining how to accomplish that and then I'll shut up!

[freelancr]

I am pretty sure Google Maps took years and £££££££££ to develop. It's a bit like saying you want to make a computer game, it just isnt as easy as it looks.

[klytus]

It still seems a lot of people don't understand what I mean (maybe because I'm asking for something that is too obvious or maybe I'm asking for something that is impossible).

What I am talking about is that I want to use the Google Maps API to design my own geographical area. Now why on earth would I want to do that? Well because Google Maps are good at showing a little of a lot but I want to do the opposite, I wanna zoom in real close on a small geographical area and in that area I wanna build a much more detailed map and thus since the current area isn't that detaield or even very accurate I'd rather start with a clean, green canvas and use Long,Lat or X,Y to draw roads, buildings and whatnot using SVG or whatever Google Maps is using.

Now is that possible?

Also to reply to your computer game simile, for the record I've been involved in a few minor computer games projects (one that was a 3D shooter network game using Multicast which was actually pretty advanced). I've been involved in building several advanced solutions using Java or C#, also I've developed a program currently on the market for physiotherapists and other hand-injury specialists in Visual Studio MFC with focus on user-centered design for my Master's Thesis. I'm absolutely not saying this to brag as I'm sure there are a lot of talented programmers here but perhaps some of you could tone down the sarcasm treating me as a n00b?

[freelancr]

Originally Posted by klytus

I'm sure there are a lot of talented programmers here but perhaps some of you could tone down the sarcasm treating me as a n00b?

Rest assured the only reason I would dissuade you from trying to build your own map is because I couldn't do it myself, and doubt many people could - whereas you could acheive almost what you want to do with the Google Maps API. It is a very powerful API which will probably allow you to do what you want, there are loads of mashups* doing all sorts of things.

Most of the people we get on here can barely turn their computer on, but want to make the next facebook, so please bear with us.

*buzz words *shudder*

[weldo]

Originally Posted by freelancr

Most of the people we get on here can barely turn their computer on, but want to make the next facebook, so please bear with us.

praise the lord !!

[klytus]

Alright, no hard feelings whatsoever

I'll start working with Google Maps on Monday then, thanks to all of you for reasoning with me, definently made the choice easier.

[combat sheep]

n00bs