Beginning Google Maps Mashups with Mapplets, KML, and GeoRSS: From Novice to Professional

CHAPTER 3Consuming GeoXML inthe Maps API

With Chapter 2 under your belt, you have the skills to add a basic Google map to any web page. Now it's time to add some geospatial data, transforming your page from a simple map into a full-fledged mashup.

True to the spirit of the geoweb, we'll do this by mapping geoXML data from various sources across the Internet. This process is known as consuming the geodata, which usually someone else has produced. Consuming geoXML is by far the quickest and easiest way to create a map mashup because Google makes it so simple to do; there's almost no programming involved.

Along the way, you'll learn the ins and outs of GGeoXml, the main Maps API JavaScript object that displays geodata. There are many different ...