An Ordinary Geo Web Developer’s Blog

I’ve been quite busy for a long time due to projects and I couldn’t find any time to write to blog about what’s going on my life. But this time, instead of writing to blog, I wrote a book on Google Maps JavaScript API v3. Last year, Packt Publishing contact me to write a book on Google Maps JavaScript API. After a few discussion, We (I and with my collegue, Balkan Uraz) decided to write this book. In this book, we didn’t add “V3” to end of API, beacuse “V2” is already deprecated and there is only one valid JavaScript API for now. Anyway, you can buy the book from the following addresses :

Packt Pub |  Amazon |  Barnes & Noble  |  Safari Books  |  O’Reilly

This book is written in a CookBook concept that includes more than 50 recipes. Recipes includes the full code for the subject given with related explanations. Even it is a cookbook, it also includes details about the usage of Google Maps JavaScript API in different conditions. Book includes 8 chapters which are given as follows:

Chapter 1: Google Maps JavaScript API Basics
Chapter 2: Adding Raster Layers
Chapter 3: Adding Vector Layers
Chapter 4: Working with Controls
Chapter 5: Understanding Google Maps JavaScript API Events
Chapter 6: Google Maps JavaScript Libraries
Chapter 7: Working with Services
Chapter 8: Mastering the Google Maps JavaScript API through Advanced Recipes

As it is seen from the chapter list, Google Maps JavaScript API Cookbook is for developers who wish to learn how to do anything from adding a simple embedded map to a website to developing complex GIS applications with the Google Maps JavaScript API. It is targeted at JavaScript developers who know how to get by but who are also seeking the immediacy of recipe-based advice.

If we go over the chapters;

• Chapter 1 is about the basics of Google Maps JavaScript API. You can learn how to create a simple map both on web and mobile platforms, how to change map properties and how to change the base maps.
• Chapter 2 is about adding raster layers to Google Maps JavaScript API. You can add styled maps, tile sources as base maps or overlays, heat maps and other Google’s overlays.
• Chapter 3 is about adding vector layers to Google Maps JavaScript API. You can add markers, lines, polygons, circles, rectangles and popups to maps. Also there is a recipe about animated lines that will spice your maps. There is also recipes about some popular vector formats in GIS like KML, GeoRSS, GeoJSON and WKT.
• Chapter 4 is about working with controls. With the help of this chapter, you can add different controls to your map in order to interact with the user. There are also a recipe to add your own logo the map.
• Chapter 5 is about events in API. Events concept is very important in JavaScript due to its async structure. With the help of events, you can create different types of interactions to power up your geo web applications. For example, you can create two maps with different base maps side by side to compare the difference. Also you can learn how to create your own type of events.
• Chapter 6 is about the JavaScript libraries that enhances the Google Maps JavaScript API. These libraries are both from Google and community to add extra capabilities to API like drawing shapes, area/length calculations, custom popups/info boxes or drag zoom controls.
• Chapter 7 is about working with Google services. With the help of this chapter, you can do geocoding, reverse geocoding, getting elevation, getting directions or showing Street Views on the map.
• Chapter 8 is the most advanced chapter of the book. It is about integration of GIS Servers/Services with Google Maps JavaScript API. In this chapter, you can find recipes on adding WMS layers (both as tiled and untiled), Fusion Tables layers, CartoDB layers, ArcGIS Server Layers. You can also find how to add WMS layers with your own GeoServer instance.

As it is seen from the chapter details, this book can be useful for all developers interested in geo web subjects. Also this can be a useful resource for mobile developers using hybrid development techniques (such as PhoneGap) to add geo features to their mobile apps.

Before writing this book, I thought writing a book is an easy process, but I’ve learn that writing a book is not an easy task especially for developers 🙂 Because most developers like me loves coding and hates the documentation.

My final words are like other authors’ words 🙂 Especially, I want to thank my wife during the write process. I can’t make this without her patience and love. I also want to thank our editors, people helped us at Packt Publishing and reviewers that make our book better.

Hope you can like the book and please let us know if there are any mistakes, problems or suggestions about the book.

Again, it has been a long time since my last post. I’ve been quite busy with different projects so I can’t find any time to write on the blog. If you are wondering about my projects then you should wait for it 🙂 But I can give you a spoiler about one project : I’m also writing a book about Geo Stuff 😉

Anyway, last week Packt Publishing contact me about a book review and I’ll accept it due to its length. It is shorter than a book and it can be called as a starting guide. These series are Packt Publishing’s new series which are  publishing as an e-book or print. As it is stated in the book, the series are “Short, Fast and Focused”.

The book is written by Jonathan Derrough, who is also minor contributor to Leaflet library.

The book is composed of 52 pages and 7 small how-to chapters. You can access contents below :

• Getting started with Leaflet (Simple)
• Using Leaflet on mobile (Simple)
• Creating markers with popups and handling events (Intermediate)
• Creating layers and layer groups (Intermediate)
• Using Leaflet map controls (Intermediate)
• Using GeoJSON to create stylish map objects (Intermediate)
• Designing interactive choropleth maps (Advanced)

As it is seen from the contents, book is for everyone in geo development. There are different topics according to their levels. Each chapter is complete within itself. You can easily learn what’s going on and what’s behind the code when you are reading.

If you want to dive in geo development with Leaflet and don’t want to read hundred pages books, this book is for you. It just makes a good start with its background.

As I wrote on previous book review, please buy the book to support writer instead of downloading the illegal copies. This will courage more people to write this kind of books to support Open Source projects like Leaflet.

PS : You can get book from these sellers :

Amazon.com
DZone
Goodreads