If you have the well known web authoring software Adobe Dreamweaver you can use Google Maps on your website or blog without having any expertise in the Google Maps API or indeed any coding skills.
Just download the free Dreamweaver Tools for Google plugin from Webassist.
This add-on "walks you through a simple wizard to add a Google Maps API powered map to your web page. The properties of the map can even be edited via Dreamweaver's WYSIWYG editor" (according to the Google Maps API blog). You can "easily add multiple markers, each with custom pointers and messages - and retain pure Google functionality."
But the plug-in does more than that. It seems to let you off having to struggle with the Google AJAX search API too (phew!). You can "add powerful Google Search capabilities targeted to your site, drop a Google Map on any page to highlight multiple locations with custom markers or sell goods and save money with Google Checkout" - which includes "...Add a Google Search control with an option to search just the sites you want, without complex coding." I've just mentioned that you can try Google Checkout for free, e.g. to accept donations, until the end of 2006.
Now I usually don't post about something till I've roadtested it. But I should say that in this case I've not tried it yet as I'm swamped for at least another week (I will get back to dealing with comments on my blog soon, I promise! Emails go to the bottom of the pile though, unless you know the secret handshake... ). I've got an old version of Dreamweaver knocking around somewhere (might not even have re-installed it on this PC) but usually I'm a Notepad kinda gal.
So - I've not tested this, but it looks good, and seems to have Google's stamp of approval in the form of the blog link, so go download and enjoy!
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3 comments:
Thought your readers would like to know that this plays nice with Dreamweaver 8 for Mac OS X too! :-)
Useful to know, thanks John!
Hi,
it looks like this blog has a ton of useful information. Thanks for making your expertise available. I was wondering if you could write about how to change the formatting for the google tools. I noticed that on your site you have the google search bar, and it is on the right side of the page, and stacked in two rows. Mine is determined to stay in one big line on the left. There are no horizontal alignment options in the google search bar edit window in Dreamweaver CS3.
I'd really appreciate your advice.
Thanks!
River
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