Google Maps API Directions

[kostakondras]

I am attempting to create a Map on my web page that will have the directions (which will be dynamically pulled from a database) however I have been unable to find a good tutorial on how to achieve this, also there doesn't seem to be any PHP classes available out there (for free anyway) to create this easily.

 

Any suggestions?

[ttocskcaj]

http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/javascript/

Don't think you could do it in php

[salathe]

It's a fairly simply matter to use the Directions API with PHP. 

 

Here's an example which takes you down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Scotland.

 

<?php

$endpoint = 'http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json?';
$params   = array(
'origin'      => 'St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh',
'destination' => 'Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh',
'mode'        => 'walking',
'sensor'      => 'false',
);

// Fetch and decode JSON string into a PHP object
$json = file_get_contents($endpoint.http_build_query($params));
$data = json_decode($json);

// If we got directions, output all of the HTML instructions
if ($data->status === 'OK') {
$route = $data->routes[0];
foreach ($route->legs as $leg) {
	foreach ($leg->steps as $step) {
		echo $step->html_instructions . "<br>\n";
	}
}

}

[kostakondras]

Will this display the graphical map itself or simply the directional steps?

[kostakondras]

Will this display the graphical map itself or simply the directional steps?

 

And if not, is there a way to display the map along with the Directions?

[salathe]

Will this display the graphical map itself...

 

No, not at all. The code should be simple enough to see that it doesn't!

 

If you just want the directions on a map, read the JavaScript API documentation. Which makes your request not a PHP question, but instead a JavaScript one.  There likely are PHP functions/classes available to put a map onto a page, but they will just be writing the appropriate JavaScript rather than doing anything special or specific to PHP.