SmartFIND Maps API Version 3 Upgrade Guide
If your web application was developed using version 2 of the SmartFIND Maps API follow the instructions in this document to upgrade to version 3.
Overview
Version 3 of the Maps API is largely backwards-compatible with the version 2 release, many applications written for Maps API version 2 will continue to work unchanged with version 3.
Version 3 introduces many new features and expands on features previously available in version 2. To provide extended features for applications that need them, without penalising smaller applications that use core features only, version 3 introduces a new module system. The module system allows for conditional inclusion of API components and on-demand loading of module code.
While we will continue to support version 2 of the API for some time we encourage you to upgrade to version 3 to take advantage of new features and bugfixes.
Differences Between Version 2 and Version 3
- Map zoom levels have been inverted
- Maps API version 2 supported 12 zoom levels, ranging from level 0 (most zoomed in) to level 11 (most zoomed out). Under version 3 the zoom level scale is inverted. The most zoomed in level is now level 16, and the most zoomed out is level 4. This new scale will allow us to add additional zoom levels in the future without resorting to negative numbers.
- The SmartFIND Vector Graphics (SVG) API is now a module of the Maps API
- Using the SVG API polylines and polygons can be displayed on the map. The GSDrawingHandler and GSStyleInspector classes provide methods for creating and editing vector shapes.
- Non-core functionality has been moved into modules
- For example context menu support has now been moved into the additional-ui module.
- GSRasterImageFeature has been removed
- This component no longer exists in version 3. Use GSTileLayer instead.
- GSTextZoomControl has been removed
- This component no longer exists in version 3. If you need a control like this extend the base GSControl class to provide similar functionality.
- Some API methods have been deprecated
- In order to provide greater consistency in the naming and function of class methods we have deprecated some methods, for example GSMapFeature.addEventHandler(). These methods will continue to be available in version 3 releases but will be removed from a later version of the Maps API. Methods that have been deprecated are marked as such in the Maps API documentation and references are provided to their functional replacements.
New Features Introduced in Version 3
In addtition to modules, version 3 introduces the following features:
- Tiled image overlays
- The GSTileLayer class allows tiled imagery to be overlaid over the map background.
- Terrain view
- An alternate shaded relief background map.
- Enhanced routing
- Routing has been upgraded to provide customisable templates for directions instructions and modification of routes through direct interaction with the map.
- New UI components
- Custom overlay components can be built using the GSPanel, GSButton, GSCheckbox and GSSlider components.
- Enhanced SVG functionality
- Tools are provided for drawing vector shapes on the map and editing of the feature geometry and styling.