# Newbie Qn re Basic Google Maps Mashup How To?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-qn-re-basic-google-maps-mashup-how-to/171626>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [July 6, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-qn-re-basic-google-maps-mashup-how-to/171626 "2009-07-06T19:46:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BrendanC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@BrendanC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/BrendanC)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-qn-re-basic-google-maps-mashup-how-to/171626/1 "2009-07-06T19:46:12Z")

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I want to create a page that displays a map based on a place name  
entered by the user - e.g. Golden Gate Bridge gets a map of San  
Francisco, centered on the bridge - pretty basic.

What GEMS/packages do I need to install for this? Any gotchas I need  
to think about (apart from duplicate place name resolution).

Any sample code would also be helpful. FWIW I’m thinking of Google  
maps rather than Yahoo maps for this, but either is probably OK.

TIA,  
Brendan

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**Author:** ![BrendanC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@BrendanC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/BrendanC)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2009, 10:14am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-qn-re-basic-google-maps-mashup-how-to/171626/2 "2009-07-07T10:14:07Z")

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2009/7/6 Robert W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid):

> The plugin site has some sample code.  
> Have a look at mapstraction, it is a javascript library that provides  
> a supplier independent API to google, yahoo etc so you can develop  
> your application and decide late (even at run time) which map supplier  
> to use.  
> See [www.mapstraction.com](http://www.mapstraction.com)

Colin

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**Author:** ![BrendanC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@BrendanC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/BrendanC)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/newbie-qn-re-basic-google-maps-mashup-how-to/171626/3 "2009-07-06T23:33:36Z")

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BrendanC wrote:

> What GEMS/packages do I need to install for this? Any gotchas I need  
> to think about (apart from duplicate place name resolution).

A quick search on Github revealed this:  
[http://github.com/bhedana/google\_maps/tree/master](http://github.com/bhedana/google_maps/tree/master)

> Any sample code would also be helpful. FWIW I’m thinking of Google  
> maps rather than Yahoo maps for this, but either is probably OK.  
> The plugin site has some sample code.