Display Google Map for a new record (before it is submitted/saved)

[ids-dave]

I have spent many hours trying to figure out how to display a google map for new records before they are committed. This is a grid component and works fine for existing records, but not new records.
In my component, I get the latitude/longitude from fields that are populated when the user selects a city and state (this comes from a table that has all the cities in North America and includes lots of other info including the latitude/longitude)

The alternate view builder expression says to use tbl.data("mylatitudefield"), but that is not populated for new records. I've tried changing tbl.data to every possible reference I can think of, and also tried session and state variables. Anything other than tbl.data seems to be ignored completely

I've gone through tons of documentation and videos to no avail. Any suggestions or pointers are most appreciated

Thanks, Dave

V 4.5.4.5 Build 5221

[CharlesParker]

Re: Display Google Map for a new record (before it is submitted/saved)

Ah so the key is to get the lat and lon for the NEW record! Once you have the address you can add a button to draw the marker OR after some event has taken place during the process. The trick would be figuring out when to run the code that the button would. To help you out it would be most helpful to know more about how and when you actually get the coordinates.

[ids-dave]

Re: Display Google Map for a new record (before it is submitted/saved)

The lat/long values are retrieved when the City field is filled out. City is a lookup field set as "auto-suggest" which populates multiple fields lat, long, state, etc. The screen shots show the lat/long as blank before the city is selected, and then populated after the city is selected. In this example, I'm using an alternate view to display the map, I've also done it through a button that calls a ux component using session and/or state variables. The map doesn't get called with the lat/long when it's a new record, but works fine when it's an existing record. I need to figure out how to get the lat/long values to the map definition when it's a new record

dispatch1.jpgdispatch2.jpg

[CharlesParker]

Re: Display Google Map for a new record (before it is submitted/saved)

put the code that the button would initiate to draw the map in the on change event (with a wait) of the city field. You'll probably need the wait to give it a split second to actually get the values in the lat and lon fields. In one of my UX's I created an actionscript action to "map the job" and then in the after select client side of the list I put the run action statement which then runs the code to map the job.
In your case, you might be able to go to the "OnChange" event of the CITY field, create an action to map the location and then run that action there. Hope that helps and be sure to post back if you need any more help! Again, if it doesn't always "work" it could be a timing issue in which case you can convert it to text mode and add in a short wait time "Set time out" to fire the action, like 1000ms or 1500. I think it work without the set time out function but if not post back and maybe we can wrap it in a set time out function for you if your not familiar with that.

[ids-dave]

Re: Display Google Map for a new record (before it is submitted/saved)

Well, it doesn't look to be a timing issue

Only happens if it's a new record that has not been saved to the database

I'm thinking the expression in the Marker Properties only get populated with tbl.data("myfieldlongitude") and tbl.data("myfieldlongitude") for existing rows - not new rows

mapbuilder.PNG

[CharlesParker]

Re: Display Google Map for a new record (before it is submitted/saved)

I didn't know this was for an alternate view in a grid until now. It's not that the marker properties only get populated for existing rows, it is more a matter of when the code runs to add the markers. I don't know the exact code it would take but I am pretty sure it's doable by running the code again to display the alternate view - if that makes sense. I just looked at soem past posts and didn't see the answer pop out at me.
There's probably a bunch of ways to do this though. Is your map in the detail view? Is this an editable grid? I am wondering where the alternate view is displayed out of curiosity.

[CharlesParker]

Re: Display Google Map for a new record (before it is submitted/saved)

Since you already have a map control - you can then/now create an action button and for it, create an action to refresh the map - then - you can actually fire off the button click in the onchange event for the city field like what you want. In the action button builder there is on the lower left a link to help with automation of the button click. I think that would be the easiest method to get what you want. I think the alternate view is as you said drawing the markers once, and you could do a grid refresh after but thats not really what your after here. You want to place a map marker prior to the save event.

[CharlesParker]

Re: Display Google Map for a new record (before it is submitted/saved)

To be as easy as possible - just add a button - create an ActionScript to add a marker to the map. View the javascript code - copy - paste into the onchange event for the CITY field and that should do it. You can hide the button if you want with a client side expression of 1=2
I think that should do it.

[CharlesParker]

Re: Display Google Map for a new record (before it is submitted/saved)

I just tested what I am telling you and it worked as expected, in fact I created two actions. The first action cleared the existing markers and then the second action added a marker using local data (my address field). I placed the javascript (view javascript) from the button in the onchange event of another field and as I said it worked as expected. I hope that helps you figure it out.