CMS Made Simple Forums

Hi,

I need some help trying to find a working solution to a problem I have regarding how best to display single company records with multiple locations on a Google Map.

The website is for commercial hot air balloon operators in the UK and the problem is that while I have the map/search function working using the 'Company Directory' and 'CGGoogleMaps' modules it is, as expected, just returning the single stored company address when you do a postcode search. (See http://www.babo.org.uk/pages/find-your- ... erator.htm for the working example).

The problem is that a number of companies fly all over the UK, so they may have a launch site in, Bristol, Birmingham, Reading etc. and yet will only show up on the map if you do a search close to their stored location (e.g. London).

What I am therefore, trying to do, is find a way or storing multiple lat/long points within a single Company Directory record or linking parent/child information together. My problem though, is some operators have 100 launch sites that they need connecting, and so creating individual records will overload the CompDir module from a usability point of view as it will end up a massive repetitive mess.

If there a solution to my problem, or an I stuck?

BTW: Insufficient information provided about your system.

However: ASSUMING that your system is entirely up to date. there is no defacto method of doing this in CompanyDirectory. Each company record is only allowed one lat/long location.

Now. You may be able to hack something together using a text area to contain other locations, and a bit of smarty magic. However it entirely depends on who is going to be managing the data, and how competent they are.

If you have a reasonably skilled admin doing all of the data entry then a text area with the additional locations may be doable.

If you are allowing frontend users to manage their own data using the company directory module (again, no information about this). Then I think you are stuck. As you need to have a CRUD interface to add/edit/validate/delete the various lat/long coordinates (and end users typically don't have this information unless they have a GPS).

You would need to extend the module.

Calguy,

Thanks for the response, and apologies for the lack of CMSMS info in the OP. I knew there was something I was forgetting, teach me to post while running out the door.

In terms of answers to your queries:

Currently, I'm simply looking into the feasibility of setting this up/find a solution. There is no FEU data input, with everything handled through the admin module, usually by myself, but occasionally by a third party who isn't overly computer savvy.

I'm assuming a text box hack, would essentially be creating a CSV list for both extra lat and long and then using smarty to pull that into individual points? in which case, that shouldn't be too hard to explain how to update going forward. Might have a look into it.

I did wonder, purely as an idea but it seems a bit too far fetched, as to whether you could use, for instance, the products module, to assign each extra area as a product and then link ownership back to the company's. In my brain I see it as a shop and the items it stocks. So when the user searches it's basically just asking who stocks "x" near me, but it's just balloon companies and launch sites. I hope that makes sense!

In terms of CMSMS spec, everything is up to date:

Cms Version: 1.11.11

Installed Modules:
CGSimpleSmarty: 1.7.4
CGExtensions: 1.42.2
FrontEndUsers: 1.24.1
JQueryTools: 1.2.6
CGGoogleMaps: 2.4.7
CustomContent: 1.10
FormBuilder: 0.7.4
CGExtensions: 1.42.2
FrontEndUsers: 1.24.1
CustomContent: 1.10
JQueryTools: 1.2.6
CGSimpleSmarty: 1.7.4
CompanyDirectory: 1.22.6
Postcode: 1.2.1
Uploads: 1.16.14

Php Information:
phpversion: 5.3.28