New Google Maps Data API

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FYI
/Sik

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FYI
/Sik

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Several folks on Twitter noted the Google Map Data API introduced at Web 2.0 Expo last week. Here's what we know, based on a pic of a slide from the presentation:

Google Maps Data API

Google Data API=AtomPub
- XML/HTTP protocol for reading and writing data feeds
- http://code.google.com/apis/gdata

Google Maps Data API offers
- Storage of geospatial data
- Point, polyline and polygon geometry with more to come
- Create and edit My Maps
- Content optionally indexed and searchable in Google Maps
- Unlimited user-defined attributes
- Batch operations
- Incremental upload and download of changes
- Client libraries in a variety of languages

The link above highlights Data APIs that already are public; there's nothing about the Map Data API, but you can get a sense of what it's for by reading about the other APIs. The basic intro for us non-programmers from the About page:

The Google Data APIs provide a simple standard protocol for reading and writing data on the web.

The Data APIs use either of two standard XML-based syndication formats: Atom or RSS. They also have a feed-publishing system that consists of the Atom publishing protocol plus some extensions (using Atom's standard extension model) for handling queries.

Those who signed up for the beta had to sign a non-disclosure agreement, so it's unlikely we'll hear much in the near future. Reports from Twitter say it'll be available to the public within a month. This looks like it's in the vein of GeoRSS, and with Google's extensive reach will likely be widely used.

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Read more: http://apb.directionsmag.com/archives/5611-New-Google-Maps-Data-API.html

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