Basic web system with google maps - Can this be done with fabrik ? (Need advice)

[rvargas17]

Hi,

I need to build a basic web system using google maps. I just would like to know if fabrik could be a good option for doing this. I have been using fabrik since joomla 1.0 (love it), but I haven't use the visualizations (no yet).

The main two goals I need to achieve:

A) Registered Users should be able to fill up a form with personal information and draw a line in a google map (click the first point and click the second point, so I line should be drawn between those two points). All the information should be stored in the data base.

B) Administrator User should be able to see a google map with all the "lines" in it, from all the users.

If I'm able to do this with fabrik will be great !

Thanks in advance for your sugestions !

Rodrigo

 

[rob]

Hi
We don't support storing multiple points inside the google map element at the moment. Its something we've thought about, and now that 3.1 is out we could take another look at it. I'll try to get Hugh to comment on this thread as he's done more work on google maps poly lines than myself.

 

[rvargas17]

OK, I will wait for hugh's comment.
For now I think I will go ahead with the single markers and see what I can do.
Thanks !

 

[rvargas17]

Here is an example of what I need to do:
http://www.transformourworld.org/en/adopt

 

[cheesegrits]

I like the styling on that form. There's a couple of simple ideas there I'd like to see in Fabrik.

This is definitely something we want to support, but it's not going to be easy, and I doubt it'd get done quick enough for any realistic deadline on your project. We have quite a lot of work stacked up at the moment.

rob - the main question is whether we treat this as a repeat element, so if 'polyline' is selected as the display type (as opposed to the default 'point', i.e. what it is right now), it becomes a repeat element, just like an upload or join element becomes a repeat if a "multi" display option is chosen, so the polyline data is stored in a one-to-many joined table of it's own. Or whether we take the easier option, and store polyline data as (probably) JSON data in a single element field on the main table.

The latter option, with JSON data, is probably quicker and easier to implement, but at the end of the day much less flexible. As a repeat element, so the poly data is in it's own table, one row per point, it can then be displayed as a map viz in it's own right (with no extra coding needed), or much more easily be used as the source of a KML overlay in a viz, is more easily exported / imported, etc.

So looking further down the road, I'd much rather implement this as a repeat element. More work in the short term, but much more flexibility in the longer term.

Which is why this may take a while, as I haven't built a repeat element yet, and would need to do some serious study of the upload and join elements, to get my head fully wrapped around how that all works. I obviously have a general understanding, as I've been working on that code since it was written, but I'm still somewhat hazy on some of the gory details.

-- hugh

 

[rvargas17]

Hi Rob, Hugh,
I sent you a message to the inbox, regarding this element... could you please check it ?
Thanks !

Rodrigo

 

[cheesegrits]

I think I can semianswer your question in public, which is ...

What we typically do for features people want us to implement for them, that we agree will be of interest to other users, is split the cost 50/50.

I'll talk to Rob and see if we can come up with what we think is a reasonable estimate for this.

However, as I said in my last response, this isn't a quick job, even if we do it the "easy" way, storing a JSON array of datapoints in the main table, rather than the "better" way of creating a one-to-many joined table to store individual points as separate rows. So even if we can come up with a mutually agreeable price, if you have a client needing the feature "now", I can't guarantee we can do it within your deadline.

-- hugh

 

[rvargas17]

Hi,
I fully underestand about the time. Just let me know when you talk with Rob and come up with a price.
Thanks Hugh,