Integrating Maps Into Your Java Web Application With Google Maps and Ajax

Interactive maps are becoming more and more widespread in modern web applications. Potential uses abound: real estate and tourism are two obvious domains where interactive maps can provide real added value, but there are dozens of others as well. However, although many of the web applications could make good use of integrated mapping software, development teams often shy away from the complexity of integrating a full-fledged geographical database system. Two relatively recent technologies, Google Maps and Ajax (Asynchronous javascript and xml), can make life considerably easier in this area. This paper explains how one can easily implement dynamic interactive maps on the Java web application, using the Google Maps API for the web interface, and Ajax to provide real-time interaction with the server.