What Is Google Maps Control

Google Maps Control is an ASP.NET server control that is used to encapsulate the generation of JavaScript that is needed to render a Google Map. Developers are free to interact with the control declaratively through the designer or programmatically using the code behind. Unlike other integration layers that you may have looked at Google Maps Control also supports databinding.

Google Maps Control also supports the static map generation available from Google Maps. In the same way that a developer can interact with a JavaScript map they can also create static maps, images, using the Google Maps Control.

Google Maps Control is completely open source. There are no license requirements or user accounts. If you want to use it in your application just go to the Download page and help yourself.

How Google Maps Control Saves Money

Google Maps Control not only reduces the amount of code that a developer needs to write in order integrate with Google Maps it also reduces the weight of the web page by producing very compact JavaScript. By using Google Maps control as a basic building block for your Google Maps integration you reduce the amount of time that it takes to get started and you also reduce the amount of debugging that needs to be done when a developer has to write all of the JavaScript by hand.

Google Maps Control isn't an all or nothing situation. Every time you need to integrate Google Maps into your application you can start with Google Maps Control and only write code when specific value-add features are required. Google Maps Control provides areas to specify how JavaScript variable names will be rendered so that developers can easily write custom JavaScript to integrate with the JavaScript generated by the Google Maps Control.

What Google Maps Control Doesn't Do

Google Maps Control doesn't replace the need for talented developers. While Google Maps Control can be used to create basic and intermediate maps without writing any JavaScript more advanced maps will require some JavaScript be written beyond what the Google Maps Control generates for you. Because there are so many different ways that Google Maps can be used it would be impossible for us to produce a control that would eliminate JavaScript programming all together.