92 Part I — Basics
Similar results can be achieved with PHP. In a real-world situation, the script would work as a
CGI script and generate the information on the fly for the GXmlHttpobject in the Google
Maps API.As with other basic examples earlier in this chapter, I will produce and develop more detailed
applications and samples, starting with Chapter 9.Wrapping Up
Without additional information, a Google Map is just that: a map of a location. The additional
data supplied with the map is what turns the map into a useful application that provides spe-
cific, customized information on locations, photographs, statistical data, routes, and other
interesting data points.How you store and use that information is up to you and your application. As shown in this
chapter, standard text files have their limitations, whereas an RDBMS supporting SQL pro-
vides the most flexibility. Both, however, need to be converted into XML to be compatible with
the Google Maps API. And you can both generate and parse XML documents with ease by
using the right tools. In the next chapter, you’ll see some examples of how to determine loca-
tion information for addresses and business that can then be used with a Google Map to create
a Google Maps application.