How to code a map system into a web app?

[Red Squirrel]

I'm writing a web app for my company, basically it's to input all of our buildings and I'd also like to add a longitude latitude for each site, and have it show up on a map. Something like Google Maps. Is there an API out there I can use that has the maps already pre made? I believe Google Maps has an API but don't think it's open source. This is a program that will most likely be released under GPL so I need to be able to use an API that is also GPL or equivalent. Any such thing?

Worse case scenario, anyone know how I can generate a google map's link with longitude and latitude? Instead of embedding it in my app I can also just have a link to google maps... I mean, automate it, don't want to actually have to physically go find it then copy and paste the link for each one.

 

[Jaydip]

Google has a free map api.
https://developers.google.com/maps/licensing

 

[Ken g6]

OpenStreetMap has a free-er map API.

http://www.openstreetmap.org/

(Google will start charging you if users use your site too much.)

 

[Red Squirrel]

That looks pretty neat, I'll have to check that out.

My other option is that instead of embedding the map I might actually just have a link that opens it on google maps, is there a way to do that? Basically feed the coords in a url and it goes to the right spot?

 

[Ken g6]

My other option is that instead of embedding the map I might actually just have a link that opens it on google maps, is there a way to do that? Basically feed the coords in a url and it goes to the right spot?

That's quite a bit easier. Take a look at how Wikipedia's Toolserver does it.

Edit: I finally found OpenStreetMap's embedding page.

Edit2: Best of both worlds! OpenStreetMap has an Export button. Click it and you can get HTML to place in your site, like this:

<iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://www.openstreetmap.org/export/embed.html?bbox=-105.4238,39.9,-105.1611,40.1385&amp;layer=mapnik" style="border: 1px solid black"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=40.01925&amp;lon=-105.29245&amp;zoom=11&amp;layers=M">View Larger Map</a></small>

 

[Red Squirrel]

Cool I'll have to play with that.