Google Maps API

I'd like to allow people to add lines (e.g. bike paths, walking routes) and areas (e.g. parks, forests, polluted areas) and have these display alongside points using gmap_views.

I've had a look around the Location and Mapping group discussion, the GMap issue queue, the various other mapping modules (GMap Addons, Geo, GeoBrowser, OpenLayers) and haven't found any development being done on this.

From the UK MySociety maps list:

The Google geocoder in the Maps API now officially works for UK addresses. It was enabled briefly last November, but that was due to a mistake on Google's part. Presumably they've somehow obtained a license to use it in this way. There's an official Google blog post (with a demonstrator) at:

Bert.

Yay! This is going to make my life / others in the UK's lives / a lot easier.

Dan

I'm looking for some speculation and setting-straight. If you look at the links below, you see that the developer has used the Google Maps API to mark a polygon.

http://www.chicagocrime.org/zipcodes/60601/
More info: http://www.holovaty.com/blog/archive/2005/05/31/0225

I understand from the README that this is not currently built into gmap. Have I got this right?
Thanks

Google Maps API has added the ability to Geocode (translate addresses into lat/long's). I am trying to figure out how I should incorporate it into the GMap.module.

I am thinking that maybe I will add a php function gmap_geocode($address) and also add a javascript function to gmap.js gmapGeocode(address) so that geocoding can be done either server side or client side depending on the application.

Initially at least these functions will just be API functions. Hopefully, I can find some time to to some changes to the macrocreator and I will incoroprate the add point at address into that.