* Map Life Facts and changes to the Google Map Platform

[tatewise]

Whoops! Sorry!
Don't know how long it has been like that, but now fixed.
No new users can have tried this Plugin for a while, or they would have reported that problem.
[EDIT: On further investigation, these prototypes introduced the problem as an unfortunate side-effect.]

Try attached prototype Map Life Facts Plugin Version 4.1.6 Date 22 May 2018 in a ZIP file.
[ Attachment deleted as now in Plugin Store at Version 4.2. ]

On initial run, the map pane says "Sorry! Something went wrong" but no Status: error until a Geocode Plot ... button used.
It would be nice if the JavaScript could detect that map pane message and direct user to the Help & Advice F.A.Q.
Has anyone any ideas?

[tatewise]

I have come up with a better scheme that focusses new users onto creating an API Key.

When run for the first time (or after Restore Defaults), and there are NO plotted locations, and the API Key is not 39 characters, then a popup warning advises about obtaining an API Key.

In addition, whenever the API Key is not 39 characters, then the Plugin Status: says Google Maps API Key Required.

So try prototype Map Life Facts Plugin Version 4.1.7 Date 23 May 2018 in a ZIP file.
[ Attachment deleted as now in Plugin Store at Version 4.2. ]

[tatewise]

During further tests I noticed the main Plugin window can take a long time to appear for large Projects.
This was due to the Locations &/or Individuals data being loaded beforehand.
That data is now loaded after the Plugin window is shown, accompanied by Status: progress messages.

So please checkout Map Life Facts Plugin Version 4.1.8 Date 25 May 2018 in a ZIP file, especially with a large Project.
Try closing and rerunning the Plugin with each of its three main tabs enabled in turn.
[ Attachment deleted as now in Plugin Store at Version 4.2. ]

BTW:
I notice three of you have downloaded the previous Plugin version.
Did you try the 'new user' scenario, and have you any comments on how the API Key requirement is presented to new users?

Thank you for any feedback.

[BillH]

Mike,

I downloaded version 4.1.8 and it seems to work fine.

I used the sample project to test the new user scenario you mentioned earlier this week. Seemed fine to me, but I wanted to run a couple things by you to make sure it is what you expected to see.

I tried with no API key and it showed the status "Geocoder API Key Required see Help & Advice F.A.Q.".
I geocoded a location and the status didn't change. It did geocode the location, but I'm sure that is because the key isn't needed yet.
I geocoded another location and first I got "Quota Exceeded" for lat and long, but quickly this went away and the location was geocoded correctly.

I put in my API key with a couple extra character at the end and tried to geocode a location.
The status stayed the same as above, but I got "Request Denied" for lat and long.

[tatewise]

I hope the plugin main window appears much faster now, and explains why it takes time to get going.

Thanks Bill, but to get the full new user experience you must do a number of things:

1. Use Family Historian Sample Project and run the Plugin.
2. Set the API Key to anything invalid, except blank, because at present that is valid as you say.
   (After 11th June then we presume that blank will behave the same way too.)
3. Click Restore Defaults then Close Plugin.
4. In the Project ... .fh_data\Plugin Data\ folder, delete the Map Life Facts.dat and Map Life Facts.loc files as they would not exist for a new user.
5. Now run the Plugin again, and follow the tips provided.

With various Locations already plotted, and changing the API Key without restarting the Plugin, does not represent a new user scenario very closely, and may well produce the inconsistent responses you saw.

[BillH]

Mike,

I followed these steps and got the following.

1. A pop up saying an API Key required to use the plugin.
2. The following error saying "Oops Something Went Wrong...".

image1.jpg (42.27 KiB) Viewed 12319 times

3. Request Denied when I tried to geocode a location.

Looks good. Is the "Oops message expected?

[tatewise]

Yes, Oops! is what happens to the Google Mapping API when the API Key is invalid, and is part of the new user experience!

The initial popup instructs the new user where to find out how to obtain the required API Key. Did you follow that?

If you just click OK, then you get what you posted and must follow the ... see Help & Advice F.A.Q. instruction.

[BillH]

Mike,

I see. I didn't follow the hints on the pop-up window.

If I go to the Help and the Geocoder section as it says to do, it describes well what I have to do to get a key.

After putting in my correct code and closing and restarting the plugin, it worked fine.

At first I didn't close and restart the plugin and of course it didn't work right. You might highlight in the help that you must restart the plugin so it is a bit more obvious for folks like me that don't read carefully enough.

I hope that this need to obtain a key and provide a credit card doesn't dissuade folks from using a great plugin.

[tatewise]

OK, will do.

[Jane]

Mike, not for now, but I have found Leaflet JS which uses the same tiles which FH uses, so you might want to consider at some point adding it as an output option for the web pages rather then google maps.

https://leafletjs.com/

Not sure if it's missing any functionality.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Leaflet is excellent -- I use it on various (non-genealogy) websites, and will be using it to display the location of individual's events when I next populate my genealogy website. One of the features I particularly like is the ability to cluster markers that are close to each other and uncluster them as the zoom level increases.

[tatewise]

Yes, that might be a worthwhile alternative, mainly because it won't need an API Key for the map display, so will keep the API Key within Plugin.

On a very quick review it lacks the Map v Satellite display option and of course Google Street View.

[BillH]

Mike,

Not sure how others use the output, but those limitations wouldn't be a problem for me as I only use the map and never in street view.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Probably a bit complicated for you, Mike, and not sure how much of this is achievalbe with 'naked' Leaflet (I use it within Drupal) but I use Leaflet to display cluster markers (based on geocoding produced with your Plugin) on top of Bing maps (switchable by the viewer between Road, Satallite and Hybrid layers). When the user clicks on a marker, a picture of the location as it currently is (pulled from Google) is displayed as a link to Google Streetview for the location (which opens in a separate tab).

I'll be putting my updated tree complete with maps live in the next week or so and will try to remember to post a link here.

[tatewise]

Sorry, but I now realise that not only brand new users but also existing users, will need the API Key Required initial popup message until their personal API Key is obtained.
That popup message now has three buttons to focus the user's attention, and the Help & Advice is already on the right page.
Subsequent steps also try and choose the best Plugin tab and Help & Advice page for each stage.

Please try Map Life Facts Plugin Version 4.1.9 Date 28 May 2018 in a ZIP file.
[ Attachment deleted as now in Plugin Store at Version 4.2. ]

The scenario for testing as an existing user is:

1. Use your existing Project in which the Plugin has been used to create plots.
2. Set the API Key to anything invalid, or blank, because blank is likely for existing users.
   (i.e. Just add/delete any character or two, so you can easily restore original API Key if you have one.)
3. Now Close Plugin, then run Plugin again, and follow the tips provided as if new to you.

The scenario for testing as if a brand new user is:

1. Use Family Historian Sample Project and run the Plugin.
2. Set the API Key to anything invalid, or blank, which is valid until 11th June.
   (i.e. Just add/delete any character or two, so you can easily restore original API Key if you have one.)
3. Click Restore Defaults then Close Plugin.
4. In the Project ... .fh_data\Plugin Data\ folder, delete the Map Life Facts.dat and Map Life Facts.loc files as they would not exist for a new user.
5. Now run the Plugin again, and follow the tips provided as if a brand new user.

BTW: I will review the https://leafletjs.com/ alternative to Google Maps some time after the 11th June.

[BillH]

I ran it and it looks fine to me.

Thanks!

[tatewise]

The Plugin has been downloaded 6 times, but only Bill has responded, so I hope the others found it OK.

Anyway, since the 11th June is almost here, I've published Map Life Facts Version 4.2 Date 04 Jun 2018 in the Plugin Store.

The prototype Plugin versions attached to this thread will be deleted shortly.

[rfield]

The only issue I had when following the instructions was I hadn't realized I had to enable two APIs.
When I saw in the instructions that I could lock down the key to the two APIs a light bulb went off and I enabled the Maps JavaScript API too.

For this Plugin, they can be constrained to just the Geocoding API and Maps JavaScript API.

It's working great.

Thanks Mike!

[tatewise]

What state were all the APIs initially?
I found they were all Enabled by default, so the instructions don't say anything about enabling or disabling, only to set quota limits.
But the instructions could easily be modified to say just those two API should be Enabled and the rest Disabled.

[rfield]

I had a feeling that Google may have changed the default.

All APIs were disabled for me.

Ron

[BillH]

Mike,

If you remember they were all disabled for me as well. Maybe a note to say make sure to enable these two if they are not already enabled by default.

[tatewise]

The instructions in plugins:help:map_life_facts:enable_billing_account|> Map Life Facts ~ Enable Billing Account say:

Then click GET STARTED and tick only the Places product on the right before clicking CONTINUE.
Do NOT tick Maps on the left nor Routes in the centre.

Can you confirm that you did tick Places because if only the other two are ticked then no API are enabled.

In plugins:help:map_life_facts:get_personal_api_key|> Map Life Facts ~ Get Personal API Key it now says:

The are many API but only the Geocoding API and Maps JavaScript API need to be enabled for this Plugin.

I have just repeated the process and get the message:

Enable your APIs
This will enable 8 Google Maps Platform API(s) and create an API key for your implementation.

and all 8 API are enabled by default.

[BillH]

Mike,

It was awhile ago so can't be absolutely sure, but I am pretty sure I ticked Places. Maybe I ticked both that and Maps. Can't remember. I thought I followed the instructions but I could have made a mistake.

[tatewise]

At that time Bill the [kb]|[/kb] only said tick Places and didn't emphasize not to tick Maps or Routes, so we need a newcomer to confirm what happens now. However, the [kb]|[/kb] does now say which two API must be enabled.

[BillH]

Thanks Mike.