Creating a Google Spreadsheet Restaurant Map for Shenyang

Recently, starting with a gpx file from a member of the Shenyang Expats Facebook group, I decided to create a Map of Restaurants in Shenyang using a Google Spreadsheet as the database.

If you are interested in this project from an expat's point of view, the following three links should be interesting to you:

• View a curated map of restaurants.
• View the spreadsheet used to create this map.
• Submit an entry to be included on the map (note entries are curated and will only show up after they have been edited).

If you are interested in this project from a developer's point of view, read on...

Here is an example of the map as rendered in an Iframe:




Here are some initial thoughts about the project as things start to get rolling.

How can we have an easy way to get the latitude / longitude of a restaurant:

• when someone is at the restaurant (within the form? within the browser?)
• when an app administrator is at home editing an entry that was submitted via a form.

Where will this web page be hosted (on the Embrace Shenyang blog? As a showcase project at Open Source Broadcasting (this blog) or at johntynan.com or elsewhere)?

Should the versioning and rendering all be done at google code? To download the current codebase, visit: https://code.google.com/p/google-spreadsheet-restaurant-map/

Observations:

• The map needs to use Sheynang city center as its central point on loading.
• The map needs to center on a point when it's clicked from the right hand index.
• The map script needs to be changed to display the address field.
• We will need to figure out how to show only restaurants that do take-out or restaurants that only deliver... or should users be directed directly to the spreadsheet to make these kinds of queries for now?
• How can this map be made useful to show "restaurants that are near you" when you open it in a browser on your mobile phone?

Other thoughts? Submit a comment below...