Thursday, February 28, 2013

GMaps: Google Maps On The Emacspeak Desktop

GMaps: A Google Maps Client For The Emacspeak Desktop

1 GMaps: A Google Maps Client For The Emacspeak Desktop

Google Maps provides a powerful service-oriented Directions API and an experimental Places API. module GMaps (part of g-client) implements a new specialized interaction mode that lets you quickly get directions and perform Map searches.

1.1 Overview

Module GMaps is now in the Emacspeak svn repository and will be part of the next Emacspeak release. If you are running from SVN, you can start using GMaps today after updating; make sure to

 
make config; make  

before trying to use it.

1.1.1 Usage:

Run command M-x gmaps to bring up the maps interaction buffer. This buffer provides many special commands for talking to Google Maps – use C-h b in emacs to get a list of key-bindings. Here is a brief summary of how things work:

  • You can get directions (walking, driving, by cycling, or public transit) via keystrokes w, d, b, or t. These commands prompt for start and end addresses.
  • You can set your current location by hitting c — ; this will be used for Places Search.
  • You can specify the radius for Places Search by pressing r and specifying the radius e.g. 500 for 500m.
  • You can set up an optional filter for your Places Search by pressing f.
  • Pressing n at this point will show you places in your vicinity that match your filter criteria.
  • Pressing 'space' on a Place displays details for that place.
  • Place details when expanded provide buttons that link you to hours-of-business, Web-site for that place, and the place's G+ page if any.

Note that module GMaps replaces the now obsolete Emapspeak functionality that has been available on C-e?e since early 2005.

Date: 2013-02-28 Thu

Author: T.V Raman

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