Google Maps API Directions - Move directions link to sidebar

Question

Currently when you click on a marker, a clickable get directions link comes up along with title and address. I would also like the get directions link to appear on the side

Answer 1

You need to use the "sorted" version of the address, not the version in the input.

// save title and address in record for sorting
for (var i = 0; i < closest.length; i++) {
  results[i].title = closest[i].title;
  results[i].address = closest[i].address;
  results[i].idx_closestMark = i;
}
results.sort(sortByDistDM);
// use the stored values in the output to the sidebar
for (var i = 0;
  ((i < numberOfResults) && (i < closest.length)); i++) {
  closest[i].setMap(map);
  outputDiv.innerHTML += "<a href='javascript:google.maps.event.trigger(closest[" + results[i].idx_closestMark + "],\"click\");'>" + results[i].title + '</a><br>' + results[i].address + "<br>" + results[i].distance.text + ' approximately ' + results[i].duration.text + "<br><a href='javascript:getDirections(customerMarker.getPosition(),&quot;" + results[i].address + "&quot;);'>Get Directions</a><br><hr>"
}

sort function:

function sortByDistDM(a, b) {
  return (a.distance.value - b.distance.value)
}

proof of concept fiddle

code snippet:

var locations = [
  ["John Doe", "145 Rock Ridge Road, Chester, NY ", "41.314926,-74.270134", "http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/ms/icons/blue.png"],
  ["Jim Smith", "12 Williams Rd, Montvale, NJ ", "41.041599,-74.019554", "http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/ms/icons/green.png"],
  ["John Jones", "689 Fern St Township of Washington, NJ ", "40.997704,-74.050598", "http://maps.google.com/mapfiles/ms/icons/yellow.png"],

];
// alert(locations.length);

var geocoder = null;
var map = null;
var customerMarker = null;
var gmarkers = [];
var closest = [];
var directionsDisplay = new google.maps.DirectionsRenderer();;
var directionsService = new google.maps.DirectionsService();
var map;

function initialize() {
  // alert("init");
  geocoder = new google.maps.Geocoder();
  map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map'), {
    zoom: 9,
    center: new google.maps.LatLng(52.6699927, -0.7274620),
    mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP
  });
  var infowindow = new google.maps.InfoWindow();
  var marker, i;
  var bounds = new google.maps.LatLngBounds();
  document.getElementById('info').innerHTML = "found " + locations.length + " locations<br>";
  for (i = 0; i < locations.length; i++) {
    var coordStr = locations[i][2];
    var coords = coordStr.split(",");
    var pt = new google.maps.LatLng(parseFloat(coords[0]), parseFloat(coords[1]));
    bounds.extend(pt);
    marker = new google.maps.Marker({
      position: pt,
      map: map,
      icon: locations[i][3],
      address: locations[i][1],
      title: locations[i][0],
      html: locations[i][0] + "<br>" + locations[i][1] + "<br><br><a href='javascript:getDirections(customerMarker.getPosition(),&quot;" + locations[i][1] + "&quot;);'>Get Directions</a>"
    });
    gmarkers.push(marker);
    google.maps.event.addListener(marker, 'click', (function(marker, i) {
        return function() {
          infowindow.setContent(marker.html);
          infowindow.open(map, marker);
        }
      })
      (marker, i));
  }
  map.fitBounds(bounds);

}

function codeAddress() {
  var address = document.getElementById('address').value;
  geocoder.geocode({
    'address': address
  }, function(results, status) {
    if (status == google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK) {
      map.setCenter(results[0].geometry.location);
      if (customerMarker) customerMarker.setMap(null);
      customerMarker = new google.maps.Marker({
        map: map,
        position: results[0].geometry.location
      });
      closest = findClosestN(results[0].geometry.location, 12);
      // get driving distance
      closest = closest.splice(0, 12);
      calculateDistances(results[0].geometry.location, closest, 12);
    } else {
      alert('Geocode was not successful for the following reason: ' + status);
    }
  });
}

function findClosestN(pt, numberOfResults) {
  var closest = [];
  document.getElementById('info').innerHTML += "processing " + gmarkers.length + "<br>";
  for (var i = 0; i < gmarkers.length; i++) {
    gmarkers[i].distance = google.maps.geometry.spherical.computeDistanceBetween(pt, gmarkers[i].getPosition());
    document.getElementById('info').innerHTML += "process " + i + ":" + gmarkers[i].getPosition().toUrlValue(6) + ":" + gmarkers[i].distance.toFixed(2) + "<br>";
    gmarkers[i].setMap(null);
    closest.push(gmarkers[i]);
    closest.sort(sortByDist);
  }

  return closest;
}

function sortByDist(a, b) {
  return (a.distance - b.distance)

}

function calculateDistances(pt, closest, numberOfResults) {
  var service = new google.maps.DistanceMatrixService();
  var request = {
    origins: [pt],
    destinations: [],
    travelMode: google.maps.TravelMode.DRIVING,
    unitSystem: google.maps.UnitSystem.IMPERIAL,
    avoidHighways: false,
    avoidTolls: false
  };
  for (var i = 0; i < closest.length; i++) {
    request.destinations.push(closest[i].getPosition());
  }
  service.getDistanceMatrix(request, function(response, status) {
    if (status != google.maps.DistanceMatrixStatus.OK) {
      alert('Error was: ' + status);
    } else {
      var origins = response.originAddresses;
      var destinations = response.destinationAddresses;
      var outputDiv = document.getElementById('side_bar');
      outputDiv.innerHTML = '';

      var results = response.rows[0].elements;
      // save title and address in record for sorting
      for (var i = 0; i < closest.length; i++) {
        results[i].title = closest[i].title;
        results[i].address = closest[i].address;
        results[i].idx_closestMark = i;
      }
      results.sort(sortByDistDM);
      for (var i = 0;
        ((i < numberOfResults) && (i < closest.length)); i++) {
        closest[i].setMap(map);

        outputDiv.innerHTML += "<a href='javascript:google.maps.event.trigger(closest[" + results[i].idx_closestMark + "],\"click\");'>" + results[i].title + '</a><br>' + results[i].address + "<br>" + results[i].distance.text + ' approximately ' + results[i].duration.text + "<br><a href='javascript:getDirections(customerMarker.getPosition(),&quot;" + results[i].address + "&quot;);'>Get Directions</a><br><hr>"

      }
    }
  });
}

function getDirections(origin, destination) {
  var request = {
    origin: origin,
    destination: destination,
    travelMode: google.maps.DirectionsTravelMode.DRIVING
  };
  directionsService.route(request, function(response, status) {
    if (status == google.maps.DirectionsStatus.OK) {
      directionsDisplay.setMap(map);
      directionsDisplay.setDirections(response);
      directionsDisplay.setPanel(document.getElementById('side_bar'));
    }
  });
}

function sortByDistDM(a, b) {
  return (a.distance.value - b.distance.value)
}

google.maps.event.addDomListener(window, 'load', initialize);

html,
body,
#map_canvas {
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
  height: 100%;
}
table,tr,td {
  height: 100%;
  }


.text {
  width: 300px;
  height: 500px;
  background-color: white;
  overflow: scroll;
  overflow-x: hidden;
}

<script src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?libraries=geometry&key=AIzaSyCkUOdZ5y7hMm0yrcCQoCvLwzdM6M8s5qk"></script>
<table border="0">
  <tr>
    <td>
      <div id="map" style="height: 100%; width:400px;"></div>
    </td>
    <td>
      <div id="side_bar" class='text'> </div>
    </td>
  </tr>
</table>

<input id="address" type="text" value="Paramus, NJ" />
<input type="button" value="Search" onclick="codeAddress();" />
<div id="info"></div>