The JavaScript API and the Flash API release new features at about the same rate, but the Flash API is much younger than the JavaScript API, so it does not have as many features. We will continue to bring more features into the Flash API, but we may not ever put the same features in both the APIs - there are some features that are more beneficial in Flash land, some that are more beneficial in JS land, and we need to carefully consider what features to work on for each.
Note also that there are some features that Google must build into the API, like driving directions, but there are other features that developers can write themselves, like custom infowindows or KML support. We would likely work on the first before the second, in hopes that the Flash community will contribute their knowledge to open-source samples and libraries that demonstrate the latter (and that has been the case thus far). My recommendation is to base your decisions on the current state of each API, and not the perceived future state, as that can never be guaranteed. Have fun. :) - pamela On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 4:38 AM, Jonathan Wagner <[email protected]>wrote: > I can answer some of these questions, not the ones about where the > Google Team is going with product development, but some of the others > I can. > > 1) This one is pretty easy, Google Earth is pretty intensive, and > almost over intensive for a lot of implementations, the Google Earth > plugin also don't have a high level of penetration at the current > time. So if you're doing some kind of web-based map implementation, in > most cases you would want to use flex/flash, as you won't get > complaints from users who don't have the GE plugin (which has happened > to me personally). > > 2) The flex API does lag, and it is understandable since the JS API is > much wider used. However, that said, there has been a lot of > development by the actual Google Maps API community, you can find a > lot of stuff built by the community. Also, I think the release gap > would really be based on requests (found in the issue tracker), > > I think it really depends on your target market for what products you > should be using. > > Jonathan > Scribblemaps.com > > On Dec 14, 12:14 pm, oldschool <[email protected]> wrote: > > I found an old discussion along these lines at: > > > > http://groups.google.com/group/google-maps-api-for-flash/browse_threa.. > .. > > > > I attempted to reply to it but must have been unsuccessful as I'm not > > seeing my post in the thread. Perhaps its better to start a new > > discussion anyway as the landscape may have changed significantly in a > > year anyway. > > > > I've been using the Flex maps api for several months with success > > anticipating a early 2010 release of our app. However I ran across > > the Google Earth plugin and examples of Flex integration today. This > > prompted me to create this post hoping to understand the direction of > > Google products in this space. Questions... > > > > 1) What criteria would apply to deciding whether to utilize the Earth > > plugin vs maps api in particular in the context of a Flex > > application? In the post mentioned above Pamela mentioned inability > > to overlay html objects on top of Earth plugin imagery. However, it > > seems the Earth api does allow for creation of overlay geometry and > > there are examples out there of successful Flex/Earth plugin > > integration. I'm thinking a comparison of capability would be > > helpful. > > > > 2) I've noticed that the Flex api lags the JavaScript api a bit (e.g. > > KML overlays). No criticism meant here but curious as to the level of > > committment from Google with regard to the Flex api. Is it here for > > the foreseeable future? What kind of release gap would I expect to > > see between a maps JavaScript api release and Flex api equivalent on > > average? > > > > Again thanks to the Google Flex team for their hard work and I hope > > the above questions don't seem agressive in any way. I'm just > > attempting to assess the current state of these products as we look to > > craft our product direction. > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Google Maps API For Flash" group. > To post to this group, send email to > [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<google-maps-api-for-flash%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/google-maps-api-for-flash?hl=en. > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Google Maps API For Flash" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/google-maps-api-for-flash?hl=en.
