CODEWITHSUNDEEP
httpgoogle-maps
Molloch
Molloch

Reputation: 2381

Linking to Google Maps from Desktop App

I want to provide a button in my commercial Windows Forms desktop application which just opens a link to maps.google.com (Google Maps) in a webbrowser control or in the user's default Web Browser with the start and destination address populated. I just String.Format the parameters into a URL, I end up with a URL like this: 

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=SUNBURY+Victoria+Australia&daddr=MORNINGTON+Victoria+Australia

and then open that URL with the webbrowser control, or associated app calling Process.Start and passing in the URL, like this:

Dim URL as String = "http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=SUNBURY+Victoria+Australia&daddr=MORNINGTON+Victoria+Australia"
If _useWebBrowser then
    webbrowser1.Navigate(URL)
Else
    Dim sInfo As New ProcessStartInfo(URL)
    Process.Start(sInfo)
End If

I am not using the API here (am I?), just linking to the Google's maps site with a URL with a start and end address, but I am now worried this might violate terms of service of some kind. I can't find any good definition of this anywhere.

The closest I can find, on the Google "Permissions" page for Maps, everything else relates to use of the APIs:

http://www.google.com.au/permissions/geoguidelines.html

Feel free to use a hyperlink on your website or within your application to send users to Google Maps — we appreciate it! Our one request is that you do not use the Google or Google Maps logos as the hyperlink. Please just use text or another image of your choice.

Can I legally create a URL programmatically, and call that URL in a webbrowser control, IE, Chrome, etc?

I am completely confused.

Upvotes: 1

Views: 307

Answers (1)

Michael Geary
Michael Geary

Reputation: 28870

So you just have a link that opens the Google Maps website in a web browser (which includes a webbrowser control)? And you're not using a Google logo for the link? That's fine! As they said, they appreciate it. :-)

Generating the link dynamically doesn't change that. And no, you're not using the Maps API, so the API terms of service don't apply.

Upvotes: 1

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