Where to start with Bing Maps API (and some feature questions)

Question

I'm new to Bing Maps and I'm trying to research and test it out a bit to see if it will meet my requirements.  First of all, I've read microsoft's documentation and examples, and I've been able to get an idea of how the APIs should work, but I'm not seeing the whole picture, that's where I could use some help.

Here's what I want to do with a mapping utility:  Get geocoding information for multiple addresses, locate these points on a map, add custom data to the points, and adjust the style/display of the points based on the custom information.  I will be using .NET IDE to develop an app, currently I have VS 2005 but will soon be upgrading to 2010.

What I've gathered so far from reading the documentation is that I should be able to get geocode info for multiple locations and display that on a map.  I'm not sure yet about the custom data and custom style for the "pushpins" but I can play around with that once I get started.  I'm guessing I should be able to use the Bing Maps REST Services to get the location info, and then somehow apply that info to a map object (Microsoft.Maps namespace?).

My questions:
1: are there any examples that show a complete picture of using a REST service to get data and then display on a map (.NET).  I see how to use the REST services to get a response, but how do I apply that to a map?
   1.b:I'm not finding exactly what is the best way to get geocode information for multiple addresses at once.  What is the best method for doing this and then turn the results into points on a map?
2: where do I get the Bing Map libraries (Microsoft.Maps, etc.)?
3: can I use VS 2005 for this, or do I need 2010

Thanks for the help.

Answer 1

He there. Welcome to the Bing Maps community. I have a list of resources on Bing Maps here: http://rbrundritt.wordpress.com/resources-2/

As for your questions;

1) If you want to geocode from .NET code then take a look at this article: http://rbrundritt.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/bing-maps-rest-service-net-libraries/

2) If you are making a web app then you can use the Bing Maps V7 AJAX control or the Bing Maps Silverlight control. I recommend using the AJAX control as it not only works on standard web browsers but mobile ones too. If creating a desktop application than you will want to use the Bing Maps WPF control. If using the AJAX control you don't need any libraries, you just need to add a script reference to the map control in your JavaScript.

3) I'm assuming this is for a web app. If that is the case the VS2005 is fine. 

If you can tell me what your target platform is (web, desktop, windows 8, mobile) then I'll be able to give you more details.

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http://rbrundritt.wordpress.com

Answer 2

Thanks for the quick response and the useful links.  I am planning on developing the mapping tool as a web app which would be accessible from windows XP, windows 7, and eventually mobile devices as well, so I will give the AJAX control a try.  However, I would still like to compare that to a .NET approach, I'm trying to evaluate all the options available and see what best meets my needs.  If I go with .NET, I'll need the libraries, correct?  If so, where do I get those, are they packaged with VS2010 or do I have to download them (I searched around but didn't find a reference to them).

Thanks again.

Answer 3

If you use .NET you have two options. The first is to use Silverlight for a web application. The other option is WPF but that is only for desktop applications and not web. You can download the libraries for the Silverlight control here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=2949 Note that Silverlight will not work on any mobile device other than Windows Phone.

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http://rbrundritt.wordpress.com

Answer 4

From what I'm learning about this, I'm thinking I might need to create a couple of apps.  If I want to get geocoding information for a bunch of addresses I could do that in a WPF app using the REST services, correct? The way I see this working, I would have that app get the geocode information and store that off in a database, then have a web app that displays those locations on the map.  Am I on the right track with how this could be implemented?

Thanks!

Answer 5

Ok, I just found this article in the forums: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vemapcontroldev/thread/93e718a7-93e4-4948-a0f5-968b0002a200

That sounds like it is pretty much exactly what I want to do, so I'll take a look at the REST service for geocoding in batch and go from there.   Thank you Richard for pointing me in the right direction!