1. Before you begin
This codelab teaches you how to build a fully interactive local search application by using Google Maps Platform Places UI Kit.
Prerequisites
- A Google Cloud project with the necessary APIs and credentials configured.
- Basic knowledge of HTML and CSS.
- Understanding of modern JavaScript.
- A modern web browser, such as the latest version of Chrome.
- A text editor of your choice.
What you'll do
- Structure a mapping application using a JavaScript class.
- Use Web Components to display a map
- Use Place Search Element to perform and display the results of a Text Search.
- Programmatically create and manage custom
AdvancedMarkerElementmap markers. - Display Place Details Element when a user selects a location.
- Use the Geocoding API to create a dynamic and user-friendly interface.
What you'll need
- A Google Cloud project with billing enabled
- A Google Maps Platform API key
- A Map ID
- The following APIs enabled:
- Maps JavaScript API
- Places UI Kit
- Geocoding API
2. Get set up
For the following enablement step, you'll need to enable the Maps JavaScript API, Places UI Kit, and Geocoding API.
Set up Google Maps Platform
If you do not already have a Google Cloud Platform account and a project with billing enabled, please see the Getting Started with Google Maps Platform guide to create a billing account and a project.
- In the Cloud Console, click the project drop-down menu and select the project that you want to use for this codelab.
- Enable the Google Maps Platform APIs and SDKs required for this codelab in the Google Cloud Marketplace. To do so, follow the steps in this video or this documentation.
- Generate an API key in the Credentials page of Cloud Console. You can follow the steps in this video or this documentation. All requests to Google Maps Platform require an API key.
3. The application shell and a functional map
In this first step, we will create the complete visual layout for our application and establish a clean, class-based structure for our JavaScript. This gives us a solid foundation to build upon. By the end of this section, you will have a styled page displaying an interactive map.
Create the HTML file
First, create a file named index.html. This file will contain the complete structure of our application, including the header, search filters, sidebar, map container, and the necessary web components.
Copy the following code into index.html. Be sure to replace YOUR_API_KEY_HERE with your own Google Maps Platform API key, and DEMO_MAP_ID with your own Google Maps Platform Map ID.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<title>Local Search App</title>
<meta charset="utf-8" />
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
<!-- Google Fonts: Roboto -->
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Roboto:wght@400;500;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
<!-- GMP Bootstrap Loader -->
<script>
(g=>{var h,a,k,p="The Google Maps JavaScript API",c="google",l="importLibrary",q="__ib__",m=document,b=window;b=b[c]||(b[c]={});var d=b.maps||(b.maps={}),r=new Set,e=new URLSearchParams,u=()=>h||(h=new Promise(async(f,n)=>{await (a=m.createElement("script"));e.set("libraries",[...r]+"");for(k in g)e.set(k.replace(/[A-Z]/g,t=>"_"+t[0].toLowerCase()),g[k]);e.set("callback",c+".maps."+q);a.src=`https://maps.${c}apis.com/maps/api/js?`+e;d[q]=f;a.onerror=()=>h=n(Error(p+" could not load."));a.nonce=m.querySelector("script[nonce]")?.nonce||"";m.head.append(a)}));d[l]?console.warn(p+" only loads once. Ignoring:",g):d[l]=(f,...n)=>r.add(f)&&u().then(()=>d[l](f,...n))})({
key: "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE",
v: "weekly",
libraries: "places,maps,marker,geocoding"
});
</script>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="style.css" />
</head>
<body>
<!-- Header for search controls -->
<header class="top-header">
<div class="logo">
<svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="28" height="28"><path d="M12 2C8.13 2 5 5.13 5 9c0 5.25 7 13 7 13s7-7.75 7-13c0-3.87-3.13-7-7-7zm0 9.5c-1.38 0-2.5-1.12-2.5-2.5s1.12-2.5 2.5-2.5 2.5 1.12 2.5 2.5-1.12 2.5-2.5 2.5z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg>
<span>PlaceFinder</span>
</div>
<div class="search-container">
<input
type="text"
id="query-input"
placeholder="e.g., burger in New York"
value="burger"
/>
<button id="search-button" aria-label="Search">Search</button>
</div>
<div class="filter-container">
<label class="open-now-label">
<input type="checkbox" id="open-now-filter"> Open Now
</label>
<select id="rating-filter" aria-label="Minimum rating">
<option value="0" selected>Any rating</option>
<option value="1">1+ ★</option>
<option value="2">2+ ★★</option>
<option value="3">3+ ★★★</option>
<option value="4">4+ ★★★★</option>
<option value="5">5 ★★★★★</option>
</select>
<select id="price-filter" aria-label="Price level">
<option value="0" selected>Any Price</option>
<option value="1">$</option>
<option value="2">$$</option>
<option value="3">$$$</option>
<option value="4">$$$$</option>
</select>
</div>
</header>
<!-- Main content area -->
<div class="app-container">
<!-- Left Panel: Results -->
<div class="sidebar">
<div class="results-header">
<h2 id="results-header-text">Results</h2>
</div>
<div class="results-container">
<gmp-place-search id="place-search-list" class="hidden" selectable>
<gmp-place-all-content></gmp-place-all-content>
<gmp-place-text-search-request></gmp-place-text-search-request>
</gmp-place-search>
<div id="placeholder-message" class="placeholder">
<p>Your search results will appear here.</p>
</div>
<div id="loading-spinner" class="spinner-overlay">
<div class="spinner"></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<!-- Right Panel: Map -->
<div class="map-container">
<gmp-map
center="40.758896,-73.985130"
zoom="13"
map-id="DEMO_MAP_ID"
>
</gmp-map>
<div id="details-container">
<gmp-place-details-compact>
<gmp-place-details-place-request></gmp-place-details-place-request>
<gmp-place-all-content></gmp-place-all-content>
</gmp-place-details-compact>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<script src="script.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Create the CSS file
Next, create a file named style.css. We will add all the necessary styling now to establish a clean, modern look from the start. This CSS handles the overall layout, colors, fonts, and the appearance of all our UI elements.
Copy the following code into style.css:
/* style.css */
:root {
--primary-color: #1a73e8;
--text-color: #202124;
--text-color-light: #5f6368;
--background-color: #f8f9fa;
--panel-background: #ffffff;
--border-color: #dadce0;
--shadow-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}
body {
font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif;
margin: 0;
height: 100vh;
overflow: hidden;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
background-color: var(--background-color);
color: var(--text-color);
}
.hidden {
display: none !important;
}
.top-header {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
padding: 12px 24px;
border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border-color);
background-color: var(--panel-background);
gap: 24px;
flex-shrink: 0;
}
.logo {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 8px;
font-size: 22px;
font-weight: 700;
color: var(--primary-color);
}
.search-container {
display: flex;
flex-grow: 1;
max-width: 720px;
}
.search-container input {
width: 100%;
padding: 12px 16px;
border: 1px solid var(--border-color);
border-radius: 8px 0 0 8px;
font-size: 16px;
transition: box-shadow 0.2s ease;
}
.search-container input:focus {
outline: none;
border-color: var(--primary-color);
box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px rgba(26, 115, 232, 0.2);
}
.search-container button {
padding: 0 20px;
border: 1px solid var(--primary-color);
border-radius: 0 8px 8px 0;
background-color: var(--primary-color);
color: white;
cursor: pointer;
font-size: 16px;
font-weight: 500;
transition: background-color 0.2s ease;
}
.search-container button:hover {
background-color: #185abc;
}
.filter-container {
display: flex;
gap: 12px;
align-items: center;
}
.filter-container select, .open-now-label {
padding: 10px 14px;
border: 1px solid var(--border-color);
border-radius: 8px;
background-color: var(--panel-background);
font-size: 14px;
cursor: pointer;
transition: border-color 0.2s ease;
}
.filter-container select:hover, .open-now-label:hover {
border-color: #c0c2c5;
}
.open-now-label {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 8px;
white-space: nowrap;
}
.app-container {
display: flex;
flex-grow: 1;
overflow: hidden;
}
.sidebar {
width: 35%;
min-width: 380px;
max-width: 480px;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
border-right: 1px solid var(--border-color);
background-color: var(--panel-background);
overflow: hidden;
}
.results-header {
padding: 16px 24px;
border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border-color);
flex-shrink: 0;
}
.results-header h2 {
margin: 0;
font-size: 18px;
font-weight: 500;
}
.results-container {
flex-grow: 1;
position: relative;
overflow-y: auto;
overflow-x: hidden;
}
.placeholder {
height: 100%;
display: flex;
justify-content: center;
align-items: center;
text-align: center;
padding: 2rem;
box-sizing: border-box;
}
.placeholder p {
color: var(--text-color-light);
font-size: 1.1rem;
}
gmp-place-search {
width: 100%;
}
.map-container {
flex-grow: 1;
position: relative;
}
gmp-map {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}
.spinner-overlay {
position: absolute;
top: 0;
left: 0;
right: 0;
bottom: 0;
background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);
display: flex;
justify-content: center;
align-items: center;
z-index: 100;
opacity: 0;
visibility: hidden;
transition: opacity 0.3s, visibility 0.3s;
}
.spinner-overlay.visible {
opacity: 1;
visibility: visible;
}
.spinner {
width: 48px;
height: 48px;
border: 4px solid #e0e0e0;
border-top-color: var(--primary-color);
border-radius: 50%;
animation: spin 1s linear infinite;
}
@keyframes spin {
to { transform: rotate(360deg); }
}
gmp-place-details-compact {
width: 350px;
display: none;
border: none;
border-radius: 12px;
box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);
}
gmp-place-details-compact::after {
content: '';
position: absolute;
bottom: -12px;
left: 50%;
transform: translateX(-50%);
width: 24px;
height: 12px;
background-color: var(--panel-background);
clip-path: polygon(50% 100%, 0 0, 100% 0);
}
Create the JavaScript application class
Finally, create a file named script.js. We will structure our application inside a JavaScript class called PlaceFinderApp. This keeps our code organized and manages state cleanly.
This initial code will define the class, find all our HTML elements in the constructor, and create an init() method to load the Google Maps Platform libraries.
Copy the following code into script.js:
// script.js
class PlaceFinderApp {
constructor() {
// Get all DOM element references
this.queryInput = document.getElementById('query-input');
this.priceFilter = document.getElementById('price-filter');
this.ratingFilter = document.getElementById('rating-filter');
this.openNowFilter = document.getElementById('open-now-filter');
this.searchButton = document.getElementById('search-button');
this.placeSearch = document.getElementById('place-search-list');
this.gMap = document.querySelector('gmp-map');
this.loadingSpinner = document.getElementById('loading-spinner');
this.resultsHeaderText = document.getElementById('results-header-text');
this.placeholderMessage = document.getElementById('placeholder-message');
this.placeDetailsWidget = document.querySelector('gmp-place-details-compact');
this.placeDetailsRequest = this.placeDetailsWidget.querySelector('gmp-place-details-place-request');
this.searchRequest = this.placeSearch.querySelector('gmp-place-text-search-request');
// Initialize instance variables
this.map = null;
this.geocoder = null;
this.markers = {};
this.detailsPopup = null;
this.PriceLevel = null;
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
// Start the application
this.init();
}
async init() {
// Import libraries
await google.maps.importLibrary("maps");
const { Place, PriceLevel } = await google.maps.importLibrary("places");
const { AdvancedMarkerElement } = await google.maps.importLibrary("marker");
const { Geocoder } = await google.maps.importLibrary("geocoding");
// Make classes available to the instance
this.PriceLevel = PriceLevel;
this.AdvancedMarkerElement = AdvancedMarkerElement;
this.map = this.gMap.innerMap;
this.geocoder = new Geocoder();
// We will add more initialization logic here in later steps.
}
}
// Wait for the DOM to be ready, then create an instance of our app.
window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
new PlaceFinderApp();
});
API Key restrictions
You may need to add a new restriction to your API key for this Codelab to work. See Restrict your API keys for more information and guidance on how to do this.
Check your work
Open the index.html file in your web browser. You should see a page with a header containing a search bar and filters, a sidebar with the message "Your search results will appear here," and a large map centered on New York City. At this stage, the search controls are not yet functional.
4. Implement a search function
In this section, we'll bring our application to life by implementing the core search functionality. We will write the code that runs when a user clicks the "Search" button. We will build this function with best practices from the start to handle user interactions gracefully and prevent common bugs like race conditions.
By the end of this step, you will be able to click the search button and see a loading spinner appear while the application fetches data in the background.
Create the search method
First, define the performSearch method inside our PlaceFinderApp class. This function will be the heart of our search logic. We will also introduce an instance variable, isSearchInProgress, to act as a "gatekeeper." This prevents the user from starting a new search while one is already in progress, which can lead to errors.
The logic inside performSearch might seem complex, so we'll break it down:
- It first checks if a search is already in progress. If so, it does nothing.
- It sets the
isSearchInProgressflag totrueto "lock" the function. - It shows the loading spinner and prepares the UI for new results.
- It sets the search request's
textQueryproperty tonull. This is a crucial step that forces the web component to recognize that a new request is coming. - It uses a
setTimeoutwith a0delay. This standard JavaScript technique schedules the rest of our code to run in the next browser task, making sure the component has processed thenullvalue first. Even if the user searches for the exact same thing twice, a new search will always be triggered.
Add event listeners
Next, we need to call our performSearch method when the user interacts with the app. We'll create a new method, attachEventListeners, to keep all our event-handling code in one place. For now, we'll just add a listener for the search button's click event. We'll also add a placeholder for another event, gmp-load, which we'll use in the next step.
Update the JavaScript file
Update your script.js file with the following code. The new or changed sections are the attachEventListeners method and the performSearch method.
// script.js
class PlaceFinderApp {
constructor() {
// Get all DOM element references
this.queryInput = document.getElementById('query-input');
this.priceFilter = document.getElementById('price-filter');
this.ratingFilter = document.getElementById('rating-filter');
this.openNowFilter = document.getElementById('open-now-filter');
this.searchButton = document.getElementById('search-button');
this.placeSearch = document.getElementById('place-search-list');
this.gMap = document.querySelector('gmp-map');
this.loadingSpinner = document.getElementById('loading-spinner');
this.resultsHeaderText = document.getElementById('results-header-text');
this.placeholderMessage = document.getElementById('placeholder-message');
this.placeDetailsWidget = document.querySelector('gmp-place-details-compact');
this.placeDetailsRequest = this.placeDetailsWidget.querySelector('gmp-place-details-place-request');
this.searchRequest = this.placeSearch.querySelector('gmp-place-text-search-request');
// Initialize instance variables
this.map = null;
this.geocoder = null;
this.markers = {};
this.detailsPopup = null;
this.PriceLevel = null;
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
// Start the application
this.init();
}
async init() {
// Import libraries
await google.maps.importLibrary("maps");
const { Place, PriceLevel } = await google.maps.importLibrary("places");
const { AdvancedMarkerElement } = await google.maps.importLibrary("marker");
const { Geocoder } = await google.maps.importLibrary("geocoding");
// Make classes available to the instance
this.PriceLevel = PriceLevel;
this.AdvancedMarkerElement = AdvancedMarkerElement;
this.map = this.gMap.innerMap;
this.geocoder = new Geocoder();
// Call the new method to set up listeners
this.attachEventListeners();
}
// NEW: Method to set up all event listeners
attachEventListeners() {
this.searchButton.addEventListener('click', this.performSearch.bind(this));
// We will add the gmp-load listener in the next step
}
// NEW: Core search method
async performSearch() {
// Exit if a search is already in progress
if (this.isSearchInProgress) {
return;
}
// Set the lock
this.isSearchInProgress = true;
// Show the placeholder and spinner
this.placeholderMessage.classList.add('hidden');
this.placeSearch.classList.remove('hidden');
this.showLoading(true);
// Force a state change by clearing the query first.
this.searchRequest.textQuery = null;
// Defer setting the real properties to the next event loop cycle.
setTimeout(async () => {
const rawQuery = this.queryInput.value.trim();
// If the query is empty, release the lock and hide the spinner
if (!rawQuery) {
this.showLoading(false);
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
return;
};
// For now, we just set the textQuery. We'll add filters later.
this.searchRequest.textQuery = rawQuery;
this.searchRequest.locationRestriction = this.map.getBounds();
}, 0);
}
// NEW: Helper method to show/hide the spinner
showLoading(visible) {
this.loadingSpinner.classList.toggle('visible', visible);
}
}
// Wait for the DOM to be ready, then create an instance of our app.
window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
new PlaceFinderApp();
});
Check your work
Save your script.js file and refresh index.html in your browser. The page should look the same as before. Now, click the "Search" button in the header.
You should see two things happen:
- The placeholder message "Your search results will appear here" disappears.
- The loading spinner appears and continues spinning.
The spinner will spin forever because we haven't told it when to stop yet. We'll do that in the next section when we display the results. This confirms that our search function is being triggered correctly.
5. Display results and add markers
Now that the search trigger is functional, the next task is to display the results on the screen. The code in this section will connect the search logic to the UI. Once the Place Search Element finishes loading data, it will release the search "lock," hide the loading spinner, and display a marker on the map for each result.
Listen for search completion
The Place Search Element fires a gmp-load event when it has successfully fetched data. This is the perfect signal for us to process the results.
First, add an event listener for this event in our attachEventListeners method.
Create marker-handling methods
Next, we'll create two new helper methods: clearMarkers and addMarkers.
clearMarkers()will remove any markers from a previous search.addMarkers()will be called by ourgmp-loadlistener. It will loop through the list of places returned by the search and create a newAdvancedMarkerElementfor each one. This is also where we'll hide the loading spinner and release theisSearchInProgresslock, completing the search cycle.
Notice that we're storing markers in an object (this.markers) using the Place ID as the key. This is a way to manage markers, and will allow us to find a specific marker later.
Finally, we need to call clearMarkers() at the start of every new search. The best place for this is inside performSearch.
Update the JavaScript file
Update your script.js file with the new methods and the changes to attachEventListeners and performSearch.
// script.js
class PlaceFinderApp {
constructor() {
// Get all DOM element references
this.queryInput = document.getElementById('query-input');
this.priceFilter = document.getElementById('price-filter');
this.ratingFilter = document.getElementById('rating-filter');
this.openNowFilter = document.getElementById('open-now-filter');
this.searchButton = document.getElementById('search-button');
this.placeSearch = document.getElementById('place-search-list');
this.gMap = document.querySelector('gmp-map');
this.loadingSpinner = document.getElementById('loading-spinner');
this.resultsHeaderText = document.getElementById('results-header-text');
this.placeholderMessage = document.getElementById('placeholder-message');
this.placeDetailsWidget = document.querySelector('gmp-place-details-compact');
this.placeDetailsRequest = this.placeDetailsWidget.querySelector('gmp-place-details-place-request');
this.searchRequest = this.placeSearch.querySelector('gmp-place-text-search-request');
// Initialize instance variables
this.map = null;
this.geocoder = null;
this.markers = {};
this.detailsPopup = null;
this.PriceLevel = null;
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
// Start the application
this.init();
}
async init() {
// Import libraries
await google.maps.importLibrary("maps");
const { Place, PriceLevel } = await google.maps.importLibrary("places");
const { AdvancedMarkerElement } = await google.maps.importLibrary("marker");
const { Geocoder } = await google.maps.importLibrary("geocoding");
// Make classes available to the instance
this.PriceLevel = PriceLevel;
this.AdvancedMarkerElement = AdvancedMarkerElement;
this.map = this.gMap.innerMap;
this.geocoder = new Geocoder();
this.attachEventListeners();
}
attachEventListeners() {
this.searchButton.addEventListener('click', this.performSearch.bind(this));
// NEW: Listen for when the search component has loaded results
this.placeSearch.addEventListener('gmp-load', this.addMarkers.bind(this));
}
// NEW: Method to clear markers from a previous search
clearMarkers() {
for (const marker of Object.values(this.markers)) {
marker.map = null;
}
this.markers = {};
}
// NEW: Method to add markers for new search results
addMarkers() {
// Release the lock and hide the spinner
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
this.showLoading(false);
const places = this.placeSearch.places;
if (!places || places.length === 0) return;
// Create a new marker for each place result
for (const place of places) {
if (!place.location || !place.id) continue;
const marker = new this.AdvancedMarkerElement({
map: this.map,
position: place.location,
title: place.displayName,
});
// Store marker by its place ID for access later
this.markers[place.id] = marker;
}
}
async performSearch() {
if (this.isSearchInProgress) {
return;
}
this.isSearchInProgress = true;
this.placeholderMessage.classList.add('hidden');
this.placeSearch.classList.remove('hidden');
this.showLoading(true);
// NEW: Clear old markers before starting a new search
this.clearMarkers();
this.searchRequest.textQuery = null;
setTimeout(async () => {
const rawQuery = this.queryInput.value.trim();
if (!rawQuery) {
this.showLoading(false);
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
return;
};
this.searchRequest.textQuery = rawQuery;
this.searchRequest.locationRestriction = this.map.getBounds();
}, 0);
}
showLoading(visible) {
this.loadingSpinner.classList.toggle('visible', visible);
}
}
window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
new PlaceFinderApp();
});
Check your work
Save your files and refresh the page in your browser. Click the "Search" button.
The loading spinner should now appear for a moment and then disappear. The sidebar will populate with a list of places relevant to the search term, and you should see corresponding markers appear on the map. The markers don't do anything when clicked yet; we'll add that interactivity in the next section.
6. Activate the search filters and list interactivity
Our application can now display search results, but it's not yet interactive. In this section, we will bring all the user controls to life. We will activate the filters, enable searching with the "Enter" key, and connect the items in the results list to their corresponding locations on the map.
By the end of this step, the application will feel fully responsive to user input.
Activate the search filters
First, the performSearch method will be updated to read the values from all the filter controls in the header. For each filter (price, rating, and "Open Now"), the corresponding property will be set on the searchRequest object before the search is executed.
Add event listeners for all controls
Next, we will expand our attachEventListeners method. We'll add listeners for the change event on each filter control, as well as a keydown listener on the search input to detect when the user presses the "Enter" key. All of these new listeners will call the performSearch method.
Connect the results list to the map
To create a seamless experience, clicking an item in the sidebar results list should focus the map on that location.
A new method, handleResultClick, will listen for the gmp-select event, which is fired by the Place Search Element when an item is clicked. This function will find the associated place's location and smoothly pan the map to it.
For this to work, make sure the selectable attribute is present on your gmp-place-search component in index.html.
<gmp-place-search id="place-search-list" class="hidden" selectable>
<gmp-place-all-content></gmp-place-all-content>
<gmp-place-text-search-request></gmp-place-text-search-request>
</gmp-place-search>
Update the JavaScript file
Update your script.js file with the following complete code. This version includes the new handleResultClick method and the updated logic in attachEventListeners and performSearch.
// script.js
class PlaceFinderApp {
constructor() {
// Get all DOM element references
this.queryInput = document.getElementById('query-input');
this.priceFilter = document.getElementById('price-filter');
this.ratingFilter = document.getElementById('rating-filter');
this.openNowFilter = document.getElementById('open-now-filter');
this.searchButton = document.getElementById('search-button');
this.placeSearch = document.getElementById('place-search-list');
this.gMap = document.querySelector('gmp-map');
this.loadingSpinner = document.getElementById('loading-spinner');
this.resultsHeaderText = document.getElementById('results-header-text');
this.placeholderMessage = document.getElementById('placeholder-message');
this.placeDetailsWidget = document.querySelector('gmp-place-details-compact');
this.placeDetailsRequest = this.placeDetailsWidget.querySelector('gmp-place-details-place-request');
this.searchRequest = this.placeSearch.querySelector('gmp-place-text-search-request');
// Initialize instance variables
this.map = null;
this.geocoder = null;
this.markers = {};
this.detailsPopup = null;
this.PriceLevel = null;
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
// Start the application
this.init();
}
async init() {
// Import libraries
await google.maps.importLibrary("maps");
const { Place, PriceLevel } = await google.maps.importLibrary("places");
const { AdvancedMarkerElement } = await google.maps.importLibrary("marker");
const { Geocoder } = await google.maps.importLibrary("geocoding");
// Make classes available to the instance
this.PriceLevel = PriceLevel;
this.AdvancedMarkerElement = AdvancedMarkerElement;
this.map = this.gMap.innerMap;
this.geocoder = new Geocoder();
this.attachEventListeners();
}
// UPDATED: All event listeners are now attached
attachEventListeners() {
// Listen for the 'Enter' key press in the search input
this.queryInput.addEventListener('keydown', (event) => {
if (event.key === 'Enter') {
event.preventDefault();
this.performSearch();
}
});
// Listen for a sidebar result click
this.placeSearch.addEventListener('gmp-select', this.handleResultClick.bind(this));
this.placeSearch.addEventListener('gmp-load', this.addMarkers.bind(this));
this.searchButton.addEventListener('click', this.performSearch.bind(this));
this.priceFilter.addEventListener('change', this.performSearch.bind(this));
this.ratingFilter.addEventListener('change', this.performSearch.bind(this));
this.openNowFilter.addEventListener('change', this.performSearch.bind(this));
}
clearMarkers() {
for (const marker of Object.values(this.markers)) {
marker.map = null;
}
this.markers = {};
}
addMarkers() {
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
this.showLoading(false);
const places = this.placeSearch.places;
if (!places || places.length === 0) return;
for (const place of places) {
if (!place.location || !place.id) continue;
const marker = new this.AdvancedMarkerElement({
map: this.map,
position: place.location,
title: place.displayName,
});
this.markers[place.id] = marker;
}
}
// NEW: Function to handle clicks on the results list
handleResultClick(event) {
const place = event.place;
if (!place || !place.location) return;
// Pan the map to the selected place
this.map.panTo(place.location);
}
// UPDATED: Search function now includes all filters
async performSearch() {
if (this.isSearchInProgress) {
return;
}
this.isSearchInProgress = true;
this.placeholderMessage.classList.add('hidden');
this.placeSearch.classList.remove('hidden');
this.showLoading(true);
this.clearMarkers();
this.searchRequest.textQuery = null;
setTimeout(async () => {
const rawQuery = this.queryInput.value.trim();
if (!rawQuery) {
this.showLoading(false);
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
return;
};
this.searchRequest.textQuery = rawQuery;
this.searchRequest.locationRestriction = this.map.getBounds();
// Add filter values to the request
const selectedPrice = this.priceFilter.value;
let priceLevels = [];
switch (selectedPrice) {
case "1": priceLevels = [this.PriceLevel.INEXPENSIVE]; break;
case "2": priceLevels = [this.PriceLevel.MODERATE]; break;
case "3": priceLevels = [this.PriceLevel.EXPENSIVE]; break;
case "4": priceLevels = [this.PriceLevel.VERY_EXPENSIVE]; break;
default: priceLevels = null; break;
}
this.searchRequest.priceLevels = priceLevels;
const selectedRating = parseFloat(this.ratingFilter.value);
this.searchRequest.minRating = selectedRating > 0 ? selectedRating : null;
this.searchRequest.isOpenNow = this.openNowFilter.checked ? true : null;
}, 0);
}
showLoading(visible) {
this.loadingSpinner.classList.toggle('visible', visible);
}
}
window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
new PlaceFinderApp();
});
Check your work
Save your script.js file and refresh the page. The application should now be highly interactive.
Verify the following:
- Searching by pressing "Enter" in the search box works.
- Changing any of the filters (Price, Rating, Open Now) triggers a new search and updates the results.
- Clicking an item in the sidebar results list now smoothly pans the map to that item's location.
In the next section, we will implement the details card that appears when a marker is clicked.
7. Implement Place Details Element
Our application is now fully interactive, but it's missing a key feature: the ability to see more information about a selected place. In this section, we will implement the Place Details Element that will appear when a user clicks a marker on the map, or selects an item in the Place Search Element.
Create a reusable details card container
The most efficient way to display place details on the map is to create a single, reusable container. We will use an AdvancedMarkerElement as this container. Its content will be the hidden gmp-place-details-compact widget that we already have in our index.html.
A new method, initDetailsPopup, will handle the creation of this reusable marker. It will be created once when the application loads and will start hidden. We will also add a listener to the main map in this method, so that clicking anywhere on the map will hide the details card.
Update the marker click behavior
Next, we need to update what happens when a user clicks a place marker. The 'click' listener inside the addMarkers method will now be responsible for showing the details card.
When a marker is clicked, the listener will:
- Pan the map to the marker's location.
- Update the details card with the information for that specific place.
- Position the details card at the marker's location and make it visible.
Connect the list click to the marker click
Finally, we'll update the handleResultClick method. Instead of just panning the map, it will now programmatically trigger the click event on the corresponding marker. This is a powerful pattern that allows us to reuse the exact same logic for both interactions, keeping our code clean and maintainable.
Update the JavaScript file
Update your script.js file with the following code. The new or changed sections are the initDetailsPopup method and the updated addMarkers and handleResultClick methods.
// script.js
class PlaceFinderApp {
constructor() {
// Get all DOM element references
this.queryInput = document.getElementById('query-input');
this.priceFilter = document.getElementById('price-filter');
this.ratingFilter = document.getElementById('rating-filter');
this.openNowFilter = document.getElementById('open-now-filter');
this.searchButton = document.getElementById('search-button');
this.placeSearch = document.getElementById('place-search-list');
this.gMap = document.querySelector('gmp-map');
this.loadingSpinner = document.getElementById('loading-spinner');
this.resultsHeaderText = document.getElementById('results-header-text');
this.placeholderMessage = document.getElementById('placeholder-message');
this.placeDetailsWidget = document.querySelector('gmp-place-details-compact');
this.placeDetailsRequest = this.placeDetailsWidget.querySelector('gmp-place-details-place-request');
this.searchRequest = this.placeSearch.querySelector('gmp-place-text-search-request');
// Initialize instance variables
this.map = null;
this.geocoder = null;
this.markers = {};
this.detailsPopup = null;
this.PriceLevel = null;
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
// Start the application
this.init();
}
async init() {
// Import libraries
await google.maps.importLibrary("maps");
const { Place, PriceLevel } = await google.maps.importLibrary("places");
const { AdvancedMarkerElement } = await google.maps.importLibrary("marker");
const { Geocoder } = await google.maps.importLibrary("geocoding");
// Make classes available to the instance
this.PriceLevel = PriceLevel;
this.AdvancedMarkerElement = AdvancedMarkerElement;
this.map = this.gMap.innerMap;
this.geocoder = new Geocoder();
// NEW: Call the method to initialize the details card
this.initDetailsPopup();
this.attachEventListeners();
}
attachEventListeners() {
this.queryInput.addEventListener('keydown', (event) => {
if (event.key === 'Enter') {
event.preventDefault();
this.performSearch();
}
});
this.placeSearch.addEventListener('gmp-select', this.handleResultClick.bind(this));
this.placeSearch.addEventListener('gmp-load', this.addMarkers.bind(this));
this.searchButton.addEventListener('click', this.performSearch.bind(this));
this.priceFilter.addEventListener('change', this.performSearch.bind(this));
this.ratingFilter.addEventListener('change', this.performSearch.bind(this));
this.openNowFilter.addEventListener('change', this.performSearch.bind(this));
}
// NEW: Method to set up the reusable details card
initDetailsPopup() {
this.detailsPopup = new this.AdvancedMarkerElement({
content: this.placeDetailsWidget,
map: null,
zIndex: 100
});
this.map.addListener('click', () => { this.detailsPopup.map = null; });
}
clearMarkers() {
for (const marker of Object.values(this.markers)) {
marker.map = null;
}
this.markers = {};
}
// UPDATED: The marker's click listener now shows the details card
addMarkers() {
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
this.showLoading(false);
const places = this.placeSearch.places;
if (!places || places.length === 0) return;
for (const place of places) {
if (!place.location || !place.id) continue;
const marker = new this.AdvancedMarkerElement({
map: this.map,
position: place.location,
title: place.displayName,
});
// Add the click listener to show the details card
marker.addListener('click', (event) => {
event.stop();
this.map.panTo(place.location);
this.placeDetailsRequest.place = place;
this.placeDetailsWidget.style.display = 'block';
this.detailsPopup.position = place.location;
this.detailsPopup.map = this.map;
});
this.markers[place.id] = marker;
}
}
// UPDATED: This now triggers the marker's click event
handleResultClick(event) {
const place = event.place;
if (!place || !place.id) return;
const marker = this.markers[place.id];
if (marker) {
// Programmatically trigger the marker's click event
marker.click();
}
}
async performSearch() {
if (this.isSearchInProgress) return;
this.isSearchInProgress = true;
this.placeholderMessage.classList.add('hidden');
this.placeSearch.classList.remove('hidden');
this.showLoading(true);
this.clearMarkers();
// Hide the details card when a new search starts
if (this.detailsPopup) this.detailsPopup.map = null;
this.searchRequest.textQuery = null;
setTimeout(async () => {
const rawQuery = this.queryInput.value.trim();
if (!rawQuery) {
this.showLoading(false);
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
return;
};
this.searchRequest.textQuery = rawQuery;
this.searchRequest.locationRestriction = this.map.getBounds();
const selectedPrice = this.priceFilter.value;
let priceLevels = [];
switch (selectedPrice) {
case "1": priceLevels = [this.PriceLevel.INEXPENSIVE]; break;
case "2": priceLevels = [this.PriceLevel.MODERATE]; break;
case "3": priceLevels = [this.PriceLevel.EXPENSIVE]; break;
case "4": priceLevels = [this.PriceLevel.VERY_EXPENSIVE]; break;
default: priceLevels = null; break;
}
this.searchRequest.priceLevels = priceLevels;
const selectedRating = parseFloat(this.ratingFilter.value);
this.searchRequest.minRating = selectedRating > 0 ? selectedRating : null;
this.searchRequest.isOpenNow = this.openNowFilter.checked ? true : null;
}, 0);
}
showLoading(visible) {
this.loadingSpinner.classList.toggle('visible', visible);
}
}
window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
new PlaceFinderApp();
});
Check your work
Save your script.js file and refresh the page. The application should now show details on demand.
Verify the following:
- Clicking a marker on the map now centers the map and opens a styled details card over the marker.
- Clicking an item in the sidebar results list does the exact same thing.
- Clicking on the map away from the card closes it.
- Starting a new search also closes any open details card.
8. Add the final polish
Our application is now fully functional, but there are a few final touches we can add to make the user experience even better. In this final section, we will implement two key features: a dynamic header that provides better context for the search results, and automatic formatting for the user's search query.
Create a dynamic results header
At the moment, the sidebar header always says "Results." We can make this more informative by updating it to reflect the current search. For example, "Burgers near New York."
To do this, we will use the Geocoding API to convert the center coordinates of the map into a human-readable location, like a city name. A new async method, updateResultsHeader, will handle this logic. It will be called every time a search is performed.
Format the user's search query
To make sure the UI looks clean and consistent, we'll automatically format the user's search term into "Title Case" (e.g., "burger restaurant" becomes "Burger Restaurant"). A helper function, toTitleCase, will handle this transformation. The performSearch method will be updated to use this function on the user's input before performing the search and updating the header.
Update the JavaScript file
Update your script.js file with the final version of the code. This includes the new toTitleCase and updateResultsHeader methods, and the updated performSearch method that integrates them.
// script.js
class PlaceFinderApp {
constructor() {
// Get all DOM element references
this.queryInput = document.getElementById('query-input');
this.priceFilter = document.getElementById('price-filter');
this.ratingFilter = document.getElementById('rating-filter');
this.openNowFilter = document.getElementById('open-now-filter');
this.searchButton = document.getElementById('search-button');
this.placeSearch = document.getElementById('place-search-list');
this.gMap = document.querySelector('gmp-map');
this.loadingSpinner = document.getElementById('loading-spinner');
this.resultsHeaderText = document.getElementById('results-header-text');
this.placeholderMessage = document.getElementById('placeholder-message');
this.placeDetailsWidget = document.querySelector('gmp-place-details-compact');
this.placeDetailsRequest = this.placeDetailsWidget.querySelector('gmp-place-details-place-request');
this.searchRequest = this.placeSearch.querySelector('gmp-place-text-search-request');
// Initialize instance variables
this.map = null;
this.geocoder = null;
this.markers = {};
this.detailsPopup = null;
this.PriceLevel = null;
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
// Start the application
this.init();
}
async init() {
// Import libraries
await google.maps.importLibrary("maps");
const { Place, PriceLevel } = await google.maps.importLibrary("places");
const { AdvancedMarkerElement } = await google.maps.importLibrary("marker");
const { Geocoder } = await google.maps.importLibrary("geocoding");
// Make classes available to the instance
this.PriceLevel = PriceLevel;
this.AdvancedMarkerElement = AdvancedMarkerElement;
this.map = this.gMap.innerMap;
this.geocoder = new Geocoder();
this.initDetailsPopup();
this.attachEventListeners();
}
attachEventListeners() {
this.queryInput.addEventListener('keydown', (event) => {
if (event.key === 'Enter') {
event.preventDefault();
this.performSearch();
}
});
this.placeSearch.addEventListener('gmp-select', this.handleResultClick.bind(this));
this.placeSearch.addEventListener('gmp-load', this.addMarkers.bind(this));
this.searchButton.addEventListener('click', this.performSearch.bind(this));
this.priceFilter.addEventListener('change', this.performSearch.bind(this));
this.ratingFilter.addEventListener('change', this.performSearch.bind(this));
this.openNowFilter.addEventListener('change', this.performSearch.bind(this));
}
initDetailsPopup() {
this.detailsPopup = new this.AdvancedMarkerElement({
content: this.placeDetailsWidget,
map: null,
zIndex: 100
});
this.map.addListener('click', () => { this.detailsPopup.map = null; });
}
// NEW: Helper function to format text to Title Case
toTitleCase(str) {
if (!str) return '';
return str.toLowerCase().split(' ').map(word => word.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + word.slice(1)).join(' ');
}
showLoading(visible) {
this.loadingSpinner.classList.toggle('visible', visible);
}
clearMarkers() {
for (const marker of Object.values(this.markers)) { marker.map = null; }
this.markers = {};
}
addMarkers() {
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
this.showLoading(false);
const places = this.placeSearch.places;
if (!places || places.length === 0) return;
for (const place of places) {
if (!place.location || !place.id) continue;
const marker = new this.AdvancedMarkerElement({
map: this.map,
position: place.location,
title: place.displayName,
});
marker.addListener('click', (event) => {
event.stop();
this.map.panTo(place.location);
this.placeDetailsRequest.place = place;
this.placeDetailsWidget.style.display = 'block';
this.detailsPopup.position = place.location;
this.detailsPopup.map = this.map;
});
this.markers[place.id] = marker;
}
}
handleResultClick(event) {
const place = event.place;
if (!place || !place.id) return;
const marker = this.markers[place.id];
if (marker) {
marker.click();
}
}
// UPDATED: Now integrates formatting and the dynamic header
async performSearch() {
if (this.isSearchInProgress) return;
this.isSearchInProgress = true;
this.placeholderMessage.classList.add('hidden');
this.placeSearch.classList.remove('hidden');
this.showLoading(true);
this.clearMarkers();
if (this.detailsPopup) this.detailsPopup.map = null;
this.searchRequest.textQuery = null;
setTimeout(async () => {
const rawQuery = this.queryInput.value.trim();
if (!rawQuery) {
this.showLoading(false);
this.isSearchInProgress = false;
return;
};
// Format the query and update the input box value
const formattedQuery = this.toTitleCase(rawQuery);
this.queryInput.value = formattedQuery;
// Update the header with the new query and location
await this.updateResultsHeader(formattedQuery);
// Pass the formatted query to the search request
this.searchRequest.textQuery = formattedQuery;
this.searchRequest.locationRestriction = this.map.getBounds();
const selectedPrice = this.priceFilter.value;
let priceLevels = [];
switch (selectedPrice) {
case "1": priceLevels = [this.PriceLevel.INEXPENSIVE]; break;
case "2": priceLevels = [this.PriceLevel.MODERATE]; break;
case "3": priceLevels = [this.PriceLevel.EXPENSIVE]; break;
case "4": priceLevels = [this.PriceLevel.VERY_EXPENSIVE]; break;
default: priceLevels = null; break;
}
this.searchRequest.priceLevels = priceLevels;
const selectedRating = parseFloat(this.ratingFilter.value);
this.searchRequest.minRating = selectedRating > 0 ? selectedRating : null;
this.searchRequest.isOpenNow = this.openNowFilter.checked ? true : null;
}, 0);
}
// NEW: Method to update the sidebar header with geocoded location
async updateResultsHeader(query) {
try {
const response = await this.geocoder.geocode({ location: this.map.getCenter() });
if (response.results && response.results.length > 0) {
const cityResult = response.results.find(r => r.types.includes('locality')) || response.results[0];
const city = cityResult.address_components[0].long_name;
this.resultsHeaderText.textContent = `${query} near ${city}`;
} else {
this.resultsHeaderText.textContent = `${query} near current map area`;
}
} catch (error) {
console.error("Geocoding failed:", error);
this.resultsHeaderText.textContent = `Results for ${query}`;
}
}
}
window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
new PlaceFinderApp();
});
Check your work
Save your script.js file and refresh the page.
Verify the features:
- Type
pizza(all lowercase) into the search box and click search. The text in the box should change to "Pizza," and the header in the sidebar should update to say "Pizza near New York." - Pan the map to a different city, like Boston, and search again. The header should update to "Pizza near Boston."
9. Congratulations
You've successfully built a complete, interactive local search application that combines the simplicity of Places UI Kit with the power of the core Google Maps Platform JavaScript APIs.
What you learned
- How to structure a mapping application using a JavaScript class to manage state and logic.
- How to use the Places UI Kit with Google Maps JavaScript API for rapid UI development.
- How to programmatically add and manage Advanced Markers to display custom points of interest on the map.
- How to use the Geocoding Service to turn coordinates into human-readable addresses for a better user experience.
- How to identify and fix common race conditions in an interactive application by using state flags and making sure component properties are updated correctly.
What's next?
- Learn more about Customizing Advanced Markers by changing their color, scale, or even using custom HTML.
- Explore Cloud-based Map Styling to customize the look and feel of your map to match your brand.
- Try adding the Drawing Library to allow users to draw shapes on the map to define search areas.
- Help us create the content that you would find most useful by answering the following survey:
What other codelabs would you like to see?
Can't find the codelab you're most interested in? Request it with a new issue here.