Multimap Open API V1.2 Web Services Implementation Guidelines

The Multimap Open API V1.2 web services enable you to add location-based functionality to your applications, including geocoding and routing capabilities. This Open API can be accessed over the Internet and executed on a remote system hosting the requested services. All responses from web services are represented in XML. Web services require XML-based technology to transport and transform data between programs and databases. Multimap Open API web services consist of three constituent services: Geocoding and Routing. Before you start building your application, we advise you to first read a separate document on maintaining service availability for XML services.

In general, a web service is a software system designed to support machine-to-machine interaction over a network.

The Multimap Open API web services now incorporate the Static Maps feature, which allows you to add static maps as well as (or instead of) draggable maps to your applications. For example, you may wish to implement a static map as a "fallback" for those users whose browsers do not support JavaScript: for details, please see the Multimap Open API V1.2 Static Maps "Fallback" JavaScript documentation. If you wish to display static maps on your web pages initially and allow each user to "upgrade" to a draggable map on demand, please see the Multimap Open API V1.2 Static Maps web service documentation.

Getting Started

Web Services Modules

• Static Maps
• Overview
• Basic Example
• Implementing Static Maps
• Error Codes
• Open API Web Services XML Schema
• Geocoding
• Overview
• Parameters
• Examples
• Error Codes
• Open API Web Services XML Schema
• Routing
• Overview
• Parameters
• Examples
• Changing Local Language Settings
• Error Codes
• Open API Web Services XML Schema
• Coordinates Transformation
• Overview
• Parameters
• Conversion with example

Getting Started

How Web Services Work

All web services start with a request being created. The source can be a browser or an application. The request is sent as a query string formatted into an XML document and transmitted across the Internet to a web server. The server has a process that works on a given port (usually port 80, the HTTP port). When a request arrives, the query is parsed to determine which components need to be instantiated and what methods are called. Finally, the result is bundled back up into an XML document and sent back to the application that invoked it.

Request Format

REST

The Multimap Open API V1.2 web services use the REST (Representational State Transfer) request format. REST is the simplest request format to use - it is a simple HTTP GET or POST action with parameters provided in the input string.

The base URL for REST requests is:

http://developer.multimap.com/API/[module]/1.2/[api_key]

[module] should be replaced with the Multimap Open API web services module to which the request is being sent, such as the Geocoding or Routing module.

Please note that you must replace [api_key] with your Multimap Open API web services API key as assigned by Multimap.

REST requests receive an XML response.

Response Format

XML

By default, the Multimap Open API web services return an XML response. The XML format that is returned depends on the module that has been called, such as the Geocoding or Routing module, but common elements between each element are defined in the same way across all modules. These common elements are described in the following sections.

Address type

The common Address type is used to present a structured address, for example:

<Address>
  <Street>150 Holborn</Street>
  <Areas>
    <Area>Camden</Area>
    <Area>London</Area>
  </Areas>
  <DisplayName>150 Holborn, London</DisplayName>
  <PostalCode>EC1N 2NS</PostalCode>
  <CountryCode>GB</CountryCode>
</Address>

Point type

The common Point type is used to define a coordinate location in decimal degrees of latitude and longitude, for example:

<Point>
  <Lat>51.51842</Lat>
  <Lon>-0.1112</Lon>
</Point>

Location type

The common Location type wraps a related Address and Point, and optionally also contains geocoding match quality, suggested zoom factor and/or geocoding score, for example:

<Location geocodeQuality="4" zoomFactor="15">
 <Address>
    <Street>150 Holborn</Street>
    <Areas>
      <Area>Camden</Area>
      <Area>London</Area>
    </Areas>
    <DisplayName>150 Holborn, London</DisplayName>
    <PostalCode>EC1N 2NS</PostalCode>
    <CountryCode>GB</CountryCode>
 </Address>
   <Point>
     <Lat>51.51842</Lat>
     <Lon>-0.1112</Lon>
   </Point>
</Location>

Distance type

The common Distance type is used to represent a distance in miles and kilometers:

<Distance>
   <Miles>1.90</Miles>
   <KM>3.06</KM>
</Distance>

Duration type

The common Duration type is used to represent time durations:

 <Duration>
   <Days>1</Days>
   <Hours>3</Hours>
   <Minutes>46</Minutes>
 </Duration>

Bounds type

The common Bounds type is used to represent a rectangular area defined by two Point types, the most south-westerly and north-easterly:

 <Bounds>
   <NorthEast>
     <Lat>53.47944</Lat>
     <Lon>-0.11102</Lon>
   </NorthEast>
   <SouthWest>
     <Lat>51.51763</Lat>
     <Lon>-2.41878</Lon>
   </SouthWest>
 </Bounds>

Multimap Open API V1.2 Documentation main page >> Static Maps >> Geocoding >> Routing

Further Help

If you require further help with your Multimap Open API implementation, please visit the Multimap Developer Forums.

For Open API news, announcements and other information, please see our blog.

For enquiries about further Multimap services, please contact the Multimap Sales team: