Hey THANKS Jason!! I agree that the Google maps are better in several ways, etc...but had ended up doing it with Mapquest because I couldn't figure out how to format a string of text properly for GoogleMaps, other than cutting/pasting/opening Google, etc. I wanted to automate the creation of that customized link, once and be done, without having to cut/paste and manually open GoogleMaps every time. Upon reviewing it again, there is a cool feature on GoogleMaps, which I hadn't seen, which was already there! "LINK TO THIS PAGE", which does mostly what I had done with Mapquest, although you still have to cut and paste it in there the first time, to create the link. But, once you do it, you have that link, and can stick it in the database. The MapQuest format lended itself easier to customized text string creation, without having to cut, go there, paste and click Here again is the example using Mapquest http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?city=Kansas City&state=KS&address=4444 Forest Avenue&zip=66106&country=us&zoom=7 Here is the same idea using GoogleMaps: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4444+Forest+Avenue,+Kansas+City,+KS++66106&spn =0.033020,0.056793&hl=en In order to do the same thing I was doing with MapQuest, I would need to have my dummy letter produce this string of text. And that is where I've reached the end of my abilities. My database won't 'parse' out the different parts of the address to allow me to insert them into this text string. It will produce "4444 Forest Avenue" wherever you please, but it won't produce just the "4444" and allow me to treat it as a separate entity, which GoogleMaps apparently does magi-technically. Now, after expounding to others on the 'user friendly' virtues of contact management databases vs. more powerful stuff like Access and Foxpro, the limits of contact manager software become apparent. Still, it may be worth automating as much of the cut/copy/launchGoogleMaps/paste/copyLink routine as possible, using GoogleMaps, since the end result is far superior to MapQuest quality. And, those satellite maps are truly amazing! I guess I don't have to leave the house now. Thanks for helping me take a second look! Brad Smith www.smithpiano.com -----Original Message----- From: Jason Kanter [mailto:jkanter@rollingball.com] Sent: Monday, June 13, 2005 12:43 AM To: staff@smithpiano.com; 'Pianotech' Subject: RE: Stupid pet computer tricks, automate Mapquest from your database Better yet, try Google maps. Go to http://maps.google.com/ And paste in "4444 Forest Avenue Kansas City, KS 66106" Google handles the multiple line address just fine You can zoom in and out easily, scroll smoothly in any direction with arrow keys, and best of all you can switch to satellite view of the very same map. It's truly the next generation of mapping. I mean, you can actually circumnavigate the globe in satellite view. Awesome.
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