Details
About
GeoType is a plugin for Movable Type that uses the Google Maps API to tie geographic coordinates to an MT object.
Platform
This release of GeoType is intended for Movable Type 4.3x, although it has similar functionality to the original GeoType plugin on MT 3.
It has not been tested in MT 5.x. Since it modifies several visual elements of the Edit Entry screen in MT 4, there is a good chance that it will not work as expected.
Installation
When installed, GeoType will trigger an MT Upgrade screen since it stores location data along with created entries in the database.
To install this plugin, place the
plugins/GeoType
directory in your MT plugins directory, and place the
mt-static/plugins/GeoType
directory in your mt-static/plugins/ directory.
Once the code is in place, you can either start the upgrade in your browser by visiting the URL to log into MT, or you can run it at the command line:
# MT_DIR is the path where your MT installation exists
# (i.e. where mt.cgi lives)
cd MT_DIR
# adminuser is the user name of a System Administrator in the MT
# installation
perl tools/upgrade --name="adminuser"
Configuration
Before you can interact with the GoogleMap API, you need to set the Google API key. Since you’ll need one API key per domain, if all of your blogs publish on the same domain that your MT instance resides on, you only have to set this value in the system-level GeoType plugin settings. Otherwise, you have to specify the Google API key under each blog’s GeoType plugin settings.
Either way, when you view the GeoType plugin settings, the first input field should be for the API key value with a link to the Google Maps API registration underneath. Click on that API Registration link, check the box to agree to the terms, enter your URL, and generate your API key. Copy and paste the resulting key back into the GeoType plugin settings and save.
Usage
Creating a Location
Go to Create -> Location. Enter an address (i.e. 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC), and click GeoCode. Provide a custom label for the location in the next step.
Adding a Location to an Entry
In the Edit Entry screen, there should be a Locations heading in the right sidebar. Add a location to the entry just as you’d add any other asset.
Using the Template Tags
I recommend using the <$MTgeotype:entrymap$> tag in an entry’s context to
show one map per entry. Add that tag in the body of your Entry Archive to
quickly display your map!
Compatibility
Movable Type versions: 4.3
Dan is an engineering creative and uses his vast knowledge of the web to solve unique client problems with specialized solutions. Complex or straightforward, his focus is to find the most efficient, functional, elegant, and stable solutions for each project. 10 years in web engineering and 14 more in the print publishing industry give him a special insight to the needs, restrictions, and workflows of content publishers, both traditional and new media. Dan is an active Movable Type community member who has written and contributed to countless plugins including some of the most popular: More Custom Fields, Poll Position, and Asset Image Quality.