GmailMaps - Gmail and Google Maps integration

Ever since I'd been working on various Google Maps hacks I'd been thinking, "Hmmm, I've done Gmail hacks and Gmaps hacks, what could I do that would combine both?". Rather than the blindingly obvious idea of adding a map to the contacts pages (which I didn't think of!) I decided to parse incoming messages for geographic locations and provide a way to view a map of the location:

This page includes some very basic instructions for using an initial rough version of this functionality that only maps US State/Zip codes locations. (The current version is a bookmarklet, but it would be ideal for a GreaseMonkey script--which would solve some issues with the current version.)

1. Open your Gmail account Inbox page in your browser (only tested in Firefox).
   
   
2. Inject the GmailMaps script using the Inject External File Bookmarklet 2 (from Google Maps Hacking and Bookmarklets)--ignore any error messages about "onInject".
   • Note 1: When you do this, you are allowing your browser to run completely arbitrary code in a context where it has more control over your browser than usual--specifically, it will run as if it was loaded from the current page. Make sure you understand the implications of this before you use the above bookmarklet.
   • Note 2: Using this script will "leak" information from your messages--in this case the State/Zip codes to my site and Google Maps.
   • Note 3: You can also use the load() function of the "JavaScript Shell bookmarklet" to load the script.
   
   
3. View an email with a US State/Zip code combination in it. If you do not have one, an email with a suitable message may be appointed to you, such as this one:

   You might see something interesting when I mention that I know of a 
   company located in CA 94043 or that I happen to know 
   that CA 90210 was made especially famous by a television programme.

4. Click any globe icons that appear.

Obviously there's much scope for improving this, but this is a start.

Also, I hope to at some stage document further how I'm accomplishing this, specifically, how to intercept the message view renderers to alter the output--I'm thinking of an example that shows how to have graphical smilies display in Gmail messages--which I'm sure will be more popular than this for some reason. But, that may never happen, so don't get your hopes up... :-)

-- follower at rancidbacon.com (Original page: http://stuff.rancidbacon.com/gmailmaps/)

25 May 2005 — © Copyright 2005