Bing Maps Ajax API - get location from address

Question

I'm using Microsoft.Maps API (AJAX control v. 7). I want to display pin for an address. When I use:

var loc = new Microsoft.Maps.Location(47.592, -122.332);
var pOptions = {icon: 'img/ICN_Bullet_Blue_25x38.gif', text: '1'};
var pin = new Microsoft.Maps.Pushpin(loc, pOptions);

It's working fine. How can I get latitude and longitude from address, so I will later use it for pin location ?

Solution

Bing Maps includes geocoding support (finding location by addresses).

You have two options for this:

• Use the REST api directly. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff701714.aspx

In that page you can find plenty of examples. You make a REST HTTP request and obtain a JSON that includes the geocoded coordinates.

• Use the Microsoft.Maps.Search module. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh868060.aspx

You just load the module and then do something like:

var search = new Microsoft.Maps.Search.SearchManager(map);

search.geocode({where:"some address...", count:10, callback:geocodeCallback});

and then, in your callback just handle the results:

function geocodeCallback(geocodeResult, userData)
{
    var location = geocodeResult.results[0].location;
}