Google map + jQuery: rendering bug

Question

When placing a google map inside a jquery-ui tab, the map fails to display properly in certain circumstances. To reproduce:

1. Go here
2. Click the 'list' link
3. Resize the browser window
4. Click the 'map' link

Observe that some of the place name overlays draw properly, but others do not. I've actually stripped out all of the jquery-ui stuff to limit the scope of the problem, and it appears to be just the application of display:hide/display:block that causes the problem.

UPDATE

The bug also occurs, occasionally, just when toggling between display:none/block - e.g. no resizing occurs. This seems to be most common in IE(8).

Solution 1

From the online docs:

Use the off-left technique for hiding inactive tab panels. E.g. in your style sheet replace the rule for the class selector ".ui-tabs .ui-tabs-hide" with

.ui-tabs .ui-tabs-hide {
    position: absolute;
    left: -10000px;
}

Solution 2

Try calling map.onResize() after you show the map each time.

It may not work fine if it is called when the map is hidden using display:none since it would have zero height and width.

Solution 3

Using the jQuery Google Maps plugin is was having the same issue with jQuery UI tabs.

The map is created like this:

$("#google-map").googlemap({
    controls: false,
    labels: true,
    zoom: 9,
    latitude: 51.5,
    longitude: 0,
    debug: false
});

It was solved very easily (but not quickly) by calling

$("#google-map").googlemap().getMap().checkResize();

After the map div is displayed. I have tested this on FF and Safari, in addition

resizeTo(screen.width, screen.height);

Works in FF but not IE or Safari.

Comments

[Bobby Jack]

Sounds nice in theory, but doesn't work for me in practice :( (example updated)

[Bassel Safadi]

your updated example don't have the problem any more for me, I'm using firefox 3.5 what are you using?

[Bobby Jack]

Firefox 3.5.1 I'll try in a couple of other browsers - wonder if I've got some caching issues. I'll post a couple of screenshots if the problem persists, just to confirm what it is. Cheers.

[Bassel Safadi]

I updated to 3.5.1 and I don't see the problem as well, please post the screenshots

[Bobby Jack]

I actually get an error with this line in IE8: window.attachEvent("onresize", function() {map.onResize()} ); (should that REALLY be 'onResize'?)

[Bobby Jack]

Yup, the display: none is definitely the problem.

[Bobby Jack]

That didn't work either (where is the resizeMap function actually defined??) but the other info. on that page helped - thanks!