A few months ago, we added a new feature to flexmls Web that allows each user to define their own map shape overlays. Now we’ve added functionality to allow the shapes in those overlays to be referenced through the web developer API for flexmls IDX. We also have on our project list adding a feature to more easily give shapes to other users, which will help with using the shapes in the API as well.
You can see the full API documentation here, but here’s the new section:
Shapes From My Overlays
The shapes created with the “My Map Overlays” tool can be referenced with the &map_overlays= parameter. Multiple overlays can be specified in a comma-separated list of IDs.
To retrieve the ID of a given overlay, follow these steps:
Visit the My Map Overlays menu item in the Preferences menu, and select the overlay with the shape you wish to use. Once you have chosen your overlay, click the shape you wish to retrieve the key for, then click the edit link, as shown below:
The contents of the bubble will change, you and will see a link with the text Show API Key:
The link will be placed with a code to reference this shape by, which will be used as the value to the &map_overlays= parameter.
Over two years ago, I wrote about some of the research that spurred me on to make FBS an employee-owned company. That research is summarized really well by this RSA video created for a Dan Pink speech:
Autonomy, mastery and purpose. These are the keys to the maker movement. We all want to be owners, I have no doubt about that.
The big question I have right now is whether or not it is possible to organize owners. Or is organized owners an oxymoron? Can you have autonomy in an organization?
This is really cool. Max Chirkov is the Marketing Director for The Phoenix Homes Team run by Matt Pellerin, and he’s created a new WordPress plugin that makes it easy for users of our flexmls IDX system to add a simple search to their blog side bar or inside blog posts. Here’s a video from Max explaining the plugin in detail.
Max used the flexmls IDX API to help him build the search plugin. We also know Greg Swann is doing some really cool things with the flexmls IDX API, and we look forward to seeing what others start creating as well. If you’re a developer and you’ve used the flexmls IDX API, let us know and we’ll feature it here on the FBS Blog.
Update: Max sent me a message saying the plugin will be published here as soon as WordPress approves it. You can download the plugin here.
