Chapter 1, Introduction to Bing Maps AJAX Control Version 7, explains how to embed a map on a web page. It shows the way to create a custom theme by changing its interactive controls with a simple dashboard.

Chapter 2, Diving into Bing Maps AJAX Control Version 7, explains how to add interactivity to the map, by drawing custom polygons and pushpins and attaching different events to them.

Chapter 3, Introduction to Bing Maps REST Services, introduces the Locations API and reverse geocoding addresses from coordinates of any point of the map.

Chapter 4, Diving into Bing Maps REST Services, covers the Routes API and ways of fetching and displaying on the map route information between multiple places. It takes a look at different data formats that are exposed by this interface.

Chapter 5, Spatial Data Services, introduces geocoding addresses by setting up automated jobs on the Bing Maps servers. It examines techniques of monitoring the jobs, and on their completion, parsing the response.

Chapter 6, Diving into Spatial Data Services, focuses on an experimental part of Bing Maps, the Geodata API. It presents ways of obtaining geographical information about various types of administrative areas, from postcode to region or country.

Chapter 7, Enriching Bing Maps with Overlaying User Data, wraps up the book with a web application that turns the map into an interactive chart by means of user data visualizations.

You need some experience with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. For some chapters, knowledge of C#, ASP.NET MVC, and Visual Studio is also required.

This book is for developers that wish to build applications with Bing Maps, but have no previous knowledge of the APIs. More experienced developers can find useful chapters about areas of Bing Maps with which they are not familiar.

In this book, you will find a number of styles of text that distinguish among different kinds of information. Here are some examples of these styles, and an explanation of their meaning.

Code words in text are shown as follows: We can include other contexts through the use of the include directive.

A block of code is set as follows:

  var map = new Microsoft.Maps.Map(container, {
    credentials: '[YOUR BING MAPS KEY]',
    center: new Microsoft.Maps.Location(39.554883, -99.052734),
    mapTypeId: Microsoft.Maps.MapTypeId.road,
    zoom: 4
  });

When we wish to draw your attention to a particular part of a code block, the relevant lines or items are set in bold:

  8"/>
  <title>LBM | Chapter 1: Introduction to Bing Maps</title>
  <link href="app.css" rel="stylesheet" />

New terms and important words are shown in bold. Words that you see on the screen, in menus or dialog boxes for example, appear in the text like this: Before that, we deactivate the active button (by removing the active class) if it exists.

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