OpenLayers is a powerful mapping framework that allows you to create beautiful maps in a short amount of time. Recently, we have been working on an OpenLayers map for a client that requested "density circles," or a way to visually show concentration of projects within a region. I remembered Alan Palazzolo mentioning a project called "OpenLayers Plus" during his session at BadCamp back in the fall.

The Google Maps JavaScript API is a powerful tool for mapping solutions. With a minimal amount of code you can map points and directional routes in a clean visual way. We recently used the API to implement a solution that maps an itinerary of things to do in Southwest Virginia. We used the Drupal Services module to save itineraries. Let's take a look at the code to see how easy it is to start using the JavaScript API.