UK Google Map With A Draggable Marker

Created Using OpenLayers API , Google Maps API

You may prefer to load Google maps directly using Google's API, see the Google Version for a working example.

Since it is part of Google's T&C for using their tiles that only Google code can be used to retrieve them, OL has to load all of Google's mapping code anyway, resulting in two sets of mapping code being loaded to produce the one map, and unsurprisingly the result tends to be clunky, particularly on slow machines. However, a reason to use OL may be that you get a wider variety of controls, and greater control over their positioning.

Note also the following:

<a href="http://trac.openlayers.org/ticket/1890" title="Scale and ScaleLine in Google approx double correct figure at some resolutions">OpenLayers Ticket #1890</a> (link now dead) - Scales are untrustworthy. Scaleline fixed in v2.9, but not the 1:x Scale, which has since been worked on, but its current status is unclear.
<a href="http://trac.openlayers.org/ticket/2585" title="Vector Line On A Google Hybrid Layer Is Broken Up When Printed">OpenLayers Ticket #2585</a> (link now dead) - Particulary in legacy versions of IE, vector Lines may not print properly, especially over the Google Hybrid baselayer.

Significant updates to this document
Date	Description
16/02/2017	Seemingly another arbitrary change by Google, now the map won't display unless the initial zoom is <= 17.
01/10/2017	Slight change to allow for https protocol.
12/01/2017	So many changes at Google and OpenLayers over the years that decided rather belatedly that an update record is required. Obtained new Google API key, as legacy authentication now not recognised. Improved control of asynchronous code loading. Made satellite initial baselayer, as this seems to be necessary to get the map to display.
21/11/2021	Another random bug from either Google or OL, now the map won't display unless the initial zoom is <= 11, so we must load at that zoom and then change it to something more useful after a timed delay.
26/02/2022	Reconciled coding with other OpenLayers v2 demos, so that all are as alike as possible.