IssueTracker

Some of the related questions from StackOverflow:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11705619/getting-the-entire-google-maps-web-page-source-instead-of-just-the-generated-kml

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11680872/google-maps-output-kml-broken

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11686036/what-is-the-reason-occur-org-xml-sax-saxparseexception

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11683899/how-to-get-kml-file-google-maps-using-the-link

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11700129/showing-route-in-google-maps-android

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11697048/not-able-to-download-kml-file-from-google-maps

Got it.

So many found it not working, but I see no official reply from Google guys.

Is it a bug that will be fixed, or is this option not supported anymore.


Seems weird to stop the support for specific option without prior notification.

can someone from Google reply ?

thanks

Haven't seen any official response from google, but this issue and the response to it is probably the best way to find out whether it was a change, an undocumented interface that was removed (perhaps for legal reasons) or a bug and whether or not it will be "fixed".   One of the comments on SO implied it used to be documented.

I have some contacts at google earth. I will send it up the flag pole, and post their response.

many wait here in line.....

I tried to find a workaround.  Not much of success...

Thank you !!!

I made a workaround using google maps api with json output, parsing it and decoding the polylines elements to get the best accuracy for the route; I took a couple of days but it works perfectly. You can do the same

I ended up rewriting my directions code to use the response from http://maps.google.com/maps?output=dragdir&saddr=&daddr= filling in my lat/longs in that call.  It returns JSON instead of KML but I was able to use this code:
List<GeoPoint> route = new ArrayList<GeoPoint>();
                        route = GeoPointUtility.decodePoly(directions.getJSONArray("polylines").getJSONObject(0).getString("points"));
                       
in an android app to decode the JSON result into a list of coordinates just as I would have from the KML.  A quick stack overflow search netted me this code which takes the polyline result from that service and turns it into the points:

List<GeoPoint> poly = new ArrayList<GeoPoint>();
            int index = 0, len = encoded.length();
            int lat = 0, lng = 0;

            while (index < len) {
                int b, shift = 0, result = 0;
                do {
                    b = encoded.charAt(index++) - 63;
                    result |= (b & 0x1f) << shift;
                    shift += 5;
                } while (b >= 0x20);
                int dlat = ((result & 1) != 0 ? ~(result >> 1) : (result >> 1));
                lat += dlat;

                shift = 0;
                result = 0;
                do {
                    b = encoded.charAt(index++) - 63;
                    result |= (b & 0x1f) << shift;
                    shift += 5;
                } while (b >= 0x20);
                int dlng = ((result & 1) != 0 ? ~(result >> 1) : (result >> 1));
                lng += dlng;

                GeoPoint p = new GeoPoint((int) (((double) lat / 1E5) * 1E6),
                     (int) (((double) lng / 1E5) * 1E6));
                poly.add(p);

We updated our app today with this fully functional alternative.

Yes we can have workarounds. But for many of us, it is not that straight forward. Imagine a usecase where it is in an iPhone code. It needs few hours to change the code, republish and another week for it to be approved.

Also this also necessitates all current users to upgrade their app...

I would highly appreciate bringing back the kml output just like it used to be.

Regards

I agree on the iPhone side.  It just happened for us that the iPhone app was already using the code I just provided, so we only had to update our Android app.  Best of luck though!  I definitely don't like having to spend my day resolving this instead of new development!

I don't understand why Google felt the need to remove the KML output option.  If they really wanted to stop developers from having access to the coordinates, they wouldn't allow the "json" or "dragdir" options either.  As it is, we can still get to the information, it's just more difficult now!

I think the issue is not workaround here or there.

We all develop software.

Did any of us thought about removing a supported option or disabling an option without consulting our users ?

Sometime it is required. But an advance notification must be published with an alternate solution.

What do you think ?

I'm not a software developer but I find this function very useful - Since there aren't any official comments:
Is this function gone or is it just a bug? Does anyone know that yet?

I rewrote my scripts using the following:
http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json?origin=" + startAdd+ "&destination=" + endAdd + "&sensor=true";

Sorry gsmob ... - I missed your point.

Any news about this issue from Google ???

I am using the output=kml from VBA.  I tried output=json but got unformatted string.

Anyone has an idea how to get the exact points between to location using json output from vba ???

thank you

Why doesn't google have a Google Map feed into Google Earth? That would make a lot of sense and solve the KML problem as well. Is there one out there that I don't know about?

Even I had problem with this but now I modified my code and its uses now Json-

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11680872/google-maps-output-kml-broken/11700881#11700881

Is it a bug or a change in the API?

There hasn't been any feedback (either official or unofficial) from google.

Finally, something from google: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11882216/android-google-map-kml-parsing-not-working/11882874#comment15813238_11882874

"This is incorrect. The KML output from maps.google.com was never a documented service. It has been shut off." – Mano Marks

http://stackoverflow.com/users/1073772/mano-marks

i am facing same problem.
Using below URL
http://maps.google.com/maps?output=kml&saddr=@28.635308,77.22496+&daddr=@29.152161,76.069336&key=XXX

it is returning HTML and getting parsing exceptions. Any luck?

Yeah Google are really great... screw anyone and everyone. They have consciously removed every single avenue to export or use any KML from their maps sites. Thanks Larry, thanks Sergey.

And saying it was "never a documented service" is bullshit. That was probably just something that somebody forgot to document. The MyPlaces/MyMaps feature still has a URL import for KML that used to work with Google Maps. They also removed the links for saving routes to MyMaps from the bottom of the left panel that displays the driving directions. All I want to do is load a route onto my fucking Garmin.

This is a joke. Just as is their decision to shutdown the iGoogle. That one is an obvious ploy to try and divert all their users to Google+. The ironic thing is that they are starting to behave like Microsoft and Microsoft are starting to open things up! Can't say I have any love for Microsoft either.

<a
href="http://maps.google.com/maps?output=kml&saddr=Nezn%C3%A1m%C3%A1+silnice&daddr=Nezn%C3%A1m%C3%A1+silnice&hl=cs&ie=UT
F8&ll=49.701558,13.390541&spn=0.070723,0.110378&sll=49.700321,13.427085&sspn=0.001105,0.001725&geocode=FarM9gId2p3LAA%3B
Fade9gIdXOHMAA&t=h&brcurrent=5,0,0&dirflg=t&mra=ls&z=13">http://maps.google.com/maps?output=kml&saddr=Nezn%C3%A1m%C3%A1+
silnice&daddr=Nezn%C3%A1m%C3%A1+silnice&hl=cs&ie=UTF8&ll=49.701558,13.390541&spn=0.070723,0.110378&sll=49.700321,13.4270
85&sspn=0.001105,0.001725&geocode=FarM9gId2p3LAA%3BFade9gIdXOHMAA&t=h&brcurrent=5,0,0&dirflg=t&mra=ls&z=13</a>

http://maps.google.com/maps?output=kml&saddr=Nezn%C3%A1m%C3%A1+silnice&daddr=Nezn%C3%A1m%C3%A1+silnice&hl=cs&ie=UT
F8&ll=49.701558,13.390541&spn=0.070723,0.110378&sll=49.700321,13.427085&sspn=0.001105,0.001725&geocode=FarM9gId2p3LAA%3B
Fade9gIdXOHMAA&t=h&brcurrent=5,0,0&dirflg=t&mra=ls&z=13

http://maps.google.com/maps?output=kml&saddr=Nezn%C3%A1m%C3%A1+silnice&daddr=Nezn%C3%A1m%C3%A1+silnice&hl=cs&ie=UT 
F8&ll=49.701558,13.390541&spn=0.070723,0.110378&sll=49.700321,13.427085&sspn=0.001105,0.001725&geocode=FarM9gId2p3LAA%3B
Fade9gIdXOHMAA&t=h&brcurrent=5,0,0&dirflg=t&mra=ls&z=13