//<![CDATA[

    if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
      // this variable will collect the html which will eventually be placed in the side_bar
      var side_bar_html = "";
    
      // arrays to hold copies of the markers and html used by the side_bar
      // because the function closure trick doesnt work there
      var gmarkers = [];
      var htmls = [];
      var i = 0;
      // arrays to hold variants of the info window html with get direction forms open
      var to_htmls = [];
      var from_htmls = [];
	  
	   // This icon uses the same shape as the default Google marker
      // So we can use its details for everything except the image 
      var blueIcon = new GIcon();
      blueIcon.image = "markers/marker.png";
      blueIcon.shadow = "http://www.google.com/mapfiles/shadow50.png";
      blueIcon.iconSize = new GSize(20, 34);
      blueIcon.shadowSize = new GSize(37, 34);
      blueIcon.iconAnchor = new GPoint(9, 34);
      blueIcon.infoWindowAnchor = new GPoint(9, 2);
      blueIcon.infoShadowAnchor = new GPoint(18, 25);
      blueIcon.transparent = "http://www.google.com/intl/en_ALL/mapfiles/markerTransparent.png";
      blueIcon.printImage = "markers/marker.png";
      blueIcon.mozPrintImage = "images/marker.png";
	  
	     // An array of GIcons, to make the selection easier
      var icons = [];
      icons[0] = blueIcon;
	  
	  


 // the icon information is passed to this function
      function createMarker(point,name,html,icontype) {
        var marker = new GMarker(point,icons[icontype]);
        GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
          marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
        });

        // The info window version with the "to here" form open
        to_htmls[i] = html + '<br>Directions: <b>To here</b> - <a href="javascript:fromhere(' + i + ')">From here</a>' +
           '<br>Start address:<form action="http://maps.google.com/maps" method="get" target="_blank">' +
           '<input type="text" SIZE=20 MAXLENGTH=20 name="saddr" id="saddr" value="" /><br>' +
           '<INPUT value="Get Directions" TYPE="SUBMIT">' +
           '<input type="hidden" name="daddr" value="' + point.lat() + ',' + point.lng() + 
                  // "(" + name + ")" + 
           '"/>';
        // The info window version with the "to here" form open
        from_htmls[i] = html + '<br>Directions: <a href="javascript:tohere(' + i + ')">To here</a> - <b>From here</b>' +
           '<br>End address:<form action="http://maps.google.com/maps" method="get"" target="_blank">' +
           '<input type="text" SIZE=20 MAXLENGTH=20 name="daddr" id="daddr" value="" /><br>' +
           '<INPUT value="Get Directions" TYPE="SUBMIT">' +
           '<input type="hidden" name="saddr" value="' + point.lat() + ',' + point.lng() +
                  // "(" + name + ")" + 
           '"/>';
        // The inactive version of the direction info
        html = html + '<br>Directions: <a href="javascript:tohere('+i+')">To here</a> - <a href="javascript:fromhere('+i+')">From here</a>';

        GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
          marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
        });
        // save the info we need to use later for the side_bar
        gmarkers[i] = marker;
        htmls[i] = html;
        // add a line to the side_bar html
        side_bar_html += '<a href="javascript:myclick(' + i + ')">' + name + '</a>';
        i++;
        return marker;
      }


      // This function picks up the click and opens the corresponding info window
      function myclick(i) {
        gmarkers[i].openInfoWindowHtml(htmls[i]);
      }

      // functions that open the directions forms
      function tohere(i) {
        gmarkers[i].openInfoWindowHtml(to_htmls[i]);
      }
      function fromhere(i) {
        gmarkers[i].openInfoWindowHtml(from_htmls[i]);
      }


      // create the map
      var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map"));
      map.addControl(new GLargeMapControl());
      map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl());
      map.setCenter(new GLatLng(52.552976197007524,-0.0439453125), 8);;


      // Read the data from example.xml
      var request = GXmlHttp.create();
      request.open("GET", "hotels.xml", true);
      request.onreadystatechange = function() {
        if (request.readyState == 4) {
          var xmlDoc = GXml.parse(request.responseText);
          // obtain the array of markers and loop through it
          var markers = xmlDoc.documentElement.getElementsByTagName("marker");
          
          for (var i = 0; i < markers.length; i++) {
            // obtain the attribues of each marker
            var lat = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lat"));
            var lng = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lng"));
            var point = new GLatLng(lat,lng);
            var html = markers[i].getAttribute("html");
            var label = markers[i].getAttribute("label");
			var icontype = parseInt(markers[i].getAttribute("icontype"));
            // create the marker
            var marker = createMarker(point,label,html,icontype);
            map.addOverlay(marker);
          }
          // put the assembled side_bar_html contents into the side_bar div
          document.getElementById("side_bar").innerHTML = side_bar_html;
        }
      }
      request.send(null);
    }

    else {
      alert("Sorry, the Google Maps API is not compatible with this browser");
    }
 
// JavaScript Document