Google Maps - how to set the zoom level

Question

I have been trying for 4+ years to figure out how to use google maps. Im beyond ecstatic to have finally become able to generate a map wiht the correct address.

This is my javascript.

I'm now struggling with how to set the zoom level. I've tried it in each of the places I've shown below - but none of them work. In each case (regardless of the number I set as the zoom level) I get a really close up map of the specific building.

Can anyone see what I'm doing wrong, or what I need to do in order to get my map to recognise my request for a zoom level? I don't get any js errors showing in the console.

function initMap() {
  var map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map'), {
    zoom: 5
  });
  var bounds = new google.maps.LatLngBounds();
  // var opts = {
  //   zoom: 10,
  //   max_zoom: 16
  // }

  var n = addresses.length;
  for (var i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    var lat = addresses[i].latitude;
    var lng = addresses[i].longitude;
    if (lat == null || lng ==null){
      console.log(addresses[i].name + " doesn't have coordinates");
    }else {
      var address = new google.maps.Marker({
        position: {lat: parseFloat(lat), lng: parseFloat(lng)},
        title: addresses[i].name,
        map: map //,
//        zoom: 8
      });
      bounds.extend(address.position);
    }
  }
  map.fitBounds(bounds);
}

Note in response to why this question is different to many others asked on SO. I am specifically struggling with how and where to use the features provided in this JS. I can't understand any of the JS I have managed to generate - the version above is the result of 4+ years of effort in trying to learn. I can't take generic ideas in other posts and apply them as easily as others may be capable of doing. Please bear with me as I try to learn to decipher how to communicate with these languages. It's not something that I've been able to grasp readily.

Also, and specifically to the point in the answer you have flagged - maybe the code was good at the point in time the question was asked, but it looks from the google library that the correct expression should be "zoom:4" not setZoom(something). I tried both and can't get either of them to work in my code.

XOMENA'S SUGGESTION

Taking Xomena's suggestion, I tried to define zoom and center in my map function (although I'm not suer if I've done this in the correct place).

This doesnt work. The console shows an error with my js file that says:

Uncaught SyntaxError: Unexpected identifier

Now, my js file has:

function initMap() {
  var map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map'), {
    setZoom: 5
    setCenter = addresses.first
  });
  var bounds = new google.maps.LatLngBounds();
  // var opts = {
  //   zoom: 10,
  //   max_zoom: 16
  // }

  var n = addresses.length;
  for (var i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    var lat = addresses[i].latitude;
    var lng = addresses[i].longitude;
    if (lat == null || lng ==null){
      console.log(addresses[i].name + " doesn't have coordinates");
    }else {
      var address = new google.maps.Marker({
        position: {lat: parseFloat(lat), lng: parseFloat(lng)},
        title: addresses[i].name,
        map: map //,
        // zoom: 8
      });
      // bounds.extend(address.position);
    }
  }
  // map.fitBounds(bounds);
}

I can't find an example of how to set this up to work. I've tried putting the set zoom and set centre lines in each block of text in this js file, but I can't find a formulation that works.

NEXT ATTEMPT

I tried moving my application javascript include tag out of the head tag and beneath the body tags on my application.html.erb.

Now, I have an error that says:

js?key=AIzaSyAleQgfNH3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:95 Uncaught Eb {message: "initMap is not a function", name: "InvalidValueError", stack: "Error↵    at new Eb (https://maps.googleapis.com/m…3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:130:73"}message: "initMap is not a function"name: "InvalidValueError"stack: "Error↵    at new Eb (https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=AIzaSyAleQgfNH3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:41:365)↵    at Object._.Fb (https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=AIzaSyAleQgfNH3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:41:475)↵    at Lg (https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=AIzaSyAleQgfNH3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:95:420)↵    at https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=AIzaSyAleQgfNH3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:130:58↵    at Object.google.maps.Load (https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=AIzaSyAleQgfNH3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:21:5)↵    at https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=AIzaSyAleQgfNH3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:129:20↵    at https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=AIzaSyAleQgfNH3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:130:73"__proto__: ErrorLg @ js?key=AIzaSyAleQgfNH3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:95(anonymous function) @ js?key=AIzaSyAleQgfNH3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:130google.maps.Load @ js?key=AIzaSyAleQgfNH3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:21(anonymous function) @ js?key=AIzaSyAleQgfNH3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:129(anonymous function) @ js?key=AIzaSyAleQgfNH3HRQVUCYnyAzp46xmXW7WrWrc&callback=initMap:130
kwift.CHROME.min.js:1271 Uncaught SyntaxError: Identifier 'findGoodContent' has already been declared

I have seen SO posts form others using angular (i don't use that) which suggest adding another js file to the view where the map is displayed.

Can anyone help solve this for rails where angular is not used?

Answer 1

The map.fitBounds() method adjusts the zoom level automatically to show all locations that you added into LatLngBounds. If you want to set zoom level yourself, don't use map.fitBounds() and use map.setZoom() method instead.

https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/reference#Map