Template:GeoGroup/doc

GeoGroup generates an infobox type list of external links to services that present or display all coordinates listed on certain TechInfoDepot articles that have multiples of coordinates. The template is also capable of generating all the title coordinates from many articles listed in a single TechInfoDepot category. The template is intended to be inserted in the External links section of articles, or inside a section with a list or table of features, if appropriate (e.g. see Tame Valley Canal).

The linked services allow the following results:
 * Coordinates from the TechInfoDepot page or category in a KML file suitable for use in Google Earth, NASA World Wind and similar applications.
 * Microformatted coordinates from the TechInfoDepot page in a GeoRSS file.
 * A link to Google Maps with the waypoints plotted onto the map. Note that Google caches data and may at times show a previous revision instead of the latest one. In this case wait a moment before refreshing.
 * A link to Bing map with the waypoints plotted onto the map. Note that if the page or category has more than 200 coordinates, Bing would present a maximum of just the first 200 points.

Inline coordinates can be associated with a name using Coord with the name parameter, such as:
 * &#123;{coord|1|2|type:landmark|name=Interesting uncharted point in the sea}}

However, do not use the name parameter when the coordinates are within a parent template or table which emits a microformat, such as an infobox.

This template is not intended for articles with single sets of coordinates; such coordinates already link indirectly to GeoTemplate.

To use this template, add GeoGroup to the External links section of an article, or, for list articles with no title coordinate, at the top of the article.

Usage
There are three optional parameters that are useful mainly in articles—not categories:

article= The name of article or category, from which coordinates will be displayed. (Can be a category, as shown in List of stations in London fare zone 2)

articlee= Encoded name of the article. The encoding process here involves changing spaces to underscores ( _ ), everything else is taken care of by the urlencode magic word.

section= The section parameter arranges most of the links to use only coordinates in the named section of the article. This is useful to limit the number seen at one time in articles with many coordinates. For examples, see List of rapids of the Columbia River.

There is one optional parameters for use with categories:

level= Category recursion level, where 0 means unlimited

A section-specific GeoGroup makes most sense placed within the section it refers to.

Cache delay
As pages are cached at Google and Bing, it is normal for the new template not to appear for several hours. Its appearance can be forced by altering the url on the browser. On the template click on the Google map link. Up comes an old map or one with error message. Go to the browser searchurl line (top left) change the address to:
 *  https://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://toolserver.org/~para/cgi-bin/kmlexport%3Farticle%3DCurrent_article_name%26usecache%3D0  from  ....%26usecache%3D1 . That is: the last character changes from 1 to zero.

If it is in plain text try:
 * Putting usecache=0 instead of the usecache=1.

Linking
Links may be made directly to a page's instance of the template, with the ID, by using  , which produces: Example Link Text.

Expansion
Other KML aware services may be added, as they become available; as might services converting the coordinates to GPX or other formats.

Bookmarklet
To added the template to categories, you may want to use the bookmarklet below. Sample edit:

javascript:with(document.forms[0]){void(wpSummary.value+='+%20(see%20also%20WP:GEO');void(wpTextbox1.value=''+wpTextbox1.value);void(wpSave.click)}