if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
  // this variable will collect the html which will eventualkly 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;
  
  
  geocoder = new GClientGeocoder();
  
    function showAddress(address) {
      if (geocoder) {
        geocoder.getLatLng(
          address,
          function(point) {
            if (!point) {

				document.getElementById('errors').style.padding = "1em";
            var alertMsg 	 = "<h1>We were unable to find that address</h1><ul>\n";
			    alertMsg 	+= '<li><span style="background:white;">' + address + "</span> not found</li>\n";
				document.getElementById('errors').innerHTML = alertMsg + "</ul>";
            } else {
			  map.setCenter(point, 14);
			  var marker = createMarker(point,address, address)
			  map.addOverlay(marker);
			  glat = marker.getPoint().lat();
			  glng = marker.getPoint().lng();
            }
          }
        );
      }
    }  
  

  // A function to create the marker and set up the event window
  function createMarker(point,name,html) {
	var marker = new GMarker(point);
	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]);
	scroll(0,0);
  }

  // create the map
  var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map"));
  map.addControl(new GLargeMapControl());
  map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl());
  map.setCenter(new GLatLng(37.1392,-1.8505), 13);

  // Read the data from markers.xml
  var request = GXmlHttp.create();
  request.open("GET", "markers.xml", true);
  request.onreadystatechange = function() {
	if (request.readyState == 4) {
	  var xmlDoc = request.responseXML;
	  // 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");
		// create the marker
		var marker = createMarker(point,label,html);
		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");
}