Query/identify bing maps

Question

I'm in the processing of moving our Google map v2 to ESRI's ArcGIS javascript api - prototype here.

I've been able to successfully reproduce all of the Google map features with one exception. Google maps has a search bar on top of the map (see it on our current map here) that searches google maps so that you can, for example, type in a city and it will show you search results. I'd like to do something like this with my prototype by querying or identifying on Bing maps (I'm using roads and aerial photography as basemaps). I haven't seen any documentation on how to do queries and identifies with Bing via the ESRI ArcGIS api so far in searching and don't see any conversations on this in this forum.

Is this possible, and if so where do I start? In my prototype, I'm currently doing an identify on my map service so I'm familiar with that code and process. Thanks in advance for any assistance you can offer.

KenMorefield · Answer

You might be interested in using the geonames web service to locate places in your application.  See this link - geonames

I use it in my apps, and works great.  Occasionally it will run slowly, but so far I haven't had any real trouble with it.

It finds place names, streams, mountains, etc.  It doesn't handle street addresses or roads though...
Ken

LisaEidson · Answer

So after a little research I answered my own question. Bing's VEgeocoder is getter than ESRI's locator. VEgeocoder will find places without addresses, such as Yellowstone (finds Yellowstone National Park, WY), Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness or Flathead National Forest. It will also find roads (no address just road like U.S. Highway 93). Essentially, it looks like if it's labeled on Bing maps roads layer, you can find it via VEgeocoder.

Locator, unfortunately, won't find any of the above examples; it will only find towns or addresses.

So for a search box on a map, VEgeocoder is a much better choices with much greater flexibility in search results.

LisaEidson · Answer

Seems like either VEGeocoder or esri's locator task (using ArcGIS server locators) will work, though I'm wondering which is more effective. The VEGeocoder documentation suggests that this will find places like "disneyland," yet when I tested esri's locator task for "disneyland" it didn't find it (see sample here). Does anybody have any information on which of these options is the most versitile and will best match placenames that don't have actual addresses? Thanks much! (Sorry for the delay, I was on vacation last week)