apple maps javascript API
We've seen some chatter around the geoblogosphere about a possible new javascript mapping API from Apple in the works. The fervor began around the time Apple launched this year's WWDC site, which features a slippy map of conference locations on the attending page, though the speculation goes a bit farther back. Apple has made no indication in this direction, but lots of Internet geo people have taken the slim evidence to mean that Apple is planning to launch a web version of MapKit along the lines of Google Maps or Leaflet. Here are some things we know, followed by a summary of opinions from resident Apple-watchers @friedbunny and @1ec5.
- It's called MapKit (or
mapkit.js), just like the iOS SDK - According to @1ec5,
mapkit.jsis transpiled from the mobile MapKit. Popups are even called annotations in the web version of MapKit. - A few folks put together demos, but they're all broken now, presumably because Apple didn't want others to be displaying the web version of MapKit. From what I can tell, Apple simply rotated their access token, disabling all of the demos out there in the wild.
- As far as I can tell, the web MapKit is displaying raster tiles in a canvas. There are some nice-looking transitions and interaction animations, but no vector tile action.
@friendbunny and @1ec5 weigh in
- This is not the first time people have speculated that Apple is on the verge of releasing a new JS maps API. In fact, they've had tiled versions of their maps for years
- Apple hasn't released any substantial development tools for the web since web objects and it's not likely that they're going to do so for maps. Web developers aren't really Apple's market