`django-reploc` is a project that allows you to install a Google Map on your site to display and filter "representatives" for your site. These representatives may be dealers/vendors for your products, your friends or business associates, or just places you've been and want to advertise. I built the application to be a dealer locator, but I realize the value in an application like this and tried to make it as generic as possible.

==Features==

  * Unlimited number of representatives.
  * Unlimited number of locations _per_ representative.
  * Automatic latitude/longitude determination for locations.  If there's a problem determining the coordinates to the address, you can enter them manually.
  * Locations can have "attributes."  This is a way of specifying, for example, which locations carry which lines of your products.
  * You can decide whether you want to use JavaScript or Python to do the heavy lifting.
  * Offer your users driving directions to various representative locations.

==Requirements==

`django-reploc` requires at least Django 1.0.  For automatic coordinate determination, `django-reploc` requires the `geopy` library.  This can be installed using `easy_install geopy`.  The application also requires that you have a Google Maps API key.  To get one of those, simply go to [http://code.google.com/apis/maps/signup.html the Google Maps API page] and fill out the necessary information.  Finally, `django-reploc` relies heavily upon jQuery in order to operate.  I used the latest version of jQuery, which is currently 1.2.6.

==Installation==

Download `django-reploc` using *one* of the following methods:

===easy_install===

You can download the package from the [http://pypi.python.org/pypi/django-reploc/ CheeseShop] or use

{{{
easy_install django-reploc
}}}

to download and install `django-reploc`.

===Package Download===

Download the latest `.tar.gz` file from the downloads section and extract it somewhere you'll remember.  Use `python setup.py install` to install it.

===Checkout from Subversion===

Execute the following command (or use the equivalent function in a GUI such as TortoiseSVN), and make sure you're checking Pendulum out somewhere on the `PYTHONPATH`.

{{{
svn co http://django-reploc.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/reploc reploc
}}}

===Verifying Installation===

The easiest way to ensure that you have successfully installed Pendulum is to execute a command such as:

{{{
python -c "import reploc; print reploc.get_version()"
}}}

If that displays the version of `django-reploc` that you tried to install, you're good to roll.  If you see something other than that, you probably need to check your `PYTHONPATH` environment variable.

==Configuration==

First of all, you must add this project to your list of `INSTALLED_APPS` in `settings.py`:

{{{
INSTALLED_APPS = (
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.sites',
    ...
    'reploc',
    ...
)
}}}

Next you should add the context processor to your `TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS` setting so the templates have access to the Google Maps API key.  You don't really need this step if you're going to put the API key straight into your template.

{{{
TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS = (
    'django.core.context_processors.auth',
    'django.core.context_processors.i18n',
    'django.core.context_processors.media',
    'reploc.context_processors.representatives',
)
}}}

Define your Google Maps API key in your `settings.py` file

{{{
GOOGLE_MAPS_KEY = 'sdfsafasfdasfdasdf'
}}}

Additionally, you may specify whether you would like the grunt work (distance calculations and whatnot) handled by JavaScript or Python:

{{{
REPLOC_USE_JS = False
}}}

This will probably never be used much, but it's there just in case.  The application defaults to using JavaScript.

Run `manage.py syncdb`.  This creates a few tables in your database that are necessary for operation.

Next, you should add an entry to your main `urls.py` file.  For example:

{{{
from django.conf.urls.defaults import *

from django.contrib import admin
admin.autodiscover()

urlpatterns = patterns('',
    (r'^admin/(.*)', admin.site.root),
    (r'^locator/', include('reploc.urls')),
)
}}}

==Usage==

As soon as you have all of the configuration taken care of, simply fire up your site (or restart it) and jump into the Django administration interface.  You can add locations straight from the "Add Representative" page if you'd like.  When you're done, head on over to http://www.yourwebsite.com/locator/ (or whatever it happens to be in your case) to see the application in action.

===Updating Location Coordinates===

I've created a utility to help you update the location coordinates if you feel the need.  They should be updated each time you save a location, but if you want to update all of the locations in one swing, you can use the command `./manage.py reploc_update_coords`.