comparison of maps servers and their APIs (google maps, Yahoo Maps, Bing Maps, Map Quest, Maps Nokia; Open Street Map); API references and examples (sample codes)

With these maps/routes/directions servers, you have 4 services:
1) online view/manipulate your map/directions (and print)
2) "save" with an URL
3) "save" with an iframe
4) "save" with an HTML+javascript code (or other "languages" flash, silverlight, javaME...)
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Maps servers (with route, directions (also with walking directions, multiple directions)):
A)-Google Maps http://maps.google.com/, API, see another post (more than 300examples).
REFERENCE: http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/javascript/reference.html
my example URL: google maps

Google Earth, see also (need earth plugin): http://kml-samples.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/interactive/index.html
(These samples are a companion to the official KML Documentation: http://code.google.com/apis/kml)

B)-Bing Maps http://www.bing.com/maps/, API:http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd877180.aspx
Multimap.com was one of the first provider of mapping and location-based services. It was acquired by Microsoft and merged into Bing Maps in 2010.
REFERENCE: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg427611.aspx
examples inside the reference.
my example URL: bing maps

quite good services for route ediiting

but bad saving functions, in fact only iframe (you cannot see your route in your site) 

C)-MapQuest http://www.mapquest.com/, API: http://developer.mapquest.com/
http://developer.mapquest.com/web/products/featured/javascript
REFERENCE: http://developer.mapquest.com/web/documentation/sdk/javascript/v7.0/api/index.html
example (well documented) organized in 14 domains: http://developer.mapquest.com/web/documentation/sdk/javascript/v7.0/routing
my example URL:mapquest

many saving functions.

you cannot see your route in your site (in fact only iframe)

D)-MapsNokia  http://maps.nokia.com/, API: http://www.developer.nokia.com/Develop/Web/Maps/
https://projects.developer.nokia.com/ovimapsapi/wiki
https://projects.developer.nokia.com/ovimapsapi/files/Ovi_Maps_API_Release_Notes_1.0.9.pdf
http://api.maps.ovi.com/
example: http://api.maps.ovi.com/playground2/index.html
Try these 24 examples:
http://api.maps.ovi.com/playground2/index.html?example=rightClick
(by right click, you can trace a route very easily, but not save code...)
http://api.maps.ovi.com/playground2/index.html?example=mapdisplayevents
my example URL: ovi

right click is quite good (many options)

REFERENCE: http://api.maps.ovi.com/apireference/index.html

-Yahoo Maps http://maps.yahoo.com/; API, http://developer.yahoo.com/maps/
( service closed on September 13, 2011 and Yahoo suggests using maps from Nokia)

Yahoo: no direct right click!

When you create a waypoint, it is difficult to drag it!

save (only URL) : 1)send by email, or 2) Yahoo! favoris or 3)Delicious

my example URL: Yahoo maps

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-OpenStreetMap http://www.openstreetmap.org/ (Creative Commons licenses),


Only France: http://www.geoportail.fr/changeLangue.do?lang=en&cty=UK
API (v1.0: March 2010): https://api.ign.fr/geoportail/
http://geotribu.net/node/233
With geoportail, you can only save some waypoints (no route).

Only Tyrol : http://tirolatlas.uibk.ac.at/maps/interface/topo.py/index?lang=en;lookat=1240037


---------------a comparison of some functions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_web_map_services

--------------other:
-mapServer http://www.mapserver.org/,