How to create a basic Google Maps plugin for WordPress

There might be some Wordpress plugins out there that could be used to add Google map to posts and pages. Still I didn't find it necessary to install one when creating it is fun and easy.

Adding the final plugin to a post/page will be done using shortcode.

First of all you must create the plugin directory in wp-content/plugins/plugin_name.

Add two files here, the first an empty index.php and the second plugin_name.php

In order to be able to activate this plugin some basic details need to be added at the beginning:

/** * Plugin Name: Custom Google Maps * Plugin URI: http://catalinmunteanu.com * Description: Create Google Map element using a location query * Version: 1.0.0 * Author: Catalin Munteanu * Author URI: http://catalinmunteanu.com */

Then we must create a function that will process this plugin's shortcode:

function google\_map\_print($attrs, $content=null) {
    $item = shortcode\_atts(
        array(
            'location' => null
        ),
        $attrs,
        'google-map'
    );

    $result = '<div>';
        $result .= '<iframe
            width="100%"
            height="250"
            scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0"
            frameborder="0" style="border:0"
            src="https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q='.$item['location'].'&aq=t&ie=UTF8&hq=&t=m&z=17&output=embed">
            </iframe>';
    $result .= '</div>';
    return $result;

}

add\_shortcode('google-map', 'google\_map\_print');

That's all. After you activate the plugin you can add it in your posts and pages using the shortcode:

[google-map location="Bucharest"]

Result:

[custom-google-map location="Bucharest"]