if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) 
{
    // this variable will collect the html which will eventually be placed in the side_bar
    var side_bar_html = "";

    // arrays to hold copies of the markers and html used by the side_bar
    // because the function closure trick doesnt work there
    var gmarkers = [];
    var htmls = [];

    // arrays to hold variants of the info window html with get direction forms open
    var to_htmls = [];
    var from_htmls = [];

    // A function to create the marker and set up the event window
    function createMarker(point,name, address, city, state, zip, phone) 
    {
        var marker = new GMarker(point);

        var html = '<b>' + name + '</b> <br/>' + address + '<br/>' + city + ', ' + state + ' ' + zip + '<br/><b>Phone:</b> ' + phone;

        var i = gmarkers.length;

        // The info window version with the "to here" form open
        to_htmls[i] = html + '<br>Directions: <b>To here<\/b> - <a href="javascript:fromhere(' + i + ')">From here<\/a>' +
           '<br>Start address:<form action="http://maps.google.com/maps" method="get" target="_blank">' +
           '<input type="text" SIZE=40 MAXLENGTH=40 name="saddr" id="saddr" value="" /><br>' +
           '<INPUT value="Get Directions" TYPE="SUBMIT">' +
           '<input type="hidden" name="daddr" value="' + point.lat() + ',' + point.lng() + 
                  // "(" + name + ")" + 
           '"/>';
        // The info window version with the "to here" form open
        from_htmls[i] = html + '<br>Directions: <a href="javascript:tohere(' + i + ')">To here<\/a> - <b>From here<\/b>' +
           '<br>End address:<form action="http://maps.google.com/maps" method="get"" target="_blank">' +
           '<input type="text" SIZE=40 MAXLENGTH=40 name="daddr" id="daddr" value="" /><br>' +
           '<INPUT value="Get Directions" TYPE="SUBMIT">' +
           '<input type="hidden" name="saddr" value="' + point.lat() + ',' + point.lng() +
                  // "(" + name + ")" + 
           '"/>';
        // The inactive version of the direction info
        html = html + '<br>Directions: <a href="javascript:tohere('+i+')">To here<\/a> - <a href="javascript:fromhere('+i+')">From here<\/a>';

        GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
            marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
        });
        // save the info we need to use later for the side_bar
        gmarkers.push(marker);
        htmls[i] = html;
        // add a line to the side_bar html
        side_bar_html += '<a href="javascript:myclick(' + i + ')">' + name + '<\/a><br>';
        return marker;
    }

    // This function picks up the click and opens the corresponding info window
    function myclick(i) 
    {
        gmarkers[i].openInfoWindowHtml(htmls[i]);
    }

    // functions that open the directions forms
    function tohere(i) 
    {
        gmarkers[i].openInfoWindowHtml(to_htmls[i]);
    }
    function fromhere(i) 
    {
        gmarkers[i].openInfoWindowHtml(from_htmls[i]);
    }

    // create the map

    function load()
    {
        var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map"));
        //map.addControl(new GLargeMapControl());
        //map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl());
        map.setUIToDefault();
        map.setMapType(G_SATELLITE_MAP);
        map.setCenter(new GLatLng(37.146635,-108.94796), 9); // 4 corners.

        // Read the data from example.xml
        var request = GXmlHttp.create();
        request.open("GET", facilityPath + "map_marker.xml", true);
        request.onreadystatechange = function() 
        {
            if (request.readyState == 4) 
            {
                var xmlDoc = GXml.parse(request.responseText);
                // obtain the array of markers and loop through it
                var markers = xmlDoc.documentElement.getElementsByTagName("marker");
                
                for (var i = 0; i < markers.length; i++) 
                {
                    // obtain the attribues of each marker
                    var lat = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lat"));
                    var lng = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("long"));
                    var point = new GLatLng(lat,lng);
                    map.setCenter( point, 15 ); // center point, zoom.
                    var name = markers[i].getAttribute( 'name' );
                    var address = markers[i].getAttribute( 'address' );
                    var city = markers[i].getAttribute( 'city' )
                    var state = markers[i].getAttribute( 'state' )
                    var zip = markers[i].getAttribute( 'zip' )
                    var phone = markers[i].getAttribute( 'phone' )
                    /*
                    var html = markers[i].getAttribute("html");
                    var label = markers[i].getAttribute("label");
                    // create the marker
                    var marker = createMarker(point,label,html);
                    */
                    var marker = createMarker( point, name, address, city, state, zip, phone )
                    map.addOverlay(marker);
                    GEvent.trigger( marker, 'click' );
                }
                // put the assembled side_bar_html contents into the side_bar div
                if ( document.getElementById( 'side_bar' ) )
                    document.getElementById("side_bar").innerHTML = side_bar_html;
            }
        }
        request.send(null);
      
    } // load

}
else 
{
    alert("Sorry, the Google Maps API is not compatible with this browser");
}