The Map component (gb.map) allows you to display map tiles from various sources. It is based on two main classes - Map and MapView - which interact and use other classes.

If you want to use free geographical maps in a Gambas project, then the gb.map component is a good choice, even though its status is currently (as of October 2014) still stated as experimental. However, the results achieved are good.

Figure 24.8.0.1: Map for the Hanseatic city of Osterburg in Saxony/Anhalt.

Before you get started, you should inform yourself comprehensively about the goals of the OpenStreetMap project, the use of the maps and the licence conditions. The information on the following pages on the Internet is helpful:

• http://www.openstreetmap.de
• http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/DE:OSM-map_as_link
• http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Slippy_map_tilenames
• http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_Delivery_Network