//<![CDATA[

      // this variable will collect the html which will eventualkly be placed in the sidebar
      var sidebar_html = "";
    
      // arrays to hold copies of the markers and html used by the sidebar
      // because the function closure trick doesnt work there
      var gmarkers = [];
      var htmls = [];
      var i = 0;
      // 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,html) {
        var marker = new GMarker(point);

        // The info window version with the "to here" form open
        to_htmls[i] = html + '<br><span class=\"balloontext\">Directions:<b>To here<\/b> - <a href="javascript:fromhere(' + i + ')">From here<\/a><\/nobr><\/span><br clear=\"all\">' +
           '<br><span class=\"balloontext\">Start address:<\/span><form action="http://maps.google.com/maps" method="get" target="_blank">' +
           '<input type="text" size=20 MAXLENGTH=40 name="saddr" id="saddr" value="" /><br>' +
           '<INPUT value="Get Directions" TYPE="SUBMIT">' +
           '<input type="hidden" name="daddr" value="' +
           point.y + ',' + point.x + "(" + name + ")" + '"/>';
        // The info window version with the "to here" form open
        from_htmls[i] = html + '<br><span class=\"balloontext\"><nobr>Directions: <a href="javascript:tohere(' + i + ')">To here<\/a> - <b>From here<\/b><\/nobr><\/span><br clear=\"all\">' +
           '<br><span class=\"balloontext\">End address:<\/span><form action="http://maps.google.com/maps" method="get"" target="_blank">' +
           '<input type="text" size=20 MAXLENGTH=40 name="daddr" id="daddr" value="" /><br>' +
           '<INPUT value="Get Directions" TYPE="SUBMIT">' +
           '<input type="hidden" name="saddr" value="' +
           point.y + ',' + point.x + "(" + name + ")" + '"/>';
        // The inactive version of the direction info
        html = html + '<br><span class=\"balloontext\"><nobr>Directions: <a href="javascript:tohere('+i+')">To here<\/a> - <a href="javascript:fromhere('+i+')">From here<\/a><\/nobr><\/span><br clear=\"all\">';

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

    //]]>