if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
      // var side_bar_html = "";
      var gmarkers = [];
      var i = 0;

      function createMarker(point,name,html) {
        var marker = new GMarker(point);
        GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
          marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
        });
        gmarkers[i] = marker;
	/*
        side_bar_html += '<a class="small" 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) {
        GEvent.trigger(gmarkers[i], "click");
      }

      // create the map
      var label = null;
      var html = null;
      var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map"));
      map.addControl(new GLargeMapControl());
      map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl());	    
      map.setCenter(new GLatLng(22.200000, 114.164220), 1);

      var request = GXmlHttp.create();
      request.open("GET", "/xml.php?q=maps", 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++) {
            var lat = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lat"));
            var lng = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lng"));
            var point = new GLatLng(lat,lng);
            html = markers[i].getAttribute("html");
            label = markers[i].getAttribute("label");
	    if (i == 0) {	
	    map.setCenter(point, 1);
            }
	    var address = markers[i].getAttribute("address");
            var marker = createMarker(point,label,html);
            map.addOverlay(marker);
          }
        }
      }
      request.send(null);
    }

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