search an address using google maps javascript API

Question

i have created the following function to show and address in JS:

function showMapForm(idDiv, divWidth, divHeight, idLat, idLng) {
    document.getElementById(idDiv).style.width = divWidth+'px';
    document.getElementById(idDiv).style.height = divHeight+'px';
    if (document.getElementById(idLat).value=='' && document.getElementById(idLng).value=='') {
        //Paris
        iniLat = 48.85455;
        iniLng = 2.358627;
    } else {
        iniLat = document.getElementById(idLat).value;
        iniLng = document.getElementById(idLng).value;
    }
    var latlng = new google.maps.LatLng(iniLat, iniLng);
    var myOptions = {
                    zoom: 15,
                    center: latlng,
                    mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP
                    };
    map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById(idDiv), myOptions);

    marker = new google.maps.Marker({
                                        position: new google.maps.LatLng(iniLat, iniLng),
                                        map: map
                                        });

    google.maps.event.addListener(map, 'click', function(eve) {
        marker.setPosition(eve.latLng);
        document.getElementById(idLat).value = marker.getPosition().lat();
        document.getElementById(idLng).value = marker.getPosition().lng();
    });
}

as you can see it requires the id of a div, the width and height desired and the id of the hidden fields where I stock the latitude and longitude, if those values aren't present it will use the latitude and longitude of Paris. What i would like to do is to improve this function so it can accept a string value with an address like "Saint Joseph Street No. 45, Paris" and put a marker if it finds the address.

My question is: do you know if there's a way to get a latitude and longitude from a search string using the google maps API? (the first occurrence will do it)

Answer 1

Use the geocoder: