Cannot open google map marker from sidebar list

Question

I am working with the v3 API and trying to recreate the Store Locator sample (which is v2). I like the way the v2 version works vs the same article changed for v3 API. I have everything working with one exception: when I click the location result it does not open up the marker in the map for that location. Here is my code. I think the problem exists in the CreateSidebarEntry() function. Any help would be greatly appreciated! (you can see it in action here: http://www.webworksct.net/clients/ccparking/partners3.php - just enter "orlando" in the search box and click search to get the results, then click a location in the list on the right...nothing happens).

//<![CDATA[
    var map;
    var markers = [];
    var infoWindow;
 var sidebar;
    //var locationSelect;

    function load() {
      map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById("map"), {
        center: new google.maps.LatLng(40, -100),
        zoom: 4,
        mapTypeId: 'roadmap',
        mapTypeControlOptions: {style: google.maps.MapTypeControlStyle.DEFAULT}
      });
      infoWindow = new google.maps.InfoWindow();

   sidebar = document.getElementById("sidebar");

   }

   function searchLocations() {
     var address = document.getElementById("addressInput").value;
     var geocoder = new google.maps.Geocoder();
     geocoder.geocode({address: address}, function(results, status) {
       if (status == google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK) {
        searchLocationsNear(results[0].geometry.location);
       } else {
         alert(address + ' not found');
       }
     });
   }

   function clearLocations() {
     infoWindow.close();
     for (var i = 0; i < markers.length; i++) {
       markers[i].setMap(null);
     }
     markers.length = 0;  
  sidebar.innerHTML = "";
   }

   function searchLocationsNear(center) {
     clearLocations(); 

     var radius = document.getElementById('radiusSelect').value;
     var searchUrl = 'phpsqlsearch_genxml.php?lat=' + center.lat() + '&lng=' + center.lng() + '&radius=' + radius;
     downloadUrl(searchUrl, function(data) {
       var xml = parseXml(data);
       var markerNodes = xml.documentElement.getElementsByTagName("marker");
       var bounds = new google.maps.LatLngBounds();

    var sidebar = document.getElementById('sidebar');
       sidebar.innerHTML = '';
       if (markerNodes.length == 0) {
         sidebar.innerHTML = 'No results found.';
         map.setCenter(new google.maps.LatLng(40, -100), 4);
         return;
       }

    for (var i = 0; i < markerNodes.length; i++) {
         var name = markerNodes[i].getAttribute("name");
         var address = markerNodes[i].getAttribute("address");
         var distance = parseFloat(markerNodes[i].getAttribute("distance"));
         var latlng = new google.maps.LatLng(
              parseFloat(markerNodes[i].getAttribute("lat")),
              parseFloat(markerNodes[i].getAttribute("lng")));

         var marker = createMarker(latlng, name, address);
         bounds.extend(latlng);

   var sidebarEntry = createSidebarEntry(marker, name, address, distance);
         sidebar.appendChild(sidebarEntry);
       }

       map.fitBounds(bounds);

      });
    }

    function createMarker(latlng, name, address) {
      var html = "<b>" + name + "</b> <br/>" + address;
      var marker = new google.maps.Marker({
        map: map,
        position: latlng
      });
      google.maps.event.addListener(marker, 'click', function() {
        infoWindow.setContent(html);
        infoWindow.open(map, marker);
      });
      markers.push(marker);
    }

 function createSidebarEntry(marker, name, address, distance) {
      var div = document.createElement('div');
      var html = '<b>' + name + '</b> (' + distance.toFixed(1) + ')<br/>' + address;
      div.innerHTML = html;
      div.style.cursor = 'pointer';
      div.style.marginBottom = '5px'; 
      google.maps.event.addDomListener(div, 'click', function() {
        google.maps.event.trigger(marker, 'click');
      });
      google.maps.event.addDomListener(div, 'mouseover', function() {
        div.style.backgroundColor = '#eee';
      });
      google.maps.event.addDomListener(div, 'mouseout', function() {
        div.style.backgroundColor = '#fff';
      });
      return div;
    }

    function downloadUrl(url, callback) {
      var request = window.ActiveXObject ?
          new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.XMLHTTP') :
          new XMLHttpRequest;

      request.onreadystatechange = function() {
        if (request.readyState == 4) {
          request.onreadystatechange = doNothing;
          callback(request.responseText, request.status);
        }
      };

      request.open('GET', url, true);
      request.send(null);
    }

    function parseXml(str) {
      if (window.ActiveXObject) {
        var doc = new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.XMLDOM');
        doc.loadXML(str);
        return doc;
      } else if (window.DOMParser) {
        return (new DOMParser).parseFromString(str, 'text/xml');
      }
    }

    function doNothing() {}

    //]]>

Answer 1

I found the answer.

In this bit of code:

var marker = createMarker(latlng, name, address); bounds.extend(latlng);

var sidebarEntry = createSidebarEntry(marker, name, address, distance); sidebar.appendChild(sidebarEntry); }

I was calling createMarker to populate the marker var. I found that it wasn't populating.

In the createMarker function, I needed to make a change so that the function returned a value:

markers.push(marker);

was changed to

return marker;

and voila!