if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {
      // this variable will collect the html which will eventualkly be placed in the side_bar
      var side_bar_html = "";
    
      // arrays to hold copies of the markers and html used by the side_bar
      // because the function closure trick doesnt work there
      var gmarkers = [];
      var htmls = [];
      var i = 0;

      // A function to create the marker and set up the event window
      function createMarker(point,name,html,icontype) {
		
		var marker = new GMarker(point, G_DEFAULT_ICON);
		
        GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
          marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
        });
        // save the info we need to use later for the side_bar
        gmarkers[i] = marker;
        htmls[i] = html;
        // add a line to the side_bar html
        side_bar_html += '<li><a href="javascript:myclick(' + i + ')">' + name + '</a></li>';
        i++;
        return marker;
      }

      // This function picks up the click and opens the corresponding info window
      function myclick(i) {
        gmarkers[i].openInfoWindowHtml(htmls[i]);
      }

      // create the map
      var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("locations"));
			var default_Zoomlevel = 8;
			var default_Maptype = G_NORMAL_MAP; 
			var default_Maplon=-117.4037861; 
			var default_Maplat=33.67837;
			map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl());
			map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl(true));
			map.setCenter(new GLatLng(default_Maplat, default_Maplon), default_Zoomlevel, default_Maptype);

      // Read the data from xml
      var request = GXmlHttp.create();
      request.open("GET", "locations.xml", true);
      request.onreadystatechange = function() {
        if (request.readyState == 4) {
          var xmlDoc = request.responseXML;
          // obtain the array of markers and loop through it
          var markers = xmlDoc.documentElement.getElementsByTagName("marker");
          
          for (var i = 0; i < markers.length; i++) {
            // obtain the attribues of each marker
            var lat = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lat"));
            var lng = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lng"));
            var point = new GLatLng(lat,lng);
            var html = markers[i].getAttribute("html");
            var label = markers[i].getAttribute("label");
            // === read the icontype attribute ===
            var icontype = markers[i].getAttribute("icontype");
            // === create the marker, passing the icontype string ===
            var marker = createMarker(point,label,html,icontype);
            map.addOverlay(marker);
          }
          // put the assembled side_bar_html contents into the side_bar div
          //document.getElementById("side_bar").innerHTML = side_bar_html;
        }
      }
      request.send(null);
    }

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