function load( address )
{
    if ( GBrowserIsCompatible() ) 
    {
        // array to hold copies of the markers and html

        //instantiate the map, add the controls we want, set the center point and zoom position.    
        var map = new GMap2( document.getElementById( "map" ) );
        var markerManager = null;
        //zoom levels 0-17+, 0 == world
        var zoomLevel = 0;
        var homeMarker = null;
        var home_marker_html = '<span style="font-weight:bold;font-size:larger;">You are here.</span><br />' + address;

        function getViewableMarkers( markers ){
            var viewableMarkers = 0;
            var mapBounds = null;

            mapBounds = map.getBounds(); 

            for( var i = 0; i < markers.length; i++ ){
                if( mapBounds.contains( markers[i].getPoint() ) ){
                    viewableMarkers++;
                }
            }

            return viewableMarkers;
        }

        function setZoomLevel( markers ){
            var low = 0;
            var high = 17;
            var viewableMarkers = markers.length;
            var minMarkersZoomLevel = null;
            var minMarkers = markers.length;
            
            // avoid showing the map while adjusting the zoom level.
            document.getElementById( "map" ).style.display = "none";

            // if low and high have crossed, then we want to set the 
            // zoom level to the zoom level that had the fewest markers
            // visible.  setZoom returns  false, so it will also 
            // evaluate to false and the loop will terminate.
            while( low <= high || map.setZoom( minMarkersZoomLevel ) ){
                viewableMarkers = 0;
                //zoomLevel = parseInt( ( low + high ) / 2 );
                zoomLevel = high;

                map.setZoom( zoomLevel );

                viewableMarkers = getViewableMarkers( markers );

                // two markers, one is home and one is a retailer
                // our work here is done.
                if( viewableMarkers == 2 ){
                    break;
                }
                else if( viewableMarkers <= minMarkers && viewableMarkers > 1 ){
                    // too many markers visible, so zoom in
                    low = zoomLevel + 1;
                    minMarkers = viewableMarkers;
                    minMarkersZoomLevel = zoomLevel;
                }
                else{
                    // not enough markers visible, so zoom out
                    high = zoomLevel - 1;
                }

                /*
                if( !confirm( "Continue the loop? ( zoomLevel = " + zoomLevel + " : " + low + "," + high + " : " + "viewableMarkers = " + viewableMarkers + ", minMarkers = " + minMarkers + ")"  )){
                    break;
                }
                */
            }

            document.getElementById( "map" ).style.display = "block";
        }
        
        function setMarkers( data, responseCode ) 
        {
            var xml = GXml.parse( data );
            var markerTags = xml.documentElement.getElementsByTagName( "marker" );
            var markers = new Array();
            var lat = null;
            var lng = null;
            var point = null;
            var title = null;
            var titleTags = null;
            var addressTags = null;
            var street = null;
            var city = null;
            var state = null;
            var zip = null;
            var html = null;

            for( var i = 0; i < markerTags.length; i++ )
            {
                //only create and set the marker if it exists.
                //note: we are exploiting a couple of un-obvious things about javascript to accomplish this check
                //1: nan and undefined are evaluated as false
                //2: any non-zero number returned will be evaluated as true.
                //to catch points exactly on the equator or prime-meridian(0 lat or lng) additional logic is included.
                if((parseFloat(markerTags[i].getAttribute('lat')) || parseFloat(markerTags[i].getAttribute('lat')) == 0) && (parseFloat( markerTags[i].getAttribute('lng')) || parseFloat( markerTags[i].getAttribute('lng')) == 0))
                {
                    // obtain the attribues of each marker
                    lat = parseFloat( markerTags[i].getAttribute( 'lat' ) );
                    lng = parseFloat( markerTags[i].getAttribute( 'lng' ) );
                    point = new GLatLng( lat,lng );
                
                    titleTags = markerTags[i].getElementsByTagName( "title" );
                    addressTags = markerTags[i].getElementsByTagName( "address" );
                
                    //there is only one title tag and address tag per marker
                    title = titleTags[0].firstChild.nodeValue;
                    street = addressTags[0].getAttribute( 'street' );
                    city = addressTags[0].getAttribute( 'city' );
                    state = addressTags[0].getAttribute( 'state' );
                    zip = addressTags[0].getAttribute( 'zip' );
                
                    html = '<span style="font-weight:bold;">' + title + '</span><br />' + street + '<br />' + city + ', ' + state + ' ' + zip;
                
                    // create the marker
                    markers[i] = createMarker( point, html );
                }
            }
            //append the homeMarker to the end of the markers array.
            markers[markers.length] = homeMarker;

            //add the markers to the marker manager
            markerManager.addMarkers( markers, 0 );

            setZoomLevel( markers );
            homeMarker.openInfoWindowHtml( home_marker_html );
        }
        
        function setHomePoint( home_point ) 
        {
            if ( !home_point ) 
            {
                alert( address + " not found" );
            }
            else
            {
                map.setCenter( home_point, zoomLevel );
                markerManager = new GMarkerManager( map, { borderPadding: 0 } );
                
                homeMarker = createMarker( home_point, home_marker_html, true );

                GDownloadUrl( 'locations.xml', setMarkers );
            }
        } 
        
        // A function to create the marker and set up the event window and tie it to the click event.
        function createMarker( point, html ){
            createMarker( point, html, false );
        }
        
        function createMarker( point, html, is_home  ) 
        {
            if( is_home )
            {
                var icon = new GIcon();
                icon.image = "images/home.png";
                icon.iconSize = new GSize( 20, 20 );
                icon.iconAnchor = new GPoint( 6, 20 );
                icon.infoWindowAnchor = new GPoint( 5, 1 );
                
                var marker = new GMarker( point, icon );
            }            
            else
            {  
                var marker = new GMarker( point );
            }
            //add the onclick event to this marker.
            GEvent.addListener( marker, "click", function(   ) 
            {
                //onclick, open the infoWindow.
                marker.openInfoWindowHtml( html );
            });
            
            return marker;
        }
        
        //create geocoder object
        var geocoder = new GClientGeocoder();
        
        geocoder.getLatLng( address, setHomePoint );
        
        //now add our controls
        map.addControl( new GSmallMapControl( ) );
        map.addControl( new GMapTypeControl( ) );
        map.addControl( new GScaleControl( ) );
        // map.addControl( new GOverviewMapControl( ) );
    }
    else 
    {
        alert( "Sorry, the Google Maps API is not compatible with this browser" );
    }
}