Bing Maps V8 Web Control SDK November 2017 Update

The Bing Maps V8 Web Control has been updated in November with one key feature which lets you provide your Bing Maps key as a URL parameter of the map script URL rather than as a map option when loading the map. This provides two key benefits:

• Load multiple map instances under a single session on a page. Normally, when loading two or more maps on a page, each map instance generates a billable transaction and its own session. By specifying your Bing Maps key in the map script URL, all map instances on a page will use the same map session, and thus reduce the number of billable transactions your application generates.
• Faster live site issue migration. If an issue occurs due to a release, apps which use this new way of specifying a Bing Maps key can have this issue resolved quicker.

Before:

In the past a Bing Maps key would be specified in the map options when loading the map. This will continue to work, but is no longer recommended.

 function GetMap()
{
   var map = new Microsoft.Maps.Map('#myMap', {
        credentials: '[YOUR_BING_MAPS_KEY]',
        zoom: 1
 });
}

<script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.bing.com/api/maps/mapcontrol?callback=GetMap' async defer></script>

After:

It is now recommended to specify your Bing Maps key as part of the map script URL.

 function GetMap()
{
    var map = new Microsoft.Maps.Map('#myMap', {
        zoom: 1
 });
}

<script type='text/javascript' src='https://www.bing.com/api/maps/mapcontrol?callback=GetMap&key=[YOUR_BING_MAPS_KEY]' async defer></script>

Seasonal Code Freeze

The main release branch of the Bing Maps V8 Web Control will be in a code freeze until early January 2018 to reduce the chances of a service interruption during the holiday season. We will however, continue to push regular updates to the experimental branch of Bing Maps V8.

For more information about Bing Maps V8 and our other APIs, go to https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/maps.

- Bing Maps Team