This component enables Google Maps API developers to compute the fastest route that visits a given set of locations.

Different algorithms are selected based on the number of input locations, in order to produce results in a responsive manner. For large sets of points, the returned solution will be approximate. It is an NP-complete problem after all.

Code example:

// Your normal Google Map object initialization 
var myOptions = { zoom: zoom, center: center, mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP }; 
myMap = new google.maps.Map(div, myOptions); 
directionsPanel = document.getElementById("my_textual_div");

// Create the tsp object 

var tsp = new BpTspSolver(myMap, directionsPanel);

// Set your preferences 

tsp.setAvoidHighways(true); 
tsp.setTravelMode(google.maps.DirectionsTravelMode.WALKING);

// Add points (by coordinates, or by address). 
// The first point added is the starting location. 
// The last point added is the final destination (in the case of A - Z mode) 

tsp.addWaypoint(latLng, addWaypointCallback); 

// Note: The callback is new for version 3, to ensure waypoints and addresses appear in the order they were added in. 

tsp.addAddress(address, addAddressCallback);

// Solve the problem (start and end up at the first location) 
tsp.solveRoundTrip(onSolveCallback); 

// Or, if you want to start in the first location and end at the last, 
// but don't care about the order of the points in between: 

tsp.solveAtoZ(onSolveCallback);

// Retrieve the solution (so you can display it to the user or do whatever :-) 
var dir = tsp.getGDirections(); 
// This is a normal GDirections object. 

// The order of the elements in dir now correspond to the optimal route.
// If you just want the permutation of the location indices that is the best route: 
var order = tsp.getOrder();

// If you want the duration matrix that was used to compute the route: 
var durations = tsp.getDurations();

// There are also other utility functions, see the source.