Using Google Earth to query database

Question

I've been reading about using Google Earth to query data (this article) and I'm interested in learning how to make one of these.

I just have a couple of questions: 1. Is this possible with the free version of Google Earth? 2. Can Google Earth connect to any database application (i.e. Access/SQL Serve)? 3. Is it a good query tool (in comparison to querying layers in ArcGIS or a relational database)? 4. How long does it take to make one of these tools?

Thanks for your help everyone!

Answer 1

This was an interesting article, but I wouldn't suggesting starting a new project along these lines, for the following reasons:

1. The approach given in the Article uses The COM API, which has been Deprecated. The latest versions of Google Earth, can no longer be controlled by the COM API calls.
2. Querying an MS access database is way more difficult than using XSLT. It is more trouble and not worth the output.
3. There may be better ways of doing what you want to achieve in some other GIS like QGIS, which would be better in the long term, since it will work in the future. Even if you manage to get an old version of Google Earth which works with the COM API, there is no guarantee that it will continue to work in the future.