Cannot find namespace 'google'.

[DarkTrick]

Operating system

macOS 12.04

Browser Version

Firefox 100.0.2

How severe is the bug?

moderate

Bug description

This bug is about the code excerpt from https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/react-map#add-map

Using the given code block (see below), will lead to
Cannot find namespace 'google'. and Property 'google' does not exist on type 'Window & typeof globalThis'. The imports linked in this repository does also not solve the problem.

const ref = React.useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
const [map, setMap] = React.useState<google.maps.Map>();

React.useEffect(() => {
  if (ref.current && !map) {
    setMap(new window.google.maps.Map(ref.current, {}));
  }
}, [ref, map]);

Steps to reproduce

Follow the steps on https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/react-map#typescript

Console log output

Uncaught TypeError: window.google is undefined

Source code as suggested by the guide

import React from 'react';
import { Wrapper, Status } from '@googlemaps/react-wrapper';

export const Map: React.FC<{}> = () => {
	const ref = React.useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
	const [map, setMap] = React.useState<google.maps.Map>();

	React.useEffect(() => {
		if (ref.current && !map) {
			setMap(new window.google.maps.Map(ref.current, {}));
		}
	}, [ref, map]);

	return <div ref={ref} />;
};

export const MyMap: React.FC = () => {
	return (
		<>
			<Map />
		</>
	);
};

[DarkTrick]

I found a solution. The docs are rather confusing in various points.
The code below is a working example, in case anyone is struggling similarly.

Would be nice, if the docs could feature a more simpler and working example like the one below :)

/**
 * Packages to install:
 * 	 yarn add @googlemaps/react-wrapper
 **/

import React from 'react';
import { Wrapper, Status } from '@googlemaps/react-wrapper';

/**
 * Internal component you use as a pure wrapper for google maps
 **/
const GoogleMap: React.FC = () => {
	const myRef = React.useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
	const [map, setMap] = React.useState<any>();

	// Why `as any`? `window.google` will be set dynamically within `<Wrapper>`.
	// However, typescript does not know about that. So we make it shut up.
	const google = (window as any).google;

	const centerPoint = { lat: 52.5167, lng: 13.3833 };

	React.useEffect(() => {
		if (myRef.current && !map) {
			setMap(
				new google.maps.Map(myRef.current, {
					center: centerPoint,
					zoom: 13, // IMPORTANT: Without `zoom` your map stays blank
				})
			);
		}
	}, [myRef, map]);

	// IMPORTANT: You cannot move the Wrapper inside this component (for an unknown reason). 
	// Doing so will lead to a blank screen.
	return <div ref={myRef} style={{ width: '100%', height: '500px' }} />;
};

/**
 * Component you will use in the rest of your code
 **/
export const MyMap: React.FC = () => {
	// IMPORTANT: Wrapper must be here, cannot be above
	return (
		<Wrapper apiKey={'[Your API key]'}>
			<GoogleMap />
		</Wrapper>
	);
};

[sijn82]

Thanks for this, now I have a working example I can start playing around.

[wangela]

@DarkTrick Thank you for sharing your solution! We'll look at improving the code sample.