Question

I have a panto marker function which requires the longitude and latitude variables. I have the ability to send the contact name as a variable.

The contact name is the tag for the marker i want to pan to. Is it possible for me to get the longitude and latitude of the marker by tag?

Here is my panto function

 function pantoUser(lati,longi,i)
{
    jQuery("#dispatcher").gmap3({
        action: 'panTo',
        args:[new google.maps.LatLng(lati,longi)],
        zoom: 7
               });
               currentPoint = i;
                jQuery("#dispatcher").css({
                    cursor: 'pointer'
                });
                jQuery('#markerTitle' + i + '').fadeIn({
                    duration: 200,
                    queue: false
                }).animate({
                    bottom: "32px"
                }, {
                    duration: 200,
                    queue: false
                });
            jQuery("#target").stop(true, true).fadeIn(1200).delay(500).fadeOut(1200);
                jQuery("#dispatcher").css({
                    cursor: 'default'
                });
                jQuery('#markerTitle' + i + '').stop(true, true).fadeOut(2000, function() {
                    jQuery("#dispatcher").css({
                        bottom: "0"
                    })
                jQuery("#target").stop(true, true).fadeIn(1200).delay(500).fadeOut(1200);
                });

}

I was thinking of something like this?

 function locateLastSpeaker(name) {
var lati = SOMEHOW GET IT
var longi = SOMEHOW GET IT
pantoUser(lati,longi,1)

}

EDIT after trying duncans solution!!

var stuMarkers = {};

function addMarker(i, lati, longi, id, name, state, datestring) {
 var placename = name;
 stuMarkers[placename].lat = lati;
 stuMarkers[placename].lng = longi;
    $('#dispatcher').gmap3(
      { action: 'addMarker', ....etc

Answer 1

Instead of an array as barry suggests, what about an object, keyed on the name. That way you won’t even have to loop.

var stuMarkers = {};  // global variable outside of any function

// loop creating your markers

function addMarker(i, lati, longi, id, name, state, datestring) {
 var placename = name;
 stuMarkers[placename] = {};
 stuMarkers[placename].lat = lati;
 stuMarkers[placename].lng = longi;
 stuMarkers[placename].i = i;
 ...
}


function locateLastSpeaker(name) {
  pantoUser(stuMarkers[name].lat,stuMarkers[name].lng,stuMarkers[name].i);
}