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Suma Dealer Locator

Store and dealer locator with interactive maps, geolocation, and customizable templates.

Overview​

Suma Dealer Locator is a comprehensive store/dealer finder plugin that helps customers locate physical retail locations. Features include interactive Google Maps integration, GeoIP automatic location detection, radius-based search, category filtering, and page builder support (Gutenberg, Elementor, Visual Composer).

Current Version: 3.0.3
Requires: WordPress 4.8.1+, PHP 7.0+
Text Domain: suma-dealer-locator

Key Features​

Interactive Map Integration​

  • Google Maps API — Full-featured Google Maps with custom markers
  • Marker Clustering — Groups nearby locations for cleaner display
  • Info Windows — Detailed location information on marker click
  • Pin Bounce Animation — Visual feedback on listing hover
  • Dynamic Zoom — Auto-zoom to show closest 10 locations

Geolocation & Search​

  • MaxMind GeoIP Lookup — Automatic location detection from IP address
  • Radius Search — Find dealers within specified distance
  • Address Search — Search by city, state, or zip code
  • GPS Coordinates — Latitude/longitude-based distance calculation

Dealer Management​

  • Custom Post Type — suma_dealer post type for dealer entries
  • Custom Fields — Address, phone, email, website, hours
  • Category Taxonomy — Organize dealers by type or category
  • Bulk Import — CSV import via WP All Import plugin
  • Manual Entry — WordPress admin interface for adding dealers

Front-End Display​

  • Shortcode Support — [suma_dealer_locator] embed anywhere
  • Gutenberg Block — Native WordPress editor integration
  • Elementor Widget — Visual page builder support
  • Visual Composer Module — Legacy page builder compatibility
  • Template System — Override layouts in theme folder

User Experience​

  • Get Directions — Google Maps directions link
  • Responsive Design — Mobile-friendly interface (no Bootstrap dependency)
  • Category Filtering — Filter dealers by category on-the-fly
  • Results Listing — Sortable list view with distance calculations

How It Works​

  1. User Location — Auto-detect via GeoIP or manual entry
  2. Database Query — Find dealers within search radius
  3. Distance Calculation — Calculate miles/kilometers to each dealer
  4. Map Rendering — Display dealers on Google Maps
  5. List Display — Show dealers in sortable list format
  6. User Interaction — Click markers, hover listings, get directions

Architecture Overview​

User Location Input
    ↓
GeoIP Lookup (if needed)
    ↓
Database Query
    ↓
Distance Calculation
    ↓
Results Filtering
    ↓
Map Rendering + List Display

Use Cases​

  • Retail Locations — Help customers find nearby stores
  • Service Providers — Connect users with authorized dealers
  • Franchise Networks — Display franchise locations
  • Event Venues — Show multiple location options
  • Distribution Networks — Find authorized distributors

Technical Requirements​

  • WordPress 4.8.1 or higher
  • PHP 7.0 or higher (8.0+ recommended)
  • Google Maps JavaScript API key
  • MaxMind GeoIP2 database (for IP geolocation)
  • WP All Import plugin (for CSV imports)

Page Builder Support​

Gutenberg (Block Editor)​

  • Native Gutenberg block with sidebar settings
  • Customizable map height, default location, radius
  • No shortcode required

Elementor​

  • Custom Elementor widget
  • Visual configuration panel
  • Live preview in editor

Visual Composer​

  • Legacy Visual Composer module
  • Backward compatibility maintained

Classic Editor​

  • Standard shortcode: [suma_dealer_locator]
  • Attributes for customization

Template Override System​

Override plugin templates by creating:

your-theme/
  suma-dealer-locator/
    dealer-listing.php
    map-container.php
    search-form.php

Copy templates from [plugin]/templates/ directory.

Data Structure​

Dealer Post Type​

Post Type: suma_dealer
Supports: title, editor, thumbnail
Hierarchical: No

Custom Fields:

  • Address (street, city, state, zip)
  • Geographic coordinates (lat/lng)
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Website URL
  • Business hours
  • Dealer categories

Dealer Categories​

Taxonomy: dealer_category
Purpose: Filter and organize dealers by type

Framework Integration​

Suma Dealer Locator uses the Suma Framework for:

  • Modular plugin architecture
  • Dependency management
  • Version compatibility checking
  • Auto-update functionality
  • Shared utility functions

Framework version checker ensures compatibility across Suma plugins.