title: How can I retrieve the google map api object after it is declared/initialized; re-center map object (v3)?
body: <p>I am just getting underway with google maps api (v3) and it looks good, but I am having some difficulty retrieving the map object, after it has been declared/initialized elsewhere.</p>
  
  <pre><code>&lt;script type="text/javascript"&gt;
    function initialize() {
      var latlng = new google.maps.LatLng(38.90229, -77.021899);
      var myOptions = {
        zoom: 8,
        center: latlng,
        mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP
      };
      var map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById("map_canvas"),
      myOptions);
    }
  
    function Search() {
      alert ("Searching...");
      var map = document.getElementById("map_canvas");
      // Want to do is map.setCenter(...) but I don't know how to retrieve the map object
    }
  
  &lt;/script&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>See the Search function I'm working on?  I want to re-center the map, ultimately.  But, generally, I want to retrieve the map object that was created upon initialization.</p>
  
  <p>Thank you.</p>