Tag: Google Maps

  • Android app codes for Google Maps with clustering

    I prepared Android app codes with Google Maps and clustering feature. Feel free to use these as basis for your new projects.

    They are on GitHub:

    Android map clustering with default markers

    [1] Default Map Markers:
    catzie/SimpleAndroidMapClustering

     

     

    I simply took the necessary classes and res files from Android Maps Utility demo, and then placed them into bare Android Studio projects for simplicity. For me, it’s easier to start a new “maps with clustering” project on simple apps like these, rather than downloading the entire Android Maps Utility Demo, picking out the necessary files, and fixing errors before getting started each time. 😆

     

  • Android Maps: Get current location coordinates with Google API Client Builder

    To get your current location via Google Map in an Android app, this was how we do it:

    Stop. Don’t use that! The method GoogleMap.getMyLocation() is deprecated. Instead, we need to use FusedLocationApi and the callback onLocationChanged().

    Here’s an example code that works for me ( consider copying the contents of onResume() into onStart() ):

    Code source: How to get current location of device on google maps api v2, getMyLocation() method is deprecated

  • Android Studio: add Google Map from empty activity (dev note)

    //Update: I prepared a simple Android app that features a Google Map with markers that form clusters together when zoomed out. Check it out: Simple Android Map Clustering on GitHub.

    This “dev note” of mine will give you a rough idea on how to add a Google Map to your Android up from an empty activity, not from a pre-made Google Maps activity.

    I won’t be able to write everything in detail here because I’m in a hurry, and so I’m calling this article a “dev note” instead of tutorial. 🙂 This dev note can be considered a “guide” too.

    This dev note was based on Android Studio v.2.1 running on MAC OS X

    From your Android Studio’s SDK Manager, install Google Play Services.

    Add this as child of <application> tag in AndroidManifest.xml:

    Later we’ll replace YOUR_API_KEY with a key from Google API Console.

    Also add these to your AndroidManifest.xml as direct child of manifest tag:

    We need to get an API KEY for the value attribute of this meta data. Let’s get one from the Google API Console — create a new project there and then search for Google Maps Android API. Enable it.

    After enabling it, you’ll find a way to get an API key that we need from Google API Console. Go to Credentials -> Create Credentials -> API Key -> Android Key. Before we are given the API key, we need to provide Google API Console a SHA1 certificate fingerprint from our computer and our app’s package name.

    To generate SHA1 certificate fingerprint on a Mac, type this on the terminal:

    On Windows, try this command:

    When prompted for a keystore password, enter the word debug as your password.

    Copy the SHA1 certificate fingerprint and then paste it into Google API Console. Enter your package name as well (e.g. com.yourdomain.projname). You’ll be given an API Key in return.

    Note: My Android Studio says ‘In the Google Developer Console (https://console.developers.google.com), ensure that the “Google Maps Android API v2” is enabled.’ but I can’t find the option for V2.

    Remember the meta-data tag we added in the AndroidManifest.xml? Replace the value with the API key that you just copied from Google API Console.

    Resource: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/android-api/signup

    Open app/build.gradle file and add the following as dependency:

    Sync your project with Gradle files.

    This was one of the tutorials I followed: GOOGLE MAPS ANDROID API V2 TUTORIAL USING ANDROID STUDIO and I based my XML plus Java codes on the author’s.

    My files in the end…

    Here were the codes of my Android app when I finally made the Google Map show up in the activity:

    app/build.gradle

    build.gradle

    app/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml

    app/src/main/java/net/catzie/maptest/MainActivity.java

    app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml

    …even though the Google Map now shows up on my Android activity, I get these errors that I’m not able to fix yet:

  • Google Maps get coordinates on click or drag and drop

    Google Maps get coordinates on click or drag and drop

    With this tutorial you’ll see how we can place a Google map with search box on your web page, and then get coordinates (i.e. latitude and longitude) based on where you click or where you drag and drop the marker into. The JavaScript API of Google Maps will help us achieve this.

    This kind of map will be useful if you want to save coordinates from a Google map into your database. For example, if you’d like to save coordinates of a user-defined location, you can incorporate this map into your registration process — ask your users to point the marker to their location by clicking on the map or by dragging then dropping the marker.

    There will be two types of icons in this map. First, a red default marker. Wherever you move it, we’ll get the coordinates that it points to. Second, white square markers which will appear to point to the location you searched for using the search box.

    Map Demo

    Try the map below — this is more or less how our map will look like later at the end of this tutorial. 🙂 Please read on and soon I’ll share the codes with you.

    Get coordinates from Google Map

    Latitude:   Longitude:


    Click on any point or drag the marker to get coordinates.

     

    This tutorial will cover the following:

    • Google map on a web page
    • Search box for map
    • Get map coordinates on click
    • Get map coordinates on drag and drop of the marker
    And you will need these:

    • Familiarity with HTML and JavaScript
    • Internet connection
    • Google account
    • Development environment (I used XAMPP on Windows 7 for this)
    • Code editor (I use Sublime Text)

    (more…)