Using Google Places API

The Google Places API went public a couple of weeks ago.

Using the Android compatible Google APIs Client Library for Java, you can use the Google Places API from an Android runtime.

The Google Places API REST API is well documented. For an example on using the Google APIs Client Library for Java and the Google Places API, checkout the following blog entry:

http://ddewaele.blogspot.com/2011/05/introducing-google-places-api.html

The API works well in India(of-course will work anywhere in the globe). What you must go through is Google Places API. You can simply give a url request to google with user's current location and place-types that you would prefer.

The response may be either XML or Json as per your request. All you have to do is parse it out. You can get places around you upto 50 kms. An example for url request is

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/search/xml?location=9.934866,76.267235&radius=50000&types=country%7Cairport%7Camusement_park%7Cbank%7Cbook_store%7Cbus_station%7Ccafe%7Ccar_rental%7Ccar_repair%7Cchurch%7Cdoctor%7Cfire_station%7Cfood%7Chindu_temple%7Chospital%7Clawyer%7Clibrary%7Cmosque%7Cmuseum%7Cpark%7Cparking%7Cpharmacy%7Cpolice%7Cpost_office%7Crestaurant%7Cschool%7Ctrain_station%7Czoo&sensor=true&key=your_API_Key

*Note: %7C is just "|".

Some points to keep in mind:

• In order to use Google’s Places API, you will need to register and obtain a Google Map’s API Key.
• In class UrlSigner in the tutorial the variable descriptions are: keyString => is your Google Map api key. urlString is the url you want to sign using the api key.

• In code you will find inputKey and inputUrl. these 2 variables are just for testing purpose you can omit them if you want. You can directly write code as follows:

  URL url = new URL(urlString);

  UrlSigner signer = new UrlSigner(keyString);

  String request = signer.signRequest(url.getPath(),url.getQuery());

  System.out.println("Signed URL :" + url.getProtocol() + "://" + url.getHost() + request);

in main method of UrlSigner class.