Chapter 4
Creating Location-Based Services Applications
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS CHAPTER
- How to display Google Maps in your Android application
- How to display the zoom controls on the map
- Switching between the different map views
- Adding markers to maps
- How to get the address location touched on the map
- How to perform geocoding and reverse geocoding
- Obtaining geographical data using GPS, Cell-ID, and Wi-Fi triangulation
- How to monitor for a location
Everyone has seen the explosive growth of mobile apps in recent years. One category of apps that is very popular is location-based services, commonly known as LBS. LBS apps track your location, and may offer additional services such as locating amenities nearby, as well as offering suggestions for route planning, and so on. Of course, one of the key ingredients in an LBS app is maps, which present a visual representation of your location.
In this chapter, you will learn how to make use of Google Maps in your Android application, and how to manipulate it programmatically. In addition, you will learn how to obtain your geographical location using the LocationManager class available in the Android SDK. At the end of the chapter, you will have created a very cool Android tablet mapping application!
