Book Image

Learning Android Google Maps

Book Image

Learning Android Google Maps

Overview of this book

This book helps you to overcome the most common problems faced by users and helps you create a successful map application without any hassle. The book starts with a brief description of how to set up an environment and obtain an API key to create your map application. This book will teach you about adding markers, overlays, and information windows to the map in detail. You will then dive deep into customizing various types of maps and working with location data and Google Street view. By the end of this book, you will be able to create succinct map applications in Android using Google maps efficiently.

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Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Learning Android Google Maps
Learning Android Google Maps
Credits
Credits
About the Author
About the Author
About the Reviewer
About the Reviewer
www.PacktPub.com
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Preface
Free Chapter
1
Setting Up the Development Environment
Setting Up the Development Environment
The importance of Android Google Maps
IDEs for developing Android applications
Android Studio
System requirements for Android Studio
Setting up Android Studio
Setting up AVD for testing
Exploring Android Studio
Additional helpful stuff
Self-test questions
Summary
2
Configuring an API Key and Creating Our First Map Application
Configuring an API Key and Creating Our First Map Application
Generating the SHA1 fingerprint
Registering in the Google Developer Console
Configuring Google Play services
Adding permissions and defining the API key
Creating our first map application
Common problems and solutions
Self-test questions
Summary
3
Working with Different Map Types
Working with Different Map Types
The need for different types of maps
Delving into different types of maps and their differences
Implementing different types of maps
Working with indoor maps
Using the lite mode
Map types and constants
Self-test questions
Summary
4
Adding Information to Maps
Adding Information to Maps
Importance of adding information to a map
Adding information with markers
Expanding markers with information windows
Working with shapes
Using overlays
Self-test questions
Summary
5
Interacting with a Map
Interacting with a Map
Need for interaction with a map
Working with UI controls
Working with the map toolbar
Working with gestures
Disabling/Enabling UI controls and gestures with XML attributes
Disabling/enabling the UI controls and gestures with the GoogleMapOptions object
Working with map events
Using a Projection class
Creating a custom application
Self-test questions
Summary
6
Working with Custom Views
Working with Custom Views
The need for different camera views
Working with camera positions
Moving the camera
Animating the camera
Map padding
Self-test questions
Summary
7
Working with Location Data
Working with Location Data
The need for location data
Prerequisites
Working with the Android Location API
Working with the Google Play services Location API
Integrating location data with maps
Self-test questions
Summary
8
Know about the Street View
Know about the Street View
About Google Street View
Prerequisites
Implementing StreetViewPanoramaFragment
Customizing StreetViewPanorama
Using custom camera views
Other functions
Self-test questions
Summary
9
Google Maps Intents
Google Maps Intents
The need for Google Maps Intents
Defining Intent requests
Display maps
Searching for a location
Using navigation
Displaying StreetViewPanorama
Self-test questions
Summary
10
Creating a Custom Map Application
Creating a Custom Map Application
What the custom application does
What additional libraries/classes do we use
Prerequisites
Implementation
Summary
Answers to Self-test Questions
Answers to Self-test Questions
Chapter 1, Setting Up the Development Environment
Chapter 2, Configuring an API Key and Creating Our First Map Application
Chapter 3, Working with Different Map Types
Chapter 4, Adding Information to Maps
Chapter 5, Interacting with a Map
Chapter 6, Working with Custom Views
Chapter 7, Working with Location Data
Chapter 8, Knowing about the Street View
Chapter 9, Google Maps Intents
Index
Index

Working with UI controls

The Google map's API provides some inbuilt UI controls to make our task easier. The UI controls that can be enabled or disabled are as follows:

  • Zoom controls

  • Compass

  • My Location button

  • Level picker

Let's learn about these UI controls in more detail.

Zoom controls

Zoom controls are normally used for zoom-in and zoom-out functions. These buttons are disabled by default. The new version of the Google Maps application has removed these controls. It is up to you to display or disable them in your application.

These zoom controls are enabled or disabled using the UiSettings class, which can be obtained by calling the getUiSettings() method on the GoogleMap object. Then, call the setZoomControlsEnabled() method on the obtained UiSettings class, which takes a Boolean value as a parameter. The true parameter indicates that zoom controls should be displayed.

Let's now code for this requirement.

The layout code for MapsActivity is as follows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?&gt...
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