The document provides an overview of geolocation and mapping using Google Maps services, covering the concepts of geolocation, mapping, and relevant APIs available in Cordova for accessing location and heading data. It details the methods and objects associated with geolocation, such as retrieving current positions and managing events in mapping, as well as showcasing how to manipulate Google Maps through various utilities, markers, polylines, and service requests for directions and distance calculations. Additionally, it illustrates practical examples using JavaScript to implement these functionalities.

1. Gran Sasso Science Institute
Ivano Malavolta
Geolocation and mapping

2. Roadmap
Introduction
Geolocation
Google Maps Services*
* In this lecture we refer to Google Maps Services only because of space limitations.
Other services, like Yahoo! Place Finder, Open Street Maps, etc. can be used as valid
alternatives

3. Geolocation
Geolocation is the identification of the real-world geographic
location of an object, like:
• mobile phone
• Internet-connected computer terminal
Geolocation may refer to the practice of assessing the location,
or to the actual assessed location

4. Mapping
Mapping usually refers to map-making and often used instead
of cartography
In Cordova you can use any JS library for maps:
GMaps, Leaflet, Bing Maps,
Cordova plugins for native maps

5. Geolocation VS Mapping
Geolocation refers to geospatial
data collection and manipulation
ex. LatLon calculations, geocoding, etc.
Mapping refers to the activity of
creating a map through some
cartographic works
ex. maps, layers, markers, routes, etc.

6. Roadmap
Introduction
Geolocation
Google Maps Services*
* In this lecture we refer to Google Maps Services only because of space limitations.
Other services, like Yahoo! Place Finder, Open Street Maps, etc. can be used as valid
alternatives

7. Geolocation
navigator.geolocation
Provides access for capturing location information for the
device, like:
• latitude
• longitude
• Speed

8. Geolocation
The API itself is agnostic of the underlying location information
sources
Common sources of location information include
• Global Positioning System (GPS)
• location info from IP address, RFID, WiFi,GSM cell IDs, etc.
No guarantee is given that the API returns the device's actual
location
This API is based on the W3C Geolocation API Specification,
and only executes on devices that don't already provide an
implementation

9. Geolocation Methods
The geolocation object provides 3 methods:
• geolocation.getCurrentPosition
• geolocation.watchPosition
• geolocation.clearWatch

10. getCurrentPosition
It returns the device's current position
getCurrentPosition(win, [fail], [options]);
win
callback function with a Position parameter
fail
error callback
options
geolocation options

11. watchPosition
It gets the device's position when a change in position has been
detected
var id = watchPosition(win, [fail], [options]);
win
callback function with a Position parameter
fail
error callback
options
geolocation options

12. clearWatch
Stop watching the Geolocation referenced by the watch ID
parameter
clearWatch(watchID);
watchID
ID returned by geolocation.watchPosition

13. Options
• enableHighAccuracy (Boolean)
– receive the best possible results (e.g., GPS)
– by default Cordova uses network-based methods
• timeout (Number)
– the maximum length of time (msec) that is allowed to pass from
the call until the
corresponding callback is invoked, otherwise the
error callback is called
• maximumAge (Number)
– accept a cached position whose age is no greater than the
specified time in milliseconds

14. The Position object
Contains the data created by the geolocation API
It is passed as argument to the success callbacks of
getCurrentPosition and watchPosition
Properties:
• coords
– a set of geographic Coordinates
• timestamp
– creation timestamp in milliseconds

15. The Coordinates object
Properties:
• latitude (Number)
– Latitude in decimal degrees
• longitude (Number)
– Longitude in decimal degrees
• accuracy (Number)
– Accuracy level of the latitude and longitude
coordinates in meters
http://bit.ly/Ln6AtM

16. The Coordinates object
• altitude (Number)
– Height of the position in meters above the ellipsoid
• altitudeAccuracy (Number)
– Accuracy level of the altitude coordinate in meters
http://bit.ly/Ln7V3H

17. The Coordinates object
• heading (Number)
– Direction of travel, specified in degrees counting clockwise relative to
the true north
• speed (Number)
– Current ground speed of the device, specified in meters per second
http://bit.ly/LnanXV
The Compass API in Cordova is
exclusively dedicated to the heading
property

18. Position Error
Encapsulates the error code resulting from a failed position
capture operation
It contains a pre-defined error code
PositionError.PERMISSION_DENIED
PositionError.POSITION_UNAVAILABLE
PositionError.TIMEOUT

19. Example
var
options
=
{
maximumAge:
3000,
timeout:
5000,
enableHighAccuracy:
true
};
navigator.geolocation.watchPosition(win,
fail,
options);
function
win(pos)
{
var
el
=
‘<div>Latitude:
‘
+
pos.coords.latitude
+
'</div>');
el
+=
‘<div>Longitude:
‘
+
pos.coords.longitude
+
'</div>');
el
+=
‘<div>timestamp:
‘
+
pos.timestamp
+
'</div>');
$(‘#block’).html(el);
}
function
fail(err)
{
console.log(err.code);
}

20. The compass API
navigator.compass
You can call 3 methods on it:
• getCurrentHeading
• watchHeading
• clearWatch

21. getCurrentHeading
getCurrentHeading(win,
[fail],
[options]);
It detects the direction or heading that the device is pointed
from the top of the device
win
callback function with an Heading parameter
fail
error callback
options
compass options

22. watchHeading
var
id
=
watchHeading(win,
[fail],
[options]);
It gets the device's heading at a regular interval
win
callback function with an Heading parameter
fail
error callback
options
compass options

23. clearWatch
clearWatch(watchID);
Stop watching the heading of the device by referencing the
watchID parameter
watchID
ID returned by heading.watchHeading

24. Options
• frequency (Number)
– How often to retrieve the compass heading in milliseconds
• filter (Number)
– in iOS the success callback of a watchHeading call can also be
called once the sensed
heading values are greater than a
given filter
– the filter option represents the change in degrees
required to initiate a watchHeading
success
callback
iOS only

25. The CompassHeading object
Properties
• magneticHeading (Number)
– the heading in degrees from 0-359.99 at a single moment in time
• trueHeading (Number)
– The heading relative to the geographic North Pole
• headingAccuracy (Number)
– the deviation in degrees between the reported heading and the true
heading
• timestamp (Number)
– The time at which this heading was determined in milliseconds

26. The CompassError object
Encapsulates the error code resulting from a failed heading
capture operation
It contains a pre-defined error code
– CompassError.COMPASS_INTERNAL_ERR
– CompassError.COMPASS_NOT_SUPPORTED

27. Compass example
var
options
=
{
frequency:
2000
};
navigator.compass.watchHeading(win,
fail,
options);
function
win(compass)
{
console.log(compass.magneticHeading);
}
function
fail(err)
{
console.log(err.code);
}

28. Roadmap
Introduction
Geolocation
Google Maps Services*
* In this lecture we refer to Google Maps Services only because of space limitations.
Other services, like Yahoo! Place Finder, Open Street Maps, etc. can be used as valid
alternatives

29. Google Maps API
The Google Maps Javascript API lets you embed Google Maps in
your app
The latest version (v3) of this API
is especially designed to be faster
and more applicable to mobile
devices
http://www.cibando.com

30. Goole Maps API
The API provides a number of utilities for manipulating maps and
adding content to the map through a variety of services
You can see it like a way to programmatically manage maps on
http://maps.google.com

31. GMaps Basics
google.maps.Map
This object represents a GMaps map
it will contain the maps along with all the other elements, like
markers, polygons, etc.

32. GMaps Basics
Here is its constructor:
google.maps.Map(htmlElement, options);
• htmlElement
– a reference to a HTML element where you want the map to be
inserted
• for example <div id=“map”></div>
• options
– an object literal containing a set of properties

33. GMaps Basics
The options parameter may have these properties:
• center (google.maps.LatLng)
– the center of the map
• zoom (Number)
– the initial zoom-level of the map
• mapTypeId (google.maps.MapTypeId)
– what kind of map type that would initially be used
– The most common type is google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP

34. GMaps Basics
• draggable (boolean)
– if false, prevents the map from being dragged
• minZoom (Number)
– the minimum zoom level which will be displayed on the map
• maxZoom (Number)
– the maximum zoom level which will be displayed on the map
• zoomControl (boolean)
– if false, hides the control to zoom in the map
• etc...

35. The LatLng object
It is a point in geographical coordinates:
• latitude
• longitude
ex. new google.maps.LatLng(42.3606,13.3772);

36. The LatLngBounds object
It represents a rectangle in geographical coordinates
• south-west
• north-east
var pt = new google.maps.LatLngBounds(
new google.maps.LatLng(57.8, 14.0),
new google.maps.LatLng(57.8, 14.0)
);
contains(pt), intersect(bounds), getCenter(),
union(bounds), etc.

37. Map Types
You must specifically set an initial map type at this time as well
mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP
Supported types:
• ROADMAP
• SATELLITE
• HYBRID
• TERRAIN

38. Example
// in your JS file
var options = {
center: new google.maps.LatLng(-34.397, 150.644),
zoom: 8,
mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP
};
var map = new
google.maps.Map(document.getElementById(“map”),
options);
// somewhere in your HTML templates
<div id=“map”></div>

39. GMaps Events
There are 2 types of events:
• User events
– are propagated from the DOM to the Google Maps API
– for example touchend
• MVC state change notifications
– reflect changes in Maps API objects and are named using a
property_changed convention
– for example the API will fire a zoom_changed event on a map when the
map's zoom level changes

40. Map Event Listeners
You register for event notifications using the addListener()
event handler
google.maps.event.addListener(obj, eventname, callback)
• obj: the object on which the event can occur
– ex. the whole map, a marker, etc.
• eventname: an event to listen for
– ex. “click”, “center_changed”, “zoom_changed”, etc.
– every objects can respond to different types of events
• callback: function to call when the specified event occurs

41. DOM Object Events
It allows you to capture events occurred on elements within the
DOM
addDOMListener(obj, eventname, callback)
It is similar to addListener, but here obj can be any element
within the DOM

42. Example
var map = new
google.maps.Map(document.getElementById(“map”), opt);
google.maps.event.addListener(map, 'click',
function(event) {
var marker = new google.maps.Marker({
position: event.latLng,
map: map
});
map.setCenter(marker.getPosition());
}
);

43. GMaps Overlays
Overlays are objects that you “add” on the map, like
• points,
• lines,
• areas,
• collection of other objects
They are tied to latitude/longitude coordinates
à so they move when you drag or zoom the map
http://bit.ly/Lztdac

44. Types of Overlays in GMaps
• Marker
– represent single locations on the map
– can be represented also by an icon
• Polyline
– an ordered sequence of locations
– represent lines on the map
In this lecture we will focus on
markers & polylines only
http://bit.ly/LztJoV

45. Types of Overlays in GMaps
• Polygon
– an ordered sequence of locations
– define a region on the map
• Map Types
– represent map layers
– can replace base map tiles
– can be displayed on top of
base map tiles
http://bit.ly/LztFoV
http://www.mapofthedead.com/

46. Types of Overlays in GMaps
• Info Window
– displays content within a popup
balloon on top of a map
– linked to a specific location
• Custom Overlay
– any DOM element that be
positioned on the map
http://bit.ly/LztFoV

47. Markers
Markers identify locations on the map
Markers are designed to be interactive
à you can attach event listeners to them
ex.
marker = new google.maps.Marker({
// options
});
google.maps.event.addListener(marker, 'click', callback);

48. Marker Options
The google.maps.Marker constructor takes a single object literal
specifying the initial properties of the marker
• position
– LatLng identifying the initial location of the marker
• map
– the Map object on which to place the marker
– You can add the marker later by calling setMap() method
– You can remove a marker by calling setMap()with null

49. Marker Options
• animation
– google.maps.Animation.DROP
– google.maps.Animation.BOUNCE
You may initiate an animation on an existing marker by calling
setAnimation() on the marker object
• draggable
– makes the marker draggable on the map
• icon
– used to set a custom icon for the marker
– it defines the URL of an image to be used as icon
– The Google Maps API will size the icon automatically

50. Polylines
A Polyline object consists of an array of LatLngs
It creates a series of line segments that connect those locations in
an ordered sequence
Similarly to Marker, the constructor of Polyline takes an
object literal containing the options
Also Polyline can react to user events

51. Polylines Options
• path[]
– array of LatLng, one for each point of the polyline
• strokeColor
– color of the lines in CSS syntax
• strokeOpacity
– opacity of the lines as a decimal number between 0 and 1
• strokeWeight
– the weight of the line's stroke in pixels
• editable
– boolean, specifies whether users can modify it or not

52. Example
var map; // the map object (initialization omitted here)
var coords = [
new google.maps.LatLng(37.772323, -122.214897),
new google.maps.LatLng(21.291982, -157.821856),
new google.maps.LatLng(-18.142599, 178.431),
new google.maps.LatLng(-27.46758, 153.027892)
];
var polyline = new google.maps.Polyline({
path: coords,
strokeColor: "#00FF00",
strokeOpacity: 1.0,
strokeWeight: 1
});
polyline.setMap(map);

53. GMaps Services
3 are the main services provided by GMaps:
• Directions
• Distance Matrix
• Geocoding

54. Directions
You can calculate directions (using a variety of methods of
transportation) by using the object
google.maps.DirectionsService
This object communicates with Google Maps which receives
direction requests and returns computed results
You can
1. manage these directions results directly
2. use the DirectionsRenderer object to render them

55. Direction Requests
1. create an object of type DirectionsService
2. create a DirectionsRequest object literal containing the
input terms
3. call DirectionsService.route()to initiate a request to
the Directions service
4. manage the results via a callback function manageRoute
var dirService = new google.maps.DirectionsService();
var request = {
origin: ”…”,
destination: “…”,
travelMode: google.maps.TravelMode.DRIVING
};
dirService.route(request, manageRoute);

56. Directions Request Properties

57. Directions Results
When sending a directions request to the DirectionsService,
you receive a response consisting of
1. a DirectionsResult object
– contains an array of DirectionsRoute object, each of them
representing a route from the origin to destination
2. a status code
– OK, NOT_FOUND, ZERO_RESULTS, INVALID_REQUEST, etc.

58. Example of Route
http://goo.gl/maps/ZK4H
origin
destination
waypoints
steps
legs

59. Routes
It is an object literal with the following fields:
• legs[]: array of DirectionsLeg objects
• waypoint_order[]: indicates the order of waypoints
• overview_path[]: array of LatLngs approximating the path of
the resulting directions
• bounds: LatLngBounds containing the route
• copyrights: text
• warnings: text

60. Legs
It is an object literal with the following fields:
• steps[]: array of DirectionsStep objects
• distance: total distance covered by this leg
• duration: total duration of the leg
• start_location: the origin of the leg as LatLng
• end_location: the destination of the leg as LatLng
• start_address: the origin of the leg as text
• end_address: the destination of the leg as text

61. Steps
It is an object literal with the following fields:
• instructions: instructions for this step within as text
• distance: total distance covered by this step
• duration: total duration of the step
• start_location: the origin of the leg as LatLng
• end_location: the destination of the leg as LatLng

62. Example
http://bit.ly/KtJrUM

63. Distance Matrix
It is a service to compute
1. travel distance
2. journey duration
between multiple origins and destinations
This service does not return detailed route information
à you need the Directions Service for these

64. Distance Requests
google.maps.DistanceMatrixService .getDistanceMatrix(opt
ions, callback)
where
• options
– object literals containing origin, destination, travel modes, ...
• callback
– the function executed upon response

65. Distance Request Options
• origins
– array containing one or more address strings and/or LatLng
• destinations
– array containing one or more address strings and/or LatLng
• travelMode
– google.maps.TravelMode.DRIVING
– google.maps.TravelMode.WALKING
– google.maps.TravelMode.BICYCLING
• unitSystem
– google.maps.UnitSystem.METRIC
– google.maps.UnitSystem.IMPERIAL
• avoidHighways (boolean)
• avoidTolls (boolean)

66. Distance Responses
A successful call to the Distance Matrix service returns:
• a DistanceMatrixResponse object
• a DistanceMatrixStatus object
These are passed to the callback function you specified in the
request

67. DistanceMatrixResponse
It is an object containing the following properties:
• originAddresses
– array containing the locations passed in the origins field
• destinationAddresses
– array containing the locations passed in the destinations field
• rows
– array of DistanceMatrixResponseRow objects, with each row
corresponding to an origin
• elements
– are children of rows, and correspond to a pairing of the row's origin
with each destination
– They contain status, distance, and duration information for each
origin/destination pair

68. Example
var origin = “L’Aquila, Italy";
var destination = “London, England";
var service = new google.maps.DistanceMatrixService();
service.getDistanceMatrix({
origins: [origin],
destinations: [destination],
travelMode: google.maps.TravelMode.DRIVING,
avoidHighways: false,
avoidTolls: false
}, callback);
function callback(response, status) {
if (status == google.maps.DistanceMatrixStatus.OK) {
var t = response.rows[0].elements[0].distance.text;
alert(t);
}
}

69. Geocoding
It is the process of converting addresses into geographical
coordinates
ex.
“via Vetoio 1, L’Aquila” à 42.362319,13.368514
A geocoder may return more than a result
You can also perform the inverse conversion
à reverse geocoding

70. Geocoding Requests
var geocoder = google.maps.Geocoder();
geocoder.geocode(options, callback);
where
• options (object literal)
– address (String) à geocoding
– latLng (LatLng) à reverse geocoding
– bounds (LatLngBounds)
– region (String)
• see http://www.iana.org/assignments/language-subtag-registry
• callback
– the function executed upon response

71. Geocoding Responses
They are passed to the callback function as a
GeocoderResults object

72. Example
geocoder = new google.maps.Geocoder();
var address = “via Vetoio 1, L’Aquila”;
geocoder.geocode( { 'address': address}, callback);
function callback(results, status) {
if (status == google.maps.GeocoderStatus.OK) {
for(result in results) {
console.log(result.geometry.location);
}
} else {
console.log(status);
}
}

73. What’s more?
• Controls
– UI elements to allow user interaction with the map
– zoom, Street View, scale, map type
• Layers
– GeoRSS, KML, Fusion Tables, etc.
• Map Types & Styles (see http://bit.ly/JEA6Nu)
– custom styles, image overlays, etc.
• StreetView Services
• Drawing Library
– drawing tools, geometry, etc.

74. Open source implementations
Geocoding and Reverse geolocation
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Nominatim
Mapping
http://leafletjs.com + Open Street Map tiles
Operations on maps
check Leaflet plugins
For a more “native feeling”, Cordova plugins:
http://plugins.cordova.io/#/package/com.phonegap.plugins.mapkit
http://plugins.cordova.io/#/package/com.risingj.cordova.maplauncher

75. References
https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/
http://cordova.apache.org/docs/en/3.4.0

76. + 39 380 70 21 600
Contact
Ivano Malavolta |
Gran Sasso Science Institute
iivanoo
ivano.malavolta@univaq.it
www.ivanomalavolta.com