Android Places Autocomplete set lat long bounds

Question

I am using the Google places Autocomplete API. My application has an Autocomplete text view. Everything is working fine as I followed the example here .

Only issue being I am setting LatLng bounds to that of Mountain View.

  private static final LatLngBounds BOUNDS_MOUNTAIN_VIEW = new LatLngBounds(
        new LatLng(37.398160, -122.180831), new LatLng(37.430610, -121.972090));

My GoogleApiClient

 mGoogleApiClient = new GoogleApiClient.Builder(this)
             .addApi(Places.GEO_DATA_API)
             .build();

When I try to enter an New Orleans address, I have to type a lot which is not a good experience for any user that is out of CA. Is there a better way to set the LatLng bounds depending upon the current location without asking for Location permission or precise location position. I am assuming this is not a limitation of the Places API but just my limited knowledge.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Unfortunately no, you will need the location permission since the permission you choose in your manifest determines the accuracy of the location returned by the Google API Client. I would suggest using ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION which is accurate within 1 city block. Here is how I dynamically got the user's location and made a bound of approx. 5 mile radius around their location.

public class PlacesSearchActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements GoogleApiClient.OnConnectionFailedListener,GoogleApiClient.ConnectionCallbacks, LocationListener {

    private String TAG = this.toString();
    protected GoogleApiClient mGoogleApiClient;
    private AutoCompleteTextView mAutocompleteView;
    private PlaceAutocompleteAdapter mAdapter;
    private LocationRequest mLocationRequest;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_places_search);

        // Construct a GoogleApiClient for the {@link Places#GEO_DATA_API} using AutoManage
        // functionality, which automatically sets up the API client to handle Activity lifecycle
        // events. If your activity does not extend FragmentActivity, make sure to call connect()
        // and disconnect() explicitly.
        mGoogleApiClient = new GoogleApiClient.Builder(this)
                .addConnectionCallbacks(this)
                .addOnConnectionFailedListener(this)
                .enableAutoManage(this, 0 /* clientId */, this)
                .addApi(Places.GEO_DATA_API)
                .addApi(LocationServices.API)
                .build();
        // Create the LocationRequest object
        mLocationRequest = LocationRequest.create()
                .setPriority(LocationRequest.PRIORITY_LOW_POWER)
                .setInterval(10 * 1000)        // 10 seconds, in milliseconds
                .setFastestInterval(1 * 1000); // 1 second, in milliseconds
        // Retrieve the AutoCompleteTextView that will display Place suggestions.
        mAutocompleteView = (AutoCompleteTextView)findViewById(R.id.autocomplete_places);
        // Register a listener that receives callbacks when a suggestion has been selected
        mAutocompleteView.setOnItemClickListener(mAutocompleteClickListener);
    }

    private void setBounds(Location location, int mDistanceInMeters ){
        double latRadian = Math.toRadians(location.getLatitude());

        double degLatKm = 110.574235;
        double degLongKm = 110.572833 * Math.cos(latRadian);
        double deltaLat = mDistanceInMeters / 1000.0 / degLatKm;
        double deltaLong = mDistanceInMeters / 1000.0 / degLongKm;

        double minLat = location.getLatitude() - deltaLat;
        double minLong = location.getLongitude() - deltaLong;
        double maxLat = location.getLatitude() + deltaLat;
        double maxLong = location.getLongitude() + deltaLong;

        Log.d(TAG,"Min: "+Double.toString(minLat)+","+Double.toString(minLong));
        Log.d(TAG,"Max: "+Double.toString(maxLat)+","+Double.toString(maxLong));

        // Set up the adapter that will retrieve suggestions from the Places Geo Data API that cover
        // the entire world.
        mAdapter = new PlaceAutocompleteAdapter(this, android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1,
                mGoogleApiClient, new LatLngBounds(new LatLng(minLat, minLong), new LatLng(maxLat, maxLong)), null);
        mAutocompleteView.setAdapter(mAdapter);
    }

    /**
     * Listener that handles selections from suggestions from the AutoCompleteTextView that
     * displays Place suggestions.
     * Gets the place id of the selected item and issues a request to the Places Geo Data API
     * to retrieve more details about the place.
     *
     * @see com.google.android.gms.location.places.GeoDataApi#getPlaceById(com.google.android.gms.common.api.GoogleApiClient,
     * String...)
     */
    private AdapterView.OnItemClickListener mAutocompleteClickListener = new AdapterView.OnItemClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onItemClick(AdapterView<?> parent, View view, int position, long id) {
            /*
             Retrieve the place ID of the selected item from the Adapter.
             The adapter stores each Place suggestion in a PlaceAutocomplete object from which we
             read the place ID.
              */
            final PlaceAutocompleteAdapter.PlaceAutocomplete item = mAdapter.getItem(position);
            final String placeId = String.valueOf(item.placeId);
            Log.i(TAG, "Autocomplete item selected: " + item.description);

            /*
             Issue a request to the Places Geo Data API to retrieve a Place object with additional
              details about the place.
              */
            PendingResult<PlaceBuffer> placeResult = Places.GeoDataApi
                    .getPlaceById(mGoogleApiClient, placeId);
            placeResult.setResultCallback(mUpdatePlaceDetailsCallback);

            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Clicked: " + item.description,
                    Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
            Log.i(TAG, "Called getPlaceById to get Place details for " + item.placeId);
        }
    };

    /**
     * Callback for results from a Places Geo Data API query that shows the first place result in
     * the details view on screen.
     */
    private ResultCallback<PlaceBuffer> mUpdatePlaceDetailsCallback
            = new ResultCallback<PlaceBuffer>() {
        @Override
        public void onResult(PlaceBuffer places) {
            if (!places.getStatus().isSuccess()) {
                // Request did not complete successfully
                Log.e(TAG, "Place query did not complete. Error: " + places.getStatus().toString());
                places.release();
                return;
            }
            // Get the Place object from the buffer.
            final Place place = places.get(0);

            Log.i(TAG, "Place details received: " + place.getName());

            places.release();
        }
    };

    @Override
    protected void onStart() {
        super.onStart();
        mGoogleApiClient.connect();
    }

    @Override
    protected void onStop() {
        super.onStop();
        if (mGoogleApiClient.isConnected()) {
            LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.removeLocationUpdates(mGoogleApiClient, this);
            mGoogleApiClient.disconnect();
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onConnectionFailed(ConnectionResult connectionResult) {
        Log.e(TAG, "onConnectionFailed: ConnectionResult.getErrorCode() = " + connectionResult.getErrorCode());

        // TODO(Developer): Check error code and notify the user of error state and resolution.
        Toast.makeText(this,"Could not connect to Google API Client: Error " + connectionResult.getErrorCode(),Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }

    @Override
    public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
        setBounds(location,5500);
    }

    @Override
    public void onConnected(Bundle bundle) {
        Location location = LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.getLastLocation(mGoogleApiClient);

        if (location == null) {
            LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.requestLocationUpdates(mGoogleApiClient, mLocationRequest, this);
        } else {
            setBounds(location,5500);
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onConnectionSuspended(int i) {

    }
}

Answer 2

If anyone is looking for an answer @opt05 is not totally correct, if we implement com.google.maps.android:android-maps-utils we can just use SphericalUtil.ComputeOffset to get a

north corner

and a

south corner

and set bounds by an autocompletefilter.

a complete example is :

 LatLng center = new LatLng(mLastLocation.getLatitude(), mLastLocation.getLongitude());
                LatLng northSide = SphericalUtil.computeOffset(center, 50000, 0);
                LatLng southSide = SphericalUtil.computeOffset(center, 50000, 180);

                LatLngBounds bounds = LatLngBounds.builder()
                                    .include(northSide)
                                    .include(southSide)
                                    .build();

                placeLocation.setBoundsBias(bounds);
                placeLocation.setFilter(typeFilter);

                placeDestination.setBoundsBias(bounds);
                placeDestination.setFilter(typeFilter);

here placeLocation is a AutoCompleteFragment and northside and southside method computeOffset is

(center where you currently are or whatever position you would like to limit"Put a radius on" in your case its moutainview)

(50,000 is the distance in metes)

(0 is for north, 90 is east, 180 south, 270 west).