Getting results of nearby places from User's Location using Google Maps API in Android

Question

This is the first time using google map API and google places API. I am doing a demo application that displays the list hospitals (for example) nearest to the user's location with routes to each of the hospitals. I been able to get the user's location with the code below the:

public class MainActivity extends ActionBarActivity {
    private GoogleMap map;
    UiSettings mapSettings;

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

        map = ((MapFragment) getFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.map)).getMap();

        if (map != null) {
           // map.addMarker(new MarkerOptions().position(myLocation).title("Start"));
            map.setMyLocationEnabled(true);
            mapSettings = map.getUiSettings();
            mapSettings.setScrollGesturesEnabled(true);
            mapSettings.setZoomControlsEnabled(true);
        }
    }
}

The xml file:

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin" tools:context=".MainActivity">

    <fragment
        android:id="@+id/map"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        class="com.google.android.gms.maps.MapFragment" />


</RelativeLayout>

My question how do I get the list of hospitals using google places API and display them. Any help,tips,walkthrough or tutorials will really be appericaited.Thanks in Advance.

Answer 1

For Android, I tried to use Place picker for Android. It can add the built-in place picker UI widget to your app, so users can choose from a set of nearby places displayed on a map. It easy to use, you just need to do is:

int PLACE_PICKER_REQUEST = 1;
PlacePicker.IntentBuilder builder = new PlacePicker.IntentBuilder();    
startActivityForResult(builder.build(this), PLACE_PICKER_REQUEST);

It will show the UI below to pick a place for you, and you can get the place info by using below:

protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {
  if (requestCode == PLACE_PICKER_REQUEST) {
    if (resultCode == RESULT_OK) {
        Place place = PlacePicker.getPlace(data, this);
        String toastMsg = String.format("Place: %s", place.getName());
        Toast.makeText(this, toastMsg, Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
    }
  }
}

For more details, please refer to guide here and code here.

However, it cannot set the place type because it no feature for the Build in UI.. If you really need to set, you should use Google Places API Web Service API here, search the location yourself, parse the JSON data, and show on your own UI.

A Nearby Search lets you search for places within a specified area. You can refine your search request by supplying keywords or specifying the type of place you are searching for.

A Nearby Search request is an HTTP URL of the following form:

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/nearbysearch/output?parameters

Note that in parameters you need to set types=hospital

EDIT

Example on how to pass the search request for specific locations in JSON using the google places API web API web service API.

Request

location: -33.8670,151.1957
radius: 500
types: food
name: cruise
key: API_KEY

Url for this:

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/nearbysearch/json?location=-33.8670,151.1957&radius=500&types=food&name=cruise&key=API_KEY

and Response JSON like this:

{
   "debug_log" : {
      "line" : []
   },
   "html_attributions" : [],
   "logging_info" : {
      "experiment_id" : [],
      "query_geographic_location" : "AU"
   },
   "results" : [
      {
         "geometry" : {
            "location" : {
               "lat" : -33.86879,
               "lng" : 151.194217
            }
         },
         "icon" : "http://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/place_api/icons/restaurant-71.png",
         "id" : "21a0b251c9b8392186142c798263e289fe45b4aa",
         "name" : "Rhythmboat Cruises",
         "opening_hours" : {
            "open_now" : false,
            "weekday_text" : []
         },
         "photos" : [
            {
               "height" : 426,
               "html_attributions" : [
                  "\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/views/profile/104066891898402903288\"\u003eRhythmboat Cruises\u003c/a\u003e"
               ],
               "photo_reference" : "CmRdAAAA-YL_I_Gk02blOX6S0nKHry8PFu9pDyp3Y9AnqISsa3Eq8mkbdD5mXuu1Fax60s0nSy3iiX-h5j-ztyLHcc1-782MsLQsgLLa4t3ZgDmCMll-a8ABapZGnZwDKByk67LFEhBgedv_u_eYFsEo9ay8jxJjGhTUHKPJ4G82vBJqSNliuv7UlAtclw",
               "width" : 640
            }
         ],
         "place_id" : "ChIJyWEHuEmuEmsRm9hTkapTCrk",
         "reference" : "CnRmAAAAvQlMKw-XtxEY4vWFCvudF7CEMQGI5ycNbfVgGl9rAF75fdiPOiLJw1k9NL2v8ZIJsOJuRS3Lm9Dw1vga4ajycAs7PlxN1MVnnYT9la0pBvEvSQNlyvszKANS1R4P7Mvk_jhqswMggqCUtwJ13LN2hRIQOiAkLTWUi3DOjVVOw7J5IRoUb_cJyJaJNqKdmkDM2f0OjQjh9F0",
         "scope" : "GOOGLE",
         "types" : [ "restaurant", "food", "point_of_interest", "establishment" ],
         "vicinity" : "Pyrmont Bay Wharf (Near Australia Maritime Museum), Pyrmont, NSW 2009"
      },
      {
         "geometry" : {
            "location" : {
               "lat" : -33.867591,
               "lng" : 151.201196
            }
         },
         "icon" : "http://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/place_api/icons/restaurant-71.png",
         "id" : "a97f9fb468bcd26b68a23072a55af82d4b325e0d",
         "name" : "Australian Cruise Group",
         "opening_hours" : {
            "open_now" : false,
            "weekday_text" : []
         },
         "photos" : [
            {
               "height" : 1331,
               "html_attributions" : [
                  "\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/views/profile/110751364053842618118\"\u003eAustralian Cruise Group\u003c/a\u003e"
               ],
               "photo_reference" : "CmRdAAAAtEoj29FJcNBccrsu6bHt0xgwVGhYlciCY1fe6gTr_d5_KkeP3LITnOwnpNRJWnX39B04-aIBOKXKJH6ltx948T5vWIYBoah1yZDXsWngWZ5kMsK7xyCB5P_q_xBIBxxUEhAYWeB4PiOm_Jy093fB-j0iGhSYmIs9xB2aa6u-RH8V8lZEk-Q5ig",
               "width" : 2000
            }
         ],
         "place_id" : "ChIJrTLr-GyuEmsRBfy61i59si0",
         "reference" : "CnRqAAAAFbukrZvRNsc05TreHUCrPEya5NcN9v0fFLLaK-D1fSyxFTuQlUDhDstU3qwXKw_fADX4W6guUkexax1nufgiYIuGCKoZPEnup1r-LhGGNz9dn1uf9Of5iOtZ1XgCeDjJaYvGbSB3C0pAXL8r9kOsmhIQbx2Sia2DAWTjtSZwuh5aehoUhM6upqBCDLhGruZAGGsCOwAiIq8",
         "scope" : "GOOGLE",
         "types" : [
            "restaurant",
            "travel_agency",
            "food",
            "point_of_interest",
            "establishment"
         ],
         "vicinity" : "32 The Promenade, King Street Wharf 5, Sydney"
      },
      {
         "geometry" : {
            "location" : {
               "lat" : -33.870943,
               "lng" : 151.190311
            }
         },
         "icon" : "http://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/place_api/icons/bar-71.png",
         "id" : "e644f7f34cf875b9919c6548f1b721947362850a",
         "name" : "Lunch Cruise with Jazz on Sydney Harbour",
         "opening_hours" : {
            "open_now" : false,
            "weekday_text" : []
         },
         "photos" : [
            {
               "height" : 292,
               "html_attributions" : [
                  "\u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/maps/views/profile/105423912060796272053\"\u003eFrom a Google User\u003c/a\u003e"
               ],
               "photo_reference" : "CmRdAAAAR4bqFTKYWdBwZwdBdON_JRD7V_joTwwIPwRUpZIZWkSSd8GQ3P2O-_aQbUJdL2RhoAyzCUIF0f--DI4oXFneTpj5zZfFq-iFiT7i_x0tjnDveIY8tJv-6o0uWSSjYqabEhCKqQWZqrKAoddjDcc64N48GhQZ2T1_ntPzNKCooHpZzlYQ7AxFOA",
               "width" : 438
            }
         ],
         "place_id" : "ChIJLfySpTOuEmsRPCRKrzl8ZEY",
         "reference" : "CoQBewAAAFd2fO_YWGTiT4RzXWb5tsOuOt7YyV_ScQOwm0tqJSrAyACCczeOzV-P_mgZLro1oKP_34Nt0nVC_1OEKAQUcd7cUm7xmAMSX-EkbSWiD0kOWGgGgKuDRtb0t_8qsxBGU_izugWCyK7SRWezTxELYNdkS0OEiSWPnvhxvXuQktBBEhAAtEe7fagW2kUR14T1QpVsGhQBO7YpIyYSPvo4zUJuL_bX30nJZw",
         "scope" : "GOOGLE",
         "types" : [ "bar", "restaurant", "food", "point_of_interest", "establishment" ],
         "vicinity" : "37 Bank St, Pyrmont"
      }
   ],
   "status" : "OK"
}

The below example returns a list of hospitals near London, England.

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/nearbysearch/json?location=51.503186,-0.126446&radius=5000&types=hospital&key=API_KEY

For more details please refer here.

Answer 2

Follow this link, it has all explained out,

in the String type='grocery_or_supermarket' replace it to be 'hospital' and you'll be good to go:

http://androidmastermind.blogspot.co.ke/2016/06/android-google-maps-with-nearyby-places.html

Answer 3

 private void loadNearByPlaces(double latitude, double longitude)

//YOU Can change this type at your own will, e.g hospital, cafe, restaurant.... and see how it all works
{


    mMap.clear();
    Intent i = getIntent();
    String type = hospital;

    StringBuilder googlePlacesUrl =
            new StringBuilder("https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/nearbysearch/json?");
    googlePlacesUrl.append("location=").append(latitude).append(",").append(longitude);
    googlePlacesUrl.append("&radius=").append(PROXIMITY_RADIUS);
    googlePlacesUrl.append("&types=").append(type);
    googlePlacesUrl.append("&sensor=true");
    googlePlacesUrl.append("&key=" + GOOGLE_BROWSER_API_KEY);

    JsonObjectRequest request = new JsonObjectRequest(googlePlacesUrl.toString(),
            new Response.Listener<JSONObject>() {
                @Override
                public void onResponse(JSONObject result) {

                    Log.i(TAG, "onResponse: Result= " + result.toString());
                    parseLocationResult(result);
                }
            },
            new Response.ErrorListener() {
                @Override
                public void onErrorResponse(VolleyError error) {
                    Log.e(TAG, "onErrorResponse: Error= " + error);
                    Log.e(TAG, "onErrorResponse: Error= " + error.getMessage());
                }
            });

    AppController.getInstance().addToRequestQueue(request);
}

This will load the near by hospital according to your location.