Google Maps API for C#

Question

I'm really new to using APIs so after looking on Google Maps API page, I'm not sure if there are APIs designed to be used for C#. I don't need a Google map to be shown on my app; all I need to know is if I can use the Google Maps API on C#. This is the one I'd like to use.

I've looked for it on many places but all I could found was alternatives to using Gmaps but that is not what I want.

Is it possible to use it?

Answer 1

1. Create Requests to the Google Maps API by yourself

You can just send HTTP-Requests to the google maps API and then work with the results. You could use WebRequest to forge requests to the google api. You need a Maps API Key for that.

---

You would have to build up the GET parameters eg. origin=...&destination=...&key=YOUR_API_KEY + parse the JSON response to do something with it.

Google Maps Api Documentation (under Web Service APIs) lists the request parameters and example responses.

string url = @"https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json?origin=75+9th+Ave+New+York,+NY&destination=MetLife+Stadium+1+MetLife+Stadium+Dr+East+Rutherford,+NJ+07073&key=YOUR_API_KEY";

WebRequest request = WebRequest.Create(url);

WebResponse response = request.GetResponse();

Stream data = response.GetResponseStream();

StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(data);

// json-formatted string from maps api
string responseFromServer = reader.ReadToEnd();

response.Close();

A JSON response will look something like this (from Directions API )

{
   "geocoded_waypoints" : [
      {
         "geocoder_status" : "OK",
         "place_id" : "ChIJRVY_etDX3IARGYLVpoq7f68",
         "types" : [
            "bus_station",
            "transit_station",
            "point_of_interest",
            "establishment"
         ]
      },
      {
         "geocoder_status" : "OK",
         "partial_match" : true,
         "place_id" : "ChIJp2Mn4E2-woARQS2FILlxUzk",
         "types" : [ "route" ]
      }
   ],
   "routes" : [
      {
         "bounds" : {
            "northeast" : {
               "lat" : 34.1330949,
               "lng" : -117.9143879
            },
            "southwest" : {
               "lat" : 33.8068768,
               "lng" : -118.3527671
            }
         },
         "copyrights" : "Map data ©2016 Google",
         "legs" : [
            {
               "distance" : {
                  "text" : "35.9 mi",
                  "value" : 57824
               },
               "duration" : {
                  "text" : "51 mins",
                  "value" : 3062
               },
               "end_address" : "Universal Studios Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90068, USA",
               "end_location" : {
                  "lat" : 34.1330949,
                  "lng" : -118.3524442
               },
               "start_address" : "Disneyland (Harbor Blvd.), S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92802, USA",
               "start_location" : {
                  "lat" : 33.8098177,
                  "lng" : -117.9154353
               },

  ... Additional results truncated in this example[] ...


         "overview_polyline" : {
            "points" : "knjmEnjunUbKCfEA?_@]@kMBeE@qIIoF@wH@eFFk@WOUI_@?u@j@k@`@EXLTZHh@Y`AgApAaCrCUd@cDpDuAtAoApA{YlZiBdBaIhGkFrDeCtBuFxFmIdJmOjPaChDeBlDiAdD}ApGcDxU}@hEmAxD}[tt@yNb\\yBdEqFnJqB~DeFxMgK~VsMr[uKzVoCxEsEtG}BzCkHhKWh@]t@{AxEcClLkCjLi@`CwBfHaEzJuBdEyEhIaBnCiF|K_Oz\\
            {MdZwAbDaKbUiB|CgCnDkDbEiE|FqBlDsLdXqQra@kX|m@aF|KcHtLm@pAaE~JcTxh@w\\`v@gQv`@}F`MqK`PeGzIyGfJiG~GeLhLgIpIcE~FsDrHcFfLqDzH{CxEwAbBgC|B}F|DiQzKsbBdeA{k@~\\oc@bWoKjGaEzCoEzEwDxFsUh^wJfOySx[uBnCgCbCoFlDmDvAiCr@eRzDuNxC_EvAiFpCaC|AqGpEwHzFoQnQoTrTqBlCyDnGmCfEmDpDyGzGsIzHuZzYwBpBsC`CqBlAsBbAqCxAoBrAqDdDcNfMgHbHiPtReBtCkD|GqAhBwBzBsG~FoAhAaCbDeBvD_BlEyM``@uBvKiA~DmAlCkA|B}@lBcChHoJnXcB`GoAnIS~CIjFDd]A|QMlD{@jH[vAk@`CoGxRgPzf@aBbHoB~HeMx^eDtJ}BnG{DhJU`@mBzCoCjDaAx@mAnAgCnBmAp@uAj@{Cr@wBPkB@kBSsEW{GV}BEeCWyAWwHs@qH?
            cIHkDXuDn@mCt@mE`BsH|CyAp@}AdAaAtAy@lBg@pCa@jE]fEcBhRq@pJKlCk@hLFrB@lD_@xCeA`DoBxDaHvM_FzImDzFeCpDeC|CkExDiJrHcBtAkDpDwObVuCpFeCdHoIl\\uBjIuClJsEvMyDbMqAhEoDlJ{C|J}FlZuBfLyDlXwB~QkArG_AnDiAxC{G|OgEdLaE`LkBbEwG~KgHnLoEjGgDxCaC`BuJdFkFtCgCnBuClD_HdMqEzHcBpB_C|BuEzCmPlIuE|B_EtDeBhCgAdCw@rCi@|DSfECrCAdCS~Di@jDYhA_AlC{AxCcL`U{GvM_DjFkBzBsB`BqDhBaEfAsTvEmEr@iCr@qDrAiFnCcEzCaE~D_@JmFdGQDwBvCeErEoD|BcFjC}DbEuD~D`@Zr@h@?d@Wr@}@vAgCbEaHfMqA`Cy@dAg@bAO`@gCi@w@W"
         },
         "summary" : "I-5 N and US-101 N",
         "warnings" : [],
         "waypoint_order" : []
      }
   ],
   "status" : "OK"
}

---

2. ... or use a dedicated library

• gmaps-api-net (github) offers an api interface for Google Maps. You can get it via nuget. I haven't testet it, but it looks very easy to use.

This library is outdated, see https://stackoverflow.com/a/61531795/2881450

Answer 2

As mentioned in the other respose(s), you can make HTTP requests and use the JSON response.

If you want a .NET library that makes your life easier by abstracting the query/response you can use one of these .NET wrapper libraries for the Google Maps API :

1. GoogleApi
2. google-maps

gmaps-api-net is outdated (at this time of answering) - the last update for the Directions API was made in 2016.

Usage example for GoogleApi:

using GoogleApi.Entities.Common;
using GoogleApi.Entities.Maps.Directions.Request;
using GoogleApi.Entities.Maps.Directions.Response;

public void GetRoute()
{
    DirectionsRequest request = new DirectionsRequest();    

    request.Key = "AIzaSyAJgBs8LYok3rt15rZUg4aUxYIAYyFzNcw";

    request.Origin = new Location("Brasov");
    request.Destination = new Location("Merghindeal");

    var response = GoogleApi.GoogleMaps.Directions.Query(request);

    Console.WriteLine(response.Routes.First().Legs.First().DurationInTraffic);
    Console.WriteLine(response.Routes.First().Legs.First().Distance);
    Console.WriteLine(response.Routes.First().Legs.First().Steps);
}