iPhone using geocoder to create a string so it can be fed into Google Maps - iphone

Question

So here's my last query. I've got all my components I need, however, I need the phone to create a string from the geocoder so it can be fed into Google maps. This string is passed to a server, then grabbed from that database into another iPhone by different users. I have the database get/post side finished, but I need the geocoding to work so it can produce an address string. Here's my code: I've used Mark/LaMarche's mapkit tutorial as my foundation. My question is: Can I use the geocoder WITHOUT having to use MapKit? And would that save me more code than what is written below? Thank you!
- (IBAction)findMe {
CLLocationManager *lm = [[CLLocationManager alloc] init];
lm.delegate = self;
lm.desiredAccuracy = kCLLocationAccuracyBest;
[lm startUpdatingLocation];
progressBar.hidden = NO;
progressBar.progress = 0.0;
progressLabel.text = NSLocalizedString(#"Determining Current Location", #"Determining Current Location");
button.hidden = YES;
}
- (void)openCallout:(id<MKAnnotation>)annotation {
progressBar.progress = 1.0;
progressLabel.text = NSLocalizedString(#"Showing Annotation",#"Showing Annotation");
[mapView selectAnnotation:annotation animated:YES];
}
#pragma mark -
- (void)viewDidLoad {
mapView.mapType = MKMapTypeStandard;
// mapView.mapType = MKMapTypeSatellite;
// mapView.mapType = MKMapTypeHybrid;
}
- (void)viewDidUnload {
self.mapView = nil;
self.progressBar = nil;
self.progressLabel = nil;
self.button = nil;
}
- (void)dealloc {
[mapView release];
[progressBar release];
[progressLabel release];
[button release];
[address release];
[super dealloc];
}
#pragma mark -
#pragma mark CLLocationManagerDelegate Methods
- (void)locationManager:(CLLocationManager *)manager
didUpdateToLocation:(CLLocation *)newLocation
fromLocation:(CLLocation *)oldLocation {
if ([newLocation.timestamp timeIntervalSince1970] < [NSDate timeIntervalSinceReferenceDate] - 60)
return;
MKCoordinateRegion viewRegion = MKCoordinateRegionMakeWithDistance(newLocation.coordinate, 2000, 2000);
MKCoordinateRegion adjustedRegion = [mapView regionThatFits:viewRegion];
[mapView setRegion:adjustedRegion animated:YES];
manager.delegate = nil;
[manager stopUpdatingLocation];
[manager autorelease];
progressBar.progress = .25;
progressLabel.text = NSLocalizedString(#"Reverse Geocoding Location", #"Reverse Geocoding Location");
MKReverseGeocoder *geocoder = [[MKReverseGeocoder alloc] initWithCoordinate:newLocation.coordinate];
geocoder.delegate = self;
[geocoder start];
}
- (void)locationManager:(CLLocationManager *)manager
didFailWithError:(NSError *)error {
NSString *errorType = (error.code == kCLErrorDenied) ?
NSLocalizedString(#"Access Denied", #"Access Denied") :
NSLocalizedString(#"Unknown Error", #"Unknown Error");
UIAlertView *alert = [[UIAlertView alloc]
initWithTitle:NSLocalizedString(#"Error getting Location", #"Error getting Location")
message:errorType
delegate:self
cancelButtonTitle:NSLocalizedString(#"Okay", #"Okay")
otherButtonTitles:nil];
[alert show];
[alert release];
[manager release];
}
#pragma mark -
#pragma mark Alert View Delegate Methods
- (void)alertView:(UIAlertView *)alertView didDismissWithButtonIndex:(NSInteger)buttonIndex {
progressBar.hidden = YES;
progressLabel.text = #"";
}
#pragma mark -
#pragma mark Reverse Geocoder Delegate Methods
- (void)reverseGeocoder:(MKReverseGeocoder *)geocoder didFailWithError:(NSError *)error
{
UIAlertView *alert = [[UIAlertView alloc]
initWithTitle:NSLocalizedString(#"Error translating coordinates into location", #"Error translating coordinates into location")
message:NSLocalizedString(#"Geocoder did not recognize coordinates", #"Geocoder did not recognize coordinates")
delegate:self
cancelButtonTitle:NSLocalizedString(#"Okay", #"Okay")
otherButtonTitles:nil];
[alert show];
[alert release];
geocoder.delegate = nil;
[geocoder autorelease];
}
- (void)reverseGeocoder:(MKReverseGeocoder *)geocoder didFindPlacemark:(MKPlacemark *)placemark {
progressBar.progress = 0.5;
progressLabel.text = NSLocalizedString(#"Location Determined", #"Location Determined");
MapLocation *annotation = [[MapLocation alloc] init];
annotation.streetAddress = placemark.thoroughfare;
annotation.city = placemark.locality;
annotation.state = placemark.administrativeArea;
annotation.zip = placemark.postalCode;
annotation.coordinate = geocoder.coordinate;
NSString *firstTwo = [placemark.thoroughfare stringByAppendingFormat:#" %#",placemark.locality];
NSString *firstThree = [firstTwo stringByAppendingFormat:#", %#",placemark.administrativeArea];
NSString *makeAddress = [firstThree stringByAppendingFormat:#", %#",placemark.postalCode];
address = makeAddress;
NSLog(#"%#", address);
[mapView addAnnotation:annotation];
[annotation release];
geocoder.delegate = nil;
[geocoder autorelease];
}
#pragma mark -
#pragma mark Map View Delegate Methods
- (MKAnnotationView *) mapView:(MKMapView *)theMapView viewForAnnotation:(id <MKAnnotation>) annotation {
static NSString *placemarkIdentifier = #"Map Location Identifier";
if ([annotation isKindOfClass:[MapLocation class]]) {
MKPinAnnotationView *annotationView = (MKPinAnnotationView *)[theMapView dequeueReusableAnnotationViewWithIdentifier:placemarkIdentifier];
if (annotationView == nil) {
annotationView = [[MKPinAnnotationView alloc] initWithAnnotation:annotation reuseIdentifier:placemarkIdentifier];
}
else
annotationView.annotation = annotation;
annotationView.enabled = YES;
annotationView.animatesDrop = YES;
annotationView.pinColor = MKPinAnnotationColorPurple;
annotationView.canShowCallout = YES;
[self performSelector:#selector(openCallout:) withObject:annotation afterDelay:0.5];
progressBar.progress = 0.75;
progressLabel.text = NSLocalizedString(#"Creating Annotation",#"Creating Annotation");
return annotationView;
}
return nil;
}
- (void)mapViewDidFailLoadingMap:(MKMapView *)theMapView withError:(NSError *)error {
UIAlertView *alert = [[UIAlertView alloc]
initWithTitle:NSLocalizedString(#"Error loading map", #"Error loading map")
message:[error localizedDescription]
delegate:nil
cancelButtonTitle:NSLocalizedString(#"Okay", #"Okay")
otherButtonTitles:nil];
[alert show];
[alert release];
}

Answer 1

I'm assuming when you say "Geocoder", you actually mean the MKReverseGeocoder class. The Reverse Geocoder is part of the Mapkit framework, so in order to use it, you must include it to the file in which you are using it. However, you do not need to add an actual MapView or anything, you can just get the information that the reverse geocoder gives you and pass it on to your server however you want. I hope this answers your question.