Today I would like to show you how to use the LocationManager classes to collect the exact location of your mobile during the execution of your application. As part of the content, I would like to talk a little bit about sensors as well. Please note: there is one video published on youtube that is related of this article that I wrote, find below more details below:
Summary:
The Use LocationManager object using getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE), then instantiate LocationListenet , and this listener needs to override some methods, such as OnLocationEnableb, OnStatusChanged or OnProviderEnable and Disable.
How to get Location Updates:
1-Call requestLocationUpdates(provider, minTime,minDistance, Listener)
2-Call removeUpdates(Listener) to stop getting Location.
It works the same way that you call some other methods, as for example the Hardware Sensors. But a very important information here is:
Any service or activity that will ask for a listener on sensor data should implement the SensorEventListener interface.
The java class SensorEventListener has two required methods:
onAccuracyChanged() -> when accuracy of the sensor changes
onSensorChanged() -> when sensor reports new values.
So, when the sensor values change on mobile system, the values array(in the event that goes using onSensorChanged method) will change.
The Event Values:
The value here is an array of values returned from the sensor.
Each type of sensor has a different array of values, such as X,y,z axis(math).TYPE_proximity has only one element in its values array(eg: values[0]).
Warning: Preserve the battery! When you are dealing with location, the hardware that works for sensor is highly consumed, per user action, delays parameters
and others.
Example of delays parameters:
SENSOR_DELAY_NORMAL: sampling rate for screen orientation changes.
SENSOR_DELAY_UI: For monitoring changes that will be applied to the user(interface).
SENSOR_DELAY_FASTEST: a zero microsecond delay.
SENSOR_DELAY_GAME: for monitoring changes for a use in a typical game.
Saying that, let's go to the main coding of this article:
1) Creating your android project you will see the 3 main files we are going to work with:
LocationThiagoLeoncioActivity.java, activity_location_thiago_leoncio.xml and AndroidManifest.xml
1.1) On activity_location_thiago_leoncio.xml I will drag and drop all TextViews that I am going to use as a display.
1.2)On LocationThiagoLeoncioActivity.java we will write our methods that are going to be displayed(called) by the main onCreate method.
1.3) Last but not least the AndroidManifest.xml that allows the mobile emulator user to get the location:
2) The way that I developed when you run your emulator and launch your Android Device Monitor sending the location it will show you something similar to this below:
To help you better understand this, please watch this video that I've published: https://youtu.be/9Q0w71dUsys
I hope it helps you,
Thiago Leoncio.
