im really new in to using APIs so after looking on google maps Api page im not sure if there are APIs designed to be used for C#. I dont need a google maps to be show on my app all i need to know if i can use the google maps API on C#. This is the one i will like to use
Ive look for it on many places but all i could find was alternatives to using Gmaps but thats not what i want.
¿It is possible to use it?
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
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 :
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);
}
Adding to Alex answer above...
In their example they first try to write DurationInTraffic, which only works if you supply a departureTime. Also you want the value not the object to display the seconds or the text. You could just use Duration w/o the traffic option too.
If you do want to set departure time, this project will set to epoc/linux/seconds since 1970, for you automatically, but i don't see a "now" option like in google, so be sure to set to UTC first.
if you don't supply a departureTime, DurationInTraffic will be null so this would error.
request.DepartureTime = DateTime.Now.ToUniversalTime();
...
var x = response.Routes.First().Legs.First();
Console.WriteLine("Duration w/ traffic: " + x.DurationInTraffic.Value + " vs w/o " + x.Duration.Value);
Console.ReadLine();
