How to read returned xml value from google maps

Question

I am trying to call google maps geocode and am following the example on their webpage to try and apply it to mine

http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/geocoding/index.html

in this example, the Geocoding API requests an xml response for the identical query shown above for "1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA": http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/xml?address=1600+Amphitheatre+Parkway,+Mountain+View,+CA&sensor=true_or_false The XML returned by this request is shown below.

Now i am trying to run that url like this in my c# winforms application

    string url = "http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/xml?address=1600+Amphitheatre+Parkway,+Mountain+View,+CA&sensor=true_or_false";
    WebRequest req = HttpWebRequest.Create(url);
    WebResponse res = req.GetResponse();
    StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(res.GetResponseStream());
    try
    {
        Match coord = Regex.Match(sr.ReadToEnd(), "<coordinates>.*</coordinates>");
        var b = coord.Value.Substring(13, coord.Length - 27);
    }
    finally
    {
        sr.Close();
    }

However it doesnt seem to be returning anything and as such my var b line gives an index out of bounds error. Can anyone point me in the right direction for at least getting the example to work so i can apply the logic to my own application?

Thanks

Joel Beckham · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-19 18:01:37Z

4

If you visit your link "http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/xml?address=1600+Amphitheatre+Parkway,+Mountain+View,+CA&sensor=true_or_false" directly in a browser you can see what it's returning. It's giving me a REQUEST DENIED error.

The problem is caused by the sensor=true_or_false parameter. You have to choose if you want it to be true or false. Google put it this way in their example so that you have to explicitly decide for yourself. This setting indicates if your application is using a location sensor or not. In your case, I'm guessing not, so set it to false.

If you change the link you're using to http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/xml?address=1600%20Amphitheatre%20Parkway,%20Mountain%20View,%20CA&sensor=false, I think you'll get the results you were expecting.

edited Sep 19, 2011 at 18:01

answered Sep 19, 2011 at 17:56

Joel Beckham

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2 Comments

Joel Beckham Over a year ago

I think I missed the sensor parameter the first time I tried out the API as well.

simon Over a year ago

common sense - i clearly lack. Sorry - you get so boged down in the code as a beginner you forget to step back and look what is right in front of you - thanks

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