Basic Android App using Google Maps and Current Location

Applies to:

• Android Studio (Beta) 0.8.6
• Google Android Maps API

What?
I am writing an app for a tablet running Android and wanted to include a Google Map. The following exercise focuses solely on creating an app which opens Google Maps at your current location.

How?
I couldn't find any instructions using the tools I had (Android Studio) which is why I've written this article.

1. Start "Android Studio"
   
   
2. Go to File and create a New Project...
   
   
   
3. I'm developing on a Tablet so I select Phone and Tablet then a relatively old version of the Android OS:
   
   
   
4. Add an activity to Mobile: select Google Maps Activity:
   
   
   
5. Change the Title to what you want (don't change the activity or layout) and click on Finish:
   
   
   
6. Get yourself a developers' Google Android Maps API Key (not necessarily the same as Google API Key) and enter it as instructed:
   
   
   
7. Change the Java file to open on your current location, find the MapsActivity.java file and open it:
   
   
   
8. Change the function setUpMap() to the following code

       private void setUpMap() {
           mMap.addMarker(new MarkerOptions().position(new LatLng(0, 0)).title("Marker").snippet("Snippet"));
   
           // Enable MyLocation Layer of Google Map
           mMap.setMyLocationEnabled(true);
   
           // Get LocationManager object from System Service LOCATION_SERVICE
           LocationManager locationManager = (LocationManager) getSystemService(Context.LOCATION_SERVICE);
   
           // Create a criteria object to retrieve provider
           Criteria criteria = new Criteria();
   
           // Get the name of the best provider
           String provider = locationManager.getBestProvider(criteria, true);
   
           // Get Current Location
           Location myLocation = locationManager.getLastKnownLocation(provider);
   
           // set map type
           mMap.setMapType(GoogleMap.MAP_TYPE_NORMAL);
   
           // Get latitude of the current location
           double latitude = myLocation.getLatitude();
   
           // Get longitude of the current location
           double longitude = myLocation.getLongitude();
   
           // Create a LatLng object for the current location
           LatLng latLng = new LatLng(latitude, longitude);
   
           // Show the current location in Google Map
           mMap.moveCamera(CameraUpdateFactory.newLatLng(latLng));
   
           // Zoom in the Google Map
           mMap.animateCamera(CameraUpdateFactory.zoomTo(14));
           mMap.addMarker(new MarkerOptions().position(new LatLng(latitude, longitude)).title("You are here!").snippet("Consider yourself located"));
       }
   

   1. If you are prompted to import the classes then agree by clicking OK:
      
      
      
   2. If you are not prompted,
      1. you should see some of your code go red like in the following screenshot:
         
         
         
      2. Focus the cursor on the word and hold down the key and press Enter, then import each class:
         
         
         
9. Your code will now include the imported classes near the beginning, so TEST it!
   
   
   

Addtional:
Problems animating the camera to your current location? I had to add the following:

LatLng myCoordinates = new LatLng(latitude, longitude);
CameraUpdate yourLocation = CameraUpdateFactory.newLatLngZoom(myCoordinates, 12);
mMap.animateCamera(yourLocation);

Additional Additional:
A little more control on the animation?

CameraPosition cameraPosition = new CameraPosition.Builder()
    .target(myCoordinates)      // Sets the center of the map to LatLng (refer to previous snippet)
    .zoom(17)                   // Sets the zoom
    .bearing(90)                // Sets the orientation of the camera to east
    .tilt(30)                   // Sets the tilt of the camera to 30 degrees
    .build();                   // Creates a CameraPosition from the builder
map.animateCamera(CameraUpdateFactory.newCameraPosition(cameraPosition));

Just in case: AndroidManifest.xml
The example above should have populated this correctly but if you are still getting problems, I have the following fields that I also use related to Google Maps v2:

<meta-data
        android:name="com.google.android.gms.version"
        android:value="@integer/google_play_services_version" />
<meta-data
        android:name="com.google.android.maps.v2.API_KEY"
        android:value="@string/google_maps_key" />
<permission
        android:name="package.name.permission.MAPS_RECEIVE"
        android:protectionLevel="signature" />
<uses-feature
        android:glEsVersion="0x00020000"
        android:required="true" />
<uses-library 
        android:name="com.google.android.maps" />
<uses-permission 
        android:name="package.name.permission.MAPS_RECEIVE" />
<uses-permission 
        android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission 
        android:name="com.google.android.providers.gsf.permission.READ_GSERVICES" />
<uses-permission 
        android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission 
        android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />

Last Additional
Ensure that when Google asks for your Android API key, you enter the production key (which may be the same as your testing key); the one from your app and not from your computer (as other people don't use your computer to access the service). If your fellow testers only see a grey map, just double-check the key is the right one given to Google Maps.

Follow On Article/Sequel
Next: Article on separating the map into a sub-activity rather than it being the main activity - Android OS: Add GoogleMap as fragment.