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= Geocoder
Geocoder is a simple plugin for Rails that provides object geocoding (via
Google Maps) and some utilities for working with geocoded objects. The code can
be used as a standalone method provider or included in a class to give objects
geographic awareness.
== Setup
Use the Rails plugin install script:
script/plugin install git://github.com/alexreisner/geocoder.git
To add geocoding features to a class:
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geocoded_by :location
Be sure your class defines read/write attributes +latitude+ and +longitude+ as
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well as a method called +location+ (or whatever name you pass to +geocoded_by+)
that returns a string suitable for passing to a Google Maps search, for example:
714 Green St, Big Town, MO
If your model has +address+, +city+, +state+, and +country+ attributes your
+location+ method might look something like this:
def location
[address, city, state, country].compact.join(', ')
end
== Examples
Look up coordinates of an object:
obj.fetch_coordinates # returns an array [lat, lon]
obj.fetch_and_assign_coordinates # writes values to +latitude+ and +longitude+
Find distance between object and a point:
obj.distance_to(40.71432, -100.23487) # in miles
obj.distance_to(40.71432, -100.23487, :km) # in kilometers
Find objects within 20 miles of a point:
Venue.near('Omaha, NE, US', 20) # Venue is a geocoded model
Please see the code for more methods and detailed information about arguments.
== To-do
* +near+ method should also accept an array of coordinates as its first parameter
Copyright (c) 2009 Alex Reisner, released under the MIT license