Google Maps

[SeanHaney]

I began developing an App some months ago but set it aside since the company for whom I am working decided to integrate a new software system to manage the company. It turns out that  this system s not as useful for CRM as I was anticipating so I have returned to completing the App development.

I am now having a problem with Google Map integration, I think. Originally, the App would display an icon for directions to the customer location and open up Google Maps for me. Once Google Maps was open, I could use it normally to get directions. What was displayed was the actual street address to which I was driving.

Now, everything still works fine except that the Lat/Long is displayed in Google Maps instead of the actual street address. I can still get directions as before but it is very inconvenient to see Lat/Long data in Google Maps. I didn't make any changes to the App - this change mysteriously appeared.

Anybody have a tip as to how to get AppSheet to pass the actual street address to display in Google Maps instead of the Lat/Long?

Thanks.

[WillowMobileSys]

I believe you are referring to when you tap on a map pin and get the data row view at the bottom of the map?

If so, that issue of seeing Lat/Long instead of address has been there for a long time.  I opened a bug on it years ago.

The best way to deal with it is to provide your own view that you can control,  The Maps, by default, use a Deck View.  If one has already been created in the system for the primary datasource on the Map, the Map view will use it.

So, create a Deck View for that primary datasource on the Map.  Then you can customize it to display however you wish AND more importantly, this should get rid of the Lat/Long being displayed.

[SeanHaney]

Sorry for the delay in replying.

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@WillowMobileSys wrote:

I believe you are referring to when you tap on a map pin and get the data row view at the bottom of the map?

If so, that issue of seeing Lat/Long instead of address has been there for a long time.  I opened a bug on it years ago.

The best way to deal with it is to provide your own view that you can control,  The Maps, by default, use a Deck View.  If one has already been created in the system for the primary datasource on the Map, the Map view will use it.

So, create a Deck View for that primary datasource on the Map.  Then you can customize it to display however you wish AND more importantly, this should get rid of the Lat/Long being displayed.

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No, I am not referring to tapping on the map pin to get a data row.

So, I have a basic list of customers with address information. When I open up a customer record to show the details, I have an icon to the right of the street address. Clicking that icon opens up the Google Maps app separately.

When I initially defined the AppSheet app,  the actual street address was shown in the Google Maps app display when it generated driving directions.

Now what happens is, functionally everything works just fine except that instead of showing the street address in Google Maps, the Lat/Long data is displayed.

I did not alter any of the definitions in the AppSheet app - this just mysteriously started to happen and I don't know what parameter or parameters to look at to get it to pass the street address to Google Maps. as it did originally.

I want to emphasize that, functionally, everything works fine. It's just inconvenient to see Lat/Long data in Google Maps as I am following the driving directions - it is far more useful to see the street address and I don't know how to get it to do that like it did before.

Thanks.

[pennyG]

I have the same issue.

Did you find a solution?

[WillowMobileSys]

I don't think there is anything we can do from our apps.

I just tested this and understand now that when you tap the Navigation button and are switched to Google maps, the Coordinates are shown instead of the street address in the Google Maps app.  The address IS shown as expected in the Maps in AppSheet. 

For reference, when running the app in a browser, the address is shown in the Google Map.

I did some research on this and it appears that there was a change to Google API services back in in 2019.  It USED to be that when developers sent in coordinates, Google would translate it to an address, contrary to what the documentation stated.  Google fixed this "issue" to match the documentation so that it now uses, and shows, whatever it is given.  It turns out that many widely used apps were impacted by this "fix" on Google's side as they did not follow the documentation and took advantage of the "short-cut".

Bottom line...Appsheet is likely sending Google the coordinates so ... that is what the Map is showing.  AppSheet would need to change its interaction with the Google API to send in the street address instead.  Unfortunately, we App Creators have no control over it.

Please submit a support request to AppSheet to correct this.

[pennyG]

Thank you.

I made a ticket.

[pennyG]

Here is the response to the ticket:

"Hi,
I apologize for the delay in responding to this case. It sounds like you are having an issue with the Google API and map coordinates. I am not sure if we will be making any changes to the way we interact with the Maps API but this sounds like a feature request that can be opened or may already be opened on the community page. I would encourage you to add you voice to the forums there to try to push for this feature."

[WillowMobileSys]

I opened another support ticket with as much detail as I can provide about the problem and the resolution.  This should NOT require a Feature request.  It is obviously a defect that stems from the original implementation to the Google API for navigation.  It should be extremely easy for AppSheet to fix the problem.

[pennyG]

Hi,

Can you share your ticket inf with me? I will copy it into a response to
the response t my ticket.

[Steve]

Escalated.

[SeanHaney]

I apologize for not responding sooner - haven't checked my messages for a couple of days. I don't think I need to add anything to the discussion at this point since it looks like smarter brains than mine are on the problem. Thanks to all of you who have looked at this.

(I find it very odd, though, that it seemed to work fine when I first began working with AppSheet last year - 2021, late Spring, I think. I set the development of my app aside for a couple of months and, when I returned to it earlier this year, this issue appeared. In any case, hopefully it will be resolved soon based on the input from you folks.)