HTML - Geolocation API

HTML Geolocation API used by web applications to access geographical location of user. Most of the modern browsers and mobile devices support Geolocation API.

JavaScript can capture your latitude and longitude and can be sent to backend web server and do fancy location-aware things like finding local businesses or showing your location on a map.

Syntax

var geolocation = navigator.geolocation;

The geolocation object is a service object that allows widgets to retrieve information about the geographic location of the device.

Geolocation Methods

The geolocation object provides the following methods:

Method	Description
getCurrentPosition()	This method retrieves the current geographic location of the user.
watchPosition()	This method retrieves periodic updates about the current geographic location of the device.
clearWatch()	This method cancels an ongoing watchPosition call.

Following is a sample code to use any of the above methods:

function getLocation() {
   var geolocation = navigator.geolocation;
   geolocation.getCurrentPosition(showLocation, errorHandler);

   watchId = geolocation.watchPosition(showLocation, errorHandler, {
      enableHighAccuracy: true,
      timeout: 5000,
      maximumAge: 0
  });

  navigator.geolocation.clearWatch(watchId);
}

Here showLocation and errorHandler are callback methods which would be used to get actual position as explained in next section and to handle errors if there is any.

Location Properties

Geolocation methods getCurrentPosition() and getPositionUsingMethodName() specify the callback method that retrieves the location information. These methods are called asynchronously with an object Position which stores the complete location information.

The Position object specifies the current geographic location of the device. The location is expressed as a set of geographic coordinates together with information about heading and speed.

The following table describes the properties of the Position object. For the optional properties if the system cannot provide a value, the value of the property is set to null.

Property	Type	Description
coords	objects	Specifies the geographic location of the device. The location is expressed as a set of geographic coordinates together with information about heading and speed.
coords.latitude	Number	Specifies the latitude estimate in decimal degrees. The value range is [-90.00, +90.00].
coords.longitude	Number	Specifies the longitude estimate in decimal degrees. The value range is [-180.00, +180.00].
coords.altitude	Number	[Optional] Specifies the altitude estimate in meters above the WGS 84 ellipsoid.
coords.accuracy	Number	[Optional] Specifies the accuracy of the latitude and longitude estimates in meters.
coords.altitudeAccuracy	Number	[Optional] Specifies the accuracy of the altitude estimate in meters.
coords.heading	Number	[Optional] Specifies the device's current direction of movement in degrees counting clockwise relative to true north.
coords.speed	Number	[Optional] Specifies the device's current ground speed in meters per second.
timestamp	date	Specifies the time when the location information was retrieved and the Position object created.

Following is a sample code which makes use of position object. Here showLocation method is a callback method:

function showLocation( position ) {
  var latitude = position.coords.latitude;
  var longitude = position.coords.longitude;
  ...
}

Handling Errors

Geolocation is complicated, and it is very much required to catch any error and handle it gracefully.

The geolocation methods getCurrentPosition() and watchPosition() make use of an error handler callback method which gives PositionError object. This object has following two properties:

Property	Type	Description
code	Number	Contains a numeric code for the error.
message	String	Contains a human-readable description of the error.

The following table describes the possible error codes returned in the PositionError object.

Code	Constant	Description
0	UNKNOWN_ERROR	The method failed to retrieve the location of the device due to an unknown error.
1	PERMISSION_DENIED	The method failed to retrieve the location of the device because the application does not have permission to use the Location Service.
2	POSITION_UNAVAILABLE	The location of the device could not be determined.
3	TIMEOUT	The method was unable to retrieve the location information within the specified maximum timeout interval.

Following is a sample code which makes use of PositionError object. Here errorHandler method is a callback method:

function errorHandler( err ) {
   if (err.code == 1) {
      // access is denied
   }
   ...
}

Position Options

Following is the actual syntax of getCurrentPosition() method:

getCurrentPosition(callback, ErrorCallback, options)

Here third argument is the PositionOptions object which specifies a set of options for retrieving the geographic location of the device.

Following are the options which can be specified as third argument:

Property	Type	Description
enableHighAccuracy	Boolean	Specifies whether the widget wants to receive the most accurate location estimate possible. By default this is false.
timeout	Number	The timeout property is the number of milliseconds your web application is willing to wait for a position.
maximumAge	Number	Specifies the expiry time in milliseconds for cached location information.

Following is a sample code which shows how to use above mentioned methods:

function getLocation() {
   var geolocation = navigator.geolocation;
   geolocation.getCurrentPosition(showLocation, 
                                  errorHandler, 
                                  {maximumAge: 75000});
}

Examples of HTML Geolocation API

Here are some examples that shows how to access geolocation in HTML.

Get Current Location

The following code shows how to access current location of your device using JavaScript and HTML.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
      <title>
         Geolocation API Example
      </title>
</head>
<body>

   <h2>Geolocation API Example</h2>
   <p id="demo">
      Click the button to get your coordinates:
   </p>
   <button onclick="getLocation()">
      Show Location
   </button>

   <script>
      var x = document.getElementById("demo");

      function getLocation() {
         if (navigator.geolocation) {
            navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(showPosition);
         } else {
            x.innerHTML = 
            "Geolocation is not supported by this browser.";
         }
      }

      function showPosition(position) {
         x.innerHTML = "Latitude: " + position.coords.latitude + 
         "<br>Longitude: " + position.coords.longitude;
      }
         
   </script>

</body>
</html>

Error Handling in Geolocation

Following code shows how to handle potential errors while accessing location from user.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
      <title>Geolocation API Example</title>
</head>

<body>
   <h2>Geolocation API Example</h2>
   <p id="demo">
      Turn off location service of your device, 
      See how the error is handled.
   </p>
   <button onclick="getLocation()">
      Show Location
   </button>

   <script>
      var x = document.getElementById("demo");

      function getLocation() {
         if (navigator.geolocation) {
            navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(showPosition, showError);
         } else {
            x.innerHTML = "Geolocation is not supported by this browser.";
         }
      }

      function showPosition(position) {
         x.innerHTML = "Latitude: " + position.coords.latitude + 
         "<br>Longitude: " + position.coords.longitude;
      }

      function showError(error) {
         switch(error.code) {
            case error.PERMISSION_DENIED:
                  x.innerHTML = 
                  "User denied the request for Geolocation.";
                  break;
            case error.POSITION_UNAVAILABLE:
                  x.innerHTML = 
                  "Location information is unavailable.";
                  break;
            case error.TIMEOUT:
                  x.innerHTML = 
                  "The request to get user location timed out.";
                  break;
            case error.UNKNOWN_ERROR:
                  x.innerHTML = 
                  "An unknown error occurred.";
                  break;
         }
      }
   </script>

</body>
</html>

Supported Browsers

API
Geolocation	Yes	9.0	3.5	5.0	16.0

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