ISSUE SUMMARY:

We are using the geolocation with Hello Maps, and Hello Maps say that Jomsocial generates latitude and longitude. Hello Maps reads that latitude and longitude from the community_users table.

a) Please can you explain HOW you generate the geolocation latitude and longitude co-ordinates?
b) if I put the whole address (Street, City, State) into one field such as 'street address', will this change the result of the search compared to if I break the address up and put it separately into the Street, City, State fields? IE do you put all the information from all the fields in the Google Maps Integration together as text to search for the address, so it doesn't matter into which field the address information was entered?

Or, are you comparing 'City' field with a Google list of cities, and comparing Street field with a Google list of streets?

The reason I ask is that UK addresses don't correspond well to the street, city, state fields and so we find it better for the user to fill out one address field for their whole address, including postcode.

But we want to understand if there could be any problems in doing that.

Also, we are having a problem where some users are placed on the map in the wrong place. I am putting addresses in the private box below and perhaps you could test.

Hi, Susan.

In Backend -> Components -> JomSocial -> Configuration -> Integration you'll find list of fields that are gathering geolocation data for Google and create data string. String is pushed to Google maps for location.

You may change integrated fields.

But I need to ask developers how this fields works exactly.

We know about the Google Maps Integrations, and we are trying to work out how the Integrations work? We need to include our 'postcode' field, as for mapping addresses that is essential, including in the UK. Sinisa told me you will give an extra field for the integrations in 4.1 to allow postcode to be added. We have tried for example getting State to read our postcode field but it doesnt work -the data is ignored.

In the Uk the postcode alone gives an accurate map location (eg try OX2 7AY in Google maps and you will find Beechcroft Rd, Oxford)

But on testing I have found

- that it doesn't work setting the Google integrations for State to read our postcode field.... It isn't reading anything from the postcode field at all
- i.e. user doesn't appear on map if you put only a postcode in, when they should in the UK
- And with street address and postcode it is also ignoring postcode when positioning the user on the map

I have tested the workings of all the fields by just putting a postcode in (and entering no other address, to be sure which field is being read).

- if I put just a postcode in the postcode field and set state to read postcode the user doesn't show on map.

However
- if I put just a postcode in the address field it works (user shows on map).
- if I put just a postcode in the address field and point state or city to read the address field, it works.

But:
- if you set city or state to read postcode instead, user doesn't show on map
- if you set street address in integrations to read the postcode field instead, user doesn't show on map

So there is more than one thing happening here I think?

- could the format of our postcode field be affecting how it is read?
- could Google be expecting 'State' data in a certain format?

We need jomsocial maps integrations to generate an accurate latitude and longitude for us to msp using Hellomaps.

Please can you explain the workings of how you generate the latitude/ longitude and how we should get our postcode field to be included properly and read?

Thanks!

OK this is a bug....

1) setting the integration fields seems to make no difference to the lookup done.

- Google Maps reads our Address field even we aren’t linking to that field with any of the four Google Maps Integration fields of Street, City, State, Country.

- i.e. Google Map is reading our Address field but not the fields we try to set in the Integration

- so unless we put full address data in the Address field the location isn't generated

The other fields aren't being read......

ie there is a bug....

Hi, please can you tell me how this is actually meant to work?

Have you tested this bug?

It is very important for us that google maps integration is working correctly!

Definitely a bug.....

Waiting to hear....

Thanks

Hi, Susan.

I'm waiting developer explanations... I asked your question, now... eh... need to wait.

Hi, Susan.

I didn't forget about your issue... frankly I escalated it too.
let it stay on my "Pending Support" list than on escalated... I check my list more often.

Hi, Susan.

Please can you explain HOW you generate the geolocation latitude and longitude co-ordinates?

- We are using a geocoding API from google to decode the location (lang, long). So, whatever address we dump into the API, we will get the results back. The more information given, the more accurate the results will be.

if I put the whole address (Street, City, State) into one field such as 'street address', will this change the result of the search compared to if I break the address up and put it separately into the Street, City, State fields? IE do you put all the information from all the fields in the Google Maps Integration together as text to search for the address, so it doesn't matter into which field the address information was entered?

- Putting the entire address in one field such as 'street address' wont change the results compared to the separated input because in the end, the separated input will be concatenated into a series of string with comma. For instance : Address, City, State, Country.
So, yes, you can put all the information into the address and leave the others empty. But please make sure that it's a complete address so that the googlemaps can determine the location in a more accurate results.

Conclusion:

You may use only TWO fields to determine accurate location:

1. ZIP code e.g: OX2 7AY
2. Country e.g: United Kingdom

Then in Integration set those fields in Google Maps: prntscr.com/86rxgi
The rest of fields may not exist or be disabled (empty).
After cron job run geolocation should be parsed and updated in DB: prntscr.com/86rxx6

Thank you for the explanation. I thought that was how it works.

But I still believe there is a bug....

Setting the integration fields makes no difference to the lookup done.

- Google Maps reads our Address field even we aren’t linking to that Address field with any of the four Google Maps Integration fields of Street, City, State, Country.

- i.e. Google Map is not reading the fields we try to set in the Integration. If we set any field to read postcode it doesn't.

There is a bug....

See my earlier message also:

On testing I have found

- that it doesn't work setting the Google integrations for State to read our postcode field.... It isn't reading anything from the postcode field at all
- i.e. user doesn't appear on map if you put only a postcode in, when they should in the UK
- And with street address and postcode it is also ignoring postcode when positioning the user on the map

I have tested the workings of all the fields by just putting a postcode in (and entering no other address, to be sure which field is being read).
- if I put just a postcode in the postcode field and set state to read postcode the user doesn't show on map.

- IF I put just a postcode in the address field it works (user shows on map).
- if I put just a postcode in the address field and point state or city to read the address field, it works.

But:
- if you set city or state field to read postcode instead, user doesn't show on map

CONCLUSION==>
1) I think the Integrations Fields are not working at all.
2) Latitude and Longitude are reading Address irrespective of the integration fields...

Please test with some UK addresses in maps.google.co.uk to see where real correct location is, and see what happens if you use the Google Integrations fields. See what latitude and longitude is generated by jomsocial (if any).

THANKS A LOT!

Hi, Susan.

Did you run cron job after you've made changes?
Geodata are calculated and map is populated AFTER cron job is executed.
So if you set some fields for integration and provide field values for user.... even save profile.... he/she will not appear on map. Data need to be processed by cron.

Hi Michal,

When the user updates their address, their position changes on the map. No wait is needed.

We have tested this further and we can tell you that whatever you set in Google Maps Integrations does not make any difference. Even if none of the 4 fields in Google Maps integrations points to Address, the user will still be located according to what is in the address field.

Did the developer try to replicate this?

1. Put the whole address into the street address field nothing into any other field.
2. see where the user is on the map.
3. change the address - they move - good.
4. set the 4 google maps integrations fields to look at other fields, not street address.
5 look where the user is on the map. They are still on the map.

Jomsocial is not reading the fields that we set in Integrations, it is just reading the address anyway.

Hi, Susan.

You didn't mentioned cron job run. What happens if you run cron job after 5th step?