Android Google Map v2 - What is the recommended way to show current location on a map along with custom markers?

Question

What is the recommended way to show current location on a map along with custom markers? The code below is working fine, that is, it is showing my current location and also showing a marker near my location that i added.

Layout:activity_main.xml

<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
tools:context=".MainActivity" >

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/tv_location"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

<fragment xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/map"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:layout_below="@id/tv_location"
    class="com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment" />

AndroidManifest.xml

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    package="com.example.geolocs"
    android:versionCode="1"
    android:versionName="1.0" >

    <uses-sdk
        android:minSdkVersion="9"
        android:targetSdkVersion="21" />
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE"/>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>
    <!-- External storage for caching. -->
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>
    <!-- My Location -->
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION"/>
    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION"/>  
    <uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.providers.gsf.permission.READ_GSERVICES" />    

    <!-- Maps API needs OpenGL ES 2.0. -->
    <uses-feature
    android:glEsVersion="0x00020000"
    android:required="true"/>

    <application
        android:allowBackup="true"
        android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"
        android:label="@string/app_name"
        android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >
        <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            android:label="@string/app_name" >
            <intent-filter>
                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />

                <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
            </intent-filter>
        </activity>
        <meta-data android:name="com.google.android.maps.v2.API_KEY"
    android:value="MY API KEY"/>
    <meta-data
            android:name="com.google.android.gms.version"
            android:value="@integer/google_play_services_version" />
    </application>

</manifest>

MainActivity.java

    import android.app.Dialog;
import android.location.Criteria;
import android.location.Location;
import android.location.LocationListener;
import android.location.LocationManager;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.widget.TextView;

import com.google.android.gms.common.ConnectionResult;
import com.google.android.gms.common.GooglePlayServicesUtil;
import com.google.android.gms.maps.CameraUpdateFactory;
import com.google.android.gms.maps.GoogleMap;
import com.google.android.gms.maps.SupportMapFragment;
import com.google.android.gms.maps.model.LatLng;
import com.google.android.gms.maps.model.MarkerOptions;


public class MainActivity extends FragmentActivity implements LocationListener {

    GoogleMap googleMap;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
        // Getting Google Play availability status
        int status = GooglePlayServicesUtil.isGooglePlayServicesAvailable(getBaseContext());

        // Showing status
        if(status!=ConnectionResult.SUCCESS){ // Google Play Services are not available

            int requestCode = 10;
            Dialog dialog = GooglePlayServicesUtil.getErrorDialog(status, this, requestCode);
            dialog.show();

        }else { // Google Play Services are available

            // Getting reference to the SupportMapFragment of activity_main.xml
            SupportMapFragment fm = (SupportMapFragment) getSupportFragmentManager().findFragmentById(R.id.map);

            // Getting GoogleMap object from the fragment
            googleMap = fm.getMap();

            // Enabling MyLocation Layer of Google Map
            googleMap.setMyLocationEnabled(true);

            // Getting LocationManager object from System Service LOCATION_SERVICE
            LocationManager locationManager = (LocationManager) getSystemService(LOCATION_SERVICE);

            // Creating a criteria object to retrieve provider
            Criteria criteria = new Criteria();

            // Getting the name of the best provider
            String provider = locationManager.getBestProvider(criteria, true);

            // Getting Current Location
            Location location = locationManager.getLastKnownLocation(provider);

            if(location!=null){
                onLocationChanged(location);
            }
            locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(provider, 20000, 0, this);

            //add a custom marker
            googleMap.addMarker(new MarkerOptions()
                    .position(new LatLng(63.813293,20.308319))
                    .title("House Rent"));
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {

        TextView tvLocation = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.tv_location);

        // Getting latitude of the current location
        double latitude = location.getLatitude();

        // Getting longitude of the current location
        double longitude = location.getLongitude();

        // Creating a LatLng object for the current location
        LatLng latLng = new LatLng(latitude, longitude);

        // Showing the current location in Google Map
        googleMap.moveCamera(CameraUpdateFactory.newLatLng(latLng));

        // Zoom in the Google Map
        googleMap.animateCamera(CameraUpdateFactory.zoomTo(16));

        // Setting latitude and longitude in the TextView tv_location
        tvLocation.setText("Latitude:" +  latitude  + ", Longitude:"+ longitude );

    }

    @Override
    public void onProviderDisabled(String provider) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    }

    @Override
    public void onProviderEnabled(String provider) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    }

    @Override
    public void onStatusChanged(String provider, int status, Bundle extras) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    }

    @Override
    public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
        // Inflate the menu; this adds items to the action bar if it is present.
        getMenuInflater().inflate(R.menu.main, menu);
        return true;
    }
}

My questions are, Is it a recommended (or atleast a correct) way? Is there any major issue that I have to rectify (or take care) in my MainActivity? Do I always need to extend FragmentActivity and implement LocationListener when displaying current location on a map with custom markers? Should I always add my custom markers inside onCreate() method (There are many example where it is inside onLocationChange()? Would highly appreciate some feedback.

Answer 1

Is there any major issue that I have to rectify (or take care) in my MainActivity? No it looks fine to me.

Do I always need to extend FragmentActivity and implement LocationListener when displaying current location on a map with custom markers? No, you do not need to do either. You just need to create a LocationListener object and obtain a reference to the map fragment you wish to use.

Should I always add my custom markers inside onCreate() method (There are many example where it is inside onLocationChange()? It depends on what you are trying to do, but using a method like onLocationChange() to move a markers is good practice if you are doing something that involves moving the marker every time the location changes. If the markers you're creating are not intended to move and they only need to be created once then the onCreate() method is a good place to do it.