API geocode and timezone Google

A search button Google Maps was added. This button makes possible the use of the following API

to find longitudes and latitudes for all cities on Earth, as well as time zones (including DST changes).

This service has however some limitations:

The author of Proastro made demand to obtain 2 free keys, a geocode key and a timezone key. These keys are by default common to all Proastre users. That means that if more than 2500 requests during a day are sent to Google servers, the service will not work any more.

An alternative is to connect you with your own Google account and ask for personal keys (geocode and timezone, see links above) and to modify the file google_keys.txt in your private Proastro directory.

For example:

before:
key_geocode=AIzaSyDtOEfSqWj6Jru7_eUYMr7jCWlRsadA4pE
key_timezone=AIzaSyCJgkERbjXHkNhgmlLsEtfkRAJgO5CXam8

after:
key_geocode=my new key given by Google for personal use of geocode API
key_timezone=my new key given by Google for personal use for the timezone API

There are differences for country divisions between Google and Proastro (old button).
Proastro does not take into account region (for France) but Google takes it in account.

Remark: Geocode API uses a single parameter, an address, to find its longitude and latitude. Proastro makes this address by concatenation of city, county, state and country fields.

For example: If you type Liberty Island in the city field
with other fields left to empty (county, state, country),
Google Maps will answer you New York, with its longitude and latitude

Results obtained with the Google Maps button are strictly the same that those you would obtain in Google Maps, well-known Google application.

For years far in the past, for example for 1800, the proposed correction by Google's Time Zone API unreliable.
The local time is taken for the capital (Paris, London etc) and not for the place of birth. You can check the corrections with the free tool (french)
offered by www.astrotheme.com or, if the city is recognized by Proastro, with the "old correction button" (uses country/time zone files from the countries directory).

See also:

New horoscope dialog

My city dialog

Solar sideral return dialog


Bibliography

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