android - Sharing Map based Location

Question

I have developed an application that shows one's location on a map. How do I go about sharing my current location with others who are using my application? Is it possible to send them a notification to let them know my current location?

Answer 1

A format that I use to send a location is to leverage the maps.google.com site, like:

"http://maps.google.com/maps?q=" + loc_x + "," + loc_y + "&iwloc=A"

This String can be inserted into a SMS or Email message. I found this site with some good info for formating a URL to automatically open a map centered on the given coordinates. A possible implementation for SMS could be:

String message = 
             "http://maps.google.com/maps?q=" + loc_x + "," + loc_y + "&iwloc=A";

private void sendSMS(String phoneNumber, String message){

    SmsManager sms = SmsManager.getDefault();
    Log.d(TAG, "Attempting to send an SMS to: " + phoneNumber);
    try {
        sms.sendTextMessage(phoneNumber, null, message, null, null);
    } catch (Exception e) {
        Log.e(TAG, "Error sending an SMS to: " + phoneNumber + " :: " + e);
    }       

}  

Where loc_x and loc_y represent lat and lon from a LocationManager instance.