Completed toolbox

mbta_finder.py

@@ -12,20 +12,16 @@
 import json
 
 
-# Useful URLs (you need to add the appropriate parameters for your requests)
-GMAPS_BASE_URL = "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json"
-MBTA_BASE_URL = "http://realtime.mbta.com/developer/api/v2/stopsbylocation"
-MBTA_DEMO_API_KEY = "wX9NwuHnZU2ToO7GmGR9uw"
-
-
-# A little bit of scaffolding if you want to use it
 
 def get_json(url):
     """
     Given a properly formatted URL for a JSON web API request, return
     a Python JSON object containing the response to that request.
     """
-    pass
+    f = urllib2.urlopen(url)
+    response_text = f.read()
+    response_data = json.loads(response_text)
+    return response_data
 
 
 def get_lat_long(place_name):
@@ -36,8 +32,21 @@ def get_lat_long(place_name):
     See https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/
     for Google Maps Geocode API URL formatting requirements.
     """
-    pass
-
+    placenamewords = place_name.split()
+    baseurl = "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?address="
+    first = True
+    #compose with %20 delimiter
+    for word in placenamewords:
+        if first:
+            first = False
+            baseurl = baseurl + word
+        else:
+            baseurl = baseurl + "%20" + word
+    json = get_json(baseurl)
+    #step thru jason to find lat and long
+    lat =  json["results"][0]["geometry"]["location"]["lat"]
+    lng = json["results"][0]["geometry"]["location"]["lng"]
+    return [str(lat),str(lng)]
 
 def get_nearest_station(latitude, longitude):
     """
@@ -47,13 +56,32 @@ def get_nearest_station(latitude, longitude):
     See http://realtime.mbta.com/Portal/Home/Documents for URL
     formatting requirements for the 'stopsbylocation' API.
     """
-    pass
-
+    # the mbta api url (with key) in 3 base strings seperated by lat and lon
+    mbta_baseurl = "http://realtime.mbta.com/developer/api/v2/stopsbylocation?api_key=wX9NwuHnZU2ToO7GmGR9uw&lat="
+    mbta_baseurl2 = "&lon="
+    mbta_baseurl3 = "&format=json"
+    mbtajson = get_json(mbta_baseurl+latitude+mbta_baseurl2+longitude+mbta_baseurl3)
+    closeststopname = mbtajson
+    #try to index to nearest station, let user know if none exist
+    try:
+        distance = closeststopname['stop'][0]["distance"]
+        name = closeststopname['stop'][0]["stop_name"]
+    except:
+        print "No nearby stations."
+    return (name,distance)
+
+
 
 def find_stop_near(place_name):
     """
     Given a place name or address, print the nearest MBTA stop and the 
     distance from the given place to that stop.
     """
-    pass
+    lat_long = get_lat_long(place_name)
+    nearest_station = get_nearest_station(lat_long[0],lat_long[1])
+    print "Nearest station is : " + nearest_station[0] + "\n"
+    print "Distance:" + nearest_station[1] + " miles"
+
+
 
+find_stop_near("Massachusetts Institute of Technology")