Geocoding v1.1 complete: functions now output tuples as directed

mbta_finder.py

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """
-Geocoding and Web APIs Project Toolbox exercise
+Geocoding and Web APIs Project Toolbox
+Anderson Ang Wei Jian - Toolbox #3
 
 Find the MBTA stops closest to a given location.
 
@@ -9,7 +10,8 @@
 
 import urllib   # urlencode function
 import urllib2  # urlopen function (better than urllib version)
-import json
+import json # JSon library
+from pprint import pprint
 
 
 # Useful URLs (you need to add the appropriate parameters for your requests)
@@ -18,14 +20,16 @@
 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
+    Given a properly format ted URL for a JSON web API request, return
     a Python JSON object containing the response to that request.
     """
-    pass
+    # append URL to Google Maps API base url
+    f = urllib2.urlopen(url)
+    response_text = f.read()
+    response_data = json.loads(response_text)
+    return response_data
 
 
 def get_lat_long(place_name):
@@ -36,7 +40,16 @@ def get_lat_long(place_name):
     See https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/
     for Google Maps Geocode API URL formatting requirements.
     """
-    pass
+    param = urllib.urlencode(place_name)
+    url = GMAPS_BASE_URL + ("?%s" % param)
+    # runs json query, and stores response data
+    response_data = get_json(url)
+    # acquires latitude, and longtitude of location in dict respectively
+    lat = response_data["results"][0]["geometry"]["location"]["lat"]
+    lng = response_data["results"][0]["geometry"]["location"]["lng"]
+    # enrolls the data into a tuple and returns it
+    tup_loc = (lat,lng)
+    return tup_loc
 
 
 def get_nearest_station(latitude, longitude):
@@ -47,13 +60,36 @@ def get_nearest_station(latitude, longitude):
     See http://realtime.mbta.com/Portal/Home/Documents for URL
     formatting requirements for the 'stopsbylocation' API.
     """
-    pass
+    station_name = ""
+    distance = 0.0
+    mbta_url = MBTA_BASE_URL + "?api_key=%s&lat=%s&lon=%s&format=json" % (MBTA_DEMO_API_KEY, latitude, longitude)
+    station_data = get_json(mbta_url)
+
+    # note: exceptions do exist for having no closest stops
+    # try attempts to find the closest stops
+    try:
+        station_name = station_data['stop'][0]['stop_name']
+        distance = station_data['stop'][0]['distance']
+    except:
+        # exception triggered - no stops found
+        print "ERROR!"
+
+    return (station_name, distance)
+
 
 
 def find_stop_near(place_name):
     """
-    Given a place name or address, print the nearest MBTA stop and the 
+    Given a place name or address, print the nearest MBTA stop and the
     distance from the given place to that stop.
     """
-    pass
+    print "You hav entered:" + place_name + "\n"
+    tuple_loc = get_lat_long({'address' : ('%s' % place_name)})
+    tuple_station = get_nearest_station(tuple_loc[0],tuple_loc[1])
+    print "The nearest station to this location is at " + str(tuple_station[0]) + "\n"
+    print "Distance from location: " + str(tuple_station[1]) + " miles"
+
 
+if __name__  == '__main__':
+    find_stop_near("Yawkey Way")
+    find_stop_near("Cambridge")