Getting User Location in Windows Store Apps

Introduction

Today we explain how to create an app that gets the user's current geographic location using C# and XAML in Windows Store apps. It is possible to get user current location in Windows Store apps.

This example shows your location, latitude, longitude and accuracy in meters and location status. When you first time run the app, you'll get a prompt that asks if the app can use your location. Choose the "Allow" option. Click the "Get Location" button to get the current location. In this example we are using two namespaces; "Windows.Devices.Geolocation" to determine location information and "Windows.UI.Popups" to display a message.

Step 1

Open Visual Studio 2012 and start a new Windows Store app.

Step 2

Go to Solution Explorer and click on "Package.appxmanifest" to open it.

Step 3

In "Package.appxmanifest" go to the "Capability" tab and enable "Location".

Step 4

Now go to the "MainPage.xaml" page and replace all code with the following code:

<Page

    x:Class="DetectMyLocation.MainPage"

    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"

    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"

    xmlns:local="using:DetectMyLocation"

    xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"

    xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"

    mc:Ignorable="d">

 

    <Grid Background="SteelBlue">

        <Button Content="Find Location"  Height="30"

HorizontalAlignment="Left" Margin="12,180,0,0" Name="button3" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="120" Click="button3_Click" />

        <TextBlock Margin="14,220,0,0" Text="Latitude" x:Name="textLatitude" />

        <TextBlock Margin="14,260,0,0" Text="Longitude" x:Name="textLongitude" />

        <TextBlock Margin="14,300,0,0" Text="Accuracy" x:Name="textAccuracy" />

    </Grid>

</Page>

Step 5

Your "MainPage.xaml.cs" page is as the following:

using System;

using System.Collections.Generic;

using System.IO;

using System.Linq;

using Windows.Foundation;

using Windows.Foundation.Collections;

using Windows.UI.Xaml;

using Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls;

using Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.Primitives;

using Windows.UI.Xaml.Data;

using Windows.UI.Xaml.Input;

using Windows.UI.Xaml.Media;

using Windows.UI.Xaml.Navigation;

using Windows.Devices.Geolocation;

using Windows.UI.Popups;

 

namespace DetectMyLocation

{ 

    public sealed partial class MainPage : Page

    {

        public MainPage()

        {

            this.InitializeComponent();

        } 

        protected override void OnNavigatedTo(NavigationEventArgs e)

        {

        } 

        private async void button3_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)

        {

            var loc = new Geolocator();

            try

            {

                loc.DesiredAccuracy = PositionAccuracy.High;

                Geoposition pos = await loc.GetGeopositionAsync(); 

                textLatitude.Text = "Latitude: " + pos.Coordinate.Latitude.ToString();

                textLongitude.Text = "Longitude: " + pos.Coordinate.Longitude.ToString();

                textAccuracy.Text = "Accuracy: " + pos.Coordinate.Accuracy.ToString();

            }

            catch (System.UnauthorizedAccessException)

            {

                MessageDialog msg = new MessageDialog("Your location can't be access");

                msg.ShowAsync();

            }

        }

    }

}

Step 6

Now run your program and click on "Get Location". The first time it will ask to allow your location. Click on "Allow".

Step 7

Your location information is as the following: