Open-Source Android Location App Evolves: Altitude, Compass, and Weather Added to Sample Project

An open-source Android sample application demonstrating core location services has been significantly updated, adding real-time altitude, compass heading, and local weather conditions. This enhanced fork provides developers with a practical reference for integrating complex sensor data and APIs into location-aware mobile experiences.

For Android developers seeking a hands-on reference for implementing location-based features, an open-source sample project has received notable upgrades. Originally forked from Pavannamepalli's Sample-Location repository, the project maintained by ornatwork now incorporates three key functionalities beyond basic GPS positioning: current altitude, compass direction, and local weather conditions.

The core purpose remains educational: providing a functional codebase demonstrating how to utilize Android's LocationManager and related APIs. The new features significantly expand its scope:

Altitude Tracking: Demonstrates accessing elevation data alongside latitude and longitude, crucial for hiking, aviation, or navigation apps.
Compass Integration: Shows how to retrieve and display device orientation using the magnetometer sensor, essential for augmented reality or directional navigation.
Weather Conditions: Illustrates integrating a weather API (specific service not detailed in the repo) to fetch and display local weather based on the device's current coordinates, a common requirement for travel or outdoor apps.

Developers can inspect the code on GitHub to understand the implementation details of:

Requesting and handling fine location permissions.
Acquiring location updates via LocationManager.
Accessing and processing sensor data for compass heading.
Making network calls to external APIs (presumably for weather) and parsing responses.

The project includes a pre-built APK for immediate testing on an Android device, allowing developers to experience the features firsthand before delving into the code.

Screenshot: The updated My Location app interface showing coordinates, altitude, compass, and weather.

While not a production-ready application, this fork serves as a valuable, consolidated learning resource. It tackles several common but non-trivial tasks faced when building location-centric Android apps, moving beyond simple coordinate retrieval. The evolution from its original fork also highlights how foundational samples can be extended to cover more complex real-world scenarios. For developers building apps requiring rich location context – from fitness trackers to field service tools – dissecting this updated sample offers practical insights into combining device sensors and web services effectively.

Source: Code and APK available via the ornatwork/Sample-Location GitHub repository. Original fork based on pavannamepalli/Sample-Location.