Google Places Package

Request participants can auto-complete street, location, and/or business addresses entered into a Screen control.

Overview

Use the Google Places package to allow Request participants to do the following in Form-type Screens:

• Start entering an address, location, or business name into a Screen control, then allow the Google API to auto-complete that address or location. The Google Place control stores the selected address in the Request data as well as all the returned data from the Google API.

• View and/or select from one or more geographical locations in a Google map.

Prior to using the Google Places package, ensure that your organization has a billing account with the Maps JavaScript API and Places API enabled, as well as API keys for each API.

The Google Places package has the following components after it is installed:

• Screen Builder control: The Google Places package installs the Google Places control into Form-type Screens. After adding and configuring a Google Places control into your Screen, Request participants start entering an address, then receive auto-complete address options from which to select as the intended address, location, or business name. The Google Place control stores the selected address in the Request data using that control's Variable Name setting value, as well as all the returned data from the Google API. See Google Places Control Settings.
• Environment Variable: The Google Places package adds an Environment Variable called GOOGLE_API_TOKEN that contains the Google API token for that ProcessMaker instance. The Environment Variable does not require configuration or revision after it has been added to your ProcessMaker instance.

The Google Places control uses the Google API token to call the Google API when a Google Places control is placed into a Screen, then when address information is entered into the control. Google uses Basic Service Set Identifiers (BSSID) information from the Request participant's Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Access Point to get an approximation of where that Request participant is located, even when GPS and WiFi are not available.

Below are a few ways to use the Google Places package:

• Allow Request participants to easily enter a shipping or billing address.
• Enter a business name into the Google Places control to select a business location.
• Enter well-known monuments or international airport names to get their addresses or locations when requesting to travel.