W3C Geolocation API: Difference between revisions

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Line 1: {{Short description\|Javascript API to geolocate devices}} {{Use dmy dates\|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox technology standard \| title = Geolocation API \| long_name = ~~\| native_name = Geolocation API~~ ~~\| native_name_lang = en~~ \| image = \| caption = \| ~~year_started~~ first_published = {{Start date and age\|df=yes\|2008\|12\|22}}<ref name="geolocation-spec-hist">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.w3.org/standards/history/geolocation-API\|title=Geolocation API Specification 2nd Edition Publication History - W3C\|date=n.d.\|access-date=2021-04-21}}</ref><ref name="geolocation-spec-20081222">{{cite web\|url=https://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-geolocation-API-20081222/\|title=Geolocation API Specification\|first=Andrei ~~(editor, Google Inc.)~~\|last=Popescu\|website=W3C\|publisher=Geolocation Working Group\|date=2008-12-22\|access-date=2021-04-21}}</ref>▼ ~~\| status = [[World Wide Web Consortium#W3C_recommendation_(REC)\|W3C Recommendation]]~~ ▲\| year_started = {{Start date and age\|2008}}<ref name="geolocation-spec-hist">{{Cite web\|url=https://www.w3.org/standards/history/geolocation-API\|title=Geolocation API Specification 2nd Edition Publication History - W3C\|date=n.d.\|access-date=2021-04-21}}</ref><ref name="geolocation-spec-20081222">{{cite web\|url=https://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-geolocation-API-20081222/\|title=Geolocation API Specification\|first=Andrei (editor, Google Inc.)\|last=Popescu\|website=W3C\|publisher=Geolocation Working Group\|date=2008-12-22\|access-date=2021-04-21}}</ref> ~~\| first_published = {{Start date and age\|2008\|12\|22}}<ref name="geolocation-spec-hist" /><ref name="geolocation-spec-20081222" />~~ \| version = W3C Recommendation \| version_date = {{Start date and age\|~~2016~~df=yes\|112022\|0809\|01}}<ref name="geolocation-spec" /> \| preview = \| preview_date = Line 29 ⟶ 26: }} The '''W3C Geolocation API''' is an effort by the [[World Wide Web Consortium]] (W3C) to standardize an interface to retrieve the [[geographical ___location information]] for a client-side device.<ref name="geolocation-spec">{{cite web\|url=https://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-geolocation-API-20081222/\|title=Geolocation API Specification ~~2nd Edition~~\|~~first~~first1=~~Andrei (editor, Google Inc.)~~Marcos\|last1=Cáceres\|first2=Reilly\|~~last~~last2=~~Popescu~~Grant\|website=W3C\|publisher=Geolocation Working Group\|date=~~2016~~2022-1109-0801\|access-date=~~2021~~2024-0402-2108}}</ref> It defines a set of objects, [[ECMAScript]] standard compliant, that executing in the client application give the client's device ___location through the consulting of [[Location Information Server]]s, which are transparent for the [[application programming interface]] (API). The most common sources of ___location information are [[IP address]], [[Wi-Fi]] and [[Bluetooth]] [[MAC address]], [[radio-frequency identification]] (RFID), Wi-Fi connection ___location, or device [[Global Positioning System]] (GPS) and [[GSM]]/[[CDMA2000\|CDMA]] cell IDs. The ___location is returned with a given accuracy depending on the best ___location information source available. The result of W3C Geolocation API will usually give 4 ___location properties, including [[latitude]] and [[longitude]] (coordinates), altitude (height), and [accuracy [of the position gathered], which all depend on the ___location sources.{{Citation needed\|date=February ~~In some queries, altitude may yield or return no value.~~2023}}▼ == Deployment in web browsers == Web pages can use the Geolocation API directly if the web browser implements it. Historically, some browsers could gain support via the [[Google Gears]] [[plug-in (computing)\|plugin]], but this was discontinued in 2010 and the server-side API it depended on stopped responding in 2012.<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://code.google.com/apis/gears/api_geolocation.html \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214212239/https://code.google.com/apis/gears/api_geolocation.html\|title=Geolocation API: Gears API: Google Code \|website=Google Code \|date=9 July 2009 \|archive-date=2012-02-14 \|access-date=2021-04-21 }}</ref><ref~~>[https://~~ name="code.-google~~.com/p/gears/wiki/GeolocationAPI GeolocationAPI~~ - ~~gears~~ gear- ~~Provides the geolocation of a device running a Gears~~geo-~~enabled~~api" ~~web browser. - Improving Your Web Browser - Google Project Hosting]. Code.google.com. Retrieved 2014-06-01.<~~/~~ref~~> The Geolocation API is ideally suited to web applications for mobile devices such as ~~[[personal digital assistant]]s (PDA) and~~ [[smartphone]]s. On desktop computers, the W3C Geolocation API works in [[Firefox]] since version 3.5, [[Google Chrome]],<ref>{{cite web \|url=~~http~~https://chrome.blogspot.com/2010/05/new-chrome-stable-release-welcome-mac.html \|title=A new Chrome stable release: Welcome, Mac and Linux!\|website=Google Chrome Blog \|date=25 May 2010 \|access-date=2021-04-21 }}</ref> [[Opera (web browser)\|Opera]] 10.6,<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://my.opera.com/desktopteam/blog/2010/07/01/opera-10-60-goes-final \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109061925/http://my.opera.com/desktopteam/blog/2010/07/01/opera-10-60-goes-final\|title=Opera 10.60 goes final \|first=Huib \|last=Kleinhout ~~\|date=1 July 2010~~ \|work=[[My Opera]] \|publisher=[[Opera Software]] \|date=2021-07-01 \|archive-date=2011-11-09 \|access-date=22021-04-21 ~~July 2010~~}}</ref> [[Internet Explorer]] 9.0,<ref>{{cite web\|title=W3C Geolocation API in IE9 - IEBlog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs\|url=http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2011/02/17/w3c-geolocation-api-in-ie9.aspx\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219033657/http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2011/02/17/w3c-geolocation-api-in-ie9.aspx\|author=ieblog\|website=IEBlog\|date=2011-02-17\|archive-date=2011-02-19\|access-date=2021-04-21 }}</ref> and Safari 5. On mobile devices, it works on [[Android (operating system)\|Android]] (firmware 2.0+), [[iOS (Apple)\|iOS]], [[Windows Phone]] and [[Maemo]]. The W3C Geolocation API is also supported by Opera Mobile 10.1 – available for Android and [[Symbian]] devices (S60 generations 3 & 5) since 24 November 2010.<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.opera.com/press/releases/2010/11/24/ \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104005142/http://www.opera.com/press/releases/2010/11/24/\|author=Opera.com\|title=Opera ~~Mobile~~speeds up Symbian browsing\|date=2010-11-25\|archive-date=2011-11-04\|access-date=2021-04-21 }}</ref> Browsers initially allowed access to the API in insecure contexts, but in the context of Secure Contexts,<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Secure Contexts \|url=https://www.w3.org/TR/secure-contexts/Overview.html \|access-date=2022-10-13 \|website=W3.1org ~~for~~}}</ref> ~~Nokia~~browsers, ~~smartphones~~e.g., ~~goes~~Chrome,<ref>{{Cite ~~final~~web \|title=Intent to Remove: Insecure origin usage of geolocation \|url=https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/blink-dev/c/ylz0Zoph76A/m/jaMAcld6BQAJ \|access-date=~~2010~~2022-1110-2513 \|website=Groups.Google.com }}</ref> now generally require a secure connection. [[Google Gears]] provided geolocation support for older and non-compliant browsers, including Internet Explorer 7.0+ as a Gears plugin, and Google Chrome which implemented Gears natively. It also supported geolocation on mobile devices as a plugin for the [[Android ~~(operating system)\|Android]]~~ browser (pre version 2.0) and [[Opera Mobile]] for [[Windows Mobile]]. However, the Google Gears Geolocation API is incompatible with the W3C Geolocation API and is no longer supported. ~~==Features==~~ ▲The result of W3C Geolocation API will usually give 4 ___location properties, including latitude and longitude (coordinates), altitude (height), and [accuracy of the position gathered], which all depend on the ___location sources. In some queries, altitude may yield or return no value. ==Location sources== {{Unreferenced section\|date=January 2022}} The Geolocation API does not provide the ___location information. The ___location information is obtained by a device (such as a smartphone, PC or modem), which is then served by the API to be brought in browser. Usually geolocation will try to determine a device's position using one of these several methods. ; GPS (Global Positioning System): This happens for any device which has ~~[[Global Positioning System\|~~GPS]] capabilities. A smartphone with GPS capabilities and set to high accuracy mode will be likely to obtain the ___location data from this. GPS calculate ___location information from the satellite signal. It has the highest accuracy; in most Android smartphones, the accuracy can be up to 10 metres. ; Mobile Network Location: [[Mobile phone tracking]] is used if a cellphone or wireless modem is used without a GPS chip built in. ; Wi-Fi Positioning System: If Wi-Fi is used indoors, a [[Wi-Fi positioning system]] is the likeliest source. Some Wi-Fi spots have ___location services capabilities. ; IP Address Location: Location is detected based on the nearest ~~Public~~public IP ~~Address~~address on a device (which can be a computer, the router it is connected to, or the [[Internet Service Provider]] (ISP) the router uses). The ___location depends on the IP information available, but in many cases where the IP is hidden behind ~~Internet~~an ~~Service~~ISP ~~Provider~~[[network address ~~NAT~~translation]], the accuracy is only to the level of a city, region or even country. ==Implementation== Though the implementation is not specified, W3C Geolocation API is built on extant technologies, and is heavily influenced by Google Gears Geolocation API. Example: Firefox's Geolocation implementation<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://~~www~~support.mozilla.org/en-US/~~firefox~~kb/~~geolocation/~~ does-firefox-share-my-___location-websites?redirectslug=does-firefox-share-my-___location-web-sites&redirectlocale=en-US\|title=~~Location-Aware~~Does ~~Browsing~~Firefox share my ___location with websites? {{!}} Mozilla Support\|work=Mozilla Firefox\|author-link=Mozilla Firefox\|publisher=Mozilla\|date=n.d.\|access-date=2021-04-21}}</ref> uses Google's network ___location provider.<ref name="code-google-gear-geo-api">{{cite web \|url=https://code.google.com/apis/gears/geolocation_network_protocol.html \|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222162645/https://code.google.com/p/gears/wiki/GeolocationAPI\|title=~~Geolocation~~GeolocationAPI ~~API~~- ~~Network~~gears ~~Protocol:~~- Provides the geolocation of a device running a Gears-enabled ~~API~~web browser. - Improving Your Web Browser - Google Project Hosting\|work=Google Code \|archive-date=2015-12-22\|date=n.d.\|access-date=~~8 August 2011~~2021-04-21}}</ref> Google Gears Geolocation works by sending a set of parameters that could give a hint as to where the user's physical ___location is to a network ___location provider server, which is by default the one provided by Google (code.l.google.com).<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://webscannotes.com/?page_id=425 \|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112035756/http://webscannotes.com/geolocation-api/\|title=WebScanNotes.com: W3C Geolocation API \|work=WebScanNotes\|date=n.~~com~~d.\|archive-date=2012-11-12\|access-date=2021-04-21}}</ref> Some of the parameters are lists of sensed mobile cell towers and Wi-Fi networks, all with sensed signal strengths. These parameters are encapsulated into a JavaScript Object Notation ([[JSON]]) message and sent to the network ___location provider via HTTP POST. Based on these parameters, the network ___location provider can calculate the ___location. Common uses for this ___location information include enforcing access controls, localizing and customizing content, analyzing traffic, [[contextual advertising]] and preventing identity theft.<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1622411\|ssrn=1622411 \|title=Personal Jurisdiction, Internet Commerce, and Privacy: The Pervasive Legal Consequences of Modern Geolocation Technologies \|first=Kevin F. \|last=King \|date=~~8 June~~ 2010-06-08\|publication-date=2010-06-09\|access-date=2021-04-21}}</ref> ===Example code=== Line 83 ⟶ 81: ==See also== * [[Local search (Internet)]]▼ * [[Location-based service]]s ▲*[[Local search (Internet)]] ==References== {{~~reflist~~Reflist}} ==External links== Line 96 ⟶ 94: [[Category:Application programming interfaces]] [[Category:Internet geolocation]]▼ [[Category:HTML5]] [[Category:~~Web~~Internet ~~standards~~geolocation]] [[Category:Location-based software]] ▲[[Category:~~Internet~~Web ~~geolocation~~standards]]