GeoLocator is a simple tool (DHTML web application), designed to streamline the process of geotagging, especially for Wikipedians. Latest release is 0.35 (2015-04-11), see changelog.
Tool serves as interactive coordinate editor and metadata markup generator, allowing:
Practical hints
Viewing diameter
Viewing diameter, when specified, is used by GeoHack to calculate appropriate map scale – most detailed zoom level, so that whole area inside diameter is visible. Don't be overly precise, when specifying diameter, 2 significant digits are enough (e.g.: dim:1300 instead of dim:1279).
Use of viewing diameter is preferred over explicit setting of scale.
Heading
Only use heading (camera view direction) parameter for media (photo) geotagging. It's not intended for wikipedia article related geotags. GeoLocator does not export heading parameter for article templates even if you define one.
Precision
Don't be overly precise. Generally, the larger the object being mapped, the less precise the coordinates should be. A general rule is to give precisions approximately one tenth the size of the object, unless there is a clear reason for additional precision. Overly precise coordinates can be misleading by implying that the geographic area is smaller than it truly is.
Approximate length equivalents of different longitude steps at selected latitudes:
| Latitude
|
Town
|
|
1°
|
1′
|
1″
|
0.1″
|
0.01″
|
|
0.1°
|
0.01°
|
0.001°
|
0.0001°
|
0.00001°
|
0.000001°
|
| 60°
|
Saint Petersburg |
|
56 km |
0.9 km |
15 m |
1.5 m |
15 cm |
|
5.6 km |
560 m |
56 m |
5.6 m |
56 cm |
5.6 cm
|
| 45°
|
Bordeaux |
|
79 km |
1.3 km |
22 m |
2.2 m |
22 cm |
|
7.9 km |
790 m |
79 m |
7.9 m |
79 cm |
7.9 cm
|
| 30°
|
New Orleans |
|
96 km |
1.6 km |
27 m |
2.7 m |
27 cm |
|
9.6 km |
960 m |
96 m |
9.6 m |
96 cm |
9.6 cm
|
0°
(equator)
|
Quito |
|
111 km |
1.9 km |
31 m |
3.1 m |
31 cm |
|
11.1 km |
1110 m |
111 m |
11.1 m |
111 cm |
11.1 cm
|
Syntax
Supported coordinate formats
Query parser makes use of precisely tuned set of regular expression rules and "focuses" on meaningful digit groups only. It therefore accepts wide range of inputs with almost any mixture of separators, whitespace characters or other "garbage", present in query string. This is convenient when using coordinates already present in some format.
Basic coordinate format types:
[-] DD[.DDD] [N|S], [-] DDD[.DDD] [E|W][-] DD MM[.MMM] [N|S], DDD MM[.MMM] [E|W][-] DD MM SS[.SSS] [N|S], DDD MM SS[.SSS] [E|W]- pasted template markup
- pasted GeoHack URL
- pasted map URL
See also query parser online unit tests (just positive cases yet) I use during messing up with it to assure that some case didn't break-up, while adding/altering the other.
Template variables
GeoLocator uses the same template syntax and variables as GeoTemplate does, adding few more:
- list of all coordinate parameters in GeoHack format, serialized into single string:
{ghparams}, e.g. "type:landmark_scale:1000_region:DE-NI_heading:NEbN"{ghparamsp} – the same, prefixed by pipe when non-empty, e.g. "|type:landmark_scale:1000_region:DE-NI_heading:NEbN"{ghparamsu} – the same, prefixed by underscore when non-empty, e.g. "_type:landmark_scale:1000_region:DE-NI_heading:NEbN"{ghparamsnh}, {ghparamsnhp}, {ghparamsnhu} – the same, but with heading parameter excluded (which should be used in camera location geotags only)
{% expression %} – generic javascript expression template macro. Expression is evaluated in context with coord data, bound as local variables,
e.g.: {% (lonEW == 'E' ? 'v.d.' : 'z.d.') %} → "v.d."- digit width specification, e.g.
{lonsecdec:2} → "08"
URL parameters
| parameter
|
description
|
default value
|
q, params
|
query string – coordinates, map URL or template markup
|
|
ll
|
map center, independent of marker position ([-]DD.DDD,[-]DDD.DDD)
|
marker position
|
spn
|
map span ([-]DD.DDD,[-]DDD.DDD)
|
adaptive
|
t
|
map type ('m': Map, 'k': Satellite, 'h': Hybrid, 'p': Physical/terrain, 'osm': OpenStreetMap)
|
'h'
|
ct
|
custom geotag template
|
{latdegabs}°{latminint:2}′{latsecdec:2}″ {latNS},
{londegabs}°{lonminint:2}′{lonsecdec:2}″ {lonEW}
|
dp
|
degrees precision – number of decimal places
|
6
|
sp
|
arc seconds precision – number of decimal places
|
2
|
mp
|
diameter precision – number of significant digits
|
2
|
hp
|
heading points – number of compass rose points to use: 4 (N, E, S, W), 8 (N, NE, E, ...), 16 (N, NNE, NE, ...) 32 (N, NbE, NNE, ...) or 360 (decimal angle)
|
16
|
rm
|
region mode – region parameter fill-in mode ('auto', 'custom', '')
|
'auto'
|
pr
|
precision rects – visualization of coord precision (flags: 'd', 'm', 's', 'g')
|
''
|
Notices:
- Don't forget to URL encode all parameters properly, when passing them via URL
Examples:
ChangeLog
2015-04-11 0.35
- feature: fulltext search is back again, via Google Places API
- minor: location preview services fixes
2013-01-29 0.31
- feature: fluid layout to maximize map area on higher resolution screens
- should work seamlessly on modern browsers, web search ,Google.com
- feature: precision visualization (1°, 1', 1/0.1/0.01", 0.0001/0.00001/0.000001°)
- minor: quick clear icons ("[x]" beside template params)
- minor: show helper
- minor:+Google + Bing, Flickr, Geocaching (location preview services)
- minor: + GPX waypoint (export format)
- minor: "type:" param excluded from ((Location/Location dec)) markup (type:camera assumed)
- ghparamsnt, ghparamsntp, ghparamsntu macros introduced
2012-03-11 0.30
- minor: clickable custom template
- minor: fixes
2011-04-16 0.29
- minor: new standard templates:
- ((Object location)), ((Object location dec)) for Commons
- minor: partial Polish localization (presets, links, templates only)
- minor: stable.toolserver.org/geohack -> toolserver.org/~geohack
- minor: auto-show custom template when ct param set
2010-03-31 0.28
- feature: viewing diameter ("dim:D") in/edit/out support
- interactive ([Ctrl+Shift+click]) or manual numeric definition
- configurable precision (number of significant digits), default: 2
- when dim:D is present in input geotag/url:
- initial map scale is calculated according to diameter (scale = 10 * dim)
- diameter circle is drawn around marker
- feature: OpenStreetMap as layer via OSM Mapnik tile server
- minor: new standard templates:
- ((Geobox)) compatible coords snippet
- minor: german ((Coordinate)) template: output of filled-in params only (type, dim, region)
- minor: layout fixes
- minor: favicon
- minir: [X+click] alternative to [Ctrl+click]/[Alt+click] for Opera/Linux
2010-03-20 0.27
- feature: elevation under marker via async. reverse geocoding
- currently single fixed service/model only:
Aster Global Digital Elevation Model (samples ~ 30x30 m between 83°N..65°S) via geonames.org
- @todo: selection from multiple models/services
(would require UI changes, settings persistence, too much work for too small benefit for now)
- minor: new map links:
- Google Maps: Wikipedia articles, Panoramio photos, Wikimedia Commons photos
- OpenStreetMap
- GeoHack globe:export
- minor: new template params:
- {elevation}, {elevationint}, {osmzoom}
- minor: new standard templates:
- ((Coordinate)) for german wiki ("More wikipedia templates" section)
2008-11-06 0.26
- feature: standard map view presets above map
- i18n: Slovak localization (S-JTSK coord in/out support; sk templates, map links, presets)
- minor: support for generic javascript "eval" template macro. Code is evaluated in context with
coord data, bound as local variables. E.g.: {% (lonEW == 'E' ? 'v.d.' : 'z.d.') %} -> 'v.d.'
- minor: support for template variable digit width specification,
e.g. {lonsecdec} -> '8'; {lonsecdec:2} -> '08'
- minor: pan control middle button ("Return to the last result") always focuses map on marker
- minor: permalink includes map span/center/type. Can be used to save/restore full state.
2008-11-01 0.25
- feature: auto region/address from coord via GoogleMaps reverse geocoding service
- feature: coord markup as hyperlink with onclick prompt to ease copy-to-clipboard
- minor: coord parameters also on location display
- minor: permalink includes state parameters (precisions, custom template)
- fix: Google Chrome browser: mouse event coordinates fix, code font-size fix
2008-10-26 0.22
- first public release after few evenings of consolidation and cleanup
2008-02-10 0.11
- first internal version: simple generic coord parser + fixed markup generator
version archive:
· 0.35 (2014-04-11),
· 0.34 (2014-10-01),
· 0.33 (2014-01-28),
· 0.31 (2013-06-01),
· 0.30 (2012-03-11),
· 0.29 (2011-04-16),
· 0.28 (2010-03-31),
· 0.27 (2010-03-20),
· 0.26 (2008-11-06),
· 0.25 (2008-11-01)
