CPL's iOS Resources: procedure

Showing posts with label procedure. Show all posts

Friday, July 17, 2015

Simple Database creation for Apps

This is my quick go to for creating a data file to use in an app. There are other better, quicker and more complex, but this is quick & easy/peasey!

Create a CSV file in the speadsheet of your choice. I use either Google's or OpenOffice.
Run the file thru my favorite converter - Plist Converter, by cc ccc. It's also easy. Couldn't find the url, but here's what it looks like;

Copy the resultant fileName.plist into your project.
Write yourself some code to translae it into an NSArray or somethin'.

That's all she wrote.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Creating embedded code (iFrames) for custom maps

This is a description including code snippets of how to create embed code for other people to insert into their web pages. It is based on the work we are doing with GPSVisualizer, but can be used to embed an URL that is available to an online server (like our SCNewspaperTaxi website, or a file with a URL on our Google Drive).

This is the FAQ for GPPSVisualizer:

By far the easiest solution is to put the map in an "inline frame" using the <IFRAME> tag. This creates a "window" in your page into which you can load another file (more info about IFRAMEs). The advantage of doing this is that the DIVs and margins and styles and whatnot will be completely isolated from the rest of the structure of your page; also, you don't have to edit the attributes of the <BODY> or <HTML> tags, which you would have to do if you tried to merge the GPS Visualizer code into your Web page. (The only disadvantage, and one which would only affect "power users," is that if you want to create objects that interact with the map -- for instance, a list of waypoints, or a control that will re-center the map -- those cannot be outside the IFRAME.)

Another advantage to IFRAMEs (as opposed to cutting and pasting bits of HTML into your page) is that you can place as many of them on your page as you want; because they are isolated from each other, there shouldn't be any conflicts even if all the maps have identically named parts.

Here's a sample <IFRAME> tag; the anchor in the middle will only be displayed if the browser does not support inline frames:

<a href="my_map.html">Click here for the map</a>

</iframe>

Here’s an example from a Google Maps embed code:

</iframe>

<br /><small>View <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=204112771159932432535.0004d6a3eb52759422f2e&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=36.987644,-121.759922&spn=0.271253,0.722587&t=m&iwloc=0004d6a410726c0cee96f&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">Santa Cruz Beer Map </a> in a larger map</small>

demo map URL saved in SCNewspaperTaxic.com

http://santacruznewspapertaxi.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/xxxxDistributionGeocoded04.html

Here’s the code for our 1st iFrame (hopefully):

<a href="http://santacruznewspapertaxi.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/xxxxxxDistributionGeocoded04.html">Click here for the map</a>

</iframe>

Creating embedded code (iFrames) for custom maps

Here's a sample <IFRAME> tag; the anchor in the middle will only be displayed if the browser does not support inline frames:

<a href="my_map.html">Click here for the map</a>

</iframe>

Here’s an example from a Google Maps embed code:

</iframe>

demo map URL saved in SCNewspaperTaxic.com

http://santacruznewspapertaxi.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/xxxxDistributionGeocoded04.html

Here’s the code for our 1st iFrame (hopefully):

<a href="http://santacruznewspapertaxi.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/xxxxxxDistributionGeocoded04.html">Click here for the map</a>

</iframe>

Monday, March 25, 2013

Dynamic Linking of Map & Spreadsheet

The following instructions allows the map generated by GPSVisualizer to be dynamically linked with the spreadsheet that generated the original data. This means that all changes made to the 'control' spreadsheet will automatically appear in the map every time it is reloaded. Very cool, again many thanks to: Adam Schneider.

Accessing the spreadsheet:

The file should be saved as a doc.google.com/spreadsheet and formatted with lat, long and other data as necessary to generate the popups
Open the file, Goto File, Publish to the Web, Start publishing now or Republish now (if the file is already published)
Copy, <ctrl>C the resulting URL for pasting into the GPSVisualizer script

Building the Map:

Next we go to the GPSVisualizer site and goto Make a Google map from a GPS file
Paste <ctrl>V the Spreadsheet URL into the Or a URL that the map will load dynamically box in the lower left corner
Expand the WayPoint Options section and changes as necessary, including;
Icon:
Default color marker:
Synthesize name: {name}
Synthesize description: Contact: {contact}<br>Phone: {phone} generates a custom form in the popup
Press Draw the Map button and cross your fingers
Goto the resulting map and then select the save your Google map link and save the file with an appropriate name & as a simple .HTML file
That file can now be opened in your browser, and ever time you update the spreadsheet, and press Republish now the map file will update with the new data (after you Reload the map page)

It's like Magic!

Or a URL that the map will load dynamically: Os r

a URL that the map will load dynamica

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Signing an emailed form

I've been receiving a lot of NDAs and other forms for which people want my 'John Hancock' signature. Some have gone as far as insisting that I print the form, sign it and then scan it back to them! Talk about a pain.
So I found a great way to provide an image of your signature that can be placed on the form.
The form need to be in .PDF format and you need to open it in PREVIEW. Then follow the instructions below, and you get something like this:

Sign a PDF document
You can take a picture of your handwritten signature and then add it to any PDF document.

HideTake a picture of a signature
Choose Preview > Preferences, click Signatures, and then click Create Signature.
If a signature already exists, you can choose the Create Signature command from the Signature pop-up menu in the Annotations toolbar.

Follow the instructions displayed on screen.
Make sure your signature fills the box on the left and sits on the blue baseline.
When the signature preview looks correct, click Accept.

Sign a document
Click Annotate in the toolbar, if you don’t see the annotations bar.
From the Signature pop-up menu, choose a signature.
Click the location where you want the signature to appear.
If you click a line, Preview shrinks the signature, if necessary, to fit on it.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Creating maps with GPSVisualizer

Steps for creating a map from a spreadsheet using the very useful GPSVisualizer website brought to us by Adam Schneider

Geocoding your data (getting latitude / longitude from addresses)

Open spreadsheet, and make sure file has appropriate data filled out. In particular make sure that the are address, city, state columns or latitude longitude fields complete and correct.
Save the spreadsheet as a CSV file (Comma Separated Variable)
Goto GPSVisualizer and open up their Geocode an Address page
Goto 3,Geocode simple tabular data, and select the text/GPX conversion utility
Paste your CSV file into the file field and set Plain text delimiter:comma Plain text output units: US and press Convert to allow the utility to add latitude & longitude to your file
Save the resulting .csv file to the appropriate directory
Review the file to note bad addresses and suchoogle Drive and set appropriate sharing.

Creating the KML file (these files have waypoints & track data)

Download the distribution spreadsheet as a .CSV file for uploading into the GPSVisualizer
Goto GPSVisualizer and open up their Make a Google Earth map page
Upload the CSV file to the applet and modify settings in particular advanced waypoint options, as required
Press CREATE KML file button
Download the resulting .kml file to your drive and uploading to Google Maps

Creating the Google map from within Google Maps

Goto to your Google Maps and press My Places button
Press Create Map button and enter import routine
Browse for and Upload the .KML file and the map should build.
Check data and correct data a necessary

Done!

Modifying the spreadsheet & Geocoding additional addresses

Add the new addresses per the spreadsheets format
Copy the range of new places (name,address,city,state,country)
Goto GPSVisualizer and open up their Geocode an Address page
Paste the copied range into the Data box

Adding Custom or colored icons to the KML file
The GPSVisualizer routine will NOT encode colored (or Customized) icons into the resulting Google Maps version (it works fine for Google Earth implementations). This procedure shows how to customize the colors (or look) of the placemarks.

Goto the downloaded KML file and open in TextEdit
Paste the iconStyle you want to use into the top of the file. The template below is style23 a green icon.

<Style id="style23">
    <IconStyle>
      <Icon>
        <href>http://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/ms2/micons/green.png</href>
      </Icon>
      <scale>1.000000</scale>
    </IconStyle>
    <LabelStyle>
      <color>FF008000</color>
    </LabelStyle>
</Style>

Paste the string style23 into each's addresses styleURL field like below that should be green

<styleUrl>#style23</styleUrl>

Monday, December 24, 2012

Copying Custom map icons

This is a quckstart guide to create Custom icons for Google maps. The Google Custom Icon site is mapiconsNicolasMollet.com. The icons can be modified for any color, and then downloaded to the google drive as a ZIP file. These individual icons are small (37x37) .png files. Files larger than 64x64 are resized by Google Maps.

In our shared Google Drive there is a folder called ImagesEtc
goto the ImagesEtc folder and select an icon to view as a .png file
<cntrl>Click the object and select - View Selection Source (make sure that the popup is small and only has 4 items. If not then double click alongside the png until it highlights light yellow. <cntrl>click again)
This an example of the source code you need to copy&Paste - <img class="texmex-thumb" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/wHgJlPqWeRsOtmQ5jKcBe02O2hY1u2FlJrmo8SHESEZlHEkDg1hu6bmZckfOt4dVh_TFarGiTh8">
```
Goto the placemark you want and edit it
```

Click on the icon image and select - Add an Icon

Paste the new icon's URL, the string starting with https://

```
Save the icon
```

CPL's iOS Resources

Try the search, it's linked to some great forums

Friday, July 17, 2015

Simple Database creation for Apps

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Creating embedded code (iFrames) for custom maps

Creating embedded code (iFrames) for custom maps

Monday, March 25, 2013

Dynamic Linking of Map & Spreadsheet

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Signing an emailed form

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Creating maps with GPSVisualizer

Monday, December 24, 2012

Copying Custom map icons

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