Location-based Java ME applications

The Location API for J2ME™ (JSR-179) is an optional package that can be used with many Java™ ME profiles. The minimum platform for JSR-179 use is Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC) 1.1, because the API requires floating-point math support. The API is supported in S60 3rd Edition and later and Series 40 6th Edition.

The purpose of the Location API is to enable the development of location-based mobile applications. Considering the nature of mobile devices, the Location API provides a natural way to utilize location-based information. Moreover, the Location API is a compact package of classes and interfaces that are easy to use. The three main features that the Location API brings to mobile programming are:

• The ability to obtain information about the location of a device.
• The possibility of creating, editing, storing, and retrieving landmarks.
• The possibility of obtaining the orientation of a device.

The Location API needs a connection to a location-providing method, which generates the locations. Location-providing methods differ from one another in many ways. For example, some methods may cost more to use than others, and the accuracies supported by individual location-providing methods will vary. The most common methods are device-based (for example, GPS module, a method based on a global positioning system’s satellites), network-based (for example, cell of origin, a method in which the network determines a user’s place), or hybrid (for example, A-GPS, a GPS method that also uses network-based information to speed up location determination).

More information on the Location API is provided in the Java ME Developer's Library.

MIDP: Location API Example - Tourist Route demonstrates usage of the Location API in practice.

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