How to search MKMapView with UISearchBar?

Question

I have an application that needs to have a similar search feature like the Apple "Maps" application (included with iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad).

The feature in question should not be a hard thing to do, but I'm really clueless about how to input a Street Address in the search bar, and then obtaining coordinates for that address or something that can help me to actually move the map and center in that place.

I mean, what do I have to query, does Apple provide an "address searching API method" ? or I need to use the google maps API directly ?

I would love to hear how should it be done.

Answer 1

This maybe the easiest method. It uses apple servers for geocoding. Sometimes the apple servers provide better response than google. And soon (in IOS 6.1) the google maps will be completely out of IOS. So it is good if the app stays inside the apples provided features.

-(void)searchBarSearchButtonClicked:(UISearchBar *)theSearchBar
{
    [theSearchBar resignFirstResponder];
    CLGeocoder *geocoder = [[CLGeocoder alloc] init];
    [geocoder geocodeAddressString:theSearchBar.text completionHandler:^(NSArray *placemarks, NSError *error) {
        //Error checking

        CLPlacemark *placemark = [placemarks objectAtIndex:0];
        MKCoordinateRegion region;
        region.center.latitude = placemark.region.center.latitude;
        region.center.longitude = placemark.region.center.longitude;
        MKCoordinateSpan span;
        double radius = placemark.region.radius / 1000; // convert to km

        NSLog(@"[searchBarSearchButtonClicked] Radius is %f", radius);
        span.latitudeDelta = radius / 112.0;

        region.span = span;

        [theMapView setRegion:region animated:YES];
    }];
}