Here is an implementation in Java for building a location based query on an Android device.
The idea comes from KennyTM (see accepted response) and implies the addition of 4 columns in your table to store values of sinus and cosinus of latitude and longitudes.
Here is the code preparing the data for a “Shop” table at insert time:
public static void injectLocationValues(ContentValues values, double latitude, double longitude) {
values.put(LocationColumns.LATITUDE, latitude);
values.put(LocationColumns.LONGITUDE, longitude);
values.put(LocationColumns.COSLAT, Math.cos(MathUtil.deg2rad(latitude)));
values.put(LocationColumns.SINLAT, Math.sin(MathUtil.deg2rad(latitude)));
values.put(LocationColumns.COSLNG, Math.cos(MathUtil.deg2rad(longitude)));
values.put(LocationColumns.SINLNG, Math.sin(MathUtil.deg2rad(longitude)));
}
public static double deg2rad(double deg) {
return (deg * Math.PI / 180.0);
}
You can then build your projection using the following function:
/**
* Build query based on distance using spherical law of cosinus
*
* d = acos(sin(lat1).sin(lat2)+cos(lat1).cos(lat2).cos(long2−long1)).R
* where R=6371 and latitudes and longitudes expressed in radians
*
* In Sqlite we do not have access to acos() sin() and lat() functions.
* Knowing that cos(A-B) = cos(A).cos(B) + sin(A).sin(B)
* We can determine a distance stub as:
* d = sin(lat1).sin(lat2)+cos(lat1).cos(lat2).(cos(long2).cos(long1)+sin(long2).sin(long1))
*
* First comparison point being fixed, sin(lat1) cos(lat1) sin(long1) and cos(long1)
* can be replaced by constants.
*
* Location aware table must therefore have the following columns to build the equation:
* sinlat => sin(radians(lat))
* coslat => cos(radians(lat))
* coslng => cos(radians(lng))
* sinlng => sin(radians(lng))
*
* Function will return a real between -1 and 1 which can be used to order the query.
* Distance in km is after expressed from R.acos(result)
*
* @param latitude, latitude of search
* @param longitude, longitude of search
* @return selection query to compute the distance
*/
public static String buildDistanceQuery(double latitude, double longitude) {
final double coslat = Math.cos(MathUtil.deg2rad(latitude));
final double sinlat = Math.sin(MathUtil.deg2rad(latitude));
final double coslng = Math.cos(MathUtil.deg2rad(longitude));
final double sinlng = Math.sin(MathUtil.deg2rad(longitude));
//@formatter:off
return "(" + coslat + "*" + LocationColumns.COSLAT
+ "*(" + LocationColumns.COSLNG + "*" + coslng
+ "+" + LocationColumns.SINLNG + "*" + sinlng
+ ")+" + sinlat + "*" + LocationColumns.SINLAT
+ ")";
//@formatter:on
}
It will inject a response column with the distance on which you need to apply the following formula to convert in kilometers:
public static double convertPartialDistanceToKm(double result) {
return Math.acos(result) * 6371;
}
If you want to order your query using the partial distance, you need to order DESC and not ASC.