---
lang: en
title: 'Integrate with a geo-coding service'
keywords: LoopBack 4.0, LoopBack 4, Node.js, TypeScript, OpenAPI, Tutorial
sidebar: lb4_sidebar
permalink: /doc/en/lb4/todo-tutorial-geocoding-service.html
summary:
  LoopBack 4 Todo Application Tutorial - Integrate with a geo-coding service
---

### Services

To call other APIs and web services from LoopBack applications, we recommend to
use [Service Proxies](../../Service.md) as a design pattern for encapsulating
low-level implementation details of communication with 3rd-party services and
providing JavaScript/TypeScript API that's easy to consume e.g. from
Controllers. See
[Calling other APIs and web services](../../Accessing-services.md) for more
details.

In LoopBack, each service proxy is backed by a
[DataSource](./todo-tutorial-datasource.md), this datasource leverages one of
the service connectors to make outgoing requests and parse responses returned by
the service.

In our tutorial, we will leverage
[US Census Geocoder API](https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/) to convert
textual US addresses into GPS coordinates, thus enabling client applications of
our Todo API to display location-based reminders,

{% include tip.html content="
In a real project, you may want to use a geocoding service that covers more
countries beyond USA and provides faster responses than US Census Geocoder API,
for example [Google Maps Platform](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding).
" %}

### Configure the backing datasource

Run `lb4 datasource` to define a new datasource connecting to Geocoder REST
service. When prompted for a connector to use, select "REST services".

```sh
$ lb4 datasource
? Datasource name: geocoder
? Select the connector for geocoder: REST services (supported by StrongLoop)
? Base URL for the REST service:
? Default options for the request:
? An array of operation templates:
? Use default CRUD mapping: No
   create src/datasources/geocoder.datasource.ts
 # npm will install dependencies now
    update src/datasources/index.ts

Datasource Geocoder was created in src/datasources/
```

Edit the newly created datasource configuration to configure Geocoder API
endpoints. Configuration options provided by REST Connector are described in our
docs here: [REST connector](/doc/en/lb4/REST-connector.html).

{% include code-caption.html content="[/src/datasources/geocoder.datasource.ts](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/blob/master/examples/todo/src/datasources/geocoder.datasource.ts)" %}

```ts
// (imports skipped for brevity)

const config = {
  name: 'geocoder',
  connector: 'rest',
  options: {
    headers: {
      accept: 'application/json',
      'content-type': 'application/json',
    },
  },
  operations: [
    {
      template: {
        method: 'GET',
        url: 'https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/locations/onelineaddress',
        query: {
          format: '{format=json}',
          benchmark: 'Public_AR_Current',
          address: '{address}',
        },
        responsePath: '$.result.addressMatches[*].coordinates',
      },
      functions: {
        geocode: ['address'],
      },
    },
  ],
};

// (definition of DataSource class skipped for brevity)
```

### Implement a service provider

Use the `lb4 service` command and the following inputs to create a geocoder
service:

```sh
lb4 service
? Service type: Remote service proxy backed by a data source
? Please select the datasource GeocoderDatasource
? Service name: geocoder
   create src/services/geocoder.service.ts
   update src/services/index.ts

Service Geocoder was created in src/services/
```

In the `src/services/geocoder.service.ts`, we'll add a `GeoPoint` interface and
a `geocode` function to the `Geocoder` interface as follows:

{% include code-caption.html content="[src/services/geocoder.service.ts](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/blob/master/examples/todo/src/services/geocoder.service.ts)" %}

```ts
import {inject, Provider} from '@loopback/core';
import {getService} from '@loopback/service-proxy';
import {GeocoderDataSource} from '../datasources';

// Add the following interface
export interface GeoPoint {
  /**
   * latitude
   */
  y: number;

  /**
   * longitude
   */
  x: number;
}

export interface Geocoder {
  // Add the following property
  geocode(address: string): Promise<GeoPoint[]>;
}

export class GeocoderProvider implements Provider<Geocoder> {
  constructor(
    // geocoder must match the name property in the datasource file
    @inject('datasources.geocoder')
    protected dataSource: GeocoderDataSource = new GeocoderDataSource(),
  ) {}

  value(): Promise<Geocoder> {
    return getService(this.dataSource);
  }
}
```

### Enhance Todo model with location data

Add two new properties to our Todo model: `remindAtAddress` and `remindAtGeo`.

{% include code-caption.html content="[src/models/todo.model.ts](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/blob/master/examples/todo/src/models/todo.model.ts)" %}

```ts
@model()
export class Todo extends Entity {
  // original code remains unchanged, add the following two properties:

  @property({
    type: 'string',
  })
  remindAtAddress?: string; // address,city,zipcode

  @property({
    type: 'string',
  })
  remindAtGeo?: string; // latitude,longitude
}
```

### Look up address location in the controller

Finally, modify `TodoController` to look up the address and convert it to GPS
coordinates when a new Todo item is created.

Import `Geocoder` interface into the `TodoController` and then modify the
Controller constructor to receive `Geocoder` as a new dependency.

{% include code-caption.html content="[src/controllers/todo.controller.ts](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/blob/master/examples/todo/src/controllers/todo.controller.ts)" %}

```ts
import {inject} from '@loopback/core';
import {Filter, repository} from '@loopback/repository';
import {
  del,
  get,
  getModelSchemaRef,
  HttpErrors,
  param,
  patch,
  post,
  put,
  requestBody,
} from '@loopback/rest';
import {Todo} from '../models';
import {TodoRepository} from '../repositories';
import {Geocoder} from '../services';

export class TodoController {
  constructor(
    @repository(TodoRepository)
    public todoRepository: TodoRepository,
    @inject('services.Geocoder') protected geoService: Geocoder,
  ) {}

  // etc.
}
```

Modify the `create` method to look up the address provided in `remindAtAddress`
property and convert it to GPS coordinates stored in `remindAtGeo`.

{% include code-caption.html content="[src/controllers/todo.controller.ts](https://github.com/loopbackio/loopback-next/blob/master/examples/todo/src/controllers/todo.controller.ts)" %}

```ts
export class TodoController {
  // constructor, etc.

  @post('/todos', {
    responses: {
      '200': {
        description: 'Todo model instance',
        content: {'application/json': {schema: getModelSchemaRef(Todo)}},
      },
    },
  })
  async create(
    @requestBody({
      content: {
        'application/json': {
          schema: getModelSchemaRef(Todo, {title: 'NewTodo', exclude: ['id']}),
        },
      },
    })
    todo: Omit<Todo, 'id'>,
  ): Promise<Todo> {
    if (todo.remindAtAddress) {
      const geo = await this.geoService.geocode(todo.remindAtAddress);

      if (!geo[0]) {
        // address not found
        throw new HttpErrors.BadRequest(
          `Address not found: ${todo.remindAtAddress}`,
        );
      }

      // Encode the coordinates as "lat,lng" (Google Maps API format). See also
      // https://stackoverflow.com/q/7309121/69868
      // https://gis.stackexchange.com/q/7379
      todo.remindAtGeo = `${geo[0].y},${geo[0].x}`;
    }
    return this.todoRepository.create(todo);
  }

  // other endpoints remain unchanged
}
```

{% include warning.html content="
Some addresses may not be found and the request will be rejected.
" %}

Congratulations! Now your Todo API makes it easy to enter an address for a
reminder and have the client application show the reminder when the device
reaches close proximity of that address based on GPS location.

### Navigation

Previous step: [Putting it all together](todo-tutorial-putting-it-together.md)