Here's some code to help you.
String url=
"http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json?origin="
+ origin.latitude + "," + origin.longitude +"&destination="
+ destination.latitude + "," + destination.longitude + "&sensor=false";
To fetch the data with androidhttpclient, do something like this:
HttpResponse response;
HttpGet request;
AndroidHttpClient client = AndroidHttpClient.newInstance("somename");
request = new HttpGet(url);
response = client.execute(request);
InputStream source = response.getEntity().getContent();
String returnValue = buildStringIOutils(source);
return returnValue;
where buildStringIOUtils is:
private String buildStringIOutils(InputStream is) {
try {
return IOUtils.toString(is, "UTF-8");
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
return null;
}
}
You can then extract the actual polyline from the JSON-response with something like this:
JSONObject result = new JSONObject(returnValue);
JSONArray routes = result.getJSONArray("routes");
long distanceForSegment = routes.getJSONObject(0).getJSONArray("legs").getJSONObject(0).getJSONObject("distance").getInt("value");
JSONArray steps = routes.getJSONObject(0).getJSONArray("legs")
.getJSONObject(0).getJSONArray("steps");
List<LatLng> lines = new ArrayList<LatLng>();
for(int i=0; i < steps.length(); i++) {
String polyline = steps.getJSONObject(i).getJSONObject("polyline").getString("points");
for(LatLng p : decodePolyline(polyline)) {
lines.add(p);
}
}
where the method decodePolyline is this:
/** POLYLINE DECODER - http://jeffreysambells.com/2010/05/27/decoding-polylines-from-google-maps-direction-api-with-java **/
private List<LatLng> decodePolyline(String encoded) {
List<LatLng> poly = new ArrayList<LatLng>();
int index = 0, len = encoded.length();
int lat = 0, lng = 0;
while (index < len) {
int b, shift = 0, result = 0;
do {
b = encoded.charAt(index++) - 63;
result |= (b & 0x1f) << shift;
shift += 5;
} while (b >= 0x20);
int dlat = ((result & 1) != 0 ? ~(result >> 1) : (result >> 1));
lat += dlat;
shift = 0;
result = 0;
do {
b = encoded.charAt(index++) - 63;
result |= (b & 0x1f) << shift;
shift += 5;
} while (b >= 0x20);
int dlng = ((result & 1) != 0 ? ~(result >> 1) : (result >> 1));
lng += dlng;
LatLng p = new LatLng((double) lat / 1E5, (double) lng / 1E5);
poly.add(p);
}
return poly;
}
You can then add the polyline to the map with this:
Polyline polylineToAdd = mMap.addPolyline(new PolylineOptions().addAll(lines).width(3).color(Color.RED));
To change mode, add this to the url (See https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/directions/):
&mode=YOUR_MODE
driving (default) indicates standard driving directions using the road network.
walking requests walking directions via pedestrian paths & sidewalks (where available).
bicycling requests bicycling directions via bicycle paths & preferred streets (where available).
transit requests directions via public transit routes (where available).
Edit:
About the "I would also like to get traffic information such as busy routes, congestion, etc." I have not looked into this, but my code should get you started pretty good.
Edit2:
Found this in the google directions api:
"For Driving Directions: Maps for Business customers can specify the departure_time to receive trip duration considering current traffic conditions. The departure_time must be set to within a few minutes of the current time."