Timeout while searching for location - Angular 2

[burkeholland]

Description Of The Issue

When requesting a users location after a successful location services request, the getCurrentLocation method times out.

import {Component, OnInit} from "@angular/core";
var geolocation = require("nativescript-geolocation");

@Component({
    selector: "my-app",
    templateUrl: "app.component.html",
})
export class AppComponent implements OnInit {
    status:string = "Location services not enabled";

    ngOnInit() {
        if (!geolocation.isEnabled()) {
           geolocation.enableLocationRequest().then(() => {
                this.getLocation();
            });
        }
        else {
            this.getLocation();
        }
    }

    getLocation() {
       // this method times out when called from the enableLocationRequest promise
        geolocation.getCurrentLocation({ timeout: 20000 }).then((location) => {
            this.status = `Latitide: ${location.latitude}, Latitude: ${location.longitude}`;
        });
    }
}

Expected Result

The application should request access to the user's location and then display their latitude and longitude.

Actual Results

The getCurrentLocation method times out.

geolocation-timeout-log.txt

Steps To Recreate

1. tns create geolocation --ng
2. replace the code in app.component.ts with the code above
3. tns livesync ios --emualtor --watch or tns livesync android --watch (Android Studio Emulator)

Environment Configuration

• NativeScript CLI 2.2.1
• Node 5.4.0
• iOS Simulator version 9.3
• Android API version 22 Emulator

[burkeholland]

Note that this same behavior is also present in vanilla NativeScript (no Angular). This happens in both the navigatedTo and loaded events.

[vchimev]

Hi @burkeholland,

Could you please go to the iOS Simulator menu > Debug > Location > choose some of the options and start your app again?

I gave a try to your case and observed the described behavior when I did not set a location to the iOS Simulator. Then the app started, waited for the given timeout of 20 sec and crashed as the iOS Simulator didn't have a location to provide. After the steps above, the app worked as expected.

I guess it is the same case with the Android Emulator.

[burkeholland]

Thank you! It looks like it was because I had a custom location set. There is something wrong with the iOS emulator in that it doesn't recognize a custom location on emulator launch. You have to change it to some predefined location (say Apple), then you can put it back to custom.

Still researching the Android side, but I think we can safely close this as "Emulator/Simulator Issue" that needs to be documented when we write the section for ng-book.

[vchimev]

Hey @burkeholland,

For the Android side you could check out:

1. The emulator should use the Google APIs System Image; here is a reference to the Android SDK Manager.
2. In the Settings menu, the Location option should be turned ON.

Let me know how it goes.

[toddanglin]

I ran in to this same challenge with the iOS Simulator and geolocation timeouts.

Burke's solution worked for me, too, even though I had not set a custom location. I was using the standard/default "Apple" location. Simply changing this location to "None" and then back to "Apple" in the Debug > Location menu fixed the simulator. Now getCurrentPosition does not timeout.

It appears there is indeed an odd behavior in the iOS Simulator that requires you to change the Location value at least once to set it.