Working with Location API (Windows 8)

[thebigthing313]

Hello all,



I am trying to toy around with the built-in GPS chip in an HP tablet that has Access 2013 installed. I've been trying to test it out by at least first getting to see if I can get coordinates. The built-in chip uses LocationAPI.dll, and so I have loaded that on to MS Access references. After perusing through the objects list and trying to make sense of it, this is how far I've gotten:

Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

Public Function testGPS() As String

Dim Lat, Lng as Double
Dim Display as LatLongReportFactory

Set Display = New LatLongReportFactory

Lat = Display.LatLongReport.Latitude
Lng = Display.LatLongReport.Longitude

testGPS = Lat & "," & Lng

End Function

When executing the function through the Immediate window, it throws the error:

Run-time error '-2147024664 (800700e8)': Method 'LatLongReport' of object 'ILatLongReportFactory' failed.

When debugging, it highlights the line

Lat = Display.LatLongReport.Latitude

However, I don't change anything and just hit "Continue[F5]" and the function returns the proper GPS coordinates without a hitch. This is my first time trying to use Access in conjunction with things other than the typical forms, reports, etc., so my VBA knowledge is limited, but I figured this would be a great learning experience lol

Any sort of help would be greatly appreciated!

[ItsMe]

The DLL file probably does not understand what an Access Variant is.

Instead of
Dim Lat, Lng as Double
try
Dim Lat as Double, Lng as Double

The former defaults Lat to data type Variant

[thebigthing313]

Magnificent! So simple... So just to clarify, I was under the wrong assumption that the syntax I used of declaring multiple variables and setting the type can be done the way I did above. What would be the proper syntax to do so?

[orange]

In Access you must explicitly Dim variables

eg
Dim Lat as Double, Lng as Double or
Dim Lat as Double
Dim Lng as Double

[thebigthing313]

Ah thank you... Guess I'll suck it up with the extra keystrokes haha, thanks again!

[baumschaum]

Hello,

I bumped into the same problem as thebigthing313 a few years ago. I'm trying to get GPS-coordinates from my Windows 10 tablet with Access 2016.
Using the code above (with the explicitly declarating the variables) I'm still getting the runtime-error: "

Run-time error '-2147024664 (800700e8)': Method 'LatLongReport' of object 'ILatLongReportFactory' failed."

The error is also in the same line (marked bold):

Function getGPScoordinates()
  Dim Lat As Double
  Dim Lng As Double
  
    Dim disp As LatLongReportFactory
    Set disp = New LatLongReportFactory
    
    Sleep 100
    Lat = disp.LatLongReport.Latitude
    Lng = disp.LatLongReport.Longitude
    getGPScoordinates = Lat & "," & Lng
    
End Function

I added the "sleep 100" because it worked for this guy: https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Fo...orum=accessdev
It doesn't work for me though...

Does anyone know if there's a major difference between Access 2016 and Access 2010 or Windows 10 and Windows 7 that would result in still getting this error?
Any suggestion is highly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

[isladogs]

I have a free utility on my website to get your current location http://www.mendipdatasystems.co.uk/g...ion/4594365395
Th code isn't the same but the functionality should be similar.

Also check the various caveats needed to get any similar code working in Windows 10.
There was a bug introduced with version 1803 though fixed in version 1809 for many users.

EDIT: I just tried the code listed using Windows 10 and got the same error.
If you read this article, you will see the situation has changed for Windows 10: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/uwp...es.Geolocation
It looks like you need to use the new WindowsGeolocation.dll instead but I got an error when I tried to add this
Needs more research. Good luck
Let us know if you work out the solution

[thebigthing313]

baumschaum, I have not logged on to this site in quite some time, but I had to reply because I found it funny that I'm "this guy" from the link you shared on the MSDN forums haha

I have long since abandoned using Microsoft Access to retrieve coordinates from those tablets, but I hope you have better luck than me.

[baumschaum]

I have a free utility on my website to get your current location http://www.mendipdatasystems.co.uk/g...ion/4594365395
Th code isn't the same but the functionality should be similar.

Also check the various caveats needed to get any similar code working in Windows 10.
There was a bug introduced with version 1803 though fixed in version 1809 for many users.

EDIT: I just tried the code listed using Windows 10 and got the same error.
If you read this article, you will see the situation has changed for Windows 10: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/uwp...es.Geolocation
It looks like you need to use the new WindowsGeolocation.dll instead but I got an error when I tried to add this
Needs more research. Good luck
Let us know if you work out the solution

Thanks for your help. I tried loading the WindwosGeolocation.dll into my Access-Database but I'm getting an error. No clue why it appears in that list because I can't seem to find it in the Windows Directory.

However, I realized that the given code IS working but not on the first try. After executing the function I keep getting that run-time error with a mark on the mentioned line. After waiting for about 5 seconds and continuing the execution of the code with F8 it works! It actually gives me my GPS-coordinates!

It seems like the code is working but needs some time to Launch the GPS-module or whatever in order to give out the coordinates. In the meantime it just gives out that run-time error. If this is the case, why doesn't it work on the second try as the GPS-module should be running, right?

I'm not an expert in programming but in this case I don't think thats the reason why I'm so confused haha.

[isladogs]

I have long since abandoned using Microsoft Access to retrieve coordinates from those tablets, but I hope you have better luck than me.

Have a look at my Get Geolocation app - see first link in post #7 - it uses a completely different approach which works well.
That doesn't require the LocationAPI (which I also can't get to work in Windows 7 or 10)
I've also tried using the Windows Geolocation library (geolocation.dll) .... but can't even enable that library for some reason

[pbaldy]

Post 9 was moderated, I'm posting to trigger email notifications.

[isladogs]

Thanks for your help. I tried loading the WindwosGeolocation.dll into my Access-Database but I'm getting an error. No clue why it appears in that list because I can't seem to find it in the Windows Directory.

However, I realized that the given code IS working but not on the first try. After executing the function I keep getting that run-time error with a mark on the mentioned line. After waiting for about 5 seconds and continuing the execution of the code with F8 it works! It actually gives me my GPS-coordinates!

It seems like the code is working but needs some time to Launch the GPS-module or whatever in order to give out the coordinates. In the meantime it just gives out that run-time error. If this is the case, why doesn't it work on the second try as the GPS-module should be running, right?

I'm not an expert in programming but in this case I don't think thats the reason why I'm so confused haha.

Geolocation.dll is in the Windows\System32 folder

Glad you got it to work ...after a fashion... I tried the same but it doesn't work for me - just get the same error repeatedly
I tried bypassing the error and just get 0,0

Have a look at my Get Current Location app and let me know how that works for you
Here's an example based on the centre of London