How to use Geocoding API v3 in Classic ASP

Question

wondering if anyone could help me. I'm trying to return the results of lat and lng of an address. New to coding and have got stuck. The following code worked fine until the Geocoding went from v2 to v3. Can you tell me where I'm going wrong? and do I need a new v3 key or key at all? Thanks in advance.

<%
Function GetXML(url)
Dim xmlobj
Set xmlobj = Server.CreateObject("MSXML2.ServerXMLHTTP.3.0")
xmlobj.setTimeouts 30000, 30000, 30000, 30000
xmlobj.Open "GET", url, False
xmlobj.send()
If xmlobj.status = 200 Then
    GetXML = xmlobj.responseXML.xml
Else
    Response.Write "The geocoding server could not be reached."
    Response.End
End If
End Function

address = "30 Dixon, EN76HA"


url="http://maps.google.com/maps/geo?output=xml&key=XXXXXXX &q="&Server.URLEncode(address)






Response.Write "You entered: "&address&"<br />"

xml = GetXML(url) 'Function to return raw XML as text

if InStr(xml,"<coordinates>")>0 then
coords = split(xml,"<coordinates>") 'Get everything after the opening coordinates tag
coords2 = split(coords(1),"</coordinates>") 'Get everything before the ending coordinates tag
coordinatesSplit = split(coords2(0),",") 'split it at the commas
lng = coordinatesSplit(0) 'The first value is the longitude
lat = coordinatesSplit(1) 'The second value is the latitude

Response.Write "The geo-coded coordinates are: "&lat&" "&lng
else
'No coordinates were returned
Response.Write "The address could not be geocoded."
Response.End
end if
%>

Answer 1

Your code is not working because the URL is different for the Google Geocoding API v3, if I go to your URL in browser;

http://maps.google.com/maps/geo?output=xml&q=30%20Dixon,%20EN76HA

I get the following response;

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<kml xmlns="http://earth.google.com/kml/2.0">
  <Response>
    <Status>
      <code>610</code>
      <request>geocode</request>
      <error_message>The Geocoding API v2 has been turned down on September 9th, 2013. The Geocoding API v3 should be used now. Learn more at https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/</error_message>
    </Status>
  </Response>
</kml>

Your code will never find the <coordinates> element and so will fail every time.

---

The solution

Based on code I've used for this exact purpose I've made a few minor changes to your source. You don't actually need to pass a key if you stay within the limits on usage set up by the google maps api but if you have a api key already then just add it into the url variable.

<%
Function GetXML(addr)
  Dim objXMLDoc, url, docXML, lat, lng, mapref

  'URL for Google Maps API - Doesn't need to stay here could be stored in a 
  'config include file or passed in as a function parameter.
  url = "http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/xml?address={addr}&sensor=false"
  'Inject address into the URL
  url = Replace(url, "{addr}", Server.URLEncode(addr))

  Set objXMLDoc = Server.CreateObject("MSXML2.ServerXMLHTTP.3.0")
  objXMLDoc.setTimeouts 30000, 30000, 30000, 30000
  objXMLDoc.Open "GET", url, False
  objXMLDoc.send()

  If objXMLDoc.status = 200 Then
    Set docXML = objXMLDoc.responseXML
    'Check the response for a valid status
    If UCase(docXML.documentElement.selectSingleNode("/GeocodeResponse/status").Text) = "OK" Then
      lat = docXML.documentElement.selectSingleNode("/GeocodeResponse/result/geometry/location/lat").Text
      lng = docXML.documentElement.selectSingleNode("/GeocodeResponse/result/geometry/location/lng").Text
      'Create array containing lat and long
      mapref = Array(lat, lng)
    Else
      mapref = Empty
    End If
  Else
    mapref = Empty
  End If

  'Return array
  GetXML = mapref
End Function

Dim coords, address

address = "30 Dixon, EN76HA"
coords = GetXML(address)
'Do we have a valid array?
If IsArray(coords) Then
  Response.Write "The geo-coded coordinates are: " & Join(coords, ",")
Else
  'No coordinates were returned
  Response.Write "The address could not be geocoded."
End If
%>