GeoTagging

The GeoTagging feature allows you to monitor the whereabouts of your devices by having the device send details of its location to the Digitise Apps App Server whenever an app downloads or uploads data. The app will send its current latitude and longitude together with the GPS Accuracy setting, taken from the device's GPS reader. The last values sent can be viewed in App Manager under the Application and User categories.

 

For Standalone Apps, geotagging is enabled or disabled within the build request configured in App Studio.

For apps running within a standard or pre-configured Digitise Apps Client, on the other hand, geotagging is enabled or disabled within App Manager, which has a default server-wide setting and the ability to override this setting for individual apps. This topic describes how to set geotagging within App Manager.

 

If geotagging is enabled, data is sent to the App Server whenever a Digitise app calls one of the following data operation Scripting Methods: Synchronise, LoadDataSource or SyncDataSource. Synchronise will only send one GPS reading per call but the other two Methods will send a separate reading for each Data Source included within the call. The GPS readings are stored in the App Server Configuration Database, which by default is called ndlmetamx but you can change the name during the Digitise Apps install.

You can view the most recent updates within App Manager. Under the Properties for an app or a User you will see displayed the Last Known Location and Last Valid Location sent to the App Server. The Last Known Location displays the last location sent to the App Server along with the time it was received by the server. If the GPS reader in a device is unable to get a fixed reading, the location will appear as 0,0. The Last Valid Location displays the last reading received which wasn't 0,0 accompanied by the time that reading was received by the App Server.

You can display the last known or last valid location on a map by clicking on the location. App Manager will load Google Maps and display a pin in the location identified by the latitude and longitude.

 

Note that to prevent this feature adversely affecting the performance of an app, on the Apple, Windows Universal and Windows Desktop Platforms, after taking a GPS reading, the reading is cached for 45 seconds and if a subsequent reading is required within that time the cached reading will be resent. Android devices also cache the last reading, but the time period readings are retained for is under the control of the operating system.

 

To enable geotagging for apps running in a standard Digitise Apps Client, you can set the server-wide default value under the Server Properties in the Server category. Set the Default GeoTagging Property to Enabled to turn geotagging on. Then if you want to disable geotagging for an individual app, display that app's Properties and set its GeoTagging option to Disabled.