Mobile devices and SharePoint 2013 – Part IV: Location

In this series of blog posts, I want to give you an overview on the most notable new features for support of mobile devices in SharePoint 2013.

Other blog posts in this series:

• Mobile devices and SharePoint 2013 – Part I: Overview
• Mobile devices and SharePoint 2013 – Part II: Device channels and the SharePoint page model
• Mobile devices and SharePoint 2013 – Part III: Push Notifications
• Mobile devices and SharePoint 2013 – Part IV: Location
• Mobile devices and SharePoint 2013 – Part V: Custom Applications

Location

SharePoint Server 2013 supports a new geolocation field type (for lists) that can be used for mobile application development.

You can now make lists “location-aware” and display latitude and longitude coordinates through Bing Maps. An entry is typically seen as a pushpin on the map view. Although there are several ways to use this geolocation field, one key scenario is for mobile application development.

Users can track or log location-specific data while they work remotely from the corporate office. Alternatively, the application can help them locate points of interest when it performs offsite functions.

Source: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj163135(v=office.15).aspx

Prerequisites

SQLSysClrTypes.msi (SQL Sever 2008 R2 SP1 Feature Pack, SQL Server 2012 Feature Pack) must be installed on every SharePoint front-end web server to view the geolocation field value or data in a list.

Otherwise you will get the following error message:

A required component for using a geolocation field is not installed: Microsoft SQL Server System CLR Types

This package is responsible for installing the components for implementing the new geometry, geography, and hierarchyid types in SQL Server 2008. By default, this file is installed for SharePoint Online. However, it is not for an on-premises deployment of SharePoint Server 2013 Preview.

Thanks to Bas Lijten for pointing this out: SharePoint 2013 geolocation column: a component is not installed

Limitations

The geolocation field is not available when you create a list through the user interface (UI). Therefore, you cannot make a custom list and add it as a column through traditional UI methods. Instead, this field must be inserted programmatically.

Further information:

• Technet: Use the SharePoint 2013 location field type in mobile applications
• MSDN: Integrating location and map functionality in SharePoint 2013
• Bing Maps Developer Account: http://www.microsoft.com/maps/

Other blog posts in this series:

• Mobile devices and SharePoint 2013 – Part I: Overview
• Mobile devices and SharePoint 2013 – Part II: Device channels and the SharePoint page model
• Mobile devices and SharePoint 2013 – Part III: Push Notifications
• Mobile devices and SharePoint 2013 – Part IV: Location
• Mobile devices and SharePoint 2013 – Part V: Custom Applications