google maps api foreach and echoing nearest subway station names

Question

I am trying to get the contents "name" of the nearest subway stations via the google maps api.

But i'm getting no results for some reason.

any ideas?

<?
$stations = file_get_contents('https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/nearbysearch/json?key=XXXXX&location=51.517238,-0.0731695&rankby=distance&type=subway_station');
$stations = json_decode($stations);

foreach ($stations as $data)
    {


echo  $data->results->name;

    }?>

**PRINT / VARDUMP OF $STATIONS **

object(stdClass)#113 (4) { ["html_attributions"]=> array(0) { } ["next_page_token"]=> string(468) "CrQCIQEAAIiUu7iBF_FuePInfUCwzG4ycBN9KTs3IQd0TF_VvYoz3ZHslqgGYANYyWPPcrtyLFjnHi6iBgbJqDTl972-fOLJsCJRhyKZsrXvx7I6RG9XBGFo4iVMqh10MVVjkCWSXKyW1M-vGneha2KLzQogqiGgYBLkG1dhyzlnaSmmpC0ur6rlzyTIRKQSewB79OjXi__cq7YuIcexmA3FqZHUqGtj2c8GL6X76wTeZWD37Rsl2WxC9FAsIqHQvxfOAySbf0xXtyWq6lxdBUt7rzbVRYfn5SrfQOapJGTe9Tx-ZculyJyMYEEC4pm4noVghQy0_LNgYCUxaiLjQv5_2DB4y5CPi8tDbLjAcHC7YOtAYEDYeIR7N5LAg2LDrXe378Z5zr0q8iLYmXqCFXoCJ9kwo4ISEFJHIBPTmrBDlEk9iCH8oEUaFBnA2CBg9vn9uYcNGZfFAQ50qyHk" ["results"]=> array(20) { [0]=> object(stdClass)#115 (11) { ["geometry"]=> object(stdClass)#116 (2) { ["location"]=> object(stdClass)#117 (2) { ["lat"]=> float(51.5151582) ["lng"]=> float(-0.0719412) } ["viewport"]=> object(stdClass)#118 (2) { ["northeast"]=> object(stdClass)#119 (2) { ["lat"]=> float(51.516427280292) ["lng"]=> float(-0.070816719708498) } ["southwest"]=> object(stdClass)#120 (2) { ["lat"]=> float(51.513729319709) ["lng"]=> float(-0.073514680291502) } } } ["icon"]=> string(73) "https://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/place_api/icons/generic_business-71.png" ["id"]=> string(40) "47152d423eb61361555b2d8908e75c59d79deb1b" ["name"]=> string(12) "Aldgate East" ["photos"]=> array(1) { [0]=> object(stdClass)#121 (4) { ["height"]=> int(3966) ["html_attributions"]=> array(1) { [0]=> string(97) "Rene Lichtenstein" } ["photo_reference"]=> string(190) "CmRaAAAAPfCFksoZGq8FY3uKNCa271MIxH8dP7ZsE1lPnsvMep2OatQxY1SRN8LWxL4lRE_66vldeQbXnX7nrWg_bNLsGk9MYokXXq16ov1Hu01CSQe2nCqIQm6UzwcmjcqskSsDEhAIWrLuwREjELzxSkcPETQuGhSxU2Tai6pf8v4ugWTFDDz0amDAWA" ["width"]=> int(5950) } } ["place_id"]=> string(27) "ChIJ_7Q5M7UcdkgRCv-7nswC520" ["rating"]=> float(3.9) ["reference"]=> string(190) "CmRRAAAAqjpKiEO85qzXCVhdy9AhIyHZ2smVOnoDyGndzuW_s8G6yniXFcqGkdDTSA6xKZgLznbJUFbYRU3Kdth_wcx9aQXyvH7iua_zdt3PQ_Q-I3HstwRpW1nXDGXLFwcU6LVjEhD8CFwbm_VmLIpv820hobt3GhSQ9hZsbbGIoQ81bwfxTNHkMTKA6w" ["scope"]=> string(6) "GOOGLE" ["types"]=> array(4) { [0]=> string(14) "subway_station" [1]=> string(15) "transit_station" [2]=> string(17) "point_of_interest" [3]=> string(13) "establishment" } ["vicinity"]=> string(27) "Whitechapel High St, London" } [1]=> object(stdClass)#122 (11) { ["geometry"]=> object(stdClass)#123 (2) { ["location"]=> object(stdClass)#124 (2) { ["lat"]=> float(51.5142301) ["lng"]=> float(-0.0755928) } ["viewport"]=> object(stdClass)#125 (2) { ["northeast"]=> object(stdClass)#126 (2) { ["lat"]=> float(51.515579080292) ["lng"]=> float(-0.074243819708498) } ["southwest"]=> object(stdClass)#127 (2) { ["lat"]=> float(51.512881119709) ["lng"]=> float(-0.076941780291502) } } } ["icon"]=> string(73) "https://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/place_api/icons/generic_business-71.png"  

Answer 1

Running print_r($stations); returns an error:

stdClass Object ( [error_message] => The provided API key is invalid. [html_attributions] => Array ( ) [results] => Array ( ) [status] => REQUEST_DENIED )

It looks like this issue has been seen before, but wasn't asked in a way that could have been answered without printing the stations variable the way I did. Here is a link to the answer that refers to a required business account with Google:

google maps api, The provided API key is invalid

Also, referring to the Google documentation, it looks like your URL may be formatted incorrectly:

https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/error-messages

Please let me know if this helps.

EDIT:

Here is another answer that might help:

Google Places API Web Services API Key Invalid

You can replace `key=XXXXX' with a key generated following the instructions at https://developers.google.com/places/web-service/get-api-key

EDIT:

That is a log of data to parse, but it looks to me that the $data->results array should be the one you are iterating through. Have you tried changing the context to:

<?php
$stations = file_get_contents('https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/nearbysearch/json?key=XXXXX&location=51.517238,-0.0731695&rankby=distance&type=subway_station');
$stations = json_decode($stations);
$stations = $stations->results;
foreach ($stations as $data)
    {

echo  $data->name;

    }

Honestly, someone with an API key might do better at answering this question, but that's my best guess without having the data in a parsable format to read back in. Not saying it can be done, just take a lot of work, and I think this should work from how I read the var dump.

FINAL EDIT

I can confirm the above code works. The results when printed with echo <br>; in the for loop will result in:

Aldgate East
Aldgate Station
Liverpool Street
Tower Hill
Whitechapel
Moorgate Station
Monument Station
Bank Underground Station
Old Street
Old Street
Cannon Street Underground Station
Mansion House Underground Station
London Bridge Underground Station
Bethnal Green
St. Paul's
Barbican Station
Stepney Green Underground Station
Blackfriars
Farringdon
Bermondsey