A Ruby wrapper for the Unofficial Google Weather API
NOTE: the Google Weather API is unoffical, unliscensed, and unintended for production use. If you want to use weather in a production environment, or even for more than just a few quick examples, use the Yahoo Weather Wrapper Gem, YWx. Usage is very similar, and you won't get blocked for sending a larger number of requests.
Weather data is a great way to expose new programmers to the broad functionality of APIs. The Google Weather API, though unofficial, is quite possibly the simplest, easiest weather data API available, making it ideal for brief demonstrations of programming and the Ruby language.
Being by installing the GWx gem
gem install gwx
To initiate a new call, simply do the following
location = 73072 # This can also be a descriptive string, such as "New York City" or "New York, New York"
weather = GoogleWeather.new(location)
p weather.current
p weather.information
p weather.forecast
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This gem doesn't require a developer key, unlike most Wx APIs. This means that for simple programming demos, the GWx gem will serve the majority of your purposes
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The location processing functionality within the API is extremely robust. Google deserves some credit for the ability to pass the API nearly any possible location data, and still receive accurate information. For example, the following calls actually work:
weather = GoogleWeather.new("LAX") #Airport Codes weather = GoogleWeather.new("Dallas") #Cities without States weather = GoogleWeather.new("1600 Pennsylvania Ave Washington DC") #Spaced Addresses weather = GoogleWeather.new("asdf 73072") #It even filters out irrelevant noise in some instances
- It won't work in production. If you want to use Wx data in production, use my YWx gem, or use NOAA's REST api. I'll be working on an updated Ruby wrapper in the near future
Feel free to fork away, but you can also shoot me an email at AustinSpires AT gmail.com
But, since this API will never really be production viable, I'd recomend you put your development efforts into other Wx data tools that have production value.