Partial keyword searching in Geo APIs

Question

I've been using SimpleGeo for doing some of my place data queries for a location-based app I'm building. They currently use Factual's data set. From what I can tell, there is no way to do partial text queries on place data, probably because of limitations on Factual's end.

The kind of query I mean is that "Starb" would return results for Starbucks in an auto-complete.

Testing out Google Places API yields the same results. Querying "Bullf" for Bullfrog Brewery near Williamsport, PA turns up nothing. Querying "Bullfrog" yields the correct result.

Do any geolocation/place APIs support this kind of partial keyword query?

Answer 1

Google Places does have an Autocomplete API that will return results based on partial keyword queries.

You can view the documentation here:

http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/places/autocomplete.html

Also there's a demo and a blog post about the Places API with Autocomplete here:

http://googlegeodevelopers.blogspot.com/2011/05/places-everybody-show-is-about-to-begin.html