Bug in Weather getCurrentConditions()

Well, this is a day I'll never get back. If you don't include the POSITIONING permission, then all these Weather values are returned with valid data, except "observationLocationName" which comes back as NULL. This is the station's name. Like: Orlando International Airport.

Makes no sense that there is no warning that a permission is needed, or that the current GPS position permission is needed at all, especially for this one subcomponent of the weather structure.

So, it took hours to stumble across this dependency for one weather value. Ugh. Anyway, beware.

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myWX = Weather.getCurrentConditions();
System.println("Weather WX: " + myWX.temperature + "/" + myWX.relativeHumidity + "/" +
myWX.windSpeed + "/" + myWX.windBearing + "/" + myWX.precipitationChance + "/" +
myWX.observationLocationName + "/" + myWX.observationTime.value());

Top Replies

Travis.ConnectIQ over 1 year ago in reply to jim_m_58 +1

If the weather service we use doesn't have the data, we just return null. This can happen if the weather station doesn't provide the data initially or if an intermediary doesn't forward it.
li2niu🏃🏻 over 1 year ago in reply to Travis.ConnectIQ +1

Hi, Travis, an unrelated issue need your help.

forums.garmin.com/.../help-wanted-best-practice-to-exit-a-ciq-app-especially-for-resources-release

All Replies

jim_m_58 over 1 year ago

It's documented in the API Doc. Same for observationLocationPosition.

It's the same with Activity.Info.currentLocation. Without the permission, null is returned.

DaveBrillhart over 1 year ago in reply to jim_m_58

Where do you see that? Not here: https://developer.garmin.com/connect-iq/api-docs/Toybox/Weather.html#getCurrentConditions-instance_function

And those are apples and oranges... obviously *YOUR* current location requires positioning. Why would grabbing all the data from a weather station work, except the weather station's name?

_psx_ over 1 year ago in reply to DaveBrillhart

by design

forums.garmin.com/.../no-runtime-error-when-using-weather-without-permission

FlowState over 1 year ago in reply to DaveBrillhart

DaveBrillhart said:
Where do you see that?

It's right in his screenshot, which is literally the documentation for observationLocationName, the field you are talking about.

DaveBrillhart said:
And those are apples and oranges... obviously *YOUR* current location requires positioning. Why would grabbing all the data from a weather station work, except the weather station's name?

Because your watch already has all the weather information, the CIQ app only needs permission to access the subset of it that could reveal your location. For example, the name and location of a nearby weather station could give you, the app developer, a clue to the general location of your user.

Sure it's arguable that it should be all or nothing, and that you should get a runtime error, but like _psx_ pointed out, Garmin said it's by design, and it's called out in the documentation.

DaveBrillhart over 1 year ago in reply to FlowState

Oh I see your point - that there is a subtle clue to the general location of the user. Interesting.

Still the actual getCurrentConditions() call is dependent on the permission and is not mentioned. And there is no runtime error that the call requires the permission.

FlowState over 1 year ago

DaveBrillhart said:
My only thought is the designer somehow thought (wrongly) that the "observation name" was the observer's location (the athlete's location). That would explain the mistake.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence that both the observation station's name and location both require the positioning permission.

DaveBrillhart said:
Remember this is not YOUR location - it is simply the textual name of the Weather Station at some remote location.

Yeah, I get it.

DaveBrillhart said:
Why would I be able to gather all the other Weather Station data points without the "Positioning" permission, but the name of the Weather Station (eg: Orlando International Airport", a text field, would silently return NULL unless you added that permission? Makes no sense.

But it's documented.

DaveBrillhart said:
the name of the Weather Station (eg: Orlando International Airport",

Are you trying to tell me you are NOT somewhere close to Orlando?

Last time I checked people are interested in the weather in their general area, and to get that, they would need weather from a nearby weather station.

FlowState over 1 year ago in reply to DaveBrillhart

DaveBrillhart said:
Still the actual getCurrentConditions() call is dependent on the permission and is not mentioned

But it isn't. The data returned by it is, and the docs for the specific field that you mentioned in the OP literally has the information which you are sharing with us. I understand if you disagree with the decision but it is documented.

FlowState over 1 year ago in reply to DaveBrillhart

DaveBrillhart said:
there is a subtle clue to the general location of the user

Is it really that subtle?

DaveBrillhart over 1 year ago in reply to FlowState

Yes - often I ride in Orlando over on the east side and the Weather Station is Titusville, about 40 miles away on the coast. So, it isn't even close to me. The Russians couldn't target me with a laser-guided missile. Maybe a big nuke :-)

FlowState over 1 year ago in reply to DaveBrillhart

DaveBrillhart said:
Yes - often I ride in Orlando over on the east side and the Weather Station is Titusville, about 40 miles away on the coast. So, it isn't even close to me. The Russians couldn't target me with a laser-guided missile. Maybe a big nuke :-)

Fair enough.

But just by telling us the value returned from observationLocationName, you actually did reveal your general location after all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯