all done!

mbta_finder.py

@@ -10,50 +10,99 @@
 import urllib   # urlencode function
 import urllib2  # urlopen function (better than urllib version)
 import json
-
+import requests # this is SO much better than urllib in SO many ways! go try it, NINJAS! in particular you don't have to do
+#things like make spaces = %20 it just behaves in a more user friendly way and errors less
+from pprint import pprint
 
 # Useful URLs (you need to add the appropriate parameters for your requests)
 GMAPS_BASE_URL = "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json"
 MBTA_BASE_URL = "http://realtime.mbta.com/developer/api/v2/stopsbylocation"
-MBTA_DEMO_API_KEY = "wX9NwuHnZU2ToO7GmGR9uw"
+MBTA_DEMO_API_KEY = "?api_key=wX9NwuHnZU2ToO7GmGR9uw"
+GOOGLE_MAP_APIKEY = '&key=AIzaSyDunQEat_x1SofgLwhMHPkC4mnHPlXSjS0'
 
 
 # A little bit of scaffolding if you want to use it
 
+
+def make_googlemap_url(name, state):
+    """ helper function which takes a name and state and formats it to be a url"""
+    name_state_combo = '?address=' + name + '&components=administrative_area:' + state
+    url = GMAPS_BASE_URL + name_state_combo  +   GOOGLE_MAP_APIKEY
+    return url
+
+
+
 def get_json(url):
     """
     Given a properly formatted URL for a JSON web API request, return
     a Python JSON object containing the response to that request.
     """
-    pass
+
+    stuff = requests.get(url)
+    response_text = stuff.text
+    response_data = json.loads(response_text)
+    return response_data
 
 
-def get_lat_long(place_name):
+
+def get_lat_long(json_data):
     """
-    Given a place name or address, return a (latitude, longitude) tuple
+    Given the data that was retrieved using the place name/address, return a (latitude, longitude) tuple
     with the coordinates of the given place.
 
     See https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geocoding/
     for Google Maps Geocode API URL formatting requirements.
+
     """
-    pass
 
+    lat_long_raw = (json_data["results"][0]['geometry']['location']) #[0]["location"]
+    lat = lat_long_raw.get('lat')
+    long = lat_long_raw.get('lng')
+    lat_long_tuple = (lat,long)
+    return lat_long_tuple
 
-def get_nearest_station(latitude, longitude):
+
+def make_mbta_url(lat_long_tuple):
+    """makes an appropriate mbta url with the latitude and longitude tuple given (returns the url string)"""
+    long_lat = '&lat=' + str(lat_long_tuple[0]) + '&lon=' + str(lat_long_tuple[1]) + '&format=json'
+    url = MBTA_BASE_URL + MBTA_DEMO_API_KEY + long_lat
+    return url
+
+
+
+
+def get_nearest_station(lat_long_tuple):
     """
     Given latitude and longitude strings, return a (station_name, distance)
     tuple for the nearest MBTA station to the given coordinates.
 
     See http://realtime.mbta.com/Portal/Home/Documents for URL
     formatting requirements for the 'stopsbylocation' API.
     """
-    pass
+    url = make_mbta_url(lat_long_tuple)
+    data= get_json(url)
+
+    #station_name = data[0]
+    #distance = data
+
+    distance = data['stop'][0]['distance']
+    station_name = data['stop'][0]['stop_name']
+    return (str(station_name), str(distance))
+
 
 
 def find_stop_near(place_name):
     """
     Given a place name or address, print the nearest MBTA stop and the 
     distance from the given place to that stop.
     """
-    pass
+    state = 'MA' #because this is the MBTA - makes google stop tellng me about the fenways in texas!
+    googlemap_url =  make_googlemap_url(place_name, state)
+    google_data = get_json(googlemap_url)
+    lat_long_tuple = get_lat_long(google_data)
+    name_dist_tuple= get_nearest_station(lat_long_tuple)
+    return name_dist_tuple
+
+name_distance_tuple= find_stop_near('Fenway Park')
+print name_distance_tuple