#HowToThing #007 — Converting Google Maps Saved Places (exported via Google Takeout) to KML

007.ts

import { readJSON, writeText } from "@thi.ng/file-io";
import { XML_PROC, serialize } from "@thi.ng/hiccup";

// source path of the Google Takeout (GT) places
const path = "/Downloads/Takeout/Maps (your places)/Saved Places.json";

// load GT places
const places = readJSON(path).features;

// FYI: partial structure of a GT place
interface Place {
    geometry: { coordinates: number[] };
    properties: {
        Title: string;
        Published: string; // ISO8601 datetime
        Location?: {
            Address?: string;
            "Business Name"?: string;
        };
    };
}

// convert a single GT place into a KML placemark in thi.ng/hiccup format
// (aka S-expression-like, tagged, nested, plain JS arrays)
// see thi.ng/hiccup readme for full details & options...
const convertPlace = ({ geometry, properties }: Place) => [
    "Placemark",
    ["Point", ["coordinates", geometry.coordinates.join(",")]],
    ["name", properties.Title],
    ["TimeStamp", ["when", properties.Published]],
    // conditionally include address
    // null values will be skipped later during serialization
    properties.Location?.Address
        ? ["address", {}, properties.Location?.Address]
        : null,
];

// define a full KML document in hiccup format
const kmlDoc = [
    // XML processing instruction/header
    XML_PROC,
    [
        "kml",
        { xmlns: "http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2" },
        [
            "Document",
            ["name", "Google Takeout"],
            ["visibility", 1],
            ...places.map(convertPlace),
        ],
    ],
];

// output as UTF-8 file
writeText(
    // write result in same place but with `.kml` extension
    path.replace(/\.json$/, ".kml"),
    // serialize hiccup document
    // the `true` arg ensures, XML entities (e.g. &) are being auto-encoded
    serialize(kmlDoc, null, true)
);

// resulting KML:

// <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
// <kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">
//     <Document>
//         <name>Google Takeout</name>
//         <visibility>1</visibility>
//         <Placemark>
//             <Point>
//                 <coordinates>9.4286111,47.2866667</coordinates>
//             </Point>
//             <name>Talstation Luftseilbahn Wasserauen-Ebenalp AG</name>
//             <TimeStamp>
//                 <when>2017-09-01T20:56:41Z</when>
//             </TimeStamp>
//             <address>Schwendetalstrasse 82, 9057 Wasserauen, Switzerland</address>
//         </Placemark>
//         ...
//     </Document>
// </kml>