Tdesktop: If Bing Maps isn't installed, open shared location in browser

[theel0ja]

Steps to reproduce

1. Use Windows 10 and don't have Bing Maps ("Maps" in menu) installed
2. Click a shared location

Expected behaviour

If no Bing Maps installed, open Google Maps in default browser (like on Linux)

Actual behaviour

Configuration

Operating system: Windows 10

Version of Telegram Desktop: 1.1.7

Used theme: Default

[stek29]

1612

[khabraken]

This should be in conjunction with a change in protocol to "geo" (rather than the nonstandard "bingmaps"), (see my comments in #1612 ).

Looking at the code, I would have though that if no handler was registered, then it would revert to the gmaps URL behaviour, but the screenshot above seems to indicate that is not the case.

[tomcpc]

This is very annoying...

Until they fix this, one workaround would be to create a simple Windows app to redirect "bingmaps" to the browser. I don't know how to create one though.

[KoalaBear84]

Yes. I did a quick search to see if there are alternative apps for Maps on Windows which work or redirect to Google, unfortunately didn't find any.

But.. I did find a workaround I saw in another ticket on Github. Right click op it, Copy Link and use it in your browser. It is very strange for me that Windows Maps application looks like taking control over a Google Maps link, but maybe it is Telegram Desktops fault.

[KoalaBear84]

If Bings/Windows Maps is installed, which it is, I get this... Ocean, I'm not Spongebob. It should be possible to have something useful as Bing/Windows Maps just doesn't work at all. Tested on multiple devices. The whole world is an ocean..

[KoalaBear84]

Hmm, I see geo: protocol is not really supported. Telegram Desktop should support choosing your own 'destination'. With at least the following 3 options:

1. Google Maps (browser)
2. OpenStreetMap (browser)
3. Default Windows app / Bing/Windows Maps

Clicking the links opens a blank white page on Chrome, and in IE and Edge it tries to open it through some sort of default app, but there is none, and also nothing in the Windows Store... So changing to geo looks even worse, no support.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geo_URI_scheme

[Aokromes]

this bug is still valid?

[khabraken]

I can confirm that the steps described by the OP still result in the "You'll need a new app to open this bingmaps link" message (when Maps is not installed).

Yes there is a context menu with 'Copy Link' (which is a gmaps link) which can be used as a workaround, but it would still be nice if simply clicking did something sensible.
A bingmaps:// link is of dubious use even if it is installed (last I had it installed, it simply wouldnt load any actual maps), but I would be happy if it could just check if a bingmaps handler is actually installed, before using that as the click URL.

[stale[bot]]

Hey there!

This issue will be automatically closed in 7 days if there would be no activity. We therefore assume that the user has lost interest or resolved the problem on their own.

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Thanks!

[KoalaBear84]

Hey there! As far as I remember it is still not fixed.

[bwims]

+1 I would also like to be able to click through to my preferred map, but at the very least Google Maps, because Windows Maps stink.