VMR Yes, you can ensure that the user types a value that is readable for the system, you can use geocoding services. Geocoding converts addresses or place names into geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude).

Turn Google Place API enabled, and

Configuring the FlutterFlow API Call :

Name: GooglePlacesAutocomplete
Request Type: GET
URL: https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/autocomplete/json
Headers: None (unless required for authentication)
Query Parameters:
- input: This will be the text input from the user.
- key: Your Google Places API key.
- Optionally, add other parameters like location and radius for more refined results.

Storing User's Current Location vs. Using City as Filter

It is not necessary to store the user's current location if they will enter a city for filtering. Storing the city and converting it to geographic coordinates should be sufficient for filtering products within the specified radius.

Explanation of the Provided Code

The provided code is a sample implementation of how you might set up the filtering using Firebase and Firestore.

Adding Location to Product: When a user creates a product, it includes the location (latitude and longitude).
Query Products: When a user searches for products, the system calculates a bounding box around the specified city location and queries Firestore for products within this box.
Calculate Distance: For each product within the bounding box, it calculates the exact distance from the user's location to filter products accurately within the specified radius.

Using Algolia is one solution, but it causes higher costs and customization.

If you have time to consider Supabase, please refer this: https://community.flutterflow.io/database-and-apis/post/alternative-to-algolia-for-supabase-tAD49ExpcBA5PlI

Location filter