simplexml_load_file has begun throwing Max Exec Time error

[schwim]

Hi there everyone,

I've got a membermap in which the guys input their address and Google converts it to lat and long and the pin is set. Recently, the geolocation portion of the map has broken. No matter what address is input, the return is:

Fatal error: Maximum execution time of 30 seconds exceeded in /home/husaberg/public_html/includes/functions.php on line 67

Here's the function:

function geocode($address)
{
  $address = urlencode($address);
  $url = "http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/xml?address=$address&sensor=false";

  $coords = array('lat' => 0, 'lng' => 0);
  $delay = 0;

  $geocode_pending = true;

  // load file from url
  while($geocode_pending)
  {
	try
	{
	  $xml = simplexml_load_file($url);  // This is line 67.
	}
	catch(Exception $e)
	{
	  // return an empty array for a file request exception
	  return array();
	}

//get response status
$status = $xml->Response->Status->code;

if (strcmp($status, '200') == 0)
{
  $geocode_pending = false;

  // get coordinates node from xml response
  $coordsNode = explode(',', $xml->Response->Placemark->Point->coordinates);
  $coords['lat'] = $coordsNode[1];
  $coords['lng'] = $coordsNode[0];
}

// handle timeout responses and delay re-execution of geocoding
else if (strcmp($status, 620) == 0)
{
  $delay += 100000;
}

usleep($delay);
  }
  return $coords;  

}

I've tried to troubleshoot and although haven't figured out the problem, I've gotten the output on the steps leading up to line 67. Everything seems to be working correctly up to line 67. The URL being passed is:

http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/xml?address=new+york%2C+new+york&sensor=false

and if you visit the page, you can see that it is returning an xml document. I just don't know why line 67 ( $xml = simplexml_load_file($url); ) just began resulting in error.

While trying to troubleshoot my issue, I saw that this result could also be passed via json as well, but I'm not savvy enough to convert the function to use it, or even to know if that would resolve my issue.

Any thoughts on my issue or a potential workaround would be greatly appreciated!

[dalecosp]

Is the script running from the same IP address that you're using to browse to the XML map? Google's known to block automated attempts to access stuff that doesn't use their own API's.

Learned this the hard way a few months ago....

[schwim]

Hi there and thanks a bunch for the reply.

I used a proxy on the server to make sure the page wasn't being blocked and it gave me the results with no issue. I thought I would try to convert the function from handling the xml result to dealing with the json result instead as that is the suggested method according to Google docs, but I'm having problems converting the function.

Here's the xml result: http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/xml?address=new+york%2C+new+york&sensor=false

and here is the json result: http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/json?address=new+york%2C+new+york&sensor=false

This is the original xml-based function:

function geocode($address)
{
  $address = urlencode($address);
  $url = "http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/geocode/xml?address=$address&sensor=false";
  echo $url . "<br />";

  $coords = array('lat' => 0, 'lng' => 0);
  $delay = 0;

  $geocode_pending = true;

  // load file from url
  while($geocode_pending)
  {
	try
	{
	  $xml = simplexml_load_file($url); //This is line 67
	}
	catch(Exception $e)
	{
	  // return an empty array for a file request exception
	  return array();
	}

//get response status
$status = $xml->Response->Status->code;

if (strcmp($status, '200') == 0)
{
  $geocode_pending = false;

  // get coordinates node from xml response
  $coordsNode = explode(',', $xml->Response->Placemark->Point->coordinates);
  $coords['lat'] = $coordsNode[1];
  $coords['lng'] = $coordsNode[0];
}

// handle timeout responses and delay re-execution of geocoding
else if (strcmp($status, 620) == 0)
{
  $delay += 100000;
}

usleep($delay);
  }
  return $coords;  

}

and this is what I've got so far for the json converted function:

function getGeolocation($address){
	$address = urlencode($address);
    $url = "http://maps.google.com/maps/api/geocode/json?sensor=false" . 
        "&address=" . urlencode($address);

$json = file_get_contents($url);

$data = json_decode($json, TRUE);

 if($data['status']=="OK"){
  // get coordinates node from xml response
  $coordsNode = explode(',', $data->Response->Placemark->Point->coordinates);
  $coords['lat'] = $coordsNode[1];
  $coords['lng'] = $coordsNode[0];
  return $coords;
}

}

but it seems that moving the end part over where it gets the coords did not work as planned.

Looking at the changes between the json and xml result, can you tell me what I need to alter to get it to return the coords properly?

[sneakyimp]

That you are getting a timeout (rather than an error from the gateway) suggests that your attempt to contact google was either ignored by google or denied by your server (or some kind of firewall at your ISP).

Also, the structure of your function looks really suspect to me. Unless I'm mistaken, you repeatedly try to call the gateway until your function sets $geocode_pending to false and these is only set to false if you get a response code of 200. You should probably alter this function to actually check and/or log what status codes are getting returned and FAIL when it's a bad response rather than hammering away at the gateway. If they changed something and you are getting new response codes, you need to know what they are to fix your problem. If you keep hammering away at the gateway with bogus information, then you will likely get banned by them.

[schwim]

thank you very much for your reply, sneaky.

I can state with certainty that Google has not banned my IP as I have tested with a simple geolocation script: http://husaberg.org/geo.php . This of course doesn't mean that it's not getting refused due to the issues in the function that you speak of.

As you can see in the post directly above yours, I'm currently trying to write a new function to replace the old in an effort to get the data in the way that Google approves of(json is suggested over xml) but am having issues retrieving the values from the json object.

I have however, not given up and am still working through the thousands of results Google is giving me on breaking apart a json object.

thanks,
json

[Weedpacket]

schwim wrote:

but am having issues retrieving the values from the json object.

	  $coordsNode = explode(',', $data->Response->Placemark->Point->coordinates);

Since you've asked for the json to be decoded as an associative array, you'll need to update how you get elements out of $data - it's an array, not an object.

Incidentally, the URLs you give don't return data that matches the structure implied by that line:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<GeocodeResponse>
 <status>OK</status>
 <result>
  <type>locality</type>
  <type>political</type>
  <formatted_address>New York, NY, USA</formatted_address>
  <address_component>
   <long_name>New York</long_name>
   <short_name>New York</short_name>
   <type>locality</type>
   <type>political</type>
  </address_component>
  <address_component>
   <long_name>New York</long_name>
   <short_name>NY</short_name>
   <type>administrative_area_level_1</type>
   <type>political</type>
  </address_component>
  <address_component>
   <long_name>United States</long_name>
   <short_name>US</short_name>
   <type>country</type>
   <type>political</type>
  </address_component>
  <geometry>
   <location>
    <lat>40.7143528</lat>
    <lng>-74.0059731</lng>
   </location>
   <location_type>APPROXIMATE</location_type>
   <viewport>
    <southwest>
     <lat>40.4959143</lat>
     <lng>-74.2557349</lng>
    </southwest>
    <northeast>
     <lat>40.9152414</lat>
     <lng>-73.7002721</lng>
    </northeast>
   </viewport>
   <bounds>
    <southwest>
     <lat>40.4959080</lat>
     <lng>-74.2590879</lng>
    </southwest>
    <northeast>
     <lat>40.9152414</lat>
     <lng>-73.7002721</lng>
    </northeast>
   </bounds>
  </geometry>
 </result>
 <result>
  <type>colloquial_area</type>
  <type>political</type>
  <formatted_address>New York metropolitan area, USA</formatted_address>
  <address_component>
   <long_name>New York metropolitan area</long_name>
   <short_name>New York metropolitan area</short_name>
   <type>colloquial_area</type>
   <type>political</type>
  </address_component>
  <address_component>
   <long_name>United States</long_name>
   <short_name>US</short_name>
   <type>country</type>
   <type>political</type>
  </address_component>
  <geometry>
   <location>
    <lat>40.9590293</lat>
    <lng>-74.0300122</lng>
   </location>
   <location_type>APPROXIMATE</location_type>
   <viewport>
    <southwest>
     <lat>39.4985330</lat>
     <lng>-75.3585939</lng>
    </southwest>
    <northeast>
     <lat>41.6018065</lat>
     <lng>-71.8562140</lng>
    </northeast>
   </viewport>
   <bounds>
    <southwest>
     <lat>39.4985330</lat>
     <lng>-75.3585939</lng>
    </southwest>
    <northeast>
     <lat>41.6018065</lat>
     <lng>-71.8562140</lng>
    </northeast>
   </bounds>
  </geometry>
 </result>
</GeocodeResponse>

{
   "results" : [
      {
         "address_components" : [
            {
               "long_name" : "New York",
               "short_name" : "New York",
               "types" : [ "locality", "political" ]
            },
            {
               "long_name" : "New York",
               "short_name" : "NY",
               "types" : [ "administrative_area_level_1", "political" ]
            },
            {
               "long_name" : "United States",
               "short_name" : "US",
               "types" : [ "country", "political" ]
            }
         ],
         "formatted_address" : "New York, NY, USA",
         "geometry" : {
            "bounds" : {
               "northeast" : {
                  "lat" : 40.91524140,
                  "lng" : -73.70027209999999
               },
               "southwest" : {
                  "lat" : 40.4959080,
                  "lng" : -74.25908790
               }
            },
            "location" : {
               "lat" : 40.71435280,
               "lng" : -74.00597309999999
            },
            "location_type" : "APPROXIMATE",
            "viewport" : {
               "northeast" : {
                  "lat" : 40.91524140,
                  "lng" : -73.70027209999999
               },
               "southwest" : {
                  "lat" : 40.49591430,
                  "lng" : -74.25573489999999
               }
            }
         },
         "postcode_localities" : [],
         "types" : [ "locality", "political" ]
      },
      {
         "address_components" : [
            {
               "long_name" : "New York metropolitan area",
               "short_name" : "New York metropolitan area",
               "types" : [ "colloquial_area", "political" ]
            },
            {
               "long_name" : "United States",
               "short_name" : "US",
               "types" : [ "country", "political" ]
            }
         ],
         "formatted_address" : "New York metropolitan area, USA",
         "geometry" : {
            "bounds" : {
               "northeast" : {
                  "lat" : 41.60180650,
                  "lng" : -71.85621399999999
               },
               "southwest" : {
                  "lat" : 39.49853299999999,
                  "lng" : -75.35859390
               }
            },
            "location" : {
               "lat" : 40.95902930,
               "lng" : -74.03001220
            },
            "location_type" : "APPROXIMATE",
            "viewport" : {
               "northeast" : {
                  "lat" : 41.60180650,
                  "lng" : -71.85621399999999
               },
               "southwest" : {
                  "lat" : 39.49853299999999,
                  "lng" : -75.35859390
               }
            }
         },
         "postcode_localities" : [],
         "types" : [ "colloquial_area", "political" ]
      }
   ],
   "status" : "OK"
}

[sneakyimp]

You should take care to see what comes from the [man]json_decode[/man] step to make sure it's an array or object before trying to look at its member objects. You should also take care to see what returns from [man]file_get_contents[/man] -- It's very common for an ISP to block this function from accessing remote urls.

If $json is empty (or FALSE, which is what file_get_contents returns on failure), you should throw an exception or report an error. If $data is NULL then you might want to check [man]json_last_error[/man] and/or [man]json_last_error_msg[/man] to see what might have gone wrong. It would probably be even more helpful to write $json to a log file to see what is wrong with it.

It's a pain to write the few extra lines of error checking and stuff, but it will ultimately save you time wondering what the problem is.

[schwim]

Thanks to both of you for your help.

Weed, I think the unmatched results between the function and page links stems from the results being different from v2 to v3 of the Google Maps API. The function I was using up to today was found on the web, as I am not savvy enough to figure out the process on my own. Now I'm trying to write the function to handle the json result I posted above.

Is handling it as an associative array better than as an object? I am only using this method because it's what I found on the web in regards to json parsing tutorials. Should I change that?

Sneaky, thank you very much for the assistance on properly handling the result. I've modified what I've got to check against empty or false $json result:

function getGeolocation($address){
	$address = urlencode($address);
    $url = "http://maps.google.com/maps/api/geocode/json?sensor=false" . 
        "&address=" . urlencode($address);

$json = file_get_contents($url);

if($json == '' or $json == 'FALSE'){
	// Not a valid result.  We need to step up like real men and handle it.



}else{

	$data = json_decode($json, TRUE);

	return $data['results'];

}

}

I think the next part I need to check against is that status == "OK"(you can see that at the bottom of the json URL) before going any further and recording status if it isn't "OK". Is there anything you would think I need to check before doing this?

Thanks again for everything!

[schwim]

Well, now I'm thoroughly confused.

Trying to handle the "status" check, I've noticed that the json result via the browser is very, very different from what I'm getting in the array.

From the browser: ( http://maps.google.com/maps/api/geocode/json?sensor=false&address=new%2C+new+york&sensor=false )

{
"results" : [
{
"address_components" : [
{
"long_name" : "New York",
"short_name" : "New York",
"types" : [ "locality", "political" ]
},
{
"long_name" : "New York",
"short_name" : "NY",
"types" : [ "administrative_area_level_1", "political" ]
},
{
"long_name" : "United States",
"short_name" : "US",
"types" : [ "country", "political" ]
}
],
"formatted_address" : "New York, NY, USA",
"geometry" : {
"bounds" : {
"northeast" : {
"lat" : 40.91524140,
"lng" : -73.70027209999999
},
"southwest" : {
"lat" : 40.4959080,
"lng" : -74.25908790
}
},
"location" : {
"lat" : 40.71435280,
"lng" : -74.00597309999999
},
"location_type" : "APPROXIMATE",
"viewport" : {
"northeast" : {
"lat" : 40.91524140,
"lng" : -73.70027209999999
},
"southwest" : {
"lat" : 40.49591430,
"lng" : -74.25573489999999
}
}
},
"partial_match" : true,
"postcode_localities" : [],
"types" : [ "locality", "political" ]
}
],
"status" : "OK"
}

From my test: http://husaberg.org/geo.php (sorry for the link, but it's too much text for the post.)

Not only is there a ton more info in the array, "status isn't to be found anywhere in the result like it is in the page generated in the browser.

Where did status go and where did all the extra info come from?

[sneakyimp]

You should be a bit more careful about the return type of [man]file_get_contents[/man]. The code you have is checking it against the empty string and against the string "FALSE" rather than the boolean data type FALSE. The string "FALSE" and the boolean value FALSE are not the same thing.

You might try something like this:

$json = file_get_contents($url);
if ($json === FALSE) {
  throw new Exception("file_get_contents failed completely and utterly.");
}
if (!$json) {
  throw new Exception("looks like file_get_contents worked, however the response is not valid");
}

And, like I said, you may get a result back like "503 Service Unavailable" or perhaps even an html result that is not valid JSON. This means you need to check the result of json_decode to see if it was successfully decoded or not:

$data = json_decode($json, TRUE);
if (is_null($data)) {
  throw new Exception("JSON decoding failed:" . json_last_error_msg());
}
// if you are expecting an array to be returned, which is looks like you are, then make sure it's an array before you try to access elements of it:
if (!is_array($data)) {
  throw new Exception("json decoded data is not an array:" . print_r($data, TRUE));
}

// if $data is an array, it might not have a "results" element
// check for that too

[sneakyimp]

schwim;11028599 wrote:

Not only is there a ton more info in the array, "status isn't to be found anywhere in the result like it is in the page generated in the browser.

Where did status go and where did all the extra info come from?

Not having seen your code in geo.php, and not being especially familiar with the google gelocation API, it's not easy to say. Looks to me like the geo.php script is doing a search and therefore getting many results rather than a single result. This may have something to do with the user agent that your script presents to the google API or you may be doing something different in your script.

[Weedpacket]

schwim wrote:

Where did status go and where did all the extra info come from?

You threw the status away here:

		$data = json_decode($json, TRUE);
		return $data['results']; // Goodbye, $data['status']

As for where the "extra info" came from, my guess would be Google 🙂. Are you reading the right API reference?

sneakyimp wrote:

Looks to me like the geo.php script is doing a search and therefore getting many results rather than a single result.

I don't know what the query being used is, but Google Maps apparently finds it ambiguous enough to be interpretable in nine different ways:

• Highway 2, NY, USA

• 2nd Avenue, New York, NY, USA

• 2 New York Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216, USA

• East 2nd Street, New York, NY, USA

• 2nd Street, Queens, NY 11101, USA

• 2 New York Plaza, New York, NY 10004, USA

• 2 Street, Staten Island, NY 10306, USA

• 2 Court, Staten Island, NY 10312, USA

• New York University, 70 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012, USA

Oh, something I just noticed; when you switched to using JSON you started double-url-encoding your $address.

[schwim]

Hi there Sneaky,

Here's my revised code (it's what's in geo.php):

<?php

function getGeolocation($address){
	$address = urlencode($address);
    $url = "http://maps.google.com/maps/api/geocode/json?sensor=false" . "&address=" . urlencode($address);

$json = file_get_contents($url);

if ($json === FALSE) {
	throw new Exception("file_get_contents failed completely and utterly.");
}

if (!$json) {
	throw new Exception("looks like file_get_contents worked, however the response is not valid");
}

$data = json_decode($json, TRUE);

if (is_null($data)) {
	throw new Exception("JSON decoding failed:" . json_last_error_msg());
}

// if you are expecting an array to be returned, which is looks like you are, then make sure it's an array before you try to access elements of it:
if (!is_array($data)) {
	throw new Exception("json decoded data is not an array:" . print_r($data, TRUE));
}

// if $data is an array, it might not have a "results" element
// check for that too  

if ($data['results'] == FALSE) {
	throw new Exception("results element is missing.");
}

$status = $data['status'];
if ($status != 'OK') {
	throw new Exception("Google replied with invalid status.  Status: " . $status);
}

return $data['results'];

}

print_r(getGeolocation('new york, ny'));

?>

I've never worked with exceptions before and I don't quite follow the php manual concerning it. Do I need to do something else before I begin working with my data or am I ok to do so below the checks?

[schwim]

Weedpacket;11028605 wrote:

You threw the status away here:

		$data = json_decode($json, TRUE);
		return $data['results']; // Goodbye, $data['status']

hehe, I'm such a maroon.

Weedpacket;11028605 wrote:

Oh, something I just noticed; when you switched to using JSON you started double-url-encoding your $address.

If we weren't convinced prior, then we can be fairly certain now that it's a good thing that I don't do this for a living.

Thank you very much for all the help.

[schwim]

Hi there guys,

I've got it running and it's returning the necessary data AND IT'S TONS QUICKER than the old function. I do want to ask if you think I've neglected a necessary check or have handled something improperly:

function geocode($address){
	$address = urlencode($address);
    $url = "http://maps.google.com/maps/api/geocode/json?sensor=false" . "&address=" . $address;

$json = file_get_contents($url);

if ($json === FALSE) {
	throw new Exception("file_get_contents failed completely and utterly.");
}

if (!$json) {
	throw new Exception("looks like file_get_contents worked, however the response is not valid");
}

$data = json_decode($json, TRUE);

if (is_null($data)) {
	throw new Exception("JSON decoding failed:" . json_last_error_msg());
}

// if you are expecting an array to be returned, which is looks like you are, then make sure it's an array before you try to access elements of it:
if (!is_array($data)) {
	throw new Exception("json decoded data is not an array:" . print_r($data, TRUE));
}

// if $data is an array, it might not have a "results" element
// check for that too  

if ($data['results'] == FALSE) {
	throw new Exception("results element is missing.");
}

// make sure status is OK.
$status = $data['status'];
if ($status != 'OK') {
	throw new Exception("Google replied with invalid status.  Status: " . $status);
}

// Make sure we have the lat and lng for [0]
if ($data['results']['0']['geometry']['location']['lat'] == FALSE OR $data['results']['0']['geometry']['location']['lng'] == FALSE) {
	throw new Exception("lat or lng element is missing.");
}

$coords['lat'] = $data['results']['0']['geometry']['location']['lat'];
$coords['lng'] = $data['results']['0']['geometry']['location']['lng'];

return $coords;

}

Is there something else I need to do to this or is the function A-OK as it sits?

[Weedpacket]

	// Make sure we have the lat and lng for [0]
	if ($data['results']['0']['geometry']['location']['lat'] == FALSE OR $data['results']['0']['geometry']['location']['lng'] == FALSE) {
		throw new Exception("lat or lng element is missing.");
	}

$coords['lat'] = $data['results']['0']['geometry']['location']['lat'];
$coords['lng'] = $data['results']['0']['geometry']['location']['lng'];

This could be shortened to:

	// Make sure we have the lat and lng for [0]
	$coords = $data['results'][0]['geometry']['location'];
	if ($coords['lat'] == FALSE OR $coords['lng'] == FALSE) {
		throw new Exception("lat or lng element is missing.");
	}

There is a problem with the error checking: if there is no 'lat' or 'lng' element, then the tests will trigger an "undefined index" notice because the array elements won't even be present; also, they'll fail if the location happens to fall on the equator or the Greenwich meridian.
Rather than check for existence by trying to check for value, check for existence instead.

	// Make sure we have the lat and lng for [0]
	$coords = $data['results'][0]['geometry']['location'];
	if (!isset($coords['lat'], $coords['lng'])) {
		throw new Exception("lat or lng element is missing.");
	}

[sneakyimp]

Your function looks pretty thorough to me in its error checking, although the indents look a little wonky.

This line is probably not so great:

	if ($data['results'] == FALSE) {
		throw new Exception("results element is missing.");
	}

It would be true of $data['results'] was zero, the empty string, or a boolean value false -- which may actually accomplish what you want. However, this would produce an E_NOTICE error if $data["results"] is not defined. I think what you really want to do is make sure $data["results"] has in fact been defined before you bother checking it. Then, when you check it, it would probably be better to make sure it's actually an array before you start checking it as one:

	if (!isset($data['results'])) {
		throw new Exception("data has no 'results' element. no results found.");
	}
	if (!is_array($data['results'])) {
		throw new Exception("data[results] is not an array");
	}

[schwim]

Hi there guys and thanks to both of you for your help.

I think I've implemented the suggested changes properly:

function geocode($address){
	$address = urlencode($address);
    $url = "http://maps.google.com/maps/api/geocode/json?sensor=false" . "&address=" . $address;

$json = file_get_contents($url);

if ($json === FALSE) {
	throw new Exception("file_get_contents failed completely and utterly.");
}

if (!$json) {
	throw new Exception("looks like file_get_contents worked, however the response is not valid");
}

$data = json_decode($json, TRUE);

if (is_null($data)) {
	throw new Exception("JSON decoding failed:" . json_last_error_msg());
}

// if you are expecting an array to be returned, which is looks like you are, then make sure it's an array before you try to access elements of it:
if (!is_array($data)) {
	throw new Exception("json decoded data is not an array:" . print_r($data, TRUE));
}

// if $data is an array, it might not have a "results" element
// check for that too  
if (!isset($data['results'])) {
	throw new Exception("data has no 'results' element. no results found.");
}

// Making sure results is an array as well.
if (!is_array($data['results'])) {
	throw new Exception("data[results] is not an array");
}

// make sure status is OK.
$status = $data['status'];
if ($status != 'OK') {
	throw new Exception("Google replied with invalid status.  Status: " . $status);
}

// Make sure we have the lat and lng for [0]
$coords = $data['results'][0]['geometry']['location'];
if (!isset($coords['lat'], $coords['lng'])) {
	throw new Exception("lat or lng element is missing.");
}

return $coords;

}

Does that look correct?

Also sneaky, what did you mean by indents looking wonky? Is there a better way that I should be handling indentation?

[sneakyimp]

schwim;11028765 wrote:

Also sneaky, what did you mean by indents looking wonky? Is there a better way that I should be handling indentation?

It looks like you move from one tab of ident to two here:

    if ($json === FALSE) {
		throw new Exception("file_get_contents failed completely and utterly.");
	}

But I guess that's because you use 4 spaces sometimes and tabs other times and phpbuilder's forum apparently makes a tab look much larger than 4 spaces.

The thing left that I see is that you try to check the status before you are sure it's even defined in the data array:

	// make sure status is OK.
	$status = $data['status'];
	if ($status != 'OK') {
		throw new Exception("Google replied with invalid status.  Status: " . $status);
	}

as with the other array elements, if 'status' is not defined you'll get an E_NOTICE error. you might want to make sure that [man]isset[/man] before you start working with it.

[schwim]

Alright, I think I understand. I didn't try to combine the isset with status being ok so that the errors between the two wouldn't be shared, so I placed the ISSET check before the OK check:

function geocode($address){
	$address = urlencode($address);
	$url = "http://maps.google.com/maps/api/geocode/json?sensor=false" . "&address=" . $address;

$json = file_get_contents($url);

if ($json === FALSE) {
	throw new Exception("file_get_contents failed completely and utterly.");
}

if (!$json) {
	throw new Exception("looks like file_get_contents worked, however the response is not valid");
}

$data = json_decode($json, TRUE);

if (is_null($data)) {
	throw new Exception("JSON decoding failed:" . json_last_error_msg());
}

// Make sure it's an array
if (!is_array($data)) {
	throw new Exception("json decoded data is not an array:" . print_r($data, TRUE));
}

// if $data is an array, it might not have a "results" element
// check for that too  
if (!isset($data['results'])) {
	throw new Exception("data has no 'results' element. no results found.");
}

// Making sure results is an array as well.
if (!is_array($data['results'])) {
	throw new Exception("data[results] is not an array");
}

// make sure status is defined.
if !ISSET($data['status']) {
	throw new Exception("Status is not defined.");
}  

// make sure status is OK.
$status = $data['status'];
if ($status != 'OK') {
	throw new Exception("Google replied with invalid status.  Status: " . $status);
}

// Make sure we have the lat and lng for [0]
$coords = $data['results'][0]['geometry']['location'];
if (!isset($coords['lat'], $coords['lng'])) {
throw new Exception("lat or lng element is missing.");
}

return $coords;

}

I've indented everything inside the braces an additional tab as I thought that was the proper way to nest the code visually. Should it be handled differently?