Reply to: Place of Interest -> Post Code -> Address service?

[Lumiere]

Yet if you do the same search with the map already centred on London - not zoomed too far in, just so that Greater London is at the centre and filling much of the map - then you get the London one instead.

OK, lets pretend I am a busy taxi driver from LondonBasedTaxiCo awaiting for The Monument's postcode from this system ...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&so...,0.060596&z=14

[NickFitz]

That may work with "tower of london" but try "St Paul's Cathedral" and you will end up in Dundee .. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&so...6&z=14&iwloc=A

Could be a costly mistake for a taxi company ..

Yet if you do the same search with the map already centred on London - not zoomed too far in, just so that Greater London is at the centre and filling much of the map - then you get the London one instead.

Google Maps actually tweaks your search results based on the area you're already looking at, unless you're either zoomed out really far, or zoomed in really close on somewhere with no matches for the search terms. So if the search is for a London-based taxi company, one can use the Google Maps API to start out looking at London, and the search results will be concentrated there.

[Lumiere]

It's the getting the post code from the place of interest that is the main problem and I can see that google must have that data stored as it does return the postcode from 'tower of london' on googlemaps.

That may work with "tower of london" but try "St Paul's Cathedral" and you will end up in Dundee .. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&so...6&z=14&iwloc=A

Could be a costly mistake for a taxi company ..

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Www.freethepostcode.org

[RichardCranium]

in which case, the system providers to the corporates (your client?) should be able to afford to pay for the postcode licences - though they might have to have their lawyers check the terms of the licence carefully as I can't remember if the system provider only needs the licence or whether the end customer (the corporate) needs the licence.

The Royal Mail licence model allows for this either way.

[MPwannadecentincome]

It's so that you can book and pay for a journey on the web before you get to the pick up point, meant for corporations booking staff travel, it's to stop expenses fiddling by pesky employees.

I need the from and destination postcodes to send to the taxi company system to get their quoted price.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions, i'll review them and seek direction from client co.

in which case, the system providers to the corporates (your client?) should be able to afford to pay for the postcode licences - though they might have to have their lawyers check the terms of the licence carefully as I can't remember if the system provider only needs the licence or whether the end customer (the corporate) needs the licence.

good luck anyway

[minestrone]

Why can't taxi service just used google maps, it even has directions and recognises place names - don't even need a postcode!

It's so that you can book and pay for a journey on the web before you get to the pick up point, meant for corporations booking staff travel, it's to stop expenses fiddling by pesky employees.

I need the from and destination postcodes to send to the taxi company system to get their quoted price.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions, i'll review them and seek direction from client co.

[DimPrawn]

http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/products/

Pay per use webservices. You buy credits up front, they last 6 months and then expire (if you don't use them).

Worked for me.

[MPwannadecentincome]

It's for a taxi service so someone might want to pick 'Tower of London' alternatively they might put in an address, the pricing system which is outwith our control takes postcodes so we are not to bothered about how they store the data.

It's the getting the post code from the place of interest that is the main problem and I can see that google must have that data stored as it does return the postcode from 'tower of london' on googlemaps.

Why can't taxi service just used google maps, it even has directions and recognises place names - don't even need a postcode!

[NickFitz]

It's for a taxi service so someone might want to pick 'Tower of London' alternatively they might put in an address, the pricing system which is outwith our control takes postcodes so we are not to bothered about how they store the data.

It's the getting the post code from the place of interest that is the main problem and I can see that google must have that data stored as it does return the postcode from 'tower of london' on googlemaps.

Google will have licensed the postcode data from Royal Mail. An "End user per click" licence for the entire Postcode Address File is £3,750.

[minestrone]

It's for a taxi service so someone might want to pick 'Tower of London' alternatively they might put in an address, the pricing system which is outwith our control takes postcodes so we are not to bothered about how they store the data.

It's the getting the post code from the place of interest that is the main problem and I can see that google must have that data stored as it does return the postcode from 'tower of london' on googlemaps.

[xoggoth]

You could always use a page ripper to get it off of Yell. Not strictly legal of course but it works.

[RichardCranium]

ClientCo want me to write a page that will take a place of interest or an address from a customer and turn it into a postcode for the next step of processing.

You add a large amount of granularity that way. In built up areas postcodes can be tiny. In rural areas they can be vast. You will need either licensed software or a 'pay per conversion' service because the Royal Mail makes money out of the postcodes - they are their jealously guarded property.

You can also convert a PointX (a point of interest) or an address into a unique reference number (e.g. a TOID) and store it that way.

Alternatively into a grid reference.

Which is the correct method depends upon want you might want to do with the data in the future.

If you are planning on storing the data for any length of time don't forget: postcodes DO get changed.

In future they also want to take a post code and turn it into an address.

You can go from a postcode to a list of postal addresses (bought from Royal Mail again). Is that definitely what you want? It probably is, but be aware it is not a list of all buildings.

Does anyone know of an online service that can do this?

You will need to start with the Royal Mail if you want to use addresses.

Ideally this might get me some mess about time with google maps or something interting that would look good on the CV.

GIS pay is crap. Amazingly crap. I know.

[Zippy]

Yes but it will cost you. PostcodeAnywhere rings a bell.

[gingerjedi]

Royal mail

You only get 15 a day.