See the following topics for more information when working with User Dictionaries.
Data access license
You must still have a valid access license to the data contained in the GSD when you are geocoding against your User Dictionary. For example, if you create a dictionary of New York streets and addresses, you must purchase the New York or entire U.S. GSD.
Use without GSD data files
To utilize a User Dictionary without the use of GSDs, the files listed below are required:
- ctyst.dir - The USPS City State table.
- parse.dir - The GeoStan dictionary
To perform postal centroid geocoding, in addition to a GSD or a User Dictionary and the files listed above, the following files are necessary:
- us.z9 - Postal centroid information.
- cbsac.dir - Required only if county names or CBSA/CSA data are needed.
-
cntycnv.db - Required only if county FIPS, county names, or CBSA/CSA are needed.
CASS standards
You cannot geocode to CASS standards using a User Dictionary. This also means that the ParcelPrecision Dictionary cannot be used during CASS geocoding.
Address range order
GeoStan determines the order of the address range based on a comparison of the start and end addresses. The comparison produces the following results:
- If the end is greater than the start, the range is ascending.
- If the start is greater than the end, the range is descending.
- If the start is equal to the end, the range is ascending.
Street intersections and User Dictionaries
When geocoding to street intersections with a User Dictionary, GeoStan cannot recognize the intersections if one or more of the segments that make up the intersection does not have an end point at the intersection. This can happen when you create the User Dictionary from a customized street table in which some segments that terminate at intersections do not have end points (Example 1).
Example 1: Intersection in User Dictionary does not have end points for all segments. GeoStan does not recognize this as an intersection.
Example 2: Intersection in TIGER-based GSD includes end points for all segments. GeoStan geocodes to this intersection.