Block style address lines are used when your data file does not contain address information at a fine level of detail.
EXAMPLE
Your file does not contain a ZIP Code that starts at a specific offset in each record. Your file contains a ZIP Code that floats in an area containing city, state, and ZIP Code information. You can use block-style keywords to specify that city, state, and/or ZIP Code information is located within a specific area of the record using block-style addresses.
Without use of the AddrScan, the Finalist driver can process three lines of block-style addresses. You can incorporate AddrScan to enable the Finalist driver to process up to six lines of block-style address information prior to calling the postal coding engine for validation and correction. The Finalist driver makes the following assumptions about the contents of block-style address lines prior calling the Finalist API.
- Line 1 (iL1)
- Contains street address information, including primary and secondary street range, predirectional, post-directional, and street name. It may also contain unit designator information.
- Line 2 (iL2)
- Contains unit designator (apt./suite) information, secondary address information, or is blank.
- Line 3 (iL3)
- Contains city, state, and/or ZIP Code information.
The Definition File should be set up to extract the address information from the proper position within the input record. When defining block-style addresses, you may specify up to ten individual positions and lengths for each line that is defined in the Definition File.
If you cannot extract address information as stated in the previous paragraph, you can use AddrScan. AddrScan makes it possible for the driver to extract up to six lines of address information from the input record. These lines are passed to AddrScan and assembled into three lines of address information conforming to the assumptions listed above.
When AddrScan is used, the input definitions of the block-style address lines are described next.
- Line 1 (iL1) — Unknown. Requires AddrScan.
- Line 2 (iL2) — Unknown. Requires AddrScan.
- Line 3 (iL3) — Unknown. Requires AddrScan.
- Line 4 (iL4) — Unknown. Requires AddrScan.
- Line 5 (iL5) — Unknown. Requires AddrScan.
- Line 6 (iL6) — Unknown. Requires AddrScan.
The following processing steps apply when a Definition File contains definitions for any of iL4, iL5, or iL6.
- The driver calls AddrScan to examine the lines of data.
- AddrScan determines which lines best fit the definitions for iL1, iL2, iL3 and iL4, and identifies values for the ZIP Code and ZIP + 4 fields.
- AddrScan returns these isolated address components to the driver.
- The driver moves line 1 to the iAddress1 field, line 2 to the iAddress2 field, line 3 to the iCity field, line 4 to the iFirm field, the identified ZIP Code data to the iZip field, and the identified ZIP + 4 data to the iZip4 field.
- If AddrScan is requested and the DEF file specifies
iZIP or iZIP4 fields, the following occurs:
- If AddrScan identifies a ZIP or ZIP4 inside the data fields (iL1-iL6), AddrScan passes the identified ZIP or ZIP4 fields to Finalist.
- If AddrScan is not able to identify a ZIP or ZIP4 field, AddrScan passes the information from the iZIP or iZIP4 fields to Finalist.
The following table shows a sample Definition File using block-style address keywords. Note that you can specify up to 10 positions and lengths to extract information from multiple locations within the data record for each of the lines. This feature accommodates a wide range of record layouts.
Table 1. Definition File Layout Using Block Style Address Keywords Keyword Description Recommended Length ; Comment lines are indicated by a semicolon (;) in column one. Semicolon must begin in column one for comment lines. ; Finalist Definition File. Comment. Enter a description of the file. Fewer than 80 bytes ; Created by: Comment. Enter your name and date created. Fewer than 80 bytes ; Input file=Inputfile.txt Comment. Enter the name of the input file being defined. Fewer than 80 bytes iL1=x,y[,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y] Required. Identifies positions (x) and lengths (y) of data to be treated as block address input line one. Note that up to 10 starting positions and lengths may be specified. 70 bytes iL2=x,y[,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y] Optional: . Identifies positions (x) and lengths (y) of data to be treated as block address input line two. Note that up to 10 starting positions and lengths may be specified.70 bytes iL3=x,y[,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y] Optional: . Identifies positions (x) and lengths (y) of data to be treated as block address input line three. Required if IZIP is not specified. Note that multiple starting positions and lengths may be specified.70 bytes iL4=x,y[,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y] Optional: . Identifies positions (x) and lengths (y) of data to be treated as block address input line four. Note that up to 10 starting positions and lengths may be specified.70 bytes iL5=x,y[,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y] Optional: Identifies positions (x) and lengths (y) of data to be treated as block address input line five. Note that up to 10 starting positions and lengths may be specified.70 bytes iL6=x,y[,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y,x,y] Optional: Identifies positions (x) and lengths (y) of data to be treated as block address input line six. Note that up to 10 starting positions and lengths may be specified.70 bytes iCrrt=x,y Optional: Identifies the position (x) and length (y) of the input carrier route.4 bytes iFirm=x,y Optional: Identifies the position (x) and length (y) of the input high-rise name or a firm name.40 bytes iZip=x,y Optional: Identifies the position (x) and length (y) of the input ZIP Code field. Required if iL3 is not specified.5 bytes iZip4=x,y Optional: Identifies the position (x) and length (y) of the input ZIP + 4 (sector segment) field.4 bytes