Geocoding Data and Software Sources: A Focus on Address Matching
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Web based Applications that Use Address Matching
The internet abounds with free pages for generating directions and maps for travel to just about anywhere. Often special low resolution pages are offered for access by handheld devices and maps can also be downloaded in different formats. Powered by various geocoding data sources and software they offer a variety of features. For international travel, try Maporama, a Paris based company using NavTech data, and get travel directions from Sri Lanka to Switzerland in the language of your choice. Information about restaurants, hotels, banks, etc. along with map directions are accessible to any internet-enabled device such as a PC, Palm Pilot, WAP or WEBtv. Another French company, Mappy.com offers route planning services with maps of London, Bristol, Berlin, Munich, Brussels, Bruges, Milan, Rome, Geneva, Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague along with tourist and practical information. Mappy is also uses NavTech data. PTV is a German language site using NavTech data that displays traffic congestion, and route planning information for countries throughout Europe.
Microsoft''s Expedia, using GDT, NavTech, and Compusearch business data prepares trip directions throughout North America. You can chose a scenic, quickest or shortest route and distances in kilometers or miles. MapBlast uses GDT data, and is a useful site for geocoding because it displays the geographic coordinates of the located address and direction arrows for one way roads. It also provides hyperlinks for weather information, and traffic reports and web pages for locations in your vicinity. Users can create myMapBlast personalized pages. MapQuest uses NavTech and GDT data and finds restaurants, shopping, entertainment,as well as the route and can also display topographic maps. Yahoo Maps uses NavTech and GDT data to draw maps and also can locate nearby gas stations, hotels, restaurants and a classified adds directory. Zip2 can find business by name or category that are near an address, city/state or zipcode. Generated maps have a tagline referring to BLR, a company acquired by GDT in 1998. NavTech''s website lists Zip2 as a user of its data.
Major GIS Software Address Matching Capabilities
ESRI (Redlands, California), Intergraph (Huntsville, Alabama) and MapInfo (Troy, New York) offer address matching related desktop, internet and application programming interface (API) solutions. The Open GIS Consortium is in the process of developing standards for geocoding applications and these companies are Principal members of the OGC.
ESRI offers numerous products with address matching capabilities including
ArcInfo 8.0.2, MapObjects 2.0a, ArcIMS 3, ArcLogistics Route 2, BusinessMAP PRO 2, RouteMAP IMS 2, ArcView GIS 3.2a and ArcView Business Analyst 1.1a. ArcView provides a robust geocoding engine for user data that includes the option to view candidate matches and select from potential candidates or determine why no match is occuring. It also provides a pull down list that supports address styles including US and foreign streets. An on-line tutorial for a University of Texas course describes the ArcView geocoding process in detail. Additionally ArcView StreetMap, an ArcView extension, uses Wessex (a division of GDT) data provided on a single CD-ROM that allows street-level geocoding and display for the entire United States. The street data included with this CD can be converted to ESRI shapefiles for use in analysis. ArcView StreetMap extension gives ArcView GIS users the power to work with these new data as well as build custom applications using ArcView GIS software''s scripting language, Avenue. MapObjects geocoding engine includes support for international addresses and reject processing.
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Using GDT data, Intergraph''s GeoMedia Address Geocoder matches addresses in attached text file and places their locations on a map.
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Intergraph''s GeoMedia and GeoMedia Professional''s current geocoding capability is built on GDT''s address matching engine. The AddressGeocodePipe object is included as part of the GeoMedia automation kit provided with the GeoMedia proudct. Custom applications for desktop or web based use can be developed using the properties and methods of this object such as the output match cost (a measure of how much the address had to be changed to make the match) and the match strategy property. The limitation with this address matching capability is the inability to geocode to non-GDT data sets. As a temporary solution, Intergraph offers a user command for download on its website that performs bulk and interactive address matching against vector graphics. It can be used with both GeoMedia 3 and 4. The street graphics must have associated database records containing from/to, left/right and type columns and optional prefix and suffix columns and there must be an area feature with identifying database column that is used to further refine the address search. It supports alias names that are stored in an Access lookup.mdb database but spelling of the address must be exact, and address ranges must be valid. It is also necessary for each Name/Type/Range be unique.
Intergraph is planning a new geocoder to support non-GDT data sets and international geocoding, and a plug-in API that would support local address variations. It has also launched Intelliwhere, headquartered in Sydney, Australia, a new software and solutions infrastructure provider focused on the wireless and location-based services industry.
CAPTION: mapinfo.gif - MapInfo''s MapMarker geocoder features an intuitive "envelope" interface that lets you drag and drop columns from your database containing address elements.
MapInfo''s MapMarker® Plus U.S. v6.3 is a CASS compliant geocoding engine that uses enhanced street data from GDT. It supports mailbox fields in addresses, addresses that have been assigned new zip codes, batch and interactive geocoding, and geocoding to places such as significant buildings and organizations. The MapInfo geocoding cartridge for Oracle8i is a Java-based tool that enables interaction with the geocoding engine from within an Oracle8i database. The cartridge adds geographic coordinates to address records in a customer''s database by matching them against the MapMarker Plus address dictionary. MapMarker can be purchased for use by a single user, for deployment on a server, or in OCX configuration for embedding geocoding in a mapping application. MapMarker also offers geocoding engines for Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands. MapMarker is used in conjunction with MapInfo to generate maps showing the geocoded locations. However MapMarker is capable of displaying candidate address locations on a map to aid in match selection during the geocoding process. You can download a trial MapMarker version including data for the Washington D.C. area. Additional free trial data for other locations may be requested.
About Author
Jane E. Goodman is President of GeoQuery, Inc. in Baton Rouge, LA and can be emailed at geoquery@Home.com.
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