[postgis-users] A more practical geocoder

[Jason Horning]

After seeing some interest I'll put together a quick tutorial on how to
set up the geocoder and a means by which someone could acquire the code.
Remember that this will be a road centerline-based geocoder only (i.e.
give it an address and it will give you a coordinate).  We will not be
providing a map viewer to visualize the coordinate.

To answer Stephen's other questions.  We offer everything that we have
on the same license as PostgreSQL (BSD).  We only hope that the
geocoding approach (not necessarily the code itself) and possibly an
implementation in psql makes its way into a future PostGIS geocode
offering because we feel that the way that we've approached the problem
is a much more effective way to tackle road centerline "geocoding".
Also, for what it's worth, we feel that road centerline geocoding is
only one means by which someone can perform a "geocode" operation.  Our
hopes are that the work that we have begun will be extended to search
for address points or anything else with an address assigned to it.  One
could also argue that searching for "Statue of Liberty" and getting a
coordinate back is "geocoding".

Lastly, there is no specific dataset that we use.  One should be able to
use any road centerline data to make this work.  The data may have to be
massaged into the correct import format but we feel that that is a
relatively simple task for any GIS analyst.  What will essentially be
required are a road centerline shapefile (line) with about half of the
field requirements that typical geocoders require and a zone shapefile
(polygon) which, since we're in the US, we attribute with Community and
Zip.

Hope this answers your questions and I'll make the information available
just as soon as I can.  Let me know if you have any more questions.
Thanks!

Jason Horning


-----Original Message-----
From: postgis-users-bounces at postgis.refractions.net
[mailto:postgis-users-bounces at postgis.refractions.net] On Behalf Of Lee
Keel
Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 12:28 PM
To: PostGIS Users Discussion
Subject: RE: [postgis-users] A more practical geocoder

> -----Original Message-----
> From: postgis-users-bounces at postgis.refractions.net
[mailto:postgis-users-
> bounces at postgis.refractions.net] On Behalf Of Stephen Woodbridge
> Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 12:08 PM
> To: PostGIS Users Discussion
> Subject: Re: [postgis-users] A more practical geocoder
> 
> Dido on what Stephen Frost said.
> 
> -Steve W
> 

[Lee Keel] 

We would also like this information.  As we have our own geocoder and
are
always looking for improvements.  You can see our geocoder in action at
http://hud.uai.com/hudpls/ViewMap.aspx?FindAddTI=1
Simply start typing an address and the result set is geocoded from Tiger
data.

-Lee
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