Full address finder using the COM Object

Full Address Search functionality:

Postcode is entered in software by user, to search for
List of addresses, at postcode, is displayed for selection
Address Line is selected
Full address returned and used by software

When using the COM Object, to search by Postcode to get Full address, we have two choices of implementation:

Using the COM user interface, for fast and easy implementation (including advanced word search)
Use COM Object to retrieve address data, but implement your own user interface

Full Address using the COM Object user interface:

Step 1 Sign up for 30 day trial

Simply use the "Sign Up for Trial" link at top right of this page to open a trial account. We will then send you a data key, which is used to identify your account, when using the following service.

Step 2 Download COM Object

The COM Object is for use with any COM complient language. It is written in Framework V2.0 so compatible with any framework from 2 upwards. It is almost identical to our COM object, but is implemented as a .NET Assembly. It is therefore easier to distribute within your .NET project, since it requires no extra files.

The Postcode Software COM Object is in the “COM Object\COM Object Files” directory of our api example code, or installed using the InstallSimplyPostcodeCOM.EXE install program found in the route of the download.

How to distribute

Best Option

Simply include the “InstallSimplyPostcodeCOM.EXE” in your installation routine. This installs all files need, without any prompt for user input. Therefore can easily be activated by your own install routines. On most computers it will only install SimplyPostCodeLookup.dll into system32 directory, since all other files are bundled with MS Office, and other vb6 programs.

Include actual files in your own install

Place all required files in your own install routine, include all files in the "COM Object\COM Object Files" directory of the Programming examples.

These files are:

"Microsoft Internet Transfer Control (MSINET.OCX)" OCX control
Msvbvm60.dll to be in application directory
mscomctl.ocx to be in application directory
SimplyPostCodeLookup.dll

Step 3 Creating the COM Object

Add a COM Reference to our COM object, “ISimplyPostCodeCOMClass”SimplyPostCodeLookup.dll, within your programming language.

VB6/VB.Net

Dim SimplyPostCodeLookup As New SimplyPostCode

Step 4 Specify the Data Key

The Data Key will have been sent to you via an e-mail when you opened the account. It is also available under the “Data Key” tab of the online admin window. For the .NET Assembly you should use the data key beginning with "I_".

VB6/VB.Net

SimplyPostCodeLookup.SetDataKey(“I_KD352jKKHhk2GAFFKDU”)

Step 5 Call SearchForFullAddressWithDialogue to display search window

Simply call SearchForFullAddressWithDialogue(PostcodePrima, Caption, ShowLicienceDetails, AllowManageAccount, DisplayErrors)

This call can be used with Local Data or Internet based data. But when using Local Data the advanced search is not available.

This function call will display a dialogue box for the user to enter the postcode to search for (or particial address words if using our Web Based data). The user then presses the [FIND] button, and a list of possible addresses is displayed for the entered postcode. The user selects an appropriate address record and the address is returned.

Parameters

Parameter name	Description
PostcodePrima As String	allows you to initiate the search when opened
Caption As String	allows the dialogue to show License status. It is good practice to show this information
ShowLicienceDetails As Boolean	allows the use to go to their on line account to purchase more licenses
AllowManageAccount As Boolean	allows program to show errors. If off then will simply close and return errors in General_credits_display_text and General_errormessage

Returns

Returns true if address search completed and General_credits_display_text contains summary of Credits/License status.

Postcode Lookup Example:

This code displays the following Postcode Address Lookup window:

VB6

Function GetAddressByPostcode() As Boolean

   On Error GoTo Error_loading
   Set SimplyPostCodeLookup = CreateObject("ISimplyPostCodeCOMClass.SimplyPostCode")

   SimplyPostCodeLookup.SetDataKey ("Your Data key")

   If SimplyPostCodeLookup.SearchForFullAddressWithDialogue("", "Get Address", true, true, true) then
      With SimplyPostCodeLookup
         me.CompanyName = .Address_Organisation
         me.Line1 = .Address_Line1
         me.Line2 = .Address_Line2
         me.Line3 = .Address_Line3
         me.Town = .Address_Town
         me.County = .Address_County
         me.Postcode = .Address_Postcode

      end with
   end if
   Set SimplyPostCodeLookup = Nothing

Exit_error:

   Exit Function

Error_loading:

   MsgBox "Simply Post Lookup COM Object has not been installed on this PC !!! Please install using
               'InstallSimplyPostcodeCOM.EXE'", vbCritical, "Simply Postcode Lookup software"
   Resume Exit_error
End Function

VB.Net

'Set Data key, to identify your account
SimplyPostCodeLookup.SetDataKey(Me.txtDataKey.Text)

With SimplyPostCodeLookup
   If .SearchForFullAddressWithDialogue(Me.txtPostcode.Text, "Get address using simple call to
               .NET Assembly Object", True, True, True) Then

      Me.CompanyName.text = .Address_Organisation
      Me.Line1.text = .Address_Line1
      Me.Line2.text = .Address_Line2
      Me.Line3.text = .Address_Line3
      Me.Town.text = .Address_Town
      Me.County.text = .Address_County
      Me.Postcode.text = .Address_Postcode

   End If
End With

C# .NET

//Set Data key, to identify your account
string DataKey= "Your Data Key";
SimplyPostCodeLookup.SetDataKey(ref DataKey);

//This calls the COM object to do all of the work!
string PostCodeToFind = txtPostcode.Text;
string Title = "Get address using simple call to .NET Assembly Object";

if (SimplyPostCodeLookup.SearchForFullAddressWithDialogue(PostCodeToFind, Title, true, true, true) == true)
{
   CompanyName.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_Organisation;
   Line1.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_Line1;
   Line2.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_Line2;
   Line3.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_Line3;
   Town.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_Town;
   County.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_County;
   Postcode.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_Postcode;
}

Using .NET Assembly to provide Address Finder

Advanced Search Example:

This function adds an [Advanced Find] button to the search window provided by SearchForFullAddressWithDialogue call (See previous section). This allows users to enter address words to search for, to return Full address information:

Advanced search using .NET Assembly

When the [Advanced Find] button is pressed the following is displayed:

Advanced postcode search results

Results:

Results of Advanced Postcode Search

This advanced word search call can ONLY be used with Internet based data

Step 6 Testing

Final step is to test, to enable easy testing please use our special test postcodes.

See section below for detail on data returned

Postcode Lookup Software Full Address - Example Code

Simply download the example code. The code is in the "COM Object/C++ COM Object","COM Object/MS Access 2000 onwards","COM Object/MS Excel using COM", "COM Object/VB6 COM Example","COM Object/VBNET COM 2005" directory of our example downloads.

You must run InstallSimplyPostcodeCOM.EXE included in the above download.

These examples demonstrate postcode lookup software using Full Address.

Full Address using the COM Object and implement your own User Interface:

Firtsly follow steps 1,2,3 and 4 above. Indeed the section above shows the princile behind this searching method.

Step 5 Present a list fo addreses from postcode entered

Simply call GetFullAddressToList(Postcode), with the Postcode the user has entered in search box.

This call can be used with Local Data or Internet based data.

Parameters

Parameter name	Description
Postcode as string	Postcode to find. If using our Internet based data, then the user can enter words, and wildcard, to search for address data.

Returns

Returns true if address search completed and General_credits_display_text contains summary of Credits/License status. Else errors reported in General_errormessage.

Step 6 Call for each line to display

And then call GetFullAddressLineForSelection() to get each line for list selection for display, discussed in next section.

Example search code

VB.Net

'Set Data key, to identify your account
SimplyPostCodeLookup.SetDataKey(Me.txtDataKey.Text)

Me.ListBox1.Items.Clear()

With SimplyPostCodeLookup

If .GetFullAddressToList(Me.txtPostcode.Text) Then

'Make list + Cancel button visible
Me.ListBox1.Visible = True
Me.ButCancelSelection.Visible = True

   'Now Populate the List box
   Dim Line$
   Line = .GetFullAddressLineForSelection()
   Do Until Line = ""
   Me.ListBox1.Items.Add(Line)
   Line = .GetFullAddressLineForSelection()
   Loop

Else
MsgBox(.General_credits_display_text & vbCrLf & .General_errormessage,
vbCritical, "Simply Postcode Lookup")
End If

Me.Text = "Simply Postcode Lookup : " & .General_credits_display_text

end With

C# .NET

string DataKey;
DataKey = "Your Data Key"
SimplyPostCodeLookup.SetDataKey(ref DataKey);

ListBox1.Items.Clear();

string PostCodeToFind = txtPostcode.Text;
if (SimplyPostCodeLookup.GetFullAddressToList(ref PostCodeToFind) == true)
{
   //Make list + Cancel button visible
   ListBox1.Visible = true;
   ButCancelSelection.Visible = true;

   //Now Populate the List box
   string Line="";
   Line = SimplyPostCodeLookup.GetFullAddressLineForSelection();
   while (Line != "")
   {
      ListBox1.Items.Add(Line);
      Line = SimplyPostCodeLookup.GetFullAddressLineForSelection();
   }

} else {
MessageBox.Show(SimplyPostCodeLookup.General_credits_display_text + " " +
SimplyPostCodeLookup.General_errormessage, "Simply Postcode Lookup");
}

this.Text = "Simply Postcode Lookup : " +
SimplyPostCodeLookup.General_credits_display_text;

Step 7 Get Address Reord Selected

Now get Address record, when user double clicks on address line in selection box

Calling GetFullAddressRecord(SelectedListIndex as long)

Parameters

Parameter name	Description
SelectedListIndex as long	The index number of the item selected in the listbox. Zero being the first item on the list

Returns

Returns true if address search completed and General_credits_display_text contains summary of Credits/License status. Else errors reported in General_errormessage.

Example get address record

VB.Net

With SimplyPostCodeLookup
If .GetFullAddressRecord(Me.ListBox1.SelectedIndex) Then

      Me.CompanyName.text = .Address_Organisation
      Me.Line1.text = .Address_Line1
      Me.Line2.text = .Address_Line2
      Me.Line3.text = .Address_Line3
      Me.Town.text = .Address_Town
      Me.County.text = .Address_County
      Me.Postcode.text = .Address_Postcode

   Else
      MsgBox(.General_credits_display_text & vbCrLf & .General_errormessage,
                  vbCritical, "Simply Postcode Lookup")
   End If

Me.Text = "Simply Postcode Lookup : " & .General_credits_display_text
End With

C# .NET

int SelectedIndex=ListBox1.SelectedIndex;
if (SimplyPostCodeLookup.GetFullAddressRecord(ref SelectedIndex)==true)
{
   CompanyName.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_Organisation;
   Line1.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_Line1;
   Line2.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_Line2;
   Line3.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_Line3;
   Town.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_Town;
   County.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_County;
   Postcode.text = SimplyPostCodeLookup.Address_Postcode;

} else {
MessageBox.Show(SimplyPostCodeLookup.General_credits_display_text + " " +
SimplyPostCodeLookup.General_errormessage, "Simply Postcode Lookup");
}

this.Text = "Simply Postcode Lookup : " +
SimplyPostCodeLookup.General_credits_display_text;

Step 8 Testing

Final step is to test, to enable easy testing please use our special test postcodes.

Postcode Software Full Address - Example Code

Simply download the example code. The code is in the "COM Object/C++ COM Object","COM Object/MS Access 2000 onwards","COM Object/MS Excel using COM", "COM Object/VB6 COM Example","COM Object/VBNET COM 2005" directory of our example downloads.

You must run InstallSimplyPostcodeCOM.EXE included in the above download.

These examples demonstrate postcode lookup software using Full Address your own User Interface.

Data Returned:

This type of license returns: (see example below)

ID
CompanyName
Line1
Line2
Line3
Town
CountyState
PostZipCode
Country "England","Wales","Northern Ireland","Isle of Man","Channel Islands","Scotland"
MailSort ●
Unique ●
DeliveryPointSuffix ●
NoHouseHolds ●
UDPRN ● (Royal mail unique id for each address)
Spare ●

● see Additional Data Returned by Postcode Finder API for more information

The following return the status of the account and search:

Public General_confirm As Boolean
    'True if address data returned
Public General_credits_display_text As String
    'Shows number of Credits/Users available
Public General_accountadminpage As String
    'Gives URL of online account admin page
    'From here the customer can be more Credits/Licenses
Public General_errormessage As String
    'Error Message if error
Public General_credits_display_showbutton As Boolean
    'True if should show button to buy more Credits/Licenses OPTIONAL

Step by Step guide:

API's

Get Location

Get Distance

Nearest Store

Useful Links

Full address finder using the COM Object

Full Address using the COM Object user interface:

Step 1 Sign up for 30 day trial

Step 2 Download COM Object

How to distribute

Best Option

Include actual files in your own install

Step 3 Creating the COM Object

Step 4 Specify the Data Key

Step 5 Call SearchForFullAddressWithDialogue to display search window

Parameters

Returns

Step 6 Testing

Postcode Lookup Software Full Address - Example Code

Full Address using the COM Object and implement your own User Interface:

Step 5 Present a list fo addreses from postcode entered

Parameters

Returns

Step 6 Call for each line to display

Step 7 Get Address Reord Selected

Parameters

Returns

Step 8 Testing

Postcode Software Full Address - Example Code

Data Returned: