[thesite] evolt map

[Ron Thigpen]

MapBlast does this.  It's not intended to be used as a web-based data 
service, but it sure does what you need.

A cookbook ---

-Gather user address data, store in db leaving fields for lat/long
-Find db entries w/o lat/long defined
-Go thru them 1 by one, getting data from MapBlast
-Store lat/long in db

For CF, use CFHTTP

Do a GET from MapBlast, submit a URL in this form (watch wrap):
http://www.mapblast.com/myblast/map.mb?&GMI=1&forceAddr=1&C
MD=GEO&CT=&IC=&LV=&GMI=&GAD1=&GAD2=&GAD3=&GAD4=&noPrefs=&req_action=crmap&skip=&serch=&PHONE=&noBRP=&remLoc=&AD4=USA&AD2_street=1600+Pennsylvania+Avenue&AD3=20502&apmenu=&apcode=&x=49&y=18&selCategory=

set AD2_street='street address' (ex:'1600+Pennsylvania+Avenue')
AD4=USA  (or one of their other country codes, crib from their pages)
AD3=zip5 (ex:'20502')
url encode strings, natch.

some of those URL vars likely aren't required, clean up at will

Do a string match on the output, looking for this:
&IC=38.8985:-77.0371:8:&CT=38.8985:-77.0371

or this:
  <input type="hidden" name="CT" value="38.8985:-77.0371:40000">
  <input type="hidden" name="IC" value="38.8985:-77.0371:8:">

extract these values and punch them into the db.

fun!

--rt


Bruce Heerssen wrote:

> Elfur Logadottir wrote:


>  From a Flash standpoint, this wouldn't be too hard. The hard part is 
> getting the data in usable format, like longitude and latitude 
> coordinates. Does anyone know of a way to find the lat&lon of any 
> location in the world given a valid postal address? A cgi, or better 
> yet, an online service would be ideal.
>